CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Penelope poured herself a cup of steaming coffee, then stepped out onto the porch.
The sun was shining high in the sky, and she had to shield her eyes until she got used to it.
She had forgotten her sunglasses in the bedroom, as usual.
For the third day in a row, she had overslept and missed breakfast with everyone.
“Will I ever get used to this?” She whispered to herself as she crossed the yard, opened the wood gate that led into the field, and headed to where she had seen Enzo tending to one of the many herds of sheep he owned.
Even though she’d left New York with Enzo and the shifters they’d saved a week before, Penny still found it hard to wrap her mind around the fact that she was in Spain now, living at one of his farms. The weather was killing her, too.
She had never thought the air could reach such levels of hotness and dryness at the same time.
She drank bottle after bottle of water every day, yet her body kept asking for more.
Her skin was so dry that she’d had to get new cosmetics to compensate for the lack of hydration.
She hadn’t gotten used to the time zone difference, either.
All in all, it was a huge change, and even though she didn’t miss her home, she found it hard to adapt to the new, rather unfriendly environment.
So far, the only things she enjoyed were the incredible landscape, the peace of the place, Enzo’s company, and the fact that she saw Nina and Kosta every day.
The twins didn’t live at the farm. Not yet.
Once they had reached La Mancha, Enzo had taken them and the other shifters to the charity institute he’d founded years ago for sheep-shifters who’d gone through trauma.
The buildings were not very far from the farm, at the edge of a forest. Enzo had told Penelope it was important for the kids to be somewhere far from the city, as crowded places and too much noise would cause them more anxiety, and surrounded by nature.
Many of them had forgotten their true nature.
Sure, they shifted, but not for themselves.
Nina and Kosta had been lucky, but the other shifters who’d practically been slaves for years, didn’t know how to shift for the sheer pleasure of enjoying themselves and exploring their amazing abilities.
The doctors and therapists working for the institute were shifters, too, and they were helping their patients heal and reclaim their identity and power.
As she approached Enzo, some of the sheep sensed her presence and greeted her cheerfully. Penny smiled and scratched a young ewe behind her cute, small ears.
“You’re up,” Enzo chuckled. “I left you some breakfast on the table, but I see you’re more interested in coffee.”
“You have great coffee in Spain.”
He stood up from where he’d been kneeling between his sheep and brushed off his jeans.
“I know you’re lying. Spanish coffee is pretty average.” He stepped closer to her and kissed her on the lips. “I can tell you don’t like it here that much.”
Penny shook her head and smiled.
“It’s only the weather. This horrible sun is giving me a hard time.”
Enzo laughed mischievously. “Well, I can’t wait to hear your review of our Spanish winter, then. Take my advice and enjoy the warmth while you can.”
Penny threw him a concerned glance. “Warmth? This is not warmth. These are the burning fires of hell!”
He took her hand into his, and they started walking in the general direction of the institute.
Penny was still holding her mug of coffee and sipping at the dark, strong liquid from time to time.
They walked in silence, for a while, simply enjoying each other’s presence.
The air smelled nice, of green grass and blooming flowers, and butterflies and bees flew from one weed to another.
Despite the uncomfortable heat, Penelope loved watching the fascinating dance of nature.
Here, everything looked beautiful and untouched.
The people working at the farm respected every tree, every bush, and every bird.
They weren’t trying to change a thing. On the contrary, their goal was to adapt to the fields, the forests, and the rivers.
“How did you sleep?” Enzo asked her gently.
She shrugged. “I would have slept better if you hadn’t run off into the other room.”
Since they had gotten here, they hadn’t indulged in more than a few passionate kisses.
It was driving Penelope crazy! At night, Enzo would hold her until she fell asleep, then sneak out and go to bed in the bedroom across from hers.
She knew why he was doing it. She understood why he was trying to keep his distance.
That didn’t mean she agreed. Until today, she had been too tired and too confused by all the sudden changes and everything that had happened in New York to have a proper discussion with him.
Now, as she took a deep breath and filled her lungs with the fresh, green air of the fields, she felt ready.
