Archive of Our Own

The gift on the counter taunted Penelope as she picked at her food. Colin had been tight-lipped about its contents, forcing her to sit through an entire meal in suspense; she was not a fan of surprises. Colin, it seemed, had chosen to forgo his usual method of inhaling his food as if it were in grave danger of being taken away, instead taking slow, deliberate bites. It was driving Penelope mad.

Noticing Colin’s unwavering focus on the noodles before him, she slowly moved her arm closer to the neatly-wrapped box and attempted to pick at the corner of the paper with her fingernail. Colin’s arm shot out with a speed she hadn’t known him capable of as he wordlessly scooted the box away from her, not even pulling his attention away from his plate.

Penelope let her fork fall against her plate with a disgruntled huff. Colin finally looked up, but remained silent, giving her only a quirk of his brow in question. 

“Not even a hint?”

He shook his head and waggled his finger at her, a move that Penelope would forever attribute to his mother. “I already told you, it’s a surprise for after dinner.”

“Yes, and you’re moving at a snail’s pace just to drag this out and torture me.”

“Is that what I’m doing? I thought I was simply enjoying a fine meal and the company of my wonderful girlfriend,” he said, aiming for innocence, but she knew better. “Patience, Penelope.”

Penelope probably should have been embarrassed by how quickly she reverted to her five-year-old self on Christmas morning as soon as he set his fork down for the final time, practically lunging off her stool with a “Gimme!”

Colin laughed as he pushed the box towards her, studying her face as she tore open the paper. He was delighted to find amusement there as she discovered what lay within. 

She barked out a laugh, holding up the Twister box to face him. “Oh my God, I didn’t think you were serious about this.”

“I would never joke about such things Pen, I take my games very seriously,” he replied, much more earnestly than she expected. 

A slow smile formed on Penelope’s face as she leaned in close to his. “Are you issuing a challenge then?”

Colin smirked back at her, closing the remaining distance between them. “Oh, most definitely.”

As they rearranged the furniture in her living room, Penelope asked, “Can I expect you to follow the rules this time?”

Schooling his features into their most innocuous arrangement, Colin replied, “Of course. You know I am a stickler for rules.”

Penelope had to snort at that.

He shook out the board, spreading it across the floor and smoothing out the corners. “You mock, but I even added an extra rule that I’ll be enforcing this evening.”

“Oh? And what might that be?”

His gaze latched onto hers, holding steady as he stalked towards her. “The loser of each round must lose an item of clothing.”

“I see,” Penelope replied, lifting her brows in amusement.

“Mmmhmm,” he nodded, toying with the zipper of her hoodie. “Seems a bit unfair for you to begin with more clothing than I, don’t you think? Especially when the item in question was in fact stolen from me .” He began to pull down the zipper. “Perhaps this should be removed before we start.”

Penelope backed away, zipping up the sweatshirt as far as it would go. “Uh-uh, nice try,” she said with a shake of her head. “If you want it, you’re going to have to win it back fair and square.”

Darkness flashed across his eyes. “Do not fret, I fully intend to.” Penelope couldn't discern if his words contained a threat or a promise. He handed her the spinner, giving her his most saccharine sweet smile. “Care to have the first spin?”

She snatched the spinner out of his hands. “I think you’ll find your outsized confidence is misplaced. I’m rather good at this game,” she responded, flicking the spinner with a flourish. “Left foot blue.”

Penelope planted her foot, with Colin moving from the opposite side of the board, opting for the dot right next to hers. 

Colin took his spin. “My turn…right foot yellow.”

Penelope slid her other foot forward, bringing her chest to chest with Colin. She could feel the heat radiating off of him, almost making her wish she had ditched the hoodie to begin with.

“Pen? Your spin.”

“Right,” she squeaked out, hoping he didn’t notice the lift in her voice. “Left hand green.”

Penelope leaned back, balancing her weight between her palm and back foot. Colin placed his hand directly next to hers–on her dot–with one of his fingers reaching out to touch hers.  

