Alex and Penelope Ch. 01

"It's a sunny day," Alex suggested. "You should hang out outside, maybe go swim. I'm sorry I'm busy, but in a few days I'll have the week."

"Is Claire around?" Penelope asked, thinking she ought to get to know her better.

Alex shook his head with an amused eye-roll. "Claire is either out with friends, planning parties and benefits, or shopping. The only time she's here during the day is if it's her turn to entertain the neighborhood ladies."

"Oh," Penelope said.

Alex heard how disheartened she was. "I'll talk to her tonight. See if I can't get her to take you out before she leaves Saturday."

"That would be nice," Penelope said, not that she really wanted to spend a day out with Claire after meeting her the night before. But it was important that they got along if she was going to be living here for the next four years, so she would work her ass off to get to know her.

Alex returned to his work, annoyed. He felt bad that he hadn't had the foresight to start a vacation the day Penelope arrived. The poor girl was alone in a strange place, and while that never bothered him, Penelope didn't have the confidence and power he had. It was obvious that she felt out of place here when she needed to feel like this was home. He wanted her here; she was a breath of fresh air that he hadn't known he needed.

Penelope changed into a bikini in her room, then pulled on shorts and a shirt over the top, sunglasses on her head. The house was kept cool with air conditioning, but it was hot outside still, being that it was the end of August. She shivered while carrying a towel and a magazine through the house, her skin covered in goose bumps. But once outside, it felt too hot even for the shorts and tee, so she stripped them off at a chair and dove right into the pool.

The cool water felt amazing in contrast to the hot sun, and she explored the sections that were connected by thin channels. Starting at the waterfall, she stood in the waist high water and let it cascade over her body, laughing to herself in pleasure.

The middle section was the largest and very deep, with the diving board and slide, so she quickly swam across it to the third and final section. When she entered the cave, she noticed it continued further back than previously thought, the slate rocks forming seats. It was nice to be out of the direct sunlight, but it wasn't long before the chill of the water made her feel cold.

Swimming alone felt great, but after about thirty minutes, it lost its appeal without others to join in the fun, so she climbed out and laid down on one of the loungers with her magazine, putting the sunglasses over her eyes.

Alex had five minutes, so he went to the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water and see if Penelope had taken him up on his suggestion. He peered out the window and saw her on the padded lounge chair. He didn't have much a view, as she'd taken up one on this side of the pool instead of the other, but what he could see was pretty enticing.

She wore a yellow halter bikini top and boyshort bottoms. His view was only from the side, but the profile of her body was enough. Her small breasts were inches above the magazine she'd propped against her flat stomach, one leg bent and propped up with the other straight out. He stared at her, watched her flip a page, then another, sipping his water. Her hair was wet, so she'd been swimming, and he wished he'd caught her earlier so he could watch her move through the pool.

Once on vacation from work, he'd have to join her.

***

Alex had failed in convincing Claire to spend time with Penelope, which pissed him off. He was glad she was leaving for three weeks, wished she'd be gone for longer. She was beautiful; dark brown hair and large breasts that he'd bought for her when she'd asked for them. Her hips curved, though she was still thin. But she wasn't the woman he'd married. It had been an act to get him. The only reason she was still around was his complete apathy. He just didn't care anymore.

Friday night, Claire had attempted to have sex with him before she left the following morning. Usually he'd give in, even though he didn't like her all that much. She was beautiful and sexy, no doubt, but that was all that was left of his attraction. But Friday he just couldn't bring himself to do it. She was leaving the next morning and he honestly didn't care if she came back.

He also couldn't shake the image of Penelope in her bikini by the pool. The more he thought about it, the more his guilt grew. He wasn't supposed to think of Penelope like that. It wasn't that he was married; he'd often times met women at parties he'd fantasized about. But Penelope! He'd held her as a baby, even though he was only sixteen years her senior. He was still a young guy with the libido of an adolescent teenager. The periods of bachelorhood between his wives had been filled with women, sometimes more than one at a time.

Penelope was pure. And she certainly didn't deserve to be thought of a sex object the way Alex had been thinking of her. He'd kill any other man who even gave her a hungry glance to protect her. He knew he had to get himself in check, and would work his ass off to change his view.

