Page 159 of If Our Hearts Collide

Yuri chuckles, obviously not fazed by my momentary lack of respect. He might own the place, but we always treated each other as equals. And with that comes a certain level of filters that get taken down when we are around each other. “Take that up with Michael. You know how he loves trying to control things.”

“Well, he chose to let in the one girl who can’t be controlled. Trust me, I’ve tried.”

Yuri’s eyes narrow. “So that’s what this is about? Some domestic dispute?”

“Just shut it.”

I’m not so unattached from my emotions not to realize how moody I sound. It’s just that I never got the release I came here for and am still teetering on the edge of simmering need. I’m so tightly wound up that going to Penny now would not be my best move, yet it’s the only one I can think about making. I need to make sure she’s okay and cannot count on anyone to have her best interests in mind like I do.

Dammit.

I had everything lined up so I could have a night to clear my head. Now things are cloudier than ever. The only thing tonight accomplished was making Penny distrust me even more, which shouldn’t matter now that I’m stepping down from being her bodyguard.

Yet, how can I trust anyone to watch her when I can’t even take a break for one evening and have the fill-in have success?

I mean, what are the fucking chances she would be here? She’s never come here before. How did I miss this necessary information?

Ever since we shared that kiss outside of the coffee shop, I’ve been reliving that scene over and over in my head on repeat. Which is good, because prior to that I was reliving the devastation all over her face when I rejected her at the apartment gym.

Since then, I have questioned my decision to pull away from her and to step down from being her bodyguard.

That’s why I showed up here tonight.

Being here was about throwing myself into a scene and trying to forget how cruel life’s circumstances can be.

I was trying to forget the fact that Penelope Josephine Hoffman would never be mine.

But she showed up tonight and completely flooded my brain with tantalizing images of taking my own sexual aggression out on her—the cause of all my agony.

I’ve never been this tightly wound up.

When Graham and Nic hired me to watch over their little sister, it was never meant to be twenty-four seven surveillance. Yet, with her track record so far, I don’t know how it won’t turn into something of that nature.

It’s not like I can even bring the topic up with them without causing alarm or their curiosity to flare, and I’ve been unable to convince myself that anyone other than me would be perfect to guard Penny.

The Hoffman brothers may take overprotectiveness to the next level, but I’m worse when it comes to protecting those I care about. And Penelope Hoffman is currently under my care, no matter how many times I’ve contemplated over the last few days of passing her off to someone else.

Clearly, I can’t trust anyone with her if she managed to infiltrate my once safe haven and scattered my thoughts even more.

So she will yield to me.

Her brothers need to know no part of what happened here tonight.

Airing out her dirty laundry would in return air out mine. While I respect Penny enough not to share this little discovery with others, I’m banking on the notion that she’ll give me the same courtesy.

“I need to run,” I say simply, earning a nod from Yuri. He knows I’m not overly empathetic. I turn to the girl. “Sorry the scene ended.”

She’s shaking, and I can’t tell why other than she may have hit her happy place faster than I would have expected from the average scene. We had barely gotten into the action before we were interrupted.

“Get her another blanket and a snack, man,” I say to Yuri.

He shakes his head at me but goes to tend to the girl.

A shiver runs through her. “Just make sure Penny isn’t mad at me.”

Of course the two of them would be buddy-buddy. Penny has that small-town charm and girl-next-door appeal.

“Got it.”

---