Penny cut him off. “Oh, no. What happened next?”
“We talked about Colin’s death. She is none too pleased to have the police in her home. I convinced her everything would be taken care of. She was very grateful, but she was not happy. She’s put Sebastian’s flat up for let and was having the servants pack up his things. He’s been sent down, Penny. I need to find him and tell him what’s going on.”
She held out the phone to Sebastian and silently pleaded for him to take the receiver and talk to Alistair. Sebastian turned his back on her and walked across the room to look out the window.
“Penny, are you still there?” Alistair asked from the other end of the line.
“Yes, I’m here. I talked to Sebastian earlier today. He’s taking Colin’s death really hard. He said he needed to get out of England for a while,” she confessed.
“Well, where is he going? He needs to know what’s happening.”
“I think he’s pretty much sorted that all out. It won’t be a surprise to him. He mentioned Paris, but he didn’t say for sure.”
“Bollocks,” Alistair cursed under his breath. “Well, if you hear anything else, please let him know what’s happening. If you talk to him, please tell him to call me.”
“Alistair, how are you holding up? Are you okay?”
“Of course,” he quickly replied. “I’m just concerned about Sebastian. How are you?”
“As well as can be expected,” she wearily replied.
“You could come over tonight, if you wanted.”
“I think it is best we just lay low for a week. Let Colin have his funeral. Is that all right?”
“You’re quite right,” Alistair agreed.
“Thanks for calling, Alistair. Take care,” Penny said before placing the receiver back on the phone base. She continued to stare at the phone until Sebastian spoke.
“Thanks for covering for me.”
“Alistair was just trying to warn you. Your mother knows and has already cleared out your flat. You’ll have to go home.”
He sighed, slowly sitting down on the bed next to her. “Not this week.” He handed her his Barclays credit card. “Please call the airline and make the reservation. Get the first flight out. I can’t handle this.”
Chapter 4 - Stray
Sebastian and Penny were on the 10:00 p.m. British Airways flight 23 to Alicante, Spain. Exhaustion had finally taken its toll. Sebastian fell asleep straight away, his head resting on Penny’s left shoulder. She didn’t disturb him and quietly read a book through the two-and-a-half-hour flight.
Upon landing, they collected Penny’s luggage and hailed a cab to take them to the villa. There was no time to fetch Sebastian fresh clothes, so he was forced to wear his Eton trousers and white shirt.
“It shouldn’t take long to get to the villa at this time in the morning,” Penny said, looking at her watch.
The house was a small but beautiful villa overlooking the sea. There was nothing ostentatious about it. It looked like any other terra cotta roofed house along the coastline, furnished with traditional Spanish decor and colors.
“You can take any room you like, Sebastian.”
Sebastian dropped Penny’s bags in the front hall and headed directly for the patio. The best feature of the house was the tiled patio with a sweeping view of the sea below. The still water in the pool glowed in the moonlight. They crashed onto some red lounge chairs, not bothering to turn on any lights. Sebastian listened to the soothing sounds of the lapping waves. He stared up at the twinkling stars. There were a thousand of them. Being away from the bright lights of the city allowed you to see so many more stars.
“I think I’d like to sleep out here tonight,” he told Penny, his eyes still transfixed by the constellations.
“Whatever you’d like,” Penny agreed.
She left him alone with his thoughts while she headed inside the house to change. She returned, dressed in red Chinese silk pajamas, carrying a cotton blanket and feather pillow. Penny gently placed the blanket on top of him and propped the pillow behind his head. “Goodnight, Sebastian.” She leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. “Sleep well.”
The early morning sun woke him just before 6:00 a.m. Sleeping outside was a grand plan; however, it did not do any favors for his aching back. He slowly stood and made his way inside the villa. Penny had told him that he could take any room he wanted; but all he wanted—all he needed—was to be with Penny.
Sebastian found her in the third room he searched, and the sight of her peacefully sleeping stopped him in his tracks. She was beautiful. He quietly took off the wrinkled pants and shirt he’d slept in last night before slowly crawling into her bed, attempting not to wake her. Penny deserved a peaceful night’s rest after she so selflessly took care of him. He was a handful, he knew. Nanny had never let him forget it and loved him all the same. Penny was like that, too.
She stirred, rolling over on her side, spooning herself around his body. It didn’t take very long until Sebastian drifted back to sleep.
When Penny awoke, she raised her head from the pillow and squinted at the alarm clock. It was noon.
Sebastian stretched his arms overhead while yawning.
“Sorry to wake you. You can go back to sleep if you want,” she offered.
Sebastian’s stomach let off a low growl. “I’m famished,” he announced suddenly, realizing he hadn’t eaten in forty-eight hours.
“So am I. There’s a great little café down the road.”
“Excellent. We should shower first,” he declared seductively.
“Your shower is down the hall,” Penny informed him, tousling his messy bed head.
“But we could save water if we shower together.”
“Yes, but then we’ll never leave the house and you’ll starve, so get your arse out of bed and be ready in half an hour. You can borrow some clothes out of my brother’s closet.”
“Yes, Miss Stanton.”
