Page 24 of If Our Hearts Collide

“We appreciate it, man,” Graham says, his eyes laser focused on the pool.

I swallow hard and redirect my attention as Claire and Angie enter the water. The hum of excitement has taken the edge offmy inappropriate desires, sobering me for the responsibility I have with protecting Penny.

There most definitely will be fuckers after her.

Just look at her.

She is hypnotizing.

I’ve seen Penny struggle with exorcising her demons. I never want to see her that broken again. And I sure as hell don’t want some man taking advantage of her good nature. Just the thought makes my blood heat inside my veins.

If her brothers are right about her wanting to spread her wings and take some risks, I’ll need to make sure no idiots bother her. Because they will. I know how asshole-ish my gender can be when someone like Penny crosses their path. If she wants to find someone, she will have no problem at all. But they will have to get my approval first.

Any guy worthy enough to have her better the fuck know how lucky he is. Women like Penny don’t come along often. So, she better be cherished.

And respected…

Yup. I am a hypocrite.

Glancing at the pool, I watch as Penny laughs with the girls. Her head bends back, exposing the muscles of her toned neck as she wets her hair. If she’s not careful, her top is going to slip.

Damn…

While I’d like to think I’ll always have Penny’s best interests in mind, a small part of me doubts that my attraction to her will ever go away. I just need to make sure my thoughts don’t become actions. There’s no way to guard someone adequately if there are too many personal strings attached. This is precisely why I refer to my clients as ma’am and keep the formalities. There’s an invisible line that mustn’t be crossed. Yet, I already feel like I’ve failed with my inability to keep my eyes off of the pool.

Why does Penny have to practice backflips right now? Why does every innocent stroke or movement cause my cock to jerk in my trunks?

What the hell is wrong with me?

Penny keeps unknowingly testing my self-control, and if she continues, I’m going to fail.

“Yeah,” Nic mutters, mainly to himself, “it’s definitely not enough compensation.” His eyes stay focused on the pool. “I’m jaded enough to know that those girls can only bring trouble.”

Nic’s not off the mark. Each one of them has had her fair share of problems. I can only hold out hope that Penny can be receptive to reason. I have to gain her trust and pray that she will let me guide her. But if she is anything like Angie and Claire, she won’t accept having me hovering on the sidelines as a positive. Thus, the less she knows, the better.

“I’ll make sure nothing happens to your little sister—with or without any compensation. You both have been very generous already.”

With the right type of investing, I’m set for life.

It’s the work I need—not the money.

I value the work.

But it’s the promise I’m making to them that I’m also making to myself. If I keep reminding myself that Penny is the innocent sister, then maybe my thoughts about her will stay platonic in nature and not be laced with the lustful energy that wants to keep charging through my veins.

Nic clears his throat, while rubbing at the back of his neck. “Good. Because I just got notification today that Penny has already found an apartment.”

My eyes snap to his. “That was fast.”

“She is determined and perhaps desperate.”

“Add stubborn,” Graham adds.

“Reckless,” Nic continues.

Graham glares at his sister from afar. “She is sneaky.”

“Oh, I got another,” Nic chimes in. “How about purposely defiant?”

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