“What did I say about getting your own dot?” she scolded. 

“Of course, terribly sorry.” He didn’t sound the least bit sorry.

Instead, he aimed for the dot directly under her. Snaking beneath her, his hand brushed over her hip, gradually coming to rest at the small of her back.

“Colin–”

“Hmm?” was all he managed as he flicked the spinner with this free hand. His face was now exceptionally close to hers. “Right hand green.”

Colin’s body fully covered hers as he planted his right hand. His left began a meandering, teasing journey from its place at her back, sliding lower and lower, finally dipping below the fabric of her sweatshirt. The heat of his hand branding her skin sends a ripple of desire through Penelope, causing her to quiver at his touch. 

She could feel Colin’s voice at her ear, low and gruff. “Are you feeling stable Penelope? You seem to be trembling.”

She swallowed convulsively. “I’m fine.”

“Are you certain?” She nodded emphatically. He hummed as he dropped his head, hovering just above her neck, breathing her in. Penelope closed her eyes, willing herself to think of something, anything, that would distract her from the fact that his lips were achingly close to her, praying that she could hold it together long enough to spin again.

His breath tickled her skin. “How about now?” he asked, his lips just barely brushing against her skin. Penelope clasped her lips tight, trying to hold in the yelp that threatened to burst from within her, her body and mind unable to handle the brewing tension. When she felt him smiling, she knew she was in trouble.

Then his mouth descended on her, sucking mercilessly. A breathy cry slipped from Penelope’s lips. While Colin continued to tease at the sensitive skin above her pulse point, Penelope’s body continued to betray her mind, seemingly moving of its own volition in an effort to bring the two of them closer. When Colin's tongue trailed down over her collarbone, her hips bucked forward. Unfortunately, the rest of her body did not get the memo, causing her foot to slip and sending her to the ground with a thud.

Colin pulled back and let out a burst of victorious laughter. Penelope grabbed a pillow from the couch and launched it at his head with considerable force. 

“Jerk,” Penelope grumbled. “I feel like that should be counted as cheating.”

Colin shook his head, grabbing the box sitting behind her. “If you look here, you’ll notice there is no rule against touching the opposing player.” He held the instruction pamphlet up between his middle and forefinger with a smug smirk on his face. She narrowed her eyes at him, batting the paper to the ground. 

As Penelope moved to stand, Colin shook his head, gently pressing her backward onto the mat. “Looks like I won fair and square,” he said, hovering over her, pinning her wrists to the ground. “It’s time I collect my prize."

Colin lowered his head, taking the zipper of her hoodie between his teeth, pulling it down with agonizing slowness. Tingles of electricity moved throughout Penelope, settling in her fingertips, which were eager to make their way through his thick hair. With a final tug, the edges fell open, exposing a wide expanse of skin for him. 

Colin revealed more with his hands, pushing the fabric to the sides, skimming over her torso. His tongue followed the trail created by his hands, leaving scorch marks against her skin. 

His thumbs moved to brush over the purple mesh of her bra. “This is very nice. It’s almost a shame I'll have to dispose of it soon,” he commented, his tongue darting out to tickle the space between her breasts, “but only almost.” Colin’s featherlight touches and wicked tongue were clouding Penelope’s thoughts. He was sufficiently distracting her, and she simply could not allow that.

With great effort, she pushed against his chest, taking Colin by surprise and forcing him to fall back on his knees. 

Penelope shrugged off the sweatshirt, tossing it onto the couch. Deciding that he seemed a bit too pleased with himself, she picked up the spinner and stood to loom over him. “We’ll see about that. Right hand red.”

Facing Penelope on the opposite side of the board, noting her resolute countenance, Colin decided he was quite pleased with himself. It had been on his mind for weeks now, and Penelope’s strong reaction after the first round had been promising. Of course, he’d meant to rile her up, starting with wrapping the game and keeping her in the dark all throughout dinner. She hated not knowing things. He supposed he could have mentioned the nonexistent no-touching rule, but that would have given away his strategy too early. Penelope was not as naturally competitive as he by nature–she needed a little push. Now he was seeing her in one of his favorite forms: the one that didn’t hold anything back. With any luck, she might even rough him up a bit. The thought alone shot a bolt of arousal straight through him.

