He chuckled. “You’re a fast learner.”
“Well, I’m off.”
As she made to get out of the car, he placed his hand on her thick thigh. The warm, firm grip made her stop. She closed the car door and turned to him, her blue eyes searching his, although she had no idea what she was looking for.
“I haven’t changed my mind,” she said.
“I know, and I respect that.” He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. When she leaned into his touch, he placed his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her toward him. “Come here, beautiful…”
With a sigh, she closed her eyes and abandoned herself to his passionate, demanding kiss. As their tongues battled for dominance, Enzo didn’t touch more than her thigh and the soft skin on her neck. He was driving her crazy! All she wanted was to throw all caution out the window and straddle his hips. She had never had sex in a car, so why not now?
Enzo was doing his best to hold himself back. The beast inside him was begging him to take control, to crush her resolve and claim her right then and there. But, no. He couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t. First, she had set a boundary and he would never cross it. Secondly, though, he simply couldn’t allow himself to lose his head over this woman. He was here to right some wrongs, not to run after a mate’s skirt like a puppy in heat. Mate… No, the word was wrong. Penelope Walton couldn’t possibly be his mate.
Penny broke the kiss and pulled away. She needed space to regain clarity and reinforce her own rule. She smiled up at him, then opened the car door and jumped out in a second.
“See you around, Mr. Salvador?”
“You can bet your sexy bum on it, Ms. Walton.”
She blushed and ran inside her building.
***
Enzo turned the engine on, then changed his mind, turned it back off, and got out of the car. As he stood on the sidewalk, in front of Penny’s building, he took out a pack of cigarettes from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and lit one. He hadn’t smoked in weeks, but he still kept a pack on him, just in case things got so stressful that he needed some nicotine in his system. He hated himself for never being quite able to quit completely.
“Penelope,” he whispered in the chilly night air. “What are you doing to me, gorgeous?”
He inhaled the addictive smoke, held it in for a few long seconds, then released it with a hum of pleasure. Immediately, he lifted the cigarette to his lips and inhaled again. It was silly. He felt stupid. It wasn’t like him to stand in front of a woman’s house and wish he hadn’t let her go. Just three days ago, she had been nothing but a strategic move to him. Well, except the part where he had taken her home and had sex with her. Still, it hadn’t meant anything, right? He’d done it countless times in the one hundred and ninety-nine years he had roamed this world. Randomly meet a woman who got his attention, fuck her once or twice, then move on. There was no point in staying when he knew the curse wouldn’t allow him to stay forever. It was easier to leave sooner rather than later, when there was a lesser chance of breaking the woman’s heart. He held the cigarette between his lips as he rolled up the sleeve on his left hand to look at the tattoo etched into the skin of his forearm. It was still there. The stylized mark of the sign of Aries looked like it had no intention to ever vanish. Enzo knew it would disappear once he found his one true mate. When that happened, the curse would be lifted, and he could finally rest. He could finally stay in one place, with one woman, and start a family. Immortality wouldn’t be such a heavy burden to carry; not when he’d have someone to share it with.
“Right,” he mumbled as he rolled his sleeve back down. “That’ll never happen.
He threw the cigarette butt on the sidewalk and got back into his car. He drove away before his feelings for Penny got the best of him and made him knock on her door and tell her everything. The curse, the truth about who he was, his mission… the twins, and the real reason why Richard Goldman had adopted them.
“No.”
His low, angry voice sounded strange in the silent car. He turned on the radio and pushed his unwelcome feelings for Penny deep down. At this point, he was ninety-eight percent sure she was innocent. A person like her would never be capable of supporting Goldman and his wretched group of friends in their twisted activities. Enzo had to keep her out of it, protect her as he carried out his mission, then leave as he had left all the others before her. He was good at leaving. The best.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Two days passed, and Juniper and Thorn had already started some of the classes. On Thursday, Penelope arrived earlier at the Goldman Mansion, eager to talk to the English teacher face to face. She figured she had had enough time to evaluate them.
“Ms. Walton, they are amazing kids,” the 33-year-old brunette said enthusiastically as Penny stopped her at the foot of the stairs. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with such brilliant minds.”
Penny blinked in confusion but made sure to keep a pleasant smile on her face.
“I’m happy to hear that. How are they doing? Have you managed to evaluate their level of English? Mr. Goldman insists this is the most important thing right now.”
“Oh, yes. They are more advanced than you think. They were shy and silent at first, but once they got used to me, they pretty much blew my mind. We’ve started with some grammar for now, and they absorb everything like thirsty sponges.” She laughed awkwardly. “I’m not sure that’s a very elegant comparison, but… it does the trick.”
Penny laughed with her. She was proud of herself for having hired Angela Bailey. She had a way with children, and she had known immediately there was a good chance that Juniper and Thorn would open up to her.
“Nina likes to learn by practicing the rule over and over until she gets it right, but Kosta is more inclined to learning via little games and role-play.”
Penny’s face went pale. Not even the rosy blush she had applied earlier that morning was able to cover the paleness of her cheeks. Without thinking, she grabbed the teacher’s arm and pulled her toward the door.
“You’re calling them by their real names?” she whispered. Even though Richard was at the office and Marcia was God knew were, the house was still full of maids and servants.
“Y-yes… I didn’t realize it might be a problem. They asked me to use their real names. Most times, Nina is okay with Juniper, but Kosta absolutely hates to be called Thorn.”
