Page 5

5

COLLINS

“Everyone knows it’s not a party at the Hoffmans without?—”

“Alcohol!” Nic chimes in, making his mom stop all movement.

I can’t help but smirk. I also can’t help but be drawn to Penny and her expressions of joy.

“No. Well…yes, but that’s not what I was thinking.”

“Oh, I know!” Graham yells, raising his hand animatedly. “Mom sharing embarrassing stories of my childhood.”

“No, but speaking of which… Did I ever tell you all the story where Graham watered the house plants by peeing on them? They all died within a month.”

“No, you didn’t,” Angie says, turning to look at him.

He shrugs and tries to appear innocent. “It was all natural irrigation.”

“Gross!” Nic yells.

“Oh, but did I tell you about Nic’s childhood obsession with”—Donna pauses to let out her own laugh—“stickers? Well, I came home from the grocery store one day, and he was so proud to show me his fancy sticker project. You know, the one where he took menstrual pads and stuck them all over his bedroom wall.”

“You didn’t,” Claire says, shaking her head.

“It was my most creative project to date.”

“And then there’s P?—”

“Storytime is over,” Penny says in a hurry, probably trying to move on before her mom shares something about her. “And I think I know the answer to Momma’s question. It’s family games.”

Donna smiles with pride. “Finally, someone gets me.”

We all watch as Germain carries out a big box to the patio. “This arrived just in time,” he says, using a retractable blade to slice through the packing tape.

Donna pulls back the flaps and peers inside the box, scrunching up her nose in disgust. “I’ve been a victim of a hate crime.”

Graham shakes his head. “Mom, falling for an MLM pyramid scheme is not a hate crime.”

We all laugh.

“It is when they were supposed to send me light-up medallions,” she snaps, holding up the most obnoxious handmade beaded necklaces made of fraying yarn.

“I could only imagine what you’d do if a man pulls up with a van and offers to show you his puppies in the back,” Nic mutters.

Donna shakes the plastic disk on a string in front of him. “These don’t even light up. Scammers.”

“Anyway,” Germain says cheerfully, probably trying to distract his wife, “let’s start the games. Partner up.”

And everyone does, with Penny and me having no logical choice but to choose each other.

“I play to win,” she says with a giggle.

I raise my eyebrows in challenge. “I do as well.”

“We are on the same team.”

“So make sure you bring it.”

“Oh, I plan to.”

Donna flitters about, handing us each a paper airplane and a strip of paper. “The goal is for one person to fly the airplane and the other person to move the runway in order to safely land that airplane.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Claire says, nodding to Nic.

“I’ll fly it.”

She props her hands on both hips. “We’ll take turns.”

“Then I’ll brace myself for the crash and burn.”

She smacks him on the arm, making us all laugh.

“You must be at least three yards away from the takeoff position and the start of the landing strip. The winning team is the first team to safely land the plane. Get ready. Get set. Go.”

Penny flies the paper plane while I move the strip as it is midair to see if we can land it safely.

Fail.

“Try again. You’re doing good,” I encourage.

The plane takes off and falls short of the strip.

After another two tries and adjustments, we land the plane.

“Victory!” she chants, jumping up and down.

Donna keeps track of the win on the scoreboard, and then starts pulling out supplies for the next challenge.

I help her carry over a stack of mini folding tables and set them up in partners across from one another. Each table on the left has a bowl of tennis balls set up as the centerpiece. The accompanying tables each have three empty tennis ball containers arranged in rows.

“So this next game is called Pucker Up and involves transporting the tennis balls using only your mouth to the containers, with your partner of course. We have two minutes to see who has the most balls collected.”

“Seems easy enough,” Penny says, rocking on her heels.

“Assuming we can work as a team.”

“Just don’t drop the ball and we’ll be fine.”

I let out a chuckle at her playful pun.

“Get ready, go,” Germain yells, not giving us much warning.

Penny and I rush into position. “On the count of three, we lower ourselves to the top ball,” I instruct.