But he did still have some plans for that evening that involved him taking the reins, so he needed to keep his head in the game for a while longer yet. 

“Left hand blue.”

Colin moved forward on his knees, reaching out for the blue dot when he discovered a fatal flaw in his plan. Penelope’s position on all fours had been tantalizing enough to begin with, but now, given his spin, her arms were forced to cross over one another, pushing her breasts together. 

Damn.

Colin composed himself, hastily shoving the spinner towards her. “Your spin.”

She regarded him for a moment, tilting her head slightly, a sly smile slowly forming. “In a rush?”

“Just eager to keep the game moving,” he said as nonchalantly as possible, hoping his rapid heartbeat wasn’t nearly as loud as he thought it was.

“Hmm, alright. Left foot blue.”

Penelope was on to him, she knew what her breasts did to him, but as long as she didn’t pick up on his true weakness, he could muddle through. While Colin considered her tits to be perfect–perfectly soft, perfectly pert (and sensitive) nipples, perfect in how they spilled over his hands as he held them–he was truly enchanted by her lips. They came together in a perfect pout and Colin often had to restrain himself from taking them between his teeth. He was mesmerized by how gracefully they moved as she spoke and continually delighted by whatever words spilled out of them. What really did him in was when her tongue darted out to lick them–an unconscious action that often meant she was becoming as overcome as he was. 

“Do you mind if I reposition myself so that I’m more comfortable?”

He took a moment to register her speech. “Not at all. Just take care not to fall in the process.”

Mistake, big mistake. Though he couldn’t exactly deny her; he had already done the same, which had also, perhaps, been a mistake. Colin’s body faced the ceiling, his arms situated underneath him with his one leg stretched out before him. Penelope walked over from her current position to his side of the board, opting for some sort of downward-dog style pose, directly over him. 

“Ahh, much better.” She sucked in a deep breath, pushing out her chest in the process. At the movement, Colin felt his breath hitch. His mouth had gone suddenly dry and–was he beginning to sweat? Colin realized he was quickly losing the upper hand. His eyes darted around the room, desperately seeking out the spinner and hopefully a new, safer position. Then he felt a tickle on his cheek. She’d taken her hair out of the messy bun it had been in, letting it tumble freely to one side, filling the air with the bright citrus scent of her shampoo, the fragrance enveloping them. Colin thought he might choke. He needed to get to one of her sensitive spots–he needed to regain some control here. 

Colin attempted to shift his position, intending for his mouth to make contact with one of her nipples through the thin fabric of her bra. Instead, his hand slipped, and down he went. 

“Ha!” Penelope yelled triumphantly, falling to her knees and shooting her arms into the air. “I believe this belongs to me now,” she said with a devious grin, tugging once at his t-shirt.

He whipped his shirt off over his head. “You’re going to pay for that one, Featherington.”

She was presenting more of a challenge than Colin initially thought. His efforts would need to be redoubled. 

Perhaps electing for Colin’s shirt to come off first had been a mistake. Sure, Penelope would have been just as easily distracted by the muscles of his thighs as she would his arms and chest, but the way he removed his shirt had also left his hair delightfully mussed–much in the way it would be after he found his head between her legs, her having held and tugged at it considerably. Penelope fought the urge to run her hands through the strands at the nape of his neck for much of the next round.

But that wasn’t how she’d come to lose her shorts. No, that would be the fault of something else entirely. Penelope had always admired the deep emerald coloring of Colin’s eyes, but knowing him as intimately as she did now, they now provided her with an insight into his depths that had previously been closed off to her. While they had always sparkled with mischief or amusement, she could now see the difference between the mask he donned for much of the rest of the world, and his truest thoughts and feelings. 

