Page 113 of On a Fault Line

“With Ivan?”

“No, Collins. Ivan works for my dad, and his mom and my momma are friends. Our paths crossed years ago but the timing was wrong. And it’s still wrong.”

My eyes glare down at hers. “But there was an attraction there?”

She shrugs. “He’s tall, dark, and muscular. Of course I don’t find him attractive. Ew. Gross.” Then a giggle escapes. And now she can’t stop them from multiplying.

Great.

Dammit.

But she’s so freaking cute when she’s having fun—even at my expense. I allow her to continue, but the more I think of that kid trying to stake his subtle but obvious claim on her, the angrier I get. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m not laughing.”

“Well, you never laugh, so this really isn’t special.”

“It’s almost like your ass is begging to be spanked. Is that what you want, Penny? You want me to punish you for taunting me—right here, right now—at your parents’ barbecue?” I glance at my watch. “Because for the past eighty-seven minutes, I’ve been dreaming up all sorts of ways I’m going to take out my aggressions on your most sensitive areas.”

Her hands fly to her waist. “You already took out your aggressions when you decided to not give me ample time to get off in your car.”

“You’re still not over that too?”

“Nope. I hold grudges.” But it’s that corner of her lip that lifts and lets me know she is just a little salty.

“If you don’t make it clear to yourfriendthat you are not interested, I’ll hire a tattooist to brand your skin with my damn name and the label ‘property of.’ Is that understood?”

She clicks her tongue. “I hope it’s the wash-off kind, because you’ve made it very clear that this”—she motions with a hand back and forth between us—“is temporary.” Her eyes hood over, and she sticks her tongue out at me.

I take a step closer to her, as she takes a step back. We do this slow dance until her back is pressed against the hallway wall and our bodies are molded to one another’s, as if pieced together like the perfect puzzle.

“Stay away from him, Pen. At least until our contract ends.” It’ll give me time to figure out how to dispose of his body.

“Maybe, just maybe, my choices don’t revolve around you.”

“We have an arrangement.”

“Yeah, one that is supposed to leave me sexually satisfied—not frustrated.” She glances down between us. “And right now, no part of me is feeling the benefits of this?—”

My lips are on her, sucking the next words out of her mouth, as hers vibrate against mine. She’s been taunting me and tempting me since we got into the car to drive here. And when we did get here, I’m challenged with her sassy text messages and flirting. Oh, and let’s not forget about her freaking panty pic.

Taking her hand, I move it to my crotch, allowing her to feel my growing erection.

Pulling away from my assaulting mouth, she lets out a growl. My mouth finds her neck, kissing my way up to her ear. But it’s her eyes I need to see to know that my next message is getting across to her.

“Ever since you walked out of your parents’ house wearing that scrap of an outfit, I’ve been fantasizing about all the ways I’m going to fuck you out of it. So, for the record, I see you. I see every fucking inch of you. I see you bending down to pick up a water balloon. I see how the muscles of your thighs contract when you walk past me for no reason other than to make me want to rail you right in the middle of a family barbecue. I see how your hair glistens in the sun, and how your smile becomes brighter when you’re around your loved ones. I see it all, Penny. So, don’t think I’m not affected by you prancing around in front of me, knowing full well that I’m unable to do to you what I would like. Because if it were up to me, I’d haul you over my shoulder and have you openly displayed and strapped to the first flat surface I can find—just so I know you won’t move or defy me like you’ve done all day.”

“I don’t like him,” she says confidently.

“Feeling’s mutual.”

Penny lets out a laugh. “You are just like my brothers.”

“How so?”

“All three of you basically hate all men sniffing around your women.”

“That’s all men that have a bone in their body other than their dick, Penny. We aren’t special.”

“But the thing is, Collins, we both know this is just temporary. So maybe I’m just planning for the fut?—”

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