Page 124 of On a Fault Line

Collins twitches but doesn’t pay Ivan any attention. Instead his entire focus is on me. “Eat the food, Penelope.Now.”

“I’m a vegetarian now.”

“Bullshit,”—he lowers his voice—“I know you love swallowing my meat.”

Well, at least I can’t call him a liar.

One second I’m in the pool, and the next I’m sitting on the edge with a cheeseburger pressed into my palm.

I want to resist. Trust me, I do.

But Dad makes the juiciest burgers with a little bit of smoked gouda in the middle and white cheddar on top…

I need to soak up some of the alcohol I downed earlier. Collins is right—as usual—that I haven’t eaten enough food today. And he would know. The man hasn’t stopped staring at me since we arrived here. If anyone is going to cast suspicion onto us, it is him.

Moving the sandwich to my lips, I take a big bite, sinking my teeth down. With each chew, I think Collins gloats. He definitely won this battle. I just hope it doesn’t turn into a war with the way Ivan keeps staring.

I’m definitely not used to having two possessive men vying for my attention.

“I had this handled, man.”

Ivan, Ivan, Ivan…

He really doesn’t give up. It’s best though if he just shuts up. Collins is in no mood.

“No peeing in the pool from this pissing contest,” I blurt out. And then I giggle. Like the uncontrollable kind where I’m worrying I might be the one to pee. I giggle myself back into the pool, and when I start to sink and sputter out bubbles to the surface, Collins rescues me. “I need to use the bathroom.” I cross my legs under the water. “Hurry!”

With gentle precision, Collins has us both out of the pool, a dry towel wrapped around me, and his hand guiding me at my lower back to move toward the nearest bathroom.

Realizing I need my stuff, I whip around to try to look for my bag but find it dangling from Collins’s wrist.

“Oh.” I look up into Collins’s eyes. “You always rescue me when I need it most.”

“And I always will.”

“What about when the contract ends?” I press. What will the dynamic be then?

“I will always put your interests ahead of my own.” It’s as if he wants to say more but holds back. And it’s in that silence that I know I’ll find the truth—the truth he is always resistant to share.

“But why?”

He continues to move me through the door to the basement and then into the bathroom. Shutting the door, he defaults to his natural reaction which is to ignore my question.

This man. He’ll be the death of me.

Alone inside my parents’ basement bathroom, I lean against the vanity to try to regain my composure. Why does Collins Stone continue to get under my skin without even trying? He does things to me. He gives me false hope.

So much has happened during this barbecue that I’m starting to get whiplash.

After a couple of minutes, I realize why I am here in the first place and start to undo my damp suit, but it’s suctioned to my skin like another layer. It’s basically bondage.

Cursing, I stumble into the shower door, creating a jarring sound.

“Penny, do you need help?”

Maybe if I just lie down, I can wiggle my way out of it.

Then I hear the click from the door opening, and the slow warmth from humiliation fills my body, hitting my cheeks which I know must be flaming red.

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