Chapter 5: Farewell… for now

Argent

              What am I doing? For so long, I’ve managed to keep my word. Yet, Penelope strolls into my life, and I’m acting like a teenage boy again. Of course, she’s stunning, but I’ve met plenty of attractive women whom I’ve managed to keep my hands off.

              The first time we kissed can be forgiven, but the others cannot. I intentionally kissed and touched Penelope again. I’d like to tell myself that it’s because I wanted to take away her sadness, but that’s not true. I wanted to touch her, and I wanted to kiss her, so I did. It doesn’t help that she responds so sweetly.

              I pace in my room that night, trying to find a way to rid my mind of my lustful thoughts, but my body betrays me. My cock is still erect and weeping with need from our simple kiss. I consider masturbating, but my body rejects the thought instantly. I want Penelope. I want to be inside her, riding her until we’re both exhausted from our exertions. The thought is nearly crippling.

              That night, I take a cold shower and lie awake in my bed, tortured by thoughts of her.

              As the weeks pass, I manage the barest of contact between Penelope and me. It also helps that she seems to be avoiding me too. She’s been in my home for nearly three weeks, and I’m close to the end of my rope.

              Rogue is still in the hospital recovering from his wound, and Mateo is stretching himself thin, trying to find Sebastian and the people who kidnapped Penelope.

              I’m sitting back in my office, looking out the window, when Mateo walks into the room. “Hey, Apollo, good news─ Penelope and Lyria’s passports and IDs have been delivered. We’ve also managed to recover most of their belongings. They should be good to go now.”

              I blink in shock, jolted by the idea that Penelope and Lyria can leave whenever they wish. I knew that it would happen, but I guess I wasn’t prepared for it, and I hate to examine why. Gritting my teeth, I take a deep breath and steady myself. “We’ll have to talk to Penelope and Lyria first. Give me a moment to find them.”

              Mateo opens his laptop with a nod and takes a seat. The kid is completely oblivious of anything but his computer. Stepping out of my office, I search for Penelope. It doesn’t take me long to find her on the patio looking through the fauna again. She looks ethereal in the middle of the greenery as she caresses her fingers gently across the flowers. Her long golden-brown hair shines like molten toffee in the sunlight, and her milky skin glows. She looks sexy in her ripped jeans and a string tank top that molds to her firm, unhindered breasts perfectly. Striding forward, I roll my shoulders and clear my throat to get her attention.   

              Penelope’s shoulders stiffen as she slowly turns to face me. A blush instantly spreads across her pale cheeks, making my arousal heighten further. I wonder if she’s thinking about our kiss.

              “Argent.” She croaks warily.

              Clenching my jaw, I take another breath and evenly mutter. “Mateo just arrived with some news. Why don’t you go get Lyria and meet me in my office so we can talk?”

              Penelope nods. “Okay, give me a minute to find her.”

              Mateo looks up as soon as we walk into the office. His eyes widen as he takes in Penelope, then focuses intently on Lyria. He has a crush on her. I can relate because I’m fascinated with Penelope. I feel like an old lecher, even thinking about it.

              Eyes wide, Mateo shoots up from his seat, nearly toppling his laptop, but quickly recovers. Mateo is the kind of man Penelope should be with. Not just because he’s not as jaded as I am, but because he’s closer to her age. Fuck! Why do I keep thinking this way? Penelope is not mine. She will never be mine.

              “Penelope…Lyria, Mateo has some good news for you..”

               I wave at Mateo, willing him to proceed. He squirms in place as his eyes jump back and forth from woman to woman.“Okay. Um…I was just telling Argent that we were able to recover most of your belongings and your passports.”

              Penelope and Lyria both smile with relief.“Does this mean Lyria and I can finally move into our rental home?”

              She looks at me when she asks, which makes my throat constrict.

              “That’s exactly what it means, Penelope,” I reply carefully.

              Penelope nods. “Alright, I guess we can leave tomorrow. Even though you’ve been a gracious host, there’s really no reason to stick around any longer. Plus, Lyria and I need to begin our lives here.” She mutters nervously.

              “Alright…well...um…let me know if there’s anything else you need,” Mateo replies.

              “We better go and pack,” Lyria mumbles softly.

               Penelope turns to the door and begins to walk out, but before she disappears, I follow her out and gently grip her forearm. “I’d like to speak to you alone for a moment?”

              Penelope nods and waves her friend away. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

              Without another word, Lyria disappears around the corner.