As promised, he was ready and waiting thirty minutes later. Sebastian had raided her brother’s closet and found a pair of navy shorts, flip-flops, and a white polo shirt.
“You look almost human,” she announced, strolling into the room in a pale blue halter dress. Her hair was pulled up back in a ponytail. Her makeup was perfect.
“You look stunning.”
She laughed before she kissed him on the cheek. “Your charms won’t work on me, Irons.” She grabbed her purse and they set off, walking hand in hand, to the café at the end of the lane. Upon arrival, they were greeted by the owner, a sweet, little round man with a thick, black head of hair and a welcoming smile.
“Señorita Penelope! It is so good to see you again.”
“Señor Salvador, it is good to see you too,” she replied, sitting down in the chair Salvador graciously pulled out for her. She introduced Sebastian and went on to tell the owner that they were famished.
Without haste, their luncheon was served. Salvador provided an amazing feast with a Spanish frittata, fresh local fruit, warm homemade bread, juice and rich, robust coffee. The conversation was minimal as they concentrated on their meal and devoured the food. When the meal was fully consumed, Penny sat back in her chair and held her stomach. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was. How are you feeling, Sebastian?”
“Much better now,” he admitted, wiping the corner of his mouth with the linen napkin. “So what shall we do today?” He gazed up at the cloudless, sky above the canvas umbrella that covered their outdoor table.
“We should hit the market for food and some clothing for you. Then I think we relax by the pool.”
“Sounds perfect.” It was so nice for someone else to take charge for a change.
Sebastian relished being pulled here and there as Penny escorted him among the various street vendors. He dutifully held the accumulating bags as they shopped. “Penny, what are we going to do with all this food?”
“I’m going to cook,” she replied with great satisfaction.
“Really?
”
Penny stopped short and faced him. “I’ll have you know I have several talents you know nothing about.”
“I bet you do,” he flirted.
Penny picked up a pair of knockoff Ray-Bans from a vendor’s stall. She opened them up and placed them on Sebastian’s face. “That’s better,” she announced and handed the vendor a few pestea. “Now we better get home to get these groceries into the refrigerator.”
Back in the kitchen, they unpacked the groceries and put them away, except for those things Penny would need to prepare dinner. She sorted the fresh vegetables and began to marinate the fish with olive oil, fresh herbs, and a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
“So where did you acquire this amazing cooking skill?” Sebastian inquired with strange fascination.
“My mother thought I should go to cooking school. She said it was an excellent way to win a good husband,” she informed him matter-of-factly.
“So how’s that husband hunt going for you?”
Penny rolled her eyes and threw a tomato in his direction. Sebastian gently caught it and laid it back down on the cutting board. “I think I’ll leave you to your culinary foray. I’ll see you by the pool when you’re finished.” He turned on his heel and headed out the door before any more vegetables were launched at him.
Sebastian lounged on top of a clear plastic inflatable raft with his left hand dangling in the water. His wet brown hair was slicked back, while his faux Ray-Bans shielded his eyes from the intense sunlight. It was so peaceful here. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he could spend the rest of his life in this place?
“It’s about time,” he called out, sensing Penny joining him on the patio.
“Patience, Irons, or you’ll go hungry tonight,” Penny warned. With that she dove into the pool and swam underwater until she came up under his raft and toppled it, sending Sebastian into the water.
He caught his breath and immediately lunged after her, grabbing her shoulders and playfully pushing her under. He quickly pulled her up for air and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist to avoid being dunked again. In the tussle, Sebastian’s sunglasses slipped off and slowly sank to the bottom of the pool. He squinted through the sunlight at her face; it was full of wet, messy, blonde hair. Gently, he tried to comb it back with his fingers. Then he leaned in and kissed Penny with abandon.
There was no turning back from this. He longed to really make love to her—wanted more than quick, grief-ridden sex. Maybe Sebastian longed for her too much, yet she was kissing him in return. Sebastian walked through the water to the shallow end of the pool with Penny still wrapped around his waist. He stepped out of the pool and carried her into her bedroom, both of them dripping wet.
The cool cotton sheets felt good against their warm, sun-drenched bodies. They continued kissing. Penny reached behind her neck and untied the string of her white bikini top. He worried no longer: this was going to happen for them here and now. He smiled with great delight while planting little kisses along her slender neck, trailing down to her abdomen until he reached the Libertine tattoo that was written in cursive on her right hip bone.
Their afternoon of lovemaking was sensual and unabashed. For the first time, all Sebastian wanted to do was pleasure her and make her happy. This thought had never before occurred to him with his other sexual partners. Did this mean he was in love with her?
Wrapped in each other’s arms, naked on top of the sheets, they felt the cool breeze as it fluttered the white sheer curtains of the open window. Penny studied his face. “You’re genuinely smiling,” she observed.
“So.”
“It’s nice to see. You always seem sad.”
“Am I that transparent?”
“I didn’t know those smiles back in London were a facade until I got to spend this time alone with you,” she tried to explain.
“Oh, please don’t psychoanalyze me,” he pleaded.
“I’m not. I’m just trying to tell you that I love seeing you so happy.”
He leaned in and kissed her. “Run away with me, Penny.”
“I already have, Sebastian.”