Claire left early Saturday morning with a short goodbye kiss from Alex, then he met Penelope outside by the pool for breakfast. They sat under an umbrella in the warm morning sun and ate crepes prepared by Beverly. Alex was dressed comfortably in shorts and a tee. Even though he worked from home, he still always dressed like he worked at an office just because he'd often have to run out to meet an associate.

It was nice to start a weeklong vacation, and he was going to relax and enjoy it.

Penelope was in a pink tank-top with lacy details on the seams, and off-white shorts and sandals. She still felt underdressed here, like the poor girl pretending to live in a castle with the royals. She didn't want to take anything from Alex; he'd already offered her the world. But once they did hit up the town, she'd have to take a little of her savings and buy some nicer clothes that didn't come from a Wal-Mart.

"I really hope you haven't been too lonely," Alex said with apology, taking a bite of his crepe.

"No, I've been fine!" Penelope assured him. "It's actually been relaxing to settle in rather than go crazy. It's really nice of you to take some time off. It wasn't necessary."

"It was necessary, and you don't need to thank me," Alex said. "I should have done it the day you got here."

"So what's on the agenda?" Penelope asked, excitement in her eyes. It didn't really matter what they did, but she was glad she'd be spending some time with him finally. She'd been honest in saying she was fine, but it had been a little lonely since she knew no one here and was in a strange place. Maybe now she'd finally start to get comfortable and look at this house as home.

"Well, this week we'll have to hit up the university," Alex began. "Get your books, show you around. I'll have my assistant set up an appointment for you with a guidance counselor, so when that's settled we'll have a day set aside for it all. Otherwise, it's up to you. What do you want to do?"

Penelope chuckled. "I don't have a clue!" she cried.

Alex grinned. She was darling and beautiful. "Well, how about I take you around town this morning, then we'll come back here and relax at the pool." Alex had been dying to see her in that yellow bikini again. Maybe they could do some shopping and he could find something a little skimpier.

Stop, he chided himself.

"That would be great," Penelope said. She'd definitely look for some nicer clothes today; outfits that would make her feel like she fit in here in this palace.

Ben drove them downtown and wove through the streets while Alex pointed out landmarks. There was a huge park that he said they should hit up this week because there was a beautiful pond in the center that had a mile long path as its perimeter, along with food vendors and street entertainers.

They were dropped off on the main street with high end shops. The first one they entered, Penelope found she wanted to take everything home. She'd only ever seen such fine clothes in movies and magazines. When she spotted a top in brilliant chartreuse, she decided she had to have it.

Until she saw the price tag, and her jaw nearly hit the floor.

Alex noticed this, then gestured for a saleswoman to come over. "This is Penelope," he said to the sales woman, then pulled out his black AmEx. The woman's eyes widened and a smile danced on her lips that she tried very hard to hide. Alex held it out to her and gestured to Penelope with his head. "See that she gets anything she wants, and more."

The card was snatched and Penelope was ushered away from Alex by the saleswoman before she even knew what was happening. The woman brought her to a dressing room without even letting Penelope look around. "I'll be right back with clothes for you to try on," she said. "Size two?"

Penelope nodded, aghast. She couldn't believe what was happening, and entered the dressing room that had been opened feeling dumbstruck. A few minutes later, the saleswoman returned with a rack of clothes in tow. It was unlike anything Penelope had ever experienced.

She took her time trying things on, trying to make choices so Alex wouldn't spend too much, when she liked everything that had been laid out for her.

"Well, at least show me something!" she heard Alex call.

Humbly, Penelope exited the dressing room in a short skirt and the chartreuse top she'd eyed immediately upon entering the store. Alex sat on a round couch with a glass of champagne and Penelope saw his approval in the grin he wore. She ducked her head low and brushed her hands at her side. "Well?"

"Stunning," he said, meaning it. She'd been beautiful before, but in clothes that were properly tailored, she was mouthwatering. "That's definitely coming home with you."

Penelope couldn't contain her smile.

They left the store an hour later after spending more money than Penelope could even let herself think of. It would have paid for a semester at the out of state university and then some. Ben met them to load her bags and they continued on.

