Chapter 20
20
COLLINS
I don’t even have the car shut off before Penny is undoing her belt and opening her door.
“Easy, woman. I’ll help you out.”
I know she’s irritated with me. But it’s not my fault she is insatiable and couldn’t work with the timeline of getting to the party at her parents’ house.
“I’m a grown-ass woman, Collins. Quit acting like a time traveler from a different century in history.”
Clearly, she’s in the mood to exert her independence today. “It’s a mighty fine ass,” I point out, watching with appreciation as she gets out of the car. It takes everything in me not to coddle her and lay the imaginary red carpet down for her arrival.
Her body snaps around as she glares at me while shutting the door. “Maybe I’ll let you touch it later.”
I feel the blood drain from my face, as I kill the engine and rush to catch up to her. “There’s no maybe , Penny.” Clearly, she’s choosing violence if she thinks she is going to have the upper hand in this fight. Nope. And if I need to drag her back to this car just to prove my point…so be it.
“Oh, there most definitely is—especially after you refused to pull over so we could have a quickie before arriving here.”
“There’s nothing remotely quickie about pleasuring you. Your body deserves more than a steering wheel pressed into your backside while I wring out our orgasms.”
Leaning into her stance, she scoffs. “You make me sound like some needy bitch in heat.”
“Not you,” I say, gesturing to her pussy. “Her.”
“Oh, that’s cute. Real cute.” She starts walking back to the car.
“What’s wrong?”
“I forgot my flag dessert.”
She walks around to the driver’s side with me on her heels to get the covered dish she made from the back seat. I take the American berry flag cake from her hands.
“How does one get back in your good graces, Princess?”
Smirking, she reaches behind me to give my ass a squeeze.
Little minx.
“Hmm…be a good boy today and keep your paws to yourself in front of my family.” Penny then moves to fix the collar of my button-down shirt, and I’m not even sure it needs her attention. “We both know how good of a Boy Scout you can be, so I doubt that will be a problem.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling like a demented clown. That’s the thing with Penny; she can make a silly childhood nickname be downright sexy. I can’t stop smiling around her. I feel like I’m using facial muscles that I haven’t exercised in decades.
And in what world would I ever allow someone to playfully mock me every chance she gets and not want to cut their throat and then watch them bleed out?
Yet, here she is…my little hellion.
I don’t stand a chance.
I watch in awe as Penny runs up toward her childhood home—the one that helped raise her—and enters with the elegance of a category five hurricane.
Summer looks good on her, with her hair pulled up in a high ponytail and her sundress riding a little too high for my liking as she rushes the house. Granted, this is a family gathering. We aren’t at a club where I’d be trying to resist the temptation of blinding any onlookers with my fists.
My eyes scan my surroundings, a habit that I doubt will ever die.
It feels good to be back in Hillsboro. However, I’d be lying if I said being here didn’t give me mixed emotions.
I never grew up with a house to call home. Yet, every part of me realizes why Penny is eager to be here. It is nostalgic. Familiar. Despite not having the luxury of time to make memories here, it is by far the closest thing I have to a home, and it has everything to do with the people present.
Draw the line …
But all I do is keep moving it.
Sure, there’s a contract in place that lays forth the details of our little arrangement, but it’s my heart that is attaching strings in places that will only get me hurt in the end.
Every part of me knows that the closer I get to Penny, the harder it will be to let her go. We are bound together by a piece of paper that highlights a sexual relationship—not an emotional one. Yet, the experiences we’ve shared with each other go beyond the rules of a detailed outline. Our connection is not limited to some bullet points that were agreed upon with a legal witness.
I’m just not sure how things can go back to normal after our time is up. Can I really be around the Hoffmans and not have images of Penny’s perfect body floating around in my head? Can I completely cut ties with a family that has given me so much to live for?
I glance to the front door of the house as Penny runs through it. So many things have happened in a short amount of time that I’m sure she is craving a sense of normalcy, and being here helps. It’s hard to feel like I belong here when all the thoughts flittering through my head are laced with guilt that I’m currently pursuing a sexual relationship with the youngest Hoffman—the only daughter to Donna and Germain—and keeping it a secret.
And our little tryst must stay hidden. I can’t afford the fallout if this ever gets out.
“Collins, come on in,” Donna greets with a smile and open arms.
I shift the cake carrier to one hand and walk into her embrace, accepting the warm welcome. “Thank you for inviting me.”
“Of course. You are always welcome here.” Donna gives me a motherly look. “Penny already rushed out back. She sure has energy running through her today.”
“She does,” I agree, biting back a telling smirk. If anyone could figure out what is transpiring between Penny and me, it would be Donna Hoffman.
