Page 164 of If Our Hearts Collide

Without thinking, I run to catch up with Penny and scoop her into my arms, cradling her to my chest. Her protests are adorable, making it difficult for me to resist laughing. She would not like that I’m finding humor in this situation.

“L’me down!”

How much has she been drinking? “I will when we get to my car.”

Her hands smack at my back. Without any hesitation, I take long strides to my car, open the passenger side, and deposit a flailing Penny inside. Reaching across, I snap her into her seat, despite her trying to escape. In the confined space, I smell the telltale signs of alcohol on her breath. That’ll be a chat for another day. This girl could use a lesson in respecting some limits.

Penny mutters under her breath. “Ever the gentleman.”

“You seem angry,” I state the obvious, stifling a laugh, as she flips around to shoot me with her volatile temper.

“Angry?” She points to herself. “Who, me? Nah, this is just my ’ormal perwonality.”

Yup. She’s slurring.

“You haven’t seen anythin’ yet. You er kidnappin’ me and holdin’ me hostage.”

I let out a growl. “Call it whatever you want, but if you move from this seat, we will have problems.”

Her nose flares. “Is that so?” she huffs out. “What’ll you do, spank me like you did Daphne?” She exaggerates the name into more syllables than it has.

Bending down, I look her straight in the eyes. “No.”

“And why not?” she challenges.

“What I will do to you will actually be punishment. Besides, call me old-fashioned, but when I spank someone, I prefer it to be consensual and with agreed-upon terms.”

Her eyes widen and fill up with tears. “You would hurt me?”

“Of course not, Penny. How could you ever think that?”

“So what you were doing with Daphne was for both of your pwea”—she stumbles with the word—“pleasures?”

“Yes.” Why are we dwelling on this—again? “But mainly hers. I’m actually not big into the impact play.”

“Well, then what’ll you do to me as punishment?”

“I will just tighten security on you. Embed a tracking device under you?—”

“NO!”

I smirk. The last part was a joke to test out how drunk she really is and to cause a healthy amount of fear into her if she thinks she can dictate to me how to keep her safe. “Okay, Penny.”

“Besides, isn’t that what you’ve already done by hiring that baboon who manhandled me?”

I have had enough of this conversation. I’m not going to stand here outside of a sex club and go ten rounds with Penelope Hoffman on how I value her safety, despite how little regard she has for her own well-being.

Double-checking that her limbs are safely inside, I shut her door, round the front, and am about to open my driver’s side door when I catch movement from my side.

It’s Chris.

“Should I run anymore surveillance?”

Looking back through the window, I see Penny stewing. “Nah, I got it covered tonight.”

“Oh my goodness…”

“What?” I hiss. He looks too smug to have anything of value to say.

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