              Not wasting another moment, I take Penelope’s hand and lead her to the empty alcove. Penelope backs into one of the walls, her large doe eyes gleaming with an untold emotion as she gazes into mine.

              “You know you can wait a little longer if you want to,” I speak gently.

              She bites her lower lip, which makes my body heat with desire.               After a moment, she shakes her head. “It’s better this way, Argent. You’ve been more than kind, but we’re not your responsibility.”    She raises her hand and slides her fingers through her hair with a sad sigh. “It’s time that Lyria and I get our lives back on track.”

              Teeth gritted, I take a deep breath and caress my finger down her silken cheek. “You know that I’m here if you need me.”

              Her eyes soften as she savors my touch. She reminds me of a kitten the way she pushes into my hand. The kiss is gentle; this time, it’s more like a flutter of our lips. Penelope mewls into my lips and settles her hand against my jaw.

               “I know. I wish we…” She sighs and shakes her head, rethinking her words. “Take care of yourself, Argent. Maybe someday we’ll meet again.”

              I don’t respond as I watch her walk away. However, as I make my way back to my office, I can’t help but wonder what she was planning to say. Was she going to ask me if I wanted her to stay? Did she wish we could make something work?”

              I’m at a loss because a part of me aches at the prospect of her leaving, but I know that it would never work.

              When Penelope and Lyria tell Isadora that they are leaving, she decides to throw them a farewell traditional Brazilian dinner with Coxinhas, Pão de Queijo, Farofa, Feijão Tropeiro, and Brigadeiro. That night, we sit at the table to eat and talk. To my consternation, neither Lyria nor Penelope seems enthused about leaving. Penelope is polite enough when she’s questioned, yet she seems distant.

              I lock myself in my room that night, quietly staring at the ceiling, trying to take my mind off the beautiful girl who’s about to leave tomorrow morning. As the night slowly progresses, I do anything I can to restrain myself from slipping into Penelope’s bedroom.

              The next morning is even more difficult. Penelope and Lyria are already up and waiting as Lauro stuffs their belongings into the trunk of my vehicle.

              Neither of them says a word as we make our way to their rental home. The house is a little under an hour from my home, near a small but quaint area.

              Both women take their bags and give the small house a look of trepidation. Lyria approaches me first, her face pale and her eyes hooded. Several days ago, she cut her red hair up to her shoulders. Instead of looking like a twenty-five-year-old woman, she looks like a pixie with her large doe eyes and heart-shaped face. “Thank you for everything, Argent. You saved us, and I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to repay all that you’ve done for us.” She mumbles solemnly.

              It’s a little disconcerting to see the sadness in this girl’s eyes. For the short time that I’ve known both women, I’ve realized that they have both experienced a great deal of tragedy and that they’ve only depended on each other. From my experience, Penelope is the stronger one, and Lyria is the fragile one. Yet, they both make each other strong.

              I know how both women are feeling right now. They’re wary of what will happen next. They’ve tasted the brutal underbelly of living in this country, and they doubt their choice to move here now. However, over time, I’m sure that they will settle into life here, and the horrors of their experience will slowly fade.

              “It’ll be alright, Lyria,” I pat her shoulder gently. “What happened to you was horrid, but you will get through it. Anywhere you go, things like this happen─even in the US. You really don’t owe me anything. All I ask is that you always be aware of your surroundings, don’t get too drunk, or wander around shady areas. You have our mobile numbers if you ever need anything. Just call or text us.”

              I look at Penelope, emphasizing the last words. “Call or text us at any time. I mean it.”

              I stifle a groan when Penelope bites her plump bottom lip and nods. Lyria is the first one to embrace me, her small body shaking with emotion. I feel nothing with her in my arms. It’s only when Penelope steps into my arms that my body ignites with desire. The scent of cherry blossoms and the feel of her curved body against mine is a heady experience to my senses.

              “Goodbye, Argent.” She whispers before she pulls away. Her luminous blue eyes gleam like crystal gems as she gazes longingly into mine. At that moment, I want to push her back into my vehicle, taker her to my bed, and never let her go. It’s a dangerous thought, which is why I let her go.

              If my heart aches all on the drive back home, I ignore it. There are too many things that I have to worry about. I know that Penelope and Lyria will be okay. I also took precautions and set them up with a security system. Both women were surprised but seemed more at ease when I told them. I also asked several of my men who live nearby to check on them once in a while.

              Right now, my focus is on finding Sebastian. There’s no room in my life for a woman. Especially someone as young as Penelope. I’m sure, over time, my desire will wane. At least I hope it will.