“It’s good to see her so happy. Oh, what’s in the carrier?”
“A berry flag cake.”
She unzips the quilted fabric and takes a look inside. “When did you find time to Pinterest?”
“Oh, not me, ma’am. I don’t even think I know what that is exactly.” I gesture toward the pan. “This is all your daughter’s idea. Although she made me…”—my words trail off, as I think of how to complete my thought without drawing any suspicion about just how much time we spend together—“drive extra slow to not mess it up in the back seat.”
The real reason I was driving slow was to not cut off my hard-on with any sudden movements from the steering wheel…but I don’t share that information.
Donna laughs. “Sounds about right. Let’s not let Nic cut into it first. Then all the pieces will be wonky. Have you seen that boy of mine wrap a present before? No finesse. Like none .”
I chuckle as I feel a presence behind me. Turning, I see Germain make his way toward me. “Quit monopolizing all of Collins’s time, honey. Let him socialize.”
“Oh, shush it. We were bonding.”
I give her a smile. She’s so freaking likable—just like her daughter.
“Beer is in back. Come join the rest of the guests outside,” Germain persuades.
I follow the patriarch of the family through the house that he remodeled with his wife. It always shocks me at how a little attention to detail can transform a space. Donna has an eye for interior design, and it shows in everything she does.
The back deck overlooks the pool and patio, and it’s set up with all things red, white, and blue—from garland to potted plants to flag decor. We make our way down the stairs, over the patio area that is being set up for a barbecue, and toward the garden that provides ample shade with some of the fuller willow trees.
Like with most big social settings, I do what I do best—stand back and observe.
I’ve seen Penny in her element many times in the past, but there’s something different about today’s event, even when compared to when I was here for her birthday. Donna is right. There’s a lightness to her steps. She is bubbly and blossoming before my eyes, and I didn’t even take note until now.
Greeting her brothers, Penny gives them both big hugs. However, it is when their women emerge from the walkout basement doorway that the chattiness electrifies.
Angie and especially Claire have a way of making those they care about feel comfortable in their own skin. They are accepting of others, and while I didn’t appreciate their spontaneity while I was their acting bodyguard, they sure bring the fun.
“Wow, you look amazingly happy,” Angie says softly, giving Penny a hug.
I inwardly smile, hoping that I somehow had some influence on her good mood today, although she did leave my vehicle grumpy and unsatisfied.
Overall, we’ve been vibing really well together, and I sometimes ask myself why I didn’t create this arrangement sooner.
Oh, yeah…I almost forgot. It’s the fear of getting my throat sliced by the two brooding brothers who can’t help but keep a keen eye on their women—and their baby sister.
The brothers are busy chatting with their dad, so I’m able to eavesdrop without interruption from the drink table that I assume Donna had a hand in setting up.
I watch as the girls chat animatedly. I’m anxious that I can no longer hear what is being said. If it’s anything of importance, I’ll have to figure out a way to get that information later.
At least Penny seems to have a way of opening up to me after she’s exhausted from multiple orgasms and her body is in a boneless state of submission. Maybe it’s because I work the stubborn aggression out of her system, leaving me someone who is more pliable and agreeable.
She is neither of those things right now.
Just watching her move about the space, wearing clothes that were designed for her body, is making me tense and on edge. I will have a lot of my own aggression to work out of my system when we get back to Sky View. Every little glance and rise of her eyebrows is making me want to claim her—again and again and again.
Even then, I doubt I’ll have my fill.
“Hey Collins,” Graham greets, with a pat on my back.
“Good seeing you.”
Nic joins us, offering his fist for a bump. “Up for some cornhole?”
I give a nod, watching as Angie, Claire, and Penny make their way back inside the house via the basement door. “Sounds good.” I’m sure they will be fine without me hovering.
We make our way to the shed, where Germain is pulling out the wooden boards from the storage shelf. We each grab some supplies and set up the game in the shade.
“Who’s up for a beer?” the patriarch asks, grabbing several bottles from the drinks table. He shakes off the excess water collecting along the sides from being stored in an ice bath and starts popping off caps. He hands them over to his sons. Turning to me, he offers one in my direction. “Want one?”
“I’ll grab something later. Thank you.”
I rarely drink on the job. Penny needs my clear mind to keep her out of trouble as it is. Hell, the woman is a danger magnet. If there was a fire, I question whether she would walk straight into it or not.
Even with my list of contacts and safeguards in place, my blood pressure rises every time she is not within arm’s reach.
Am I overprotective? No, I’m being just the right amount, I am sure.