While walking the street, Penelope paused at a lingerie shop, admiring the mannequins in the window. The one that caught her eye was wearing a pink and black polka dot bra and panties, along with matching suspenders holding up thigh high sheers. It was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen.

"Did you want to go in?" Alex asked, trying to sound indifferent, though imagining the previous setting of Penelope showing off outfits while he sipped champagne.

Penelope blushed, her cheeks hot. "Oh, no," she stammered.

"There's nothing wrong with buying lingerie," Alex said. He hoped he didn't sound like he was pressuring her, but he wanted to let her know that it was okay if she wanted to buy some nice underwear. "I'll even stay out here if you like."

"Maybe another time," Penelope said, turning away from the mannequin she'd been so entranced by.

At another shop, there was more sportswear, including bathing suits. Alex worked the same magic as before with his black centurion card and chuckled as a bewildered Penelope was swept into the back once more. When the saleswoman returned, he snagged her.

"She needs summer clothes, since it'll be warm through October," he said, then grinned. "And swimsuits. Lots of them. We have a pool that I expect she'll be in as much as she can."

"Of course," the woman said, adding a little flirtation into her voice. "Anything you want."

Penelope watched the rack pushed into her dressing room and studied the garments. They were a huge change from the last store, these being much more casual. And a little cheaper, to her relief. Lots of tiny shorts, a couple pairs of capris, tank tops and halters, and a ton of bikinis. Well, there was a pool, and she couldn't very well keep wearing the only swimsuit she had. But she started with the clothes, choosing white capris and a navy halter, then exited the dressing room.

Alex was hovering a distance away, not sitting. "Looks great, Pen," he called. "Get everything you want."

She was glad she wouldn't have to show off everything. She hadn't minded it with the other clothes, but by the time she got to the bikinis, she didn't want to parade out of the dressing room wearing them.

Once everything had been tried on, she left the dressing room to find Alex talking to the sales woman.

"Anything else you need?" the woman asked.

"I don't think so," Penelope said.

"So what did you like?" Alex asked.

Penelope shook her head in wonder. "God, everything!" she said.

"Then I guess we're taking everything," Alex told the saleswoman.

Penelope's jaw dropped. "No, I didn't mean it like—"

"Of course you didn't," Alex interrupted with a chuckle. "But you need clothes for the weather, and for the pool. Might as well load you up now."

"You don't have to do any of this," Penelope said, overcome.

"But I want to," Alex said kindly. "Don't worry about it."

When they returned to the estate, Reuben and Ben lugged the shopping bags up to Penelope's room.

"Why don't you go change and we'll go for a swim," Alex suggested, trying to force down his ulterior motives, denying they even existed. "Spend the day relaxing."

"Okay," Penelope agreed with a huge smile. She was so excited to look through her new things. She hurried up the stairs and into her room.

Once Reuben and Ben had brought the last of the bags up, they shut the door and she began to dig. It was swimsuits she was after. She had so many now, she didn't know how she'd decide what to wear first. So at random, she pulled five sets out and laid them on the bed, staring down at them.

They were all very different, and all perfect. After finally figuring she'd be by the pool a lot over the next few months, she closed her eyes, spun a circle, then picked up the first one she felt.

The bikini top was a wired cup, the bottoms skimpy, but not stringed like a few of the others. The pattern was a swirl of reds and oranges, and once she'd changed, she studied the final product in the full length mirror.

She looked, and felt . . . sexy.

The wired cups pushed her breasts up so they appeared more round on the tops, and though she was only a B, there was a tiny padding to the bikini that made them look larger. The colors looked a little too bright against her pale skin, and the bottoms only rose to the top of her hips. But it was amazing, really. For the first time, she felt like a woman. Maybe even a woman who deserved to be here.

They'd bought a beach sarong that she tied around her waist. Again, freezing from the air conditioning, she made a run for it with another towel, sunglasses on her head, for the warmth of the outdoors.

