Page 28 of If Our Hearts Collide

“Thank you.”

I am enchanted by her free-spirited excitement. It’s contagious.

The concert tickets were an on-a-whim purchase. “Glad you like your gift.”

Grace and Jace often play at the Hoffman Hotel. However, their outdoor fall tour seems to be popular among their fans. And Penny most definitely just confirmed she’s a fan.

Penny’s cheeks heat to a bright shade of pink, and a shyness coats over her entire demeanor. I want to comfort her and tell her that it’s okay, as to how she reacted. I really am relieved she loves her gift. She doesn’t need to be weird around me. I can keep her emotions safe and never make her feel awkward with her outward expression of them.

“Like is too mild of a word,” she jokes, trying to catch her breath. “I’m in love”—she turns the tickets over and over again inher hands—“with my gifts. Plural. Because you got me so many things. Kind of unexpected too. Thank you.”

Penny is unexpected.

“You are very welcome. Happy birthday, Penny.”

Seeing her smile does something to make me soften. I hope there never comes a day where I’m responsible for a frown on her sweet face. Penny deserves happiness. She deserves a chance to move forward with her life. I just hope I can find a balance between keeping her safe and letting her live the life she is desperate to live.

Donna brings out bite-sized snacks and desserts while we all float around in the pool. Despite Nic having a fit over Claire overexerting herself, we form a guys versus girls water volleyball game, which we end up winning.

I can’t even remember the last time I smiled so much. Being around these people does this to me.

They make me realize what is important in my life. And right now, doing the job I was hired to do is what really matters. My head may be cloudy from every soft curve of Penny bouncing out of the water, but when it comes down to business, keeping her out of trouble will be my top priority.

I owe it to her brothers. I owe them my loyalty.

I just hope that I can?—

Fuck.

What is Penny doing? Why is she swimming closer to me? And why the hell is she pouting out that bottom lip of hers, as if she’s already predicting the answer to be no?

When she is so close I can count her freckles, her distraught face morphs into game on. Her hair is matted along the side of her face, as her hands slick it back off her forehead. Her skin looks kissed by the sun. Water droplets settle along her nose, and the way her lips curl up into an earth-stopping smirk…

“Can you hoist me up on your shoulders, Collins?”

Why? “Umm…”

“Angie and I are going to battle it out.”

My eyes dart to Graham, who looks equally confused but has no choice but to submit to Angie climbing up his back like a bear cub to get onto his shoulders. She leans over him to grab a pool noodle and puts on a fake angry face. She then bursts out laughing over Graham telling her she’s going to get hurt.

“Women are not made of paper, you know,” she teases.

Penny tugs on my arm expectantly. “Please, Collins.” Her bottom lip pouts out again.

If it wasn’t the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, I may have said no. I may have come up with some excuse or even suggest someone else to fulfill her request.

I am technically working. She may not realize that, but I know her brothers who are now staring at me understand the need for me to separate business from?—

Pleasure?

Ugh. Why does every other thought I have seem to be laced with a sliver of indecency?

I am better than this. I know better. I can do better.

Penny bobs up and down in the water, whining as she bats her eyelashes. “Pretty please.”

I shake my head over the thoughts running through it. Guilt creeps into the voids, making me feel even worse because of what Penny has been through in the past, her age being just twenty-two years old, and the fact that her brothers are now my friends—not just my source of income, pride, and stability.

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