Would I lay down my life to protect her from harm? Absolutely—and without hesitation.
But apparently I’m also willing to die just to sink my cock into her in secrecy—with the fear of being caught at any time.
So there is that minor issue.
Maybe we both like playing with fire. But out of the two of us, it will be me who burns in hell. No matter how she thinks she seduced me into giving in to her, it is me who is at fault if this all blows up in our faces. I knew exactly what I was doing.
“Collins, you’re on my team,” Graham says quickly.
“That doesn’t seem fair,” Nic says with a chuckle. “I’ve seen his aim, and there’s no way I’d bet against it.”
“Quit being salty,” his brother remarks.
“He refused my attempt to get him drunk prior to stealing the win too,” Germain jokes, while organizing the beanbags into piles according to their color.
I laugh, taking my spot beside Nic, as we are on opposite teams. I watch as he throws the first bag—a red one—landing it on the board, just shy of the hole. My blue bag flies through the air, knocking his off but landing in the cutout hole.
An eruption of high-pitched cheering comes from the sidelines, and when I turn, I see Penny jumping up and down with the girls, who are equally enthusiastic.
Fuck.
How am I supposed to concentrate, while Penny is sporting daisy dukes and has managed to make an already tiny T-shirt look even smaller by tying the front into a knot, just south of her tits?
She cannot be serious.
I know she didn’t arrive like this. What happened to that cute sundress? And she had to know I wouldn’t have allowed her to leave my place looking like she currently does either.
There’s no way in hell I’d purchase these clothes for anyone’s eyes but mine, and I’m scolding myself for not adding her choice in wardrobe to the contract. If she continues to dress like this in public, I’m going to get into a bar fight with someone. I just know it.
Luckily we are only surrounded by family.
Plus, in my defense, Penny never used to dress like this when I was keeping tabs on her in Seattle when she wasn’t even aware I was there.
This whole freedom of expression is new…
“Whose team are you cheering for?” Nic calls out to his girl.
“It depends.”
“On what?” he asks with a fake scoff.
“If cheering for the opposing team will upset you enough to act on it.”
Nic hisses under his breath. I can’t help but laugh at how these two drive each other wild. Graham and Angie are more discreet about their hidden messages, but they are the same as well.
It must run in the family, because if Penny flashes me her navel one more time when she lifts her arms into the sky, I won’t be able to resist coming all over it later when I get her to myself.
“No jumping, Claire. You’re still a few months away from fully baking the Bunzie.”
She rolls her eyes, while shaking the skirt of her stars and stripes maternity dress. “I’m pregnant, Nic. Not disabled.”
Graham looks at him in disbelief. “Bunzie? Oh my, you are so?—”
“Shut your face,” Nic snaps. Turning back to Claire, his eyes soften. “I mean it, Baby Girl. Tone down the sudden movements, or I’ll stay firm on my previous threats.”
She chants across the yard. “You’d have to catch me first!”
“And you know I would.”
Claire slows down her jumping, but that doesn’t stop Penny from making a scene.
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 is more .
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.
“Oh, no. That’s not how this game is played.”
Grabbing a handful of balloons, she tosses them at me as I close the distance. Cool water cascades down my chest, absorbing into the fabric of my shirt.
“Are you starting a war?” I ask softly, as I reach into the cooler.
“No!” she says, running as fast as she can to hide behind a tree trunk.
Come out, come out.
She is lucky her family is around, because if it was anywhere else, I would have gone feral for her until she was squirming in my arms and paying the penalty she undoubtedly deserves.
And she knows it.
“Don’t let my sister get away with that!” Graham yells to me.
“I don’t plan on it!”
He throws a balloon, smacking Angie right in the ass.
“That stung!”
“Good.”
As I wait for Penny to let down her guard, I glance around the space.
What a sight…
Nic has Claire cradled in his arms, as she balances a pile of water balloons on her belly. She looks like she got him pretty good before he captured her, if the huge wet patch on his shorts is any indication. She definitely was targeted in her aim for a certain part of his body.
Donna and Germain have exited the battlefield to tidy up the buffet area that will soon be stacked with food. I feign the loss of interest and make my way up to them, only to have Penny lured out of hiding just long enough for me to swing around and nail her right in the chest.
“Oops,” I say proudly so only she can hear.
“That was on purpose,” she grumbles.
“Absolutely.”
“I’ll get even with you.”
“I hope you try.”
“Why are you so cocky?” she asks, her tone playful.
“Because I have the receipts to back it up. Now, go grab a drink to stay hydrated. And stay in the shade. Otherwise, you need to put on some sunscreen so you don’t burn.”
“Yes, Daddy.”