Page 203 of If Our Hearts Collide

“Then start taking care of my needs before I start seeking out other takers. And trust me, Collins, I have wasted enough of my time working through my problems in the therapy facility to squander any more time trying to get the attention of someone that is emotionally incapable of giving me what my body desires.”

“Penny…”

I look around the room as couples gather at the bar. A group watches a scene playing out in one corner. People dance on the wooden platformed floor, enjoying the thump thump of the bass, while the elevated cages are full with patrons engaging in group activities.

Something tells me I won’t have a problem finding a for-now taker. However, I came here tonight to continue to break down the barriers keeping me from fully embracing the idea of being with a man.

When I turn to look into Collins’s eyes, he awakens something deep inside me.

“You are the sister of my bosses,” he reminds me—as if I could forget. Graham and Nic would probably slice him up into pieces if he were to hurt me.

But what if I want to be hurt by him? What if I want the risk of getting my heart smashed—or my ass? It isn’t like I’m making this decision lightly. I’ve given it a lot of thought.

An agonizing amount of thought…

But Collins is my safety net, and the best person to guide me into the darkness of my mind to explore my most vivid fantasies.

I trust him to see to my best interests.

I trust him to take care of my needs.

I want to feel the burn from Collins digging his fingers into my flesh.

I want to feel the sting of him playfully smacking my ass…and maybe a bit not-so-playfully.

“And you are my bodyguard,” I say, almost absentmindedly. “We would both be crossing the arbitrary boundary that only one of us is willing to cross.”

The hand against the wall works its way into my hair, pulling my head closer to him. His other hand caresses my lower back, eliciting a moan from deep in my throat.

“Everything about this is wrong.”

“Too bad my body doesn’t care.”

His thumb moves to my lips, pulling the bottom one down. He rubs his pad against the sensitive skin, lazily trailing it along. “But I care about you, Penny. I don’t want to be the reason for any more tension in your life.”

I take a step closer, and his body turns tense against mine, not because he doesn’t want me. No. Every firm inch of him pressing against my core lets me in on his little secret. Collins most definitely has a thing for his bosses’ little sister. And the thrill of knowing how much I affect him is giving me a newfound pleasure from blurring the line that we both know we shouldn’t cross. We are pulled together by an invisible string—neither of us strong enough to resist its force.

“You make me want to be a bad girl.”

Taking my hands, Collins secures them above my head. His eyes are dark with hesitation, yet his free hand roaming my body is full of promise and certainty.

He wants me. I just hope it’s as much as I want him.

I stand on my tippy toes to try to get to his lips.

“Tsk, tsk,” he teases. “One thing you’ll learn is that I thrive on being in control. I call the shots—not you, Princess.”

Swooping down, Collins captures my lips, biting and sucking the air out of my lungs.

It is intense.

It is forbidden.

My body molds itself to his touch, silently praying that he doesn’t stop like he has in the past.

I pull against his restraints, trying to tug my hands free so I can touch him. Collins’s mouth moves to my neck as he gnaws on my sensitive flesh at the base of it.

With each passing second, he’s exploring me and helping me to discover my own body’s favorite spots.

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