Chapter 167

“Mmph
Before Penelope could process his words, his mouth was on hers, and it wasn’t a kiss-it was a bite.
A sharp pain shot through her lower lip, and she instinctively tried to push him away, but he captured her hands, pinning them above her head.
“Theodore… hss
He seemed to have lost all control, stealing her breath, tearing at her clothes, and molding her body against his as if he intended to melt them together.
“Don’t do this… honey Penelope whimpered, her voice soft and pleading. That single word, ‘honey,’ seemed to snap him partially back to his senses.
“I’m sorry… hoo He took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to regain control. His movements softened as he kissed her again. “Shh, don’t cry. I won’t hurt you.” Feeling wronged, Penelope bit his lower lip hard in retaliation.
Instead of deterring him, the act seemed to reignite his fervor. His breath hitched, and he captured her mouth in another deep kiss. At the same time, his strong, lean hands gripped her waist and lifted her off the ground.
Her feet left the floor, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him. With no support beneath her, she was completely dependent on him, but his broad, solid shoulders gave her a sense of security.
He tried to be gentle, tried to be mindful of her feelings.
“Baby… hold on tight
“But… I’ve been drinking that bitter medicine for twenty-five days The thought brought fresh tears to her eyes. Twenty-five long days.
“Don’t cry… When you cry, I can’t… I can’t hold back
“I’m not crying… sob… I’m not!”
From the entryway to the living room, to the bedroom, to the bathroom, and back to the bedroom again, Penelope was reduced to a pliant, trembling mess. The fire inside her had been kindled, and now it raged, consuming her.
She felt like she was being burned alive, desperate for the man on top of her to extinguish the flames. But he was on fire too, still fighting for control, teetering on the edge of losing it completely…
“Honey… I don’t care about the medicine anymore… I want you
While battling his own demons, Theodore tried to soothe her. “Shh, I’m here.”
“I want you
“I’ll give you what you want. Don’t cry.”
“It’s not enough
“I know, I know.”
Theodore carried her to the shower for a bath, then took three more cold showers himself before the fire was finally banked.
Now, Penelope lay curled in his
arms, her eyes red and swollen from crying, her lips puffy. An occasional sob stillescaped her. Theodore held her with one arng while taking a call with the other, his voice laced with cold fury.
“She loves me? What does that have to do with me?”
“Hah, as if she’s worthy.”
“She was brought by someone from Simon. He knows what to do.”
After hanging up, Theodore’s anger flared again.
“So, she loves you, but you d
her. She can’t have you, so she
drugs you. You get drugged and
come to me Penelope Sniffled.
love
“What did I ever do to deserve this?”
Theodore’s simmering rage dissolved into a reluctant chuckle at her complaint.
“Hmph!” She punched his chest lightly.
“Still feeling it? Should we
“No!”
“Are you sure?”
Theodore rolled over, pinning her beneath him. His damp hair cast shadows across his face, making him look devilishly handsome, almost wicked.
Penelope swallowed hard. “You said Mr. Olson told me to take the medicine for three months… but maybe twenty days is enough? Or maybe he was just exaggerating when he said no physical intimacy? Doctors do that, right? Maybe it’s totally fine? Or
“That desperate?”
“I’m worried about you!”
“Wipe your drool first.”
Obediently, she slurped a few times, then looked up at him with hopeful eyes.