She had been doing her best to keep her hands to herself and ignore the way his lips felt as he kissed up the leg she had extended out to reach the blue dot the spinner commanded, when Penelope made the mistake of locking onto his gaze. There she was confronted with not only lust and raw desire, but deep adoration and a vulnerability he so rarely showed to anyone else. Colin’s stare was turning her bones into jelly, and it really didn’t help that he held her gaze as he continued his journey up her leg, allowing his tongue to dip beneath the fabric of her cotton shorts, dangerously close to where her desire was pooling. 

His hot mouth on her skin and his fiery stare were draining Penelope of her remaining resolve. She found herself caring less and less if she lost–whatever got them to a place with less clothing between them seemed as good an idea as any. So she dropped. 

Colin ripped the shorts from her body with stunning speed and tossed them across the room, his eyes never leaving hers. The heat lingering in his eyes turned white hot, his expression full of intention as crawled towards her. And then he paused.

They way Penelope lay there on the board–lips parted, chest heaving, legs spread and welcoming–had Colin wracked with desire. He suspected she flopped on purpose, meaning she must be nearly there herself. As much as Colin desperately wanted to suck her bottom lip between his and lose the rest of himself to the rest of her, he was greedy. He was enjoying their game–each of them battling for dominance, giving little tastes of pleasure, drawing it out and taking it away, edging each other along–it was just as good as he knew the eventual payoff would be. Backing away from her slowly, he picked up the spinner once again and handed it to her.

“Your turn.” As Penelope’s lips began to form a question, Colin put his finger to them, silencing her while he traced the contours. “Spin, Penelope,” he gently commanded.

Penelope’s eyes flashed with darkness as her confusion quickly turned to understanding–their game was not over yet. With renewed determination, she reached out to flick the spinner.

“Right leg blue.”

Penelope felt Colin’s heat as he stepped up behind her, plucking the spinner from her hands. Then she heard it land on the couch behind them.

“Left leg green.”

“I didn’t hear you spin?”

Colin chose to answer by nudging her leg forward with his own. Penelope complied, mostly because she was beginning to lose her capacity for plotting and scheming as she felt his hardness at her backside and his hands grasping at her hips. 

“I’ve been thinking about this ever since we played at my brother’s place, desperate to get you into a compromising position with a bit more privacy and infinitely fewer clothes.” His words stung as they hit the back of her neck, leaving goosebumps on her skin.

“And in these fantasies, what happened when you got me in such a position?”

“Fantastic question. First of all, this,” he said, unclasping her bra, “would come off.” He slid the straps down her shoulders, letting the garment fall to the ground. Colin continued to rub up and down her arms while planting soft kisses to the red indents the straps had left in her skin.

“Then, I would play with your perfect tits.” Penelope whimpered as Colin’s hands covered her breasts, toying with her nipples between his fingers. “Have I told you that they’re perfect?”

He had–countless times–but she shook her head as she brought her arm to wrap around his neck, digging her fingers into his hair as she’d been keen to do all evening. 

“Well, they are, in every possible way. I especially enjoy the reactions I can draw out of you when I touch them like this.” He rolled her nipples under his thumbs, punctuating the movement with light pinches that electrified Penelope’s very core. She moaned, feeling the wetness gathering between her legs. 

Colin continued teasing and tugging and squeezing. When he dipped down to lap at her neck as well, Penelope tightened her grip on his hair, earning her a low groan from his lips. She was struggling to keep her sanity, and in that moment she wasn’t sure she even cared to keep it–willing to give it up as long as he didn’t stop. 

When Colin noticed Penelope rubbing her thighs together, he ceased his movements, letting his hands fall back to her hips. Penelope whined and pulled at his hair in protest. Hard. His muscles tightened at the action–the harder she pulled, the harder he became.

“Love, you know how much it fucks me up when you do that. But we’re not done playing yet.” Colin let his hips press into hers for one exquisite moment before pulling back slightly with a sigh. He leaned in close to her ear as he whispered, “Left hand yellow.”

