Page 4 of On a Fault Line

“The world sees me?” he provides.

“Yeah.”

Collins grabs an elegant pink wrap dress off a hanger, and I sift through the panty and bra drawer until I find something cute to go underneath it. He’s bought more things for me since the last time, and I can’t help but smile over this little revelation.

“I’ll be moving your items into the master bedroom as soon as you sign the contract. And you’ll also be given an open credit line at all the boutiques in town to shop from at your leisure and without worry over cost.”

“Why the formality?”

Collins stares at me while I get dressed. “Because I function best when I’m in control.” He walks backward to the door leading to the hallway. “I’ll meet you in my office when you are ready to get started.”

“Okay.”

I quickly dress, and then go through my typical morning hygiene routine. I’m careful not to apply too much makeup and upset the beast. The last thing I need is to waste time exfoliating my skin when I accidentally overdo it.

When I feel presentable, I make my way to Collins’s office.

If I didn’t want this so badly, I would be too intimidated by the process alone to continue. It feels like I have been naughty and am getting sent to the principal’s office. Now that there can be a fun fantasy. Surely Angie has a smut book recommendation for that topic.

But who I really want is Collins Stone.

I give a series of knocks to his door, and when I hear the invite, I push it open and enter.

“Good morning, Miss Hoffman,” the lawyer greets again, holding out his hand for shaking. “I’m Leonard Copnisky. I’ll be handling your contract today.”

“Thank you, Mr. Copnisky. I assume you are well experienced in handling all of Collins’s contracts with the ladies.”

He clears his throat just as Collins seems to be choking on his tongue.

“This is my first.”

“Oh?” My eyes look to Collins, confused.

“I never cared about all the details as much as I care about them with you. Now, please take a seat, Penelope,” Collins instructs, pulling out a chair for me from in front of his desk.

Leonard sits beside me in another armchair, clearly amused.

I take a look around the office, as if really seeing it for the first time. It’s pristine, polished, and impersonal—just as I first pegged Collins to be—so it’s fitting.

“Here is the contract that Mr. Stone has proposed.” Leonard hands me the folder that contains a thick packet. “Please look over the clauses, and if in agreement, sign the last page’s dotted line.”

I flip through the stapled document, looking at the numbers on the bottom. “This is twenty-six pages long.”

Collins clears his throat. “It is.”

“That seems excessive.”

“I assure you, it’s not.”

“Well, I’m not sure a glance at these documents would happen in the next five minutes. I need time to make sure I’m not getting ripped off.”

Collins gives methe look. “I would never cheat you, Penelope.”

I make a face. “I just want to make sure my needs are going to be taken care of over the next”—I skim through the pages until I find the location of the time frame—“one hundred days.”

“What do you need in order to move forward with the contract?” Leonard asks.

“I need time to read it. Surely you can give me that—yes?”

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