Page 147 of If Our Hearts Collide

Seeing what is holding my attention, Daphne calls over what appears to be a floor monitor and asks for something I can’t quite make out. When he hands her a pen, she looks like she just won the lottery.

“Close your eyes and give me your arm. Trust me. This will make the evening more interesting.”

I comply but not without apprehension. What is she going to write on me? The feel of the pen gliding against the skin of my arm tickles, making me laugh.

When she is done with my other arm, she turns me around, moves my hair out of the way, and uses the bare span of my back as her next canvas. I am so distracted by the feel of the cool pen on my warm skin that I can’t keep track of the letters she is pressing into me.

“Ta-da,” she says with pride. “Here’s to hoping I didn’t jack up the spelling.”

I look at my arms, not able to see anything—at least not until the light changes again back to white. We sway and dance to the music, and when the beat drops, a darker feel hits the room like a ghostly shadow. And then the light comes back on, revealing just how naughty Daphne can be.

“Really?” I ask, looking down and reading what she decided to write on me in the visible locations. “Angel in disguise? Villain era. Good girl with bad girl vibes…”

“Hey, I kept it super innocent this time. Be glad I didn’t draw pictures. One of my many talents is my stick figures with penises.”

We laugh and joke, enjoying each other’s company.

“It’s wild here,” I call out over the music.

“But fun though, right?”

I nod eagerly. I’m surprised at how relaxed I am. I’m also surprised I made it inside without getting stopped by my security detail.

Maybe Collins doesn’t have eyes on me like he claimed and was just bluffing.

But I’m also not doing anything wrong.

I didn’t come to get naked, yet those who are aren’t doing it to cause a spectacle. This has way less of an orgy feel than how porn makes these types of clubs out to be. I’m sure there are less stellar venues in existence, but it’s refreshing knowing that some place more upscale is available for self-exploration.

I feel a presence behind me and the feel of strong fingers gripping my waistline. I suck in a deep breath as every worst-case scenario flutters through my mind.

Dammit.

This is what I’ve been trying to avoid happening, and yet no matter how hard I try, my past seems to still sneak through the cracks that have been partially repaired through therapy.

I shiver and sidestep from the touch, causing a cacophony of things to happen. Three men in black shirts surround us, remove the man from the room, and then one asks, “Are you okay, little bunny?”

I nod slowly. “I’m fine.” My words tumble out of my mouth in trembly syllables. “I’m sorry that caused him to be kicked out.”

“He was on his last warning. Him touching you when you are wearing your wristlet just helped to hurry things along. He knew better but still chose to break a rule. Do not accept responsibility for a man who clearly knew what he was doing.”

I give a weak smile, trying to take off some of the guilt that is stacking up in my heart.

Daphne moves to stand beside me when the monitors disappear back into the crowd. “You froze up there and looked like you were caught in a bad dream.”

A nightmare…

“I just…”

“Are you okay?”

No. “Yes.”

“You’re sure?”

I look back over my shoulder, feeling gravity’s weight of embarrassment. Rejection sucks, and I did it blindly without even giving him a chance and caused him to be removed from the premises. “I just have some baggage, that’s all.”

“Don’t we all?”

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