Page 105 of On a Fault Line

Why am I being punished? I can’t be walking around a family gathering with a fucking hard-on.

Nic shoots again, landing his bag straight into the hole. I wait until the cheering stops, and then toss my blue bag so hard, it skitters right over the hole and off the back side.

Dammit.

Nic’s smirk lets me know that I’ve lost my focus. If he only knew which blonde bombshell has completely stolen it, I’d be losing more than just the game. No, instead, I’d be forfeiting trust and my ability to work for the Hoffmans ever again.

Oh, and the luxury of owning my own teeth…

It’s moments like this—where we are all hanging out together—that remind me that I could be making the biggest mistake of my life.

I glance over at Penny as she bounces in her sandals. I’d like to hope that she’s worth it, and this temporary sacrifice of my ethics and the code I live by will not be forever tarnished after the contract ends.

Telling myself that at least Penny is physically safe is not justification alone for all the wicked things I’m doing with her—to her.

I finish tossing my last bag, while Germain calls out the current score. I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket, while I watch Graham toss his first bag toward the board closest to me, landing it straight in the hole. Retrieving my phone, I see that Penny just texted me, despite being just a few yards away on the sidelines.

Penny: Quit making me want you

I can’t help but smirk at her, when I think no one’s watching. Shifting my focus back to the game, I discreetly type out a response.

Collins: Can’t wait to fuck my memory back into your brain

Penny: Good. Because my pussy is deprived.

I swallow hard over her usage of the word “pussy.” Just thinking about her sweet lips saying the word makes my cock twitch in my shorts. Penny looks innocent on the outside, but underneath the good girl facade is a badass woman, who is making me work hard at keeping her sexually satisfied.

Her taste in sexual gratification rivals my own. All these years since leaving the military, I’ve been able to go through life with less, but the only thing I desire now ismore.

I want more time with Penny.

I want…

Thump.

“I called heads-up,” Germain says with a laugh, as we all look down at my foot where the canvas-filled bag landed.

Kicking it up into the air, I catch it and roll it around in my hands.

Clearly, I’m distracted. If Germain only knew what choke hold his daughter has on me, then maybe he would understand that winning cornhole is the least of my worries.

For fuck’s sake…

What is happening now?

“Water battle!” Angie announces, launching two water balloons at her husband who manages to catch one, causing it to break in his face.

“You have got to be kidding me,” he says with a laugh, charging toward her before she can throw another from some hidden cooler that they must be stored in.

I turn to look for Penny, and?—

Splat.

Shaking the water from the tips of my hair, I can’t help but smile at her audacity.

Penny bends down to grab two more from the cooler, as I take long strides toward her.

“Stay back!” she yells, as if that’s even an option.

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