“Permanently.”
She laughed aloud. “Where will we go? How would we support ourselves?”
“If you’re as good a cook as you say you are, we’ll open a café and give Señor Salvador a run for his money.”
Penny gently traced the matching Libertine tattoo scrolled across his left upper arm with her forefinger. “It’s a beautiful dream, but if we ran away our families would cut us off.” She sighed. “Sebastian, we have this week. It will be our secret, something we can remember with great fondness when we’re old and gray.”
“I need a drink,” he announced, eager to change the subject. Sebastian was trying not to allow his feelings to be hurt after his idea was shot down. “Can I get you something?”
“Ice cold water, please.”
Sebastian leaned over and kissed her bare shoulder before leaving for refreshments. He found a wooden tray in the kitchen and prepared a pitcher of ice water with fresh sliced lemons, and added it to the bottle of scotch he found in an overhead cabinet. Sebastian snatched the packet of Dunhills that was lying on the counter and added it to the tray. Before he returned to the bedroom, he made a detour to her brother’s room to collect something he’d found earlier in the day.
Sebastian quietly crept down the tiled hall and stopped in her doorway. Penny was lying on her side, her head propped up in her hand, waiting for his return. The silky skin of her waif-like frame glistened in the sunlight filtering through the curtains. Sebastian raised the Polaroid camera, placed his eye against the viewfinder, and pressed the button with a loud click.
Penny was caught off guard. She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. “Sebastian Irons, what are you doing!”
He ducked out of the pillow’s flight path, roaring with laughter as she grabbed another to take aim. The photo shot out of the camera. He pulled it out completely, holding it by the large white strip on the bottom, and waved it in the air in an attempt to hasten its development. He padded back over to her and bounced down on the bed as they watched the picture slowly develop, holding it just out of her reach.
“I can’t believe you just took a naked photo of me!”
“Since when did you get modest? Anyway, I need something to look back on with fondness when I’m old and gray,” he teased.
“Fine,” she sighed with exasperation. “But tuck it away safely. I don’t need the tabloids getting hold of it. You won’t sell me out with the headline, ‘My wild night with Penelope Stanton?’”
“Never,” he promised.
Penny playfully pushed him off the bed. “Go get my water.”
Sebastian and Penny spent the remainder of the week lounging about the villa, taking midnight swims, eating good food, and making love. It truly was a perfect week. Sebastian wished they could stay like this forever.
Penny was right—it wasn’t Sebastian’s fault that Colin had died. It was a tragic accident. But Sebastian realized that it could have easily been him instead of Colin, and Sebastian didn’t want to die. This week with Penny gave him the incentive to start making some positive changes in his life.
As the week drew to a close, they found themselves together in bed again. Only this time there was an unspoken sadness between them.
“Are you in love with Alistair?” Sebastian asked out of the blue. It was an odd question to ask, he realized, while lying naked next to her. He’d never actually heard Penny say it.
“I care about him,” she replied, not answered his question. “I care about you, too.”
He kissed her, not sure how to translate her reply. “I’m sorry for all of this. I really fucked things up.” He let out a heavy sigh as he rolled over on his back, staring at the ceiling in frustration.
“Don’t ever say that,” she reprimanded, turning to face him, propping her head up on her hand. “We did this together. We’re adults and we have to deal with it.”<
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Sebastian laughed—not at Penny, but at what he felt was his own pathetic self. “I won’t be treated like an adult when I go home tomorrow,” he mused aloud.
“What do you think will happen?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know, but it will surely be extreme. She’ll most likely send me off to boarding school in France or Switzerland.”
“But if you passed your sixth form, you don’t have to go to school anymore.”
He gave her a feeble smile. “That’s sweet, Pen, but we both know I didn’t pass—not with the way I’ve acted this year. I’ve been so desperate to thwart my mother’s plans, I rebelled.”
“But what did you hope to accomplish?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t consciously thinking about it. I just wanted to push her over the edge, just like she pushed me. I feel so trapped. I don’t know what to do.”
Penny took his hand in hers. “We don’t have to worry about that tonight.”
“I’m so glad you came with me this week. Deep down I wanted to know what it was like to have you all to myself.” His voice became softer. “I didn’t plan on falling for you, Penny,” he quietly confessed.
“I know.”
“You know what the worst part of all is? Tomorrow I have to take you back to London; back to Alistair. I only hope he can forgive me.”
“Alistair will never know about this. It will be our secret. Can you live with that?”
“I’ll have to, won’t I?”
“Sebastian, make love to me one last time.”
He couldn’t refuse her. She was right—it would be the last time. He tried to force that thought out of his mind and concentrated on the fact that today, she was his. Things would be very different when they were back in London. Sebastian didn’t know what his future held, but he was sure he would always cherish this moment in time. Even though she would never utter the words ‘I love you,’ Sebastian knew the week he’d spent with her meant just as much to Penny as it had to him. He silently hoped his intuition was correct. He actually hoped his mother would send him off to a boarding school in some remote country, because he had no idea how he could ever be ‘just friends’ with Penelope Stanton again.
Life's What You Make It: Love's Great Adventure Book 1 Page 4