“You’re going to pay for all this tormenting, Bridgerton,” Penelope huffed, bending at the waist and reaching for the yellow dot in front of her. 

She could feel the hubris practically dripping from his voice as he replied, “Oh, I count on it my dear.”

Colin stepped back slightly–he couldn’t help but enjoy the view of his sweet, beloved Penelope bent over and spread before him. He traced his fingers along the crease where her bottom met her legs. “I know I just got through telling you how perfect your tits were, but this,” he squeezed at her cheeks, “this is equally as perfect.” He continued to knead her soft flesh as he dropped to his knees. “Perfectly round, perfectly full, perfect for me to grab onto…” He trailed off, softly biting into the skin there. Penelope gasped at the contact. 

Colin snapped the hem of her underwear. “Are these new? They seem rather flimsy–they’re already soaked through.”

Penelope fervently prayed he’d respond to that last fact and put an end to her torture. “They’re cheap. I was hoping you’d rip them off me,” she rushed out in one breath.

“Oh? Well, in that case I’d be happy to oblige,” he replied with a hint of astonishment in his voice, letting his fingers briefly travel beneath the fabric, “but not just yet.”

Feeling herself getting wound tighter and tighter, Penelope needed something, anything, to urge him along and give her the release she so desperately sought.

As Colin continued to caress her, snaking his hands down the inside of her thighs, bypassing the area that wanted his attention most, Penelope managed, “You’ve fallen to your knees Colin. I believe that means you lose.”

“Really? I don’t think that’s right,” his fingers inched closer and closer, “because it definitely feels like I’m winning.” 

He was so close now–just a bit more and she’d get what she needed. “Your hand is also nowhere near yellow where it’s supposed to be,” Penelope nudged, the sheer anticipation threatening to set her aflame at any moment.

“I think you’ll prefer where my hand ends up.” Finally, finally , Colin pushed the thin fabric of her underwear to the side and Penelope nearly lost her balance. 

Colin worked in slow, targeted circles around her clit while his other hand remained tightly clasped around her hip. His mouth remained occupied at her backside–pressing wet kisses on every bit of exposed skin, running his tongue along the mesh hem of her underwear, and occasionally dipping below the fabric, punctuated by low growls of satisfaction emerging from deep within his chest. Penelope recognized Colin’s teeth sinking into the skin at the back of her thigh, and her legs began to wobble. 

“Colin, I can’t. I’m going to fall,” she lets out between sharp breaths.

“It’s okay love, you’ve done so well. Come sit on your knees.” Colin removed his fingers and guided her down to sit in a kneeling position, her spread legs bracketed between his. He ran his hands lightly along her thighs before reaching beneath her underwear and returning his fingers to her center, this time slipping one inside.

Penelope moaned, hands twisted into the colorful plastic mat as Colin continued to stroke her. “I love how much you continue to surprise me. I can’t get enough of you,” he delivered in a breathy whisper, letting out a small moan as Penelope shifted her hips, grinding against him. 

Colin brought his free hand to Penelope’s face, tilting her chin to the side so he could capture her mouth. Their kisses were charged and needy, a mess of lips and tongues and noises neither of them could keep in. Their feverish kisses matched the frenetic movement of Colin’s fingers, plunging deep within her. When he brought his thumb back to her clit in tight, measured movements, Penelope screamed, shaking as her orgasm rushed through her body–no longer in control. Colin continued to stroke her slowly, letting her ride it out as he softly kissed her neck. 

Penelope relaxed into Colin’s arms, but could not ignore the immense gratification in his voice as he whispered, “I think that makes me the winner.”

Freeing herself from his clutches, Penelope turned fully to face him and pushed him to his back. Colin’s eyes widened, amusement playing about his features as he gaped up at her. 

“ You fell first my love, which means I am the winner,” she said, hooking her fingers into the waistband of his sweats, “and I intend to collect what is mine.”

