Page 51 of If Our Hearts Collide

His eyes lack the anger from earlier and are void of any real identifiable emotion. It is eerie. It’s like he turned into a stone-cold statue, shielding himself from whatever stress guarding me is causing him.

“There’s nothing left to discuss.”

10

COLLINS

I thought I could do it. I really did. But I can’t.

Well, at least not in this heightened state that I’m in currently.

We need to have time apart today to really comprehend what was said and the implications of it all.

This is not how I envisioned today going, but it is what it is…

I’ve experienced difficult women before, but with them it was usually an act. Some like the thrill of being a brat.

With Penny, there’s no acting. She is being true to herself, even if her honesty is driving me into the red zone—a place I rarely go.

After hearing Penny rattle off all of the things she plans to do, I don’t think I can just stand back and watch her implode.

Her brothers gave me the impression that my role was to be a low-intensity bodyguard.

However, in the span of thirty minutes, my job requirements just got more rigorous.

Keeping Penny out of trouble will be difficult if I don’t tighten up my reins of control.

This girl is already testing every ounce of self-control I have. How will I even survive the duration of this contract?

Penny best be glad I don’t carry her over my shoulder and toss her into a cage and conveniently lose the key. Until she can learn how to show some respect to me—and herself—I’m taking no chances with her.

This girl has a way of getting under my skin, like no one has ever in the past.

She needs boundaries.

She needs discipline.

She needs someone who won’t back down.

But for now, I need to get us into the vehicle and drop her off back at her parents’ place.

We need some distance between us to clear the air.

My abdomen hits the turnstile bar that keeps count of people leaving the park, and the annoying-as-fuck worker tries to get me to interact—again.

“Here’s a list of our sister parks that you can get a discount with on your season pass! There’s a coupon for ten percent off on the back, sir! And if you fill out the customer survey, you can be eligible to receive a fifty-dollar gift card on your season pass renewal!”

With a wave of my hand, I dismiss her. I’m not in the mood and would willingly pay her just to shut up.

I swear I hear Penny mutter something about me being rude, and it is then I realize she has been trying to keep up with me this whole time.

Fuck.

I slow down as I near the parked SUV, as pangs of guilt for walking so fast consume me.

I turn as I hear Penny gasp while tripping, but she catches herself before hitting the pavement. Her shoe falls off, and with a groan, she bends over to retrieve it—declining to put it back on.

Dammit.

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