“And then we hum to the count of three and rise.”

“Sounds good.”

“One, two”—we both line up our lips on opposite sides of the top tennis ball—“three.”

“Hmm, hmm, hmm…”

I join in on the laughter and silliness as we waddle over to the empty containers to drop off our first ball.

And it’s the first time in ages that I fully enjoy doing the simplest of things such as playing a game.

“Bloody hell,” I whisper under my breath, as Penny comes out of the pool house wearing a pink ruffled bikini. It is strapless and looks so pretty, yet seductive, on her perfect body. Creamy skin, from head to toe, makes her look like a porcelain doll. She’s a flawless temptress and a feast for my eyes.

Does she even know the alluring appeal she has?

My unhinged jaw should be validation alone.

I know Penny has a fighter spirit to assimilate back into her old life, but she is clearly making another type of statement. I doubt the version of Penny prior to the incident resembles this version of Penny.

I have to respect the effort though.

Feeling underdressed in my black swim trunks and a pair of shades, I at least have the luxury of staying shielded from all of the glances I keep taking of the blonde bombshell.

I can’t even remember the last time I’ve been to a pool party. Maybe never. I definitely can’t remember the last time someone from the opposite sex has affected me this badly.

I stand frozen in place as Penny leans over the pool’s edge, lifting her arms above her head. Her breasts plump to almost spill out of the scrap of fabric. Then, she dives into the water—fully dry—barely making a splash. When she resurfaces, her blonde hair looks golden in the sunlight. She shakes her head, spraying water droplets, giggling at what I can only imagine is an invigorating feeling. She looks relaxed and carefree.

Utterly beautiful.

Graham and Nic join me, as I try to look like I wasn’t just ogling their sister. The sunglasses help to keep my stare from being obvious.

Nothing good can possibly come from my developing infatuation with Penny Hoffman. I’m not a stupid man, and yet, every thought fluttering through my brain right now is one hundred percent insane.

“Can you understand now why we’re compensating you with an abundance of money?” Graham jokes, nudging his chin toward Penny.

Nic smirks. “We might need to consider a raise.”

“On my unofficial first day?” I say with a chuckle.

“Yup,” Graham says with a grin.

“I’m bracing myself for when all the fuckers in the city start panting over her.” Nic tilts his beer at me. “Feel free to freshen up your carving skills.”

“The money is an afterthought. I’d do that for free.”

“We appreciate it, man,” Graham says, his eyes laser focused on the pool.

I swallow hard and redirect my attention as Claire and Angie enter the water. The hum of excitement has taken the edge off my inappropriate desires, sobering me for the responsibility I have with protecting Penny.

There most definitely will be fuckers after her.

Just look at her.

She is hypnotizing.

I’ve seen Penny struggle with exorcising her demons. I never want to see her that broken again. And I sure as hell don’t want some man taking advantage of her good nature. Just the thought makes my blood heat inside my veins.

If her brothers are right about her wanting to spread her wings and take some risks, I’ll need to make sure no idiots bother her. Because they will. I know how asshole-ish my gender can be when someone like Penny crosses their path. If she wants to find someone, she will have no problem at all. But they will have to get my approval first.

Any guy worthy enough to have her better the fuck know how lucky he is. Women like Penny don’t come along often. So, she better be cherished.

And respected…

Yup. I am a hypocrite.

Glancing at the pool, I watch as Penny laughs with the girls. Her head bends back, exposing the muscles of her toned neck as she wets her hair. If she’s not careful, her top is going to slip.

Damn…

While I’d like to think I’ll always have Penny’s best interests in mind, a small part of me doubts that my attraction to her will ever go away. I just need to make sure my thoughts don’t become actions. There’s no way to guard someone adequately if there are too many personal strings attached. This is precisely why I refer to my clients as ma’am and keep the formalities. There’s an invisible line that mustn’t be crossed. Yet, I already feel like I’ve failed with my inability to keep my eyes off of the pool.

