All Chapters of Pen & Passion: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

The soft glow of the morning sun peeked through the kitchen windows, casting golden stripes across the marble counters. It was just past 7 AM, and I had come down groggy-eyed, hair still messy from sleep, expecting silence and maybe the distant hum of the fridge.Instead, I was welcomed by the rich, mouthwatering aroma of garlic and herbs sizzling on a pan—and the sight of someone entirely unexpected.Javier Greyson stood in front of the stove, shirtless, wearing only a pair of charcoal-gray running shorts that hung low on his hips.His skin glistened slightly, probably from a recent jog, and his hair was a tousled mess of dark waves, sticking up here and there in a way that somehow worked annoyingly well on him.His back muscles moved with each stir of the pan, and I had to blink hard to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.He was humming some jazzy tune under his breath, like he had no care in the world.“You’re up early,” I said, trying not to sound startled—or affected. I crossed my a

Laughter echoed throughout the living room as I tried, yet again, to sneak in a slap on Javier’s hand."You keep moving too fast!" I cried, half-laughing, half-pouting as I shook my stinging palm.Javier grinned smugly, his arms resting on the coffee table, hands facing down while mine were palm-up underneath his. "You’re just slow, Venny. I thought you were a pro at this game?""I was, okay?" I narrowed my eyes. "You had ketchup-colored hands every time we played.""Yeah, when I was six," he said with a snort."You’re still six at heart," I shot back, raising my hands in mock preparation.We resumed our little war of reflexes, both of us laughing every time I smacked my own hands because Javier moved too quickly. It was just like old times.The way we kept teasing, the way our laughter mixed like some nostalgic symphony, reminded me of dusty summer afternoons behind the old stables.I finally caught him off guard and grazed his hand with a light slap."HA!" I cheered."That doesn’t co

I had just finished editing another chapter when Joaquin stepped into the study with Ethan.“We’ll be out for a while,” Joaquin said, grabbing the car keys from the tray by the door. “Final check-up with the doctor, then we’ll head to the office to wrap up paperwork for next week.”Ethan gave me a small wave. “We’ll be back later this evening. You okay here?”I nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah, of course. Go.”I was still shaken after earlier—still haunted by the words I typed with too much of myself poured into them. Joaquin hadn’t said anything since. No strange glances. No awkward pauses. He either didn’t notice… or chose not to bring it up.For that, I was grateful. But it didn’t make it hurt less.“I think I’ll go out for dinner. Just to clear my head,” I added, grabbing my purse.Joaquin turned slightly. “Take Mark with you. Just in case.”“Yeah, yeah,” I said, waving them off. “I’ll be fine.”***The Italian restaurant was my little escape. Usually, Jessy and I would be clinking g

"Javier! You better drink that, or I win again!"I pointed a finger at him with all the authority a very drunk woman could muster. My head felt light, and the room was doing little happy spins, but I was still going strong. Javier chuckled across the table, glass in hand, cheeks flushed as he purposely downed another shot."You win again, Venny. You're truly unstoppable.""Darn right, I am." I grinned, swaying slightly as I raised my own glass. "To victory!"I didn't notice the door opening at first. It wasn’t until Mark's guilty voice whispered, "Sir... I'm so sorry, she wouldn't listen," that I looked up with a confused squint.There he was.Joaquin Greyson. My fake fiancé. My very real problem.He looked like a storm in a suit, jaw clenched, arms crossed, Ethan trailing awkwardly behind him and rubbing his forehead with the biggest facepalm I'd ever seen."Haven. What the hell?"I blinked, then grinned lazily. "Heyyyy, it’s my fiancé… don’t worry, Joaco. I'm fiiine.""You and your n

The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was that I was very warm. And I wasn't in my usual comfy pajamas.I slowly sat up and blinked at myself.What in the actual hell?I was wearing one of those silky, lacy nightgowns Jessy made me buy in a fit of "treat yourself" energy weeks ago. The kind that screamed boudoir photoshoot and not "recovering from a night of questionable decisions."It barely covered my thighs, and the straps were hanging off my shoulder like even the fabric was ashamed of me.My head throbbed. I pressed my palms to my temples.“Am I.. forgetting something? Let me backtrack a little…”Karaoke. Yes, there definitely was karaoke. Javier. Yes, he was there. He rescued me from a gang. Tequila. Yup. I drank it with him when we were singing Karaoke.A game of ketchup. Hmm… I had a dream playing it with Joaquin this time. But did we really play it? How does he know that? I only played it with Javier. Was I dreaming?A kiss?Wait.KISS?I groaned and collapsed back o