Page 31

31

COLLINS

I take off running after Penny, just as Chris jumps out of the shadows and stops her from going any farther.

At least he didn’t fumble this play.

“Everything okay, Redeye?”

My eyes dart between Penny, who is struggling to stay still, and Chris. “It will be.”

Reaching out, I grab Penny under her arm—firmly but not enough to hurt her—and escort her back to my car.

“Don’t you think this is a bit overkill?”

“You best be glad that my desire to protect you right now is eclipsing the fact that I’m raging inside at you.”

I open up the backseat and gently guide her inside. At least now I can hit the childproof lock on my key fob and keep her secure. I shut the door and watch as she tries the handle, smacking her hand on the window.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, I brace myself for the ride back to Sky View Apartments.

Because it’s going to be a long one.

When I get behind the wheel, Penny is climbing over the back of the seats to get to the passenger side.

“Really? This is necessary?”

“Yup,” she says with a giggle. “I was lonely back there.”

I think I would prefer anything over Angry Penny, so I welcome the sudden change.

Sprawling herself out like a lazy octopus, her smaller frame manages to take up the majority of the space. In my periphery, I watch as she hikes up her leg and rests her foot along the seat near her ass.

“You can’t sit like that.”

“Why not?” She scrunches up her nose. “It feels naturally comfortable.”

“You can’t, Penny.” My words come out stuttered, which is an unconscious sign that I’m anxious.

She spreads her legs wider, and I know because now I can’t stop staring. “Is it un-la-dy-like?”

Yes.

I help her snap her belt into place because she’s clearly incapable of taking care of herself right now.

“It’s because of the fact that if we are in an accident, the pressure from the airbags exploding will cause your femur to snap in half.”

“Okay, Boy Scout. Always going straight to da worst-case scenario.”

My eyes twitch over the usage of a childhood nickname that she’d have no way of knowing was assigned to me at a young age due to my resourcefulness.

“Do it, Penelope.”

“Fine, fine.”

If I wasn’t certain by the way Penny is slurring her words that she is drunk, then it is abundantly clear by how she is finding humor in everything.

What is she doing?

Why are her legs spreading like that?

What is she doing?

“Collins?”

I’m not sure how my name has evolved into having four syllables, but Penny seems to enjoy her nonjoke, so I don’t try to act like she is out of sorts.

I ignore how Penny’s skin ripens to the softest shade of pink when she laughs.

I ignore the way her voice heightens in pitch when she giggles.

And I ignore the fact that I can see the lace of her fucking panties every time she shifts in her seat.

Please shut those delectable legs.

“Yes, Penny?”

“I want you to touch me. Right”—she spreads her legs wider and cups the mound of her pussy—“he?—”

“I know where!”

She readjusts herself in her seat. “Why are you yelling at me?”

“Sorry.” I clear my throat to try to remove some of the hoarseness. “I didn’t mean to raise my voice.”

“Do you think someone could die from horniness?”

What the actual hell? Is this a real question? And why has she deemed me the expert? This is going to be the longest twenty-seven minutes back to Sky View Apartments.

I swallow the saliva pooling in my mouth, keep my eyes trained on the other parked cars surrounding us, and manage not to choke on air.

“I was just thinking”—her leg kicks up and soon her foot is dangling into my side of the vehicle—“how sad it would be to not be thoroughly fucked and then to not make it until tomorrow. Tra-gic-c.”

Lovely. She is getting extra creative with her mispronunciations, which just lets me know she has had way too much to drink tonight. Reaching into my center console, I pull out a bottled water. “Drink.” My one-word directive comes out hoarse.

“Ever the sex muffin of a Boy Scout. What else you packing up there in secret? But quit distracting me. Let’s get us back to dying of horniness… Thoughts?”

I take a deep breath, not sure if I should even contemplate answering, but Penny saves me the trouble of deciding by filling the space with more drunken word vomit.

“I mean…there’s only so much comfort a toy can provide a pussy cat before it craves the real cream. Do you agree?”