Colin meant to argue her point with something clever, but the sight of Penelope running her tongue across her bottom lip as she pulled at his sweatpants had his heart racing and his mind growing fuzzy. The action was subtle–unconscious on her part–but the meaning was the same: she was done playing. 

Colin hastily helped her free his legs from his sweatpants while she tugged at his boxers. “These too.” In no frame of mind to deny her anything at that moment, Colin happily complied. 

Finally free from the confines of his clothing, Colin jerked his hips and felt a groan form deep in his chest as Penelope took him in her soft, warm hand. She stroked him slowly, her grip firm as she leaned in closer to his face. He moved to kiss her, but she pulled back, her stern expression and fiery stare causing Colin’s mouth to fall open. 

“Tell me I’ve won, Colin.”

He didn’t think he could grow any harder, but the night had been full of surprises for Colin. Penelope ran her thumb back and forth over the tip and Colin was amazed he didn't come on the spot. “Okay! Yes, yes you win. Fuck , that feels so–”

Penelope swiftly withdrew her hand. Colin could only stare at her, dumbfounded. She smiled sweetly back at him as if she had no idea what she was doing to him. 

Colin pounced on her, pinning her to the ground as he stared down at her, eyes ablaze. “I’m done playing,” he growled.

Penelope returned a heated stare of her own. “Good,” she said, arching up to lick a line from his throat to the underside of his chin. 

He moved his hands to her underwear, the only remaining barrier between them. “These can be destroyed, yes?”

“Yes, God yes.”

Colin grasped at the fabric and pulled it with a vigorous tug, intending to shred the offending garment in half and–

Nothing. The fabric stretched and pulled but refused to be torn. 

“Colin?” 

“What are these made of?” Colin continued to struggle with the fabric, letting out a dejected sigh. “Dammit, that was supposed to be sexy as hell.” Penelope had to chuckle at his sincere frown.

“It’s fine, just take them off,” Penelope replied.

“No, you’re getting what you want,” Colin looked about the room and Penelope could see the lightbulb in his brain flash before her. “Close your eyes.”

Her impatience began to seep through. “Colin, just–”

“Please?”

Penelope sighed and closed her eyes. She no longer felt Colin’s presence, but instead heard him rusting around one of the kitchen drawers and then a distant “Aha!” Penelope tensed as cold metal brushed against her skin and relaxed once she heard the sound of a snip.

She detected Colin’s breath hot at her cheek before her earlobe was captured between his lips. “You can open your eyes now.”

Penelope was met with a sultry stare from Colin paired with a small, lopsided smile. His hands fisted in the fabric of her underwear once again, this time swiftly tearing the garment into pieces. The sound of ripping fabric spiked Penelope’s desire, but the way Colin’s stare lingered over her body as he tossed the scraps to the side left her breathless.

Before Penelope could think too much on Colin’s self-satisfied smirk and mumbles of “nailed it”, his mouth descended upon her. She pushed her hips forward as he licked through her folds, swirling his tongue in a wicked fashion. Penelope knew she was close to seeing stars again, but she was still craving something else. Their game had given Penelope a small taste of power that thrilled her and left her wondering how much more pleasure she could derive from wielding it. She pulled at his hair until he lifted his gaze to meet hers, and she knew he recognized immediately.

Bringing his face level with hers, Colin asked, “How do you want me, Penelope?”

“On your back.”

Colin rolled over onto his back, pulling Penelope on top of him, grasping and squeezing at any skin he could get his hands on, swiping his tongue against hers. She crawled up his body so that her breasts swayed over his face. Colin wasted no time, bringing one of her nipples fully into his mouth, sending jolts of pleasure through her with each flick of his tongue. Penelope indulged in his touches–the sensation of his lips wrapped around her, sucking until she could longer stand it, his large hands at her hips, kneading the flesh there. Feeling her wetness beginning to drip down her legs, Penelope pushed him back and slid down his body, rubbing her center over his shaft. 

