Page 204 of If Our Hearts Collide

“Fuck,” I hiss, feeling my bones melt into a gelatin.

Whatever he’s doing to me, I like it.

“You can’t keep putting temptation in front of me and then expect me not to sample a taste. I’ve wanted to show your body from the moment you walked into this place just who owns it.”

“Ahhh…you followed me?” I gasp.

“You knew I would. No matter where I am, I keep tabs on you. I’m obsessed with your safety, Princess.”

Princess.

Coming from anyone else’s mouth, I would cringe. But Collins makes me feel special—adored—with that simple two-syllable word.

“I thought you were taking a personal day.”

Collins smiles against my cheek. “Seems like I’m utilizing my personal day in the best way possible.”

“Good.”

“But you aren’t safe here, no matter what the website or club description says.”

“Well, then aren’t you glad you made your grand arrival…”

Collins’s eyes level with mine, searching for what, I’m not sure. “You aren’t safe with me either, Penny. I’m?—”

“Dangerous,” I finish, interrupting his bullshit speech.

“I am though. And I’d be very irresponsible to not?—”

“Warn me.”

His hand goes to my chin, giving it a possessive squeeze. “Yes, dammit. As much as I’m a giver”—his thumb finds my bottom lip and pulls it down—“I’m also a taker. And the last thing I need is to take something that doesn’t belong to me.”

“Maybe the danger helps me to feel alive.”

Releasing my wrists, he grabs my ass, lifting me up and pressing me harder against the flat surface of the wall. His eyes keep searching mine for any reservation.

“There’s nothing more that I want right now than to dirty you up.”

My ankles dig into his lower back. “No one’s stopping you.”

And just like that, the glimmer of hope is shadowed by the doubt. Releasing me, Collins runs his hands through his hair. “Fuck. You can’t keep making me lose control like this. This is wrong, Penny.”

Trying to find steadiness on the ground, I growl in frustration. “We want each other, Collins. That much is obvious.”

“But we can’t act on that want, Pen. It’s not fair to either of us.”

“Then why not let me into one of the contracts like you have with some of the women here. What is it, a sex contract?”

His eyes turn livid as his jaw tics. “You want to be my whore? Is that what you’re saying? You are considering going against your brothers to enter into a forbidden contract with me? You don’t comprehend what you’re asking of me.”

“If it means eliminating this feeling of whiplash every time we start to get close, then sign me up, please. Because I’m about to get the equivalent of a man getting blue balls.”

“Fuck, Penny, you have to have more self-esteem than this.”

“Every time you reject me, I lose more than I gain. I’m not sure how much of this I can take.”

“How the hell did you find out about the contracts?”

---