One Penny: A Marked Heart Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

it to her mouth and then started rubbing his shoe with it.
    He took a few deep breaths, finding it hard to believe how her touching his shoe was making him feel before saying, "Your cinnamon rolls smell good. May I have one?"
    Penny looked up at him and smiled, lifting the tray off of her lap and holding it up towards him.
    He started to reach for one, then asked, "Can I sit with you?"
    With a little laugh, Penny replied, "It's your balcony too."
    Nodding, Seth removed his suit jacket, laid it over the balcony rail and sat down next to Penny.
    He sat still next to her for a few minutes without saying a word. After a few controlled breaths, he started to feel more at ease next to her.
    Picking up a cinnamon roll off of the tray, he said, "Thank you."
    "You're welcome and by the way, they aren't poisoned or anything like that."
    Caught off guard, he paused before taking a bite.
    Without skipping a beat, she asked, "What do you like to do for fun?"
    "Run."
    "Really? I don't run unless someone's chasing me," she laughed before asking, "You really like to run? I mean it's fun for you?"
    Finishing his bite of cinnamon roll he answered, "Yes I do."
    There was an awkward pause before she started talking again.
    "I like to hang out with Charlotte and Liv, of course but I like to go out too. Mostly to The Dog House, to watch my brother Braden play and give Auggie a hard time. My brother Ailin used to be in the band. He and Sophia had a baby a few months ago. Then he was offered a promotion at work, they live in Chicago now."
    Seth sat there trying to absorb everything she was saying while eating his cinnamon roll.
    "You remember Sophia, don't you?"
    As he nodded he recalled wondering how someone as nice as Penny could be friends with snotty stuck up Sophia.
    "Well anyways, I'm really excited about the fair coming up. Are you?"
    Shrugging, he replied, "I guess...No, not really."
    Penny appeared disappointed for a moment before asking, "Got any tattoos?"
    Seth smiled slightly as he replied, "No."
    "Well, if you ever decide to get one, I work at Legacy Ink."
    Picking up another cinnamon roll Seth nodded at her before taking a bite.
    He remembered that from Charlotte's conversation with his parents. At the time, there seemed to be too much going on for him to dwell on the information but now, he was curious.
    "You don't look like you would work there," he shared.
    With a little laugh, Penny questioned, "Why? Because I don't look like Liv?"
    Feeling a tiny bit embarrassed about his stereotypical judgment, he replied, "Sorry."
    Pursing her lips up into a smile, she said, "For all you know, I'm covered with tattoos under my clothes."
    Out of reaction, he immediately asked, "Are you?"
    Her smile faded as she answered, "No, not even one."
    "Why not?" he asked wondering why she seemed sad about it.
    "Because it looks like it hurts and they are permanent you know," she replied almost fussing at him like she was defending herself.
    "I don't understand why that's a problem..."
    With a little sigh, she explained, "I really want to tattoo but my cousin Kieran says he won't teach me until I get one myself."
    For reason's unknown to Seth, the idea of Penny as a tattoo artist was the sexiest thing, ever.
    ~
    Unsure of why Seth was suddenly staring at her the way that he was, she looked down at the, now empty, tray on her lap.
    "Well, speaking of... I better get inside and get ready for work," Penny shared.
    Quickly hopping up, Seth held his hand out for hers.
    Penny took his hand saying, "Wow, you're strong," as he pulled her to her feet.
    He smiled and looked down at the ground before replying, "Thank you for the cinnamon rolls."
    Watching him closely, she complimented, "You have a nice smile."
    "You have a nice everything," he shared before seemingly realizing what he had just said.
    Swiftly grabbing his suit jacket off of the railing, he turned and was back in his apartment with the door closed before she could respond.
    Regardless of his speedy exit,