Colin groaned, “ Pen ,”

Penelope intended to take her time, running her hands over the muscles in his chest as she eased him into her with teasing slowness. She intended to prolong the whole experience, to make Colin suffer and tremble with need just as she had. But the delectable feeling of him hot and hard beneath her made Penelope want to abandon her plan. And the feeling of fullness as she finally sank down onto him, well that made her forget it entirely. 

Colin touched her everywhere–his hands covering her gorgeous breasts, his fingers digging into the flesh at her hips. He desperately wanted to flip her over and take her at a punishing pace, burying himself deep inside. But he was at her mercy, letting her take the time to play and experiment, drinking in every morsel she gave him. She was in control, and he loved seeing her seize exactly what she wanted. 

As he felt her movements quicken, Colin guided her hips, bringing her to meet his thrusts with increased force. “That’s it Pen, take it. Take what you need from me. Take the pleasure you deserve.”

Colin’s words sent Penelope into a frenzy. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she continued to circle her hips. Her movements became jerky and frantic as she felt the heat rising within her. 

Penelope’s muscles began to tighten and shake, and when Colin brought his thumb to strum at her clit, she let go, letting her climax roll through her as she called out his name. 

Colin gave himself a moment to relish in her aftershocks, savoring the sensation of her muscles squeezing him and the weight of her slumped against his chest before flipping her onto her back. 

“I love it when you don’t hold back, it’s so fucking good,” he murmured with a moan as drove into her again.

Burying his face into her neck, Colin’s senses became overloaded–all the unintelligible noises falling from her lips between pants, her citrus scent mixing with sweat, the salty taste of her skin, the feeling of her hot and snug, enveloping him completely. When he felt Penelope’s hands tugging at his hair, all it took was one more solid thrust for Colin to lose himself completely. 

After a few minutes lying side by side, waiting for their breath to return, Colin noticed Penelope rustling about, attempting to unstick herself from the thin mat beneath them. He pulled her in close, half on top of him so she’d have less contact with the plastic below. 

“You’ve got a bit of a competitive streak in you, Featherington,” Colin said, twirling his fingers in her hair. 

Penelope traced shapes aimlessly on his chest. “I must be spending far too much time with you Bridgertons, I’m becoming as beastly as the rest of you.”

She could feel him rumble beneath her as he laughed. “That should certainly come in handy for the next game night.”

Penelope remained silent a moment, running her fingers along the outside of one of the yellow dots. “We absolutely cannot bring this to the next game night. I don’t think I could stand making people touch this board after we’ve sullied it so.”

“I’m afraid you’re out of luck there,” he said jovially, tapping her on the nose.

Penelope lifted her head, giving Colin a puzzled look. 

“Oh, this is Benedict’s copy. I stole it when I was over there last. And the gentlemanly thing to do would be to put it back exactly where I found it, don’t you think?” He smiled brightly, the mischief oozing from his every pore. 

Penelope shot up. “Colin!”

“What? I’ll wipe off any…extraneous fluids. He won’t suspect a thing.”

“So then what’s the point?”

He shifted to his side to fully face her. “The point is that I’ll know, a fact which I will derive tremendous entertainment from. He also, quite frankly, deserves it–he should know better than to explicitly tell me not to do something.” He pulled her in by the waist, their bodies pressing together tightly. “ Aaand , we also get to have a scandalous little secret of our own.” 

“That is absolutely diabolical! Clearly I have not yet ascended to your level.” Her outrage was quickly forfeited by the mirth in her voice. Colin did not fail to notice. 

“ Yet . A few more rounds like this one and you’ll surely be close.” Colin moved to cover her body with his. “In fact, perhaps we should practice some more to better prepare you,” he said with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. 

Penelope tapped her finger on her chin in sarcastic contemplation. “Hmm, perhaps you’re right. Any more of your brother’s board games we could defile?”

Colin brought her in for a deep kiss. “I knew there was a reason I loved you.”