“I don’t have a pussy,” I blurt out, not realizing how fucked up I sound even partaking in this exchange.

“Do you like creaming in pussies, Collins?”

I can feel my face wrinkling. “What the hell, Penny?”

“But it’s not like my pussy has seen much action. I kinda feel bad for it. Is it an it? She? Her? Scaredy pussy. That’s what I should name it. Neil got close to it and then my scaredy pussy overreacted. If only I could shut off the doom flashes. Then I could get laid.”

Reaching for my phone, I send a quick text to Chris.

Collins: Find out who the fuck Neil is.

Chris: Aye, aye, Captain Redeye.

I honestly don’t remember Chris being this annoying. But he is.

Turning to Penny, I take a deep breath and brace myself. “Who the hell is Neil?”

“Oh, he’s the one that calls me a little woodland animal. Um, little fawn? No, that was Yuri. Oh, um, little dove. Nope. What is with men calling girls forest animals?”

She’s trying my patience. Does she normally talk this much? If I didn’t have to take her home to sober the hell up, I’d hunt down Neil and make sure he stays away from Penny Hoffman. She is off-fucking-limits.

Limit-X is off -limits as well. If she thinks she’ll ever step foot in this club again, then she miscalculated how headstrong I can be.

Starting the engine, I back out of the parking spot and pull out onto the road.

Penny’s giggling makes me nervous.

“Just as long as these men don’t run out of options and resort to calling me a farm animal name. ‘Come here, little heifer’ doesn’t quite get the juices flowing in the southern hemisphere. ‘Or come here, ya little mule.’ Sexy, eh? Little billy goat.”

I stifle my own laughter. She really can be quite entertaining.

“Collins!”

Darting my eyes to her and slowing down my speed, I ask, “What? What’s wrong?”

“The trees are moving!”

Oh, my goodness. “Penelope,” I snap. “It’s us that is moving.”

“Oh, ha.” Now she can’t stop giggling.

Great.

“Keep drinking that water.”

“Collins?”

I brace myself. “Yes?”

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

No. “Do I even have a choice?”

“No.”

“Go ahead.”

“What are your top three porn searches?”

“What? Why are you asking me this?”

“It’s a get-to-know-you type of question, and I feel like that is a major way of getting to know someone.”

I mean…she’s not wrong. “I’m not answering that.”

“Challenge accepted.”

I rub at my temples and try to steer the car to stay on the road as Penny mentally tries to derail me.

“Do you think anyone will want to touch me”—she spreads her legs and points between them—“in my?—”

“I know where,” I say in a rush. Why does she keep using her fucking pussy as a landmark? “And yes, someone will.” But they better plan on their fingers being broken if I have any say.

“But not you?”

I allow my lungs to deflate. “That’s correct.”

“Because why?”

“Because you are under my protection and because I’m sixteen years older than you.”

Penny crosses her arms. “Well, with age probably comes experience…”

Where is she going with this?

“And wouldn’t my pussy benefit more from someone of your expertise than from some twenty-two-year-old stumbling around trying to pin-his-finger-on-my-clitoris blindly in the dark like a birthday party game?”

She does have a point.

“With age comes responsibility. And I know better.”

“That’s my point. I want someone who knows better than someone my age who won’t make my”—she spreads her legs to awkwardly point to the spot as if I could forget—“pussy feel good.”

It’s a miracle I can drive with a hard-on.

It’s an even bigger miracle that I arrive to town without pulling over to the side of the road and fucking Penny so hard that she will be sore for weeks.

Because I’m not a gentle man.

And it’s that realization that continues to keep that wall between us intact.

When I get to our street, I hit every freaking red light. It isn’t until I’m pulling into the parking garage, cutting off the engine, and helping a clumsy Penny from the passenger seat that I relax.

I survived this awkward trip home—barely.

Rounding the back of the vehicle, I pop open the trunk and say a silent thank you that I have a rain jacket tucked into the side compartment. There is no way in hell I would have allowed Penny to walk into our apartment building wearing scraps of white fabric—even if there was a minimal chance of someone catching sight of her.