She stopped, forcing Enzo to stop as well.
“Penny?”
He saw the determination in her blue eyes, and it scared him and excited him at the same time.
“We have to talk.”
“I know…”
“So, let’s do it here. Now. No more mysteries and half-spoken truths. We’re grown-ups. We can deal with this.”
He sighed but nodded in approval. He took the empty mug from her and placed it on the ground, so he could hold both her hands.
“You’re right, cielo. We can’t avoid this forever.”
“You’re avoiding it, Enzo. To me, everything is as clear as day. I know how I feel, and I know what I want.”
“Yes, but do you also know the risks?”
She swallowed hard. “Yes.”
He looked at her for a long moment, then smiled.
“You’re so beautiful in the sun… Your hair looks like pure gold.”
Penny chuckled. “You’re very bad at this.
Let me go first.” She cleared her throat, fixed him with her confident gaze, and prepared herself to pour her heart out.
“I understand what the Aries curse means. I can see the tattoo is still there, on your forearm. It might vanish, or it might not. Maybe soon, or maybe in another hundred years. I know that if we do this, if we decide to be together, it might only last for one year. If the curse takes you away from me, I will be powerless to stop it. Enzo, I know all this, and none of it makes me love you and want you less. Yes, I understand the risks, and they are worth it. If we only get one year together, so be it. I will enjoy it with all my being, and I will never regret my choice.”
“Penelope, I…” He was at a complete loss for words. He shook his head, tried again, but he realized he was exhausted. He couldn’t stay away from her anymore. So, he said the only words that were worth saying: “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
He pulled her into his arms, and they kissed passionately, their hands exploring, caressing, pulling at clothes… Enzo lifted her up and started carrying her back toward the house, all the while his lips never leaving hers. He knew the way by instinct.
***
Penelope chuckled when Enzo tripped over the threshold and almost lost his balance.
“Careful, big guy. Are you sure you don’t want to put me down now?”
“Shush. I got this. I got you.”
She nuzzled his neck, then playfully nibbled at his jaw.
“Here come the stairs,” she whispered. Her naughty tongue explored the shell of his ear.
Enzo hummed deep in his chest. Apparently, Penny had no idea what she was doing to him. He was so hard that he could barely walk, but he was determined to carry his beautiful, curvy burden up to his bedroom.
“If I fall, it’s going to be your fault,” he said huskily.
She laughed, but held on to him tightly when he started climbing the stairs.
As much as she loved teasing him with little nibs and kisses, she knew better than to distract him when there was real danger of them both tumbling down the stairs and breaking something.
Once he reached his bedroom, he kicked the door open, made sure to close it back behind them, and gently lay her on top of the covers.
As Enzo took a step back to admire her, Penny stretched lazily.
“Like what you see?”
She ran her hands through her long blonde hair, then down her rosy cheeks and smooth neck until she reached her heavy breasts, which she cupped sexily.
Enzo couldn’t suppress a low, needy moan. He immediately began undoing the buttons of his checkered shirt, and when the piece of garment was off, he climbed on top of her.
“You have no idea,” he whispered against her lips.
Penny met him half way, her hands already roaming all the exposed skin she could reach.
Her fingers pressed into the strong muscles of his abs, squeezed his arms, scratched his chest…
as if she still couldn’t believe this gorgeous man was real and wanted her and only her.
So, she explored his body and pinched every inch of him to convince herself he wasn’t a figment of her imagination.
It was a good thing he was a shifter and her small scratches and bites didn’t bother him.
He started undressing her carefully, taking his time to admire every naked curve.
“We should have done this a long time ago,” he said.
“Naked sex? Yeah. Last time, if I remember well, we were in too much of a hurry.”
“Well, I don’t want to rush anything this time.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I want to enjoy every moment of it, every bit of you.”
“Mmm… sounds good to me, really.”
He removed her bra and panties, and she pulled at his belt until he got the hint that she wanted him naked as well. Five seconds later, they were finally bare, embraced, skin touching skin, hands caressing and massaging, lips kissing, tongues licking and tasting.