Page 108 of On a Fault Line

“Oh, no thanks.”

“No?”

When she pouts, I just accept the offering and rip off a piece to pop into my mouth. It’s way too…

Potent.

I would much rather have one of the iced star cookies with the sprinkles, but I’m also trying to make sure I have room for real food and not just junk. Plus, there’s the flag cake that Penny spent most of the morning on.

“What’s wrong, Collins?” Penny snickers. “Too sweet?”

“Maybe.”

She lowers her voice. “I thought you liked sweet little things.”

I narrow my eyes at her. She’s being extra bold. “Oh, I do.”

“Then why not this?”

“Well, when the only ingredient is straight-up sugar, what do you expect?”

“Just live a little.” She bumps her shoulder into me, but as she walks away, she turns back and stuffs some cotton candy into my mouth before I have a chance to stop her. Luckily no one sees. “It might be fun.”

I chew it up and then whisper, “No. Fun will be having you draped over my knees later while I take out my frustration on that cute ass of yours.”

Penny’s eyes grow when she realizes I’m being serious.

“As long as you promise to kiss it and make it feel better. Then we have a deal.”

Dammit. Why does she always seem to have the upper hand?

Little temptress.

“Mr. Hoffman,” a masculine voice greets from behind me.

I turn my focus to find a tanned guy, about my height but probably a decade younger.

He’s not family.

“Please call me Germain, now that we aren’t in the office.”

Donna has a hand resting on the small of his back and is all smiles as she guides him closer to us. “Everyone, this is my friend’s son, Ivan Moreno, who also happens to be Germain’s new apprentice.”

“Nice to meet you,” Angie and Claire say in unison, causing my arm hairs to stand on end, when Penny’s attention shifts from me to tall-dark-and-tanned.

“My pleasure,” Ivan says, scanning through all the members present.

And then his eyes catch fire when they settle right on Penny.

Mother fucking hell.

Ivan’s eyes crawl all over her body like a rash. He’s being blatant about his attraction to Penny, and I hate every fucking second of the show of possession.

Who does this fucker think he is?

Can he be any more obvious?

Jealousy bubbles inside me, as anger competes to become the dominant emotion.

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