And she is a sight.

Her body would have demanded everyone’s attention, and I don’t have enough energy to fight off anyone who would have looked at her twice. And they would have looked. I’m having a hard time myself keeping my eyes off of the straps of her heels and the way her calves flex and relax as she steps forward.

The girl is gorgeous.

“No thanks,” she says sweetly, as I try to help her into the jacket.

“Too bad.”

“I don’t need help,” she insists, stumbling into the side of a parked vehicle.

“Right,” I mumble. Then I do what I do best—ignore boundaries and provide assistance. “Too bad you are getting it anyway.”

She tugs the side panels to her chest, crossing her arms in the process. “Is this what biggie bro and less biggie bro pay you for?”

Not exactly. But clearly, they should. Not that it would have changed anything, but I wish I had some warning that Penny can’t handle alcohol and also has the interest of a teenager when it comes to sex. I can’t predict what she will say n?—

Turning her bright blue eyes to me, she stops my heart and my inner monologue. “Do you think I’m sexy?”

Yes. Shit. No. I, um…

“It isn’t going to benefit the situation for me to respond to your questions, Penny.”

Letting out a huff, she taps her foot. “Your nonanswer is your answer, Collins.”

It takes everything in me not to hoist her over my shoulder and give her a spanking for how dangerous tonight could have been for her if our paths hadn’t crossed.

Sure, the club is a safe playground for exploring fantasies, but Penny would have been easy prey to anyone who would have noticed her condition.

And Chris couldn’t have done a damn thing about it—even if he did want inside the venue.

Neither money nor words would have given him access. I know this because I know Yuri and Michael, and I made sure that it was safe for someone like me, who values privacy and all things security, to enter.

I’m not shocked that Penny was allowed inside without any contract or vetting period. That’s the effect she has on others. She enchants them and lures them in with her sweet innocence.

Something tells me I may need to pay Michael a special visit. If he was enthralled enough to grant Penny access without a personal invite from a staff member, then he might have had ulterior motives.

She is off-limits.

She is not to be anyone’s little anything.

I shake my head over her drunken speech about pet names. I never really had a reason to call anyone an endearment before, but just listening to her rant, I can see how that can be counterproductive—and confusing.

I hold Penny’s waist firmly, as I escort her through the parking lot.

“You don’t need to walk me to my door,” Penny says with irritation as she watches me hit the button for her floor, while never pressing the one for my own. “It’s not like we will be fucking.”

I ignore her, making her stew even more, while we both exit the elevator. I just don’t think she quite understands that keeping her safe is my top priority—whether I’m getting paid for it or not.

Ever since I discovered that Penny was drugged, it became my personal vendetta to seek revenge for her. In a way, I’m living vicariously through her justice, as I was never able to receive it for those that did me wrong in the military.

Helping Penny not make stupid mistakes is a segment of that. I was naive back then too, but it was life’s cruelty that taught me to trust less and question more.

I follow Penny to her door and watch as she teeters on her heels. She tries the doorknob and then knocks. After several tries, she leans her back against the door and then slides down to the floor, crossing her arms over her chest and settling her face against her knees.

“Quit looking at me like that,” she snaps, making my lips curl into a half smile. “I’m just going to wait here until my roommate gets off work soon. I, unfortunately, left my keys and phone in the lockers at the club. Oh, and my dress.”

“Phew, at least you had more fabric to your outfit at one point.”

She growls at me. Actually growls.

As for her belongings, I figured as much on our way here. I know the rules of the club, and knowing how fast Penny wanted out of the place, it was easy for her to bypass the lockers.

I reach a hand down for her to take. “You are not waiting out here in the hall.”

“Luke will be here soon.”

“No, he won’t.”

Her eyes dart to mine, and the action causes her to flop her upper body onto the carpeted floor. “What?”

“He gets off work around three. Then he showers and with travel, that tacks on another hour. And that’s assuming he doesn’t crash at a coworker’s place, which he’s already done about sixty percent of the time.”

