After Penelope had finished showering, she stepped out into the bathroom and pulled a towel around her body, slipping her glasses on as she took stock of herself in the mirror. A soft smile crossed her lips as she saw that Alex had dropped off a nightgown for her, and she tugged it on before quickly braiding her hair.
Once she felt presentable, she made her way into the bedroom, leaving the door cracked so that they could find the bathroom in the middle of the night if they needed it, and looked to the bed. Alex was already sleeping, though she had left the covers turned back for her. Penelope smiled as she climbed into bed and drew the sheets up close around their necks as she spooned in close to the older woman.
The moment that her arm fell around Alex's waist, however, she found sleep flitting away. There was something about the easy way that Alex fit in the curve of her body, the way that her scent was so familiar to Penelope's nose, the soft sounds she made as she slept on, that caused Penelope's brain to head into overdrive. And those feelings were only heightened when Alex scooted back further into her arms, her hand covering Penelope's as she murmured wordlessly beneath her breath. "This is so not fair," she whined as she hooked her chin over Alex's shoulder and took a few deep breaths as she closed her eyes and counted sheep. Eventually, it worked, and she fell asleep, still thinking of how soft Alex was in her arms.
In the morning, the first thing that Penelope became aware of was the fact that her hand was on Alex's ass, holding her close. One of the older woman's legs was between hers, and the only thing that separated them was their nightclothes. Letting out a small squeak of surprise, Penelope tried to pull back, only to feel Alex's arms tighten around her waist, holding her in place. "Good morning, Pen," she murmured before rubbing her face against her collarbone. The sensation sent shivers down Penelope's spine, and she pressed her lips together in an effort to keep from moaning.
"Good morning, Alexandra. Did you sleep well?"
"I seemed to settle down a little once you joined me. There's something about sleeping in another person's arms that is so comforting." Pulling back, Alex pressed her lips quickly to her cheek before slipping out of the bed. "I'm going to take a quick shower. While I'm in there, would you dig my makeup out of my bag and set it on the counter?"
"Sure," she replied quietly, watching Alex slip into the bathroom. It wasn't until she heard the water turn on that she also got out of bed and went over to Alex's bags, rummaging through them until she had found her makeup bag. Crossing the room, she slipped behind the door and set the makeup on the counter, trying not to peek at the shower as she exited. Still, her eyes flitted over, and she gasped a little at the sight of Alex's body. Closing her eyes, Penelope turned and fled from the room, not bothering to shut the door as she went to the dresser and pulled out jeans and a t-shirt before finding fresh underwear. She had just stripped off her nightclothes when she heard the water shut off, and a small gasp slipped out as she hurriedly pulled on her panties and bra. It was too much to try and get into her jeans so quickly, but she still went over to the bed and started to pull them on as she heard Alex start to get ready in the bathroom.
She actually was fully dressed by the time Alex joined her, and she once more tried very hard not to stare at her over her tablet as she stood in front of the closet and chose her outfit for the day. All pretense of not staring flew out the window as Alex dropped the towel to the floor, and stepped into fresh underwear, heedless of the fact that Penelope was so close. "This helps nothing, Alexandra," she said lowly, watching the woman look up at her, an open look on her face. "You're beautiful, and you know that I desire you. We can't do this here, not when we're looking for Erin, and not when you're married to James, even if there's trouble there. Please, sweet pea, do not tempt me."
Alex fastened her bra before coming over to her side, cupping Penelope's face with her hands as she stared into her face. "All right, I'll try to be better. I just don't want to break the illusion of the act we're performing. Erin's safety matters so much to me, as well you know." She nodded a little, smiling sadly at the woman. "Your eyes are so sorrowful," she whispered before leaning in and kissing her gently. "If we were free in this moment, if we were different people, I'd not hesitate to take this farther."
"But that's not who we are, is it?" Alex shook her head. "You are so easy to fall for, you know. That glorious hair, those expressive eyes, your quick wit, everything adds up to someone who is so outrageously beautiful, that you could have your choice of partner. I know that we haven't always been this close, but it feels like our mutual desire to find Erin has built this up between us so quickly. That's scary, you know. Because a flash in the pan fuck is the last thing that I am looking for at this time. I want something that will last. But I want to find Erin more. I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry for. And to be honest with you, I think that a part of this mutual longing is a result of my worry for Erin. Because I know that you care for her, I've latched on to you, and built something up in my head." She drew in a deep breath, and Penelope copied her, trying to calm the rapid beating of her heart. "We should probably head out, though, and try to find Gideon's place. The sooner we rescue Erin, the sooner we can start to untangle what's between us."
"Okay," she whispered as she leaned in a little, feeling that instinctive pull from Alex. Their lips met in another, softer, kiss, and Penelope sighed against her lips before forcing herself to take a few steps away from the woman. "I'll head down to the breakfast room, and get us food, while you finish dressing?"
"Sounds like a plan, Penny." Alex caressed her face lightly before going back to the closet and starting to thumb through the clothes she had brought, looking for something to wear. Penelope took a few deep breaths before grabbing her purse and phone, heading from the room as quickly as she could. This was not at all how she had imagined the search for Erin to go, and she fully recognized that she was allowing her unease and apprehension over the op to colour her vision on all things, but she could not deny that there really was a spark between her and Alex. However, if that spark were to light in the current moment, it would do much more than just lend a brightness to their lives, it threatened to set off a powder keg, and that was the last thing they needed in a delicate time like this.