Alex sat on a lounger in his Hawaiian trunks, and held his breath when he saw Penelope dash outside. As she walked his way, he admired how her breasts bounced in the bikini; how they were pushed up and together to create a hint of cleavage. Her hips swayed with each step, and he knew it was subconscious, but incredibly sexy none the less. It was just her.

She sat down beside him and slipped out of her sandals. Alex grabbed the bottle of suntan lotion and squirted some in his palm, then began rubbing it on his legs. Penelope reached for it and began the same.

She noticed that as he ran his hands over his chest, she was staring. There was hardly a hair on him, and his muscles were more defined than she thought. He was tan, probably from doing just this; lying out in the sun when he got a spare moment.

But what really surprised her was her reaction. When she'd first arrived, she'd seen an extremely attractive man; not the older godfather she'd known as a kid. But now she saw him as something else. She saw him as someone she wanted to touch, which was pretty damn foreign for her. She'd had a few boyfriends, the early ones in middle school had only really involved kissing. In high school she'd had a few more, but nothing ever escalated beyond some brief touching of her breasts. So to think of Alex in a sexual way was a new feeling entirely.

Alex watched as Penelope worked the lotion over her flat stomach, then across her chest. He couldn't help but imagine his hands doing the work, and again reminded himself how wrong it was. But he was getting better at justifying it. It wasn't like they were related, and he'd certainly bedded his share of eighteen year olds in his time. Hell, he'd lost his virginity when he was fifteen. He might be older, but there was nothing wrong with being sexually attracted to Penelope. And god, she was soo attractive.

"Let me get your back," Alex offered calmly. He was an expert at calm; women never had a clue what he was thinking. He'd mastered the art of getting what he wanted years ago.

Penelope smiled, but inside she'd turned to mush. She knew how awkward she sounded as she said, "Okay," the word coming out in at least four syllables. She felt clumsy as she turned her back to him and brushed her hair over her shoulder to keep it off her back. What was happening to her? She shouldn't feel this way!

As she felt his hands meet her shoulders, she shuddered with excitement. She'd spent the last few minutes wondering what it would be like to touch him, and here he was, touching her. His hands rubbed their way down to the clasp, then made gentle circles.

Alex lifted a strap to work his hand under it, taking his time. With constant justification, he even allowed himself to wonder what it would be like to pull the straps down her shoulders, then unclasp the back. He wondered if Penelope would ever go topless by his pool, as so many women had, including Claire. He wanted to see those breasts more than anything in his life. It was a good thing he could control himself, or he would be getting a hard-on just from this.

Penelope shivered once more as she felt his fingers slide just under her armpits, and had a quick flash of them continuing all the way around. She could feel her nipples harden and knew from the heat in her face that she was turning red. Thank god she had her back turned, otherwise she'd be mortified.

Alex grabbed the bottle for another dollop, then began rubbing her lower back. He let his fingertips slide up under the back clasp, then massaged the lotion into her back. He worked her sides, feeling how thin she was in his large hands, then finally made his way down to her bikini bottom.

He smiled as he worked as low as he could possibly go. These bottoms rested so low on her hips that he could feel the slight curve of the top of her ass where her hips widened. Thank god they'd bought new bikinis; that yellow one had boyshorts that nearly reached her belly button.

When he'd finished, he patted her shoulders. "All done," he said. "My turn."

When she spun around, he loved how her hair fell across her left breast; the slight curl it had, giving it body. She was smiling, though awkwardly, as if she wasn't entirely sure what to do. But she picked up the bottle and he turned his back to her.

Feeling her tiny hands rub his back was heaven, and over far too quickly. She did a thorough job, but nothing more. And God, how he wanted more.

Once lotioned up, they rose and slid into the pool, starting on the far side with the waterfall. Penelope sank low to prepare her skin for the shock of cold water before rising again and walking over to the waterfall to let it cascade on her body once more. She thought she needed it to clean her thoughts, but it only added to the sensation of pleasure that was making her skin alive.

Alex tried to hide that he was watching, but Penelope standing in the flow of water as it trickled down her body was erotic, which was one of the main reasons he had the waterfall in the first place. He'd loved watching women stand in it. He'd loved playing in it with women as they kissed, feeling each other's bodies. But other women were the farthest thing from his mind. It was only Penelope.