“Oh, my goodness.” Kicking her feet up the wall, she looks like she is doing Pilates while staring at me from the floor. “Do you hear yourself? Your stalker tendencies have no boundaries.”

Call me crazy, but when Penny hurls insults, I find it cute.

“Stay at my place.”

“No.”

“Make good choices, Penny.”

“Just use the key you had made and let me inside my place.”

I look away to hide my smirk. “I forgot to bring it.”

She rolls her eyes and then ignores my hand in offering, getting up unassisted like a deer learning to stand.

“I will just walk to Nic and Claire’s place and sleep in the guest room.”

“It’s after midnight.”

“So?”

“I’m pretty sure your brother—no matter which one you turn to—will lock you up forever with an outfit like you’re wearing.” I wait for that to sink in to her drunken head. “You are staying with me.”

“Don’t you have some place to be or some work to do to occupy your time?”

“You are my work, Penny.”

Realization lights up her face. Has she really forgotten my role in this whole chaotic madness?

“But, my stuff…”

She knows that I’m equipped to offer her comfort. It’s not the first time she’s spent the night at my place. I open up my hand and motion for her to walk to the elevators. There’s no point hashing something out where there’s only one real logical option.

“I need to get my phone and purse,” she pleads.

“I’ll have someone retrieve them.” I don’t tell her that I basically have her items in my possession. Chris retrieved them and texted me during the drive here that he has them. I need her with me tonight to make sure we hash out our issues once and for all. The best way to do that is to be forced to spend time together in close proximity. If she gets her phone and keys back, then I have no reason but to let her go. “But until then, we are going to go to my place.”

“So bossy,” she says, a bit higher pitch than her normal angry tone.

“So insubordinate.”

Penny playfully smacks me on the arm. “Keep it up, and I will run again.”

Anger sizzles under my skin. She better damn well never run from me again. “Keep it up, and I will haul your ass over my shoulder and never let you leave.”

Her body goes rigid as she stares at me, searching for sincerity in my words. “You wouldn’t,” she snarls, placing her hands on her hips.

The front panel of the rain jacket pops open, showing me ample view of her cleavage. I swallow hard as I take in her stance, the way her breathing seems to pick up, and how her fingers curl and uncurl at her sides. Her long blonde hair is sticking to her neck, with some tucked into the collar of the jacket. She is beautifully disheveled—a chaotic force I have no power in stopping.

“I would,” I deadpan.

Her eyes twitch as she studies me, hopefully finding zero ounce of flexibility. Her safety matters to me most, and the reckless way she continues to go about her life is proof that she needs a keeper.

“Lead the way to your place, caveman.”

Penny and I walk to the elevators, enter when the doors open, and then remain silent until we exit onto my floor. Since the last time Penny stayed at my place, I decided to be a bit more prepared this go-round—just in case.

I unlock the door, disarm the security system, and turn on the lights. The apartment building is calm and quiet for a weekend night, which is part of the reason I love this place so much. I can find peace here. Few people get rowdy or make asses of themselves.

“Why did you go to Limit-X tonight, Pen?” I bend to remove my shoes, placing them in their resting location on the shelf. “What were you trying to prove?”

Penny wrestles with the ties on her heels and then kicks them at me to catch—one at a time.

“Why were you hitting a woman, while masking it under the category of pleasure? Really, Collins?”

Her eyes are vacant, as if the sunshine I once saw is now eclipsed by the realization of how big of an asshole I am.

I walk across the living room to the wall of glass windows. The city is so serene at night, with the lights reflecting off the water.

“I am not a good partner for anyone, Penny. I’ve not had the best past experiences to carve out how I choose to live my future.”

“Well, neither have I.”

My body turns to find Penny stripped of the rain jacket, standing in the middle of my living room, in nothing but her tight white strips of fabric. I saw her in this outfit already tonight, and yet, having her in my space, without the backdrop of chaos and noise, makes her appear so…

Fucking sexy.