Page 33 of If Our Hearts Collide

“Mr. Stone,” I counter back sassily, with a fake curtsy.

He gives me a smile. Also rare. What is going on?

Collins straightens his posture, rounds his shoulders, and opens the back door for me to enter. I sidestep him and open the door to the front passenger seat, sliding in. I snap on my belt,snickering to myself, as Collins shuts the back door and circles the front of the vehicle. I can see a smirk playing on his lips, and it does something to my insides to see him so confident and in his element.

Sure, at the pool party he was in casual attire. However, there is something about seeing him today that is intentionally different.

And dare I say, devastatingly handsome?

Not in the conventional sense, though. No, Collins is rugged, yet sophisticated. I just can’t figure him out at the core, and part of me wishes that I could pull back the layers one by one to see the real him.

Collins takes his place behind the wheel. “How are you today, Miss Hoffman?” he asks politely.

I can tell he wants to say more, but the man never uses more words than what are deemed necessary. He literally just saw me at my birthday party where we were laughing and having chicken fights in the pool. He also got me the most amazingly thoughtful gift—that I’m still in shock over. Now, he is calling me Miss Hoffman like we aren’t even becoming friends? Why all of a sudden is he trying to act over-the-top professional?

Holy shit.

And then it dawns on me.

Unbelievable.

Collins is here more than just to tote my butt around the town. I suspected as much when I saw my brothers talking with him at the party. I just never really thought they would stick their right-hand man on me when they each have their own women to protect.

I haven’t even done anything bad yet, so why provide this assignment for your most valuable employee?

Are they still angry over me going to the prison?

Maybe I should have called someone else to give me a lift from there.

I glance back toward the house and then to Collins, who is looking at me expectantly while we sit in silence, not moving.

“Everything alright, Miss Hoffman?”

“No.”

His eyes soften, as his eyes scan over my body. “What’s wrong? Are you ill? Can I get you anything, Miss Hoffman?”

Every time he says my name the way he does, anger simmers inside me. Is he trying to make me boil over and snap? If so, it’s going to happen.

“Nope. I’ll be better though if you cut the formalities and simply call me Penny. You know, the name you called me at my birthday…”

I cross my arms at my chest as I study him. At the party, he even called me the shortened version of my name—Pen.

But today he’s in ultraprofessional mode.

And I don’t like it, not one bit.

“Understood.”

“Unless, of course, you want to admit that my brothers hired you to watch out for me. Which, by the way, is not far-fetched considering how many times you were assigned to both Angie and Claire. Oh, and also by the way, I am doing things on my own this go-round, so it best be remembered that giving tabs back to my brothers is just”—I shudder as I make a disgusted face—“gross.”

“Breathe, Penny.”

I shoot him a glare that translates toshut it, but I do take a deep breath.

The last thing my brothers need to know about is my dating life—or my sex life. I’ve been officially off the market long enough. Maybe taking a dip in the dating pool is what I need to challenge both myself and my brothers. If they can succeed atallowing me some liberties, I’ll be more accepting of the other little gestures they so frequently make.

But apparently they already made a gesture—a big one—by downright hiring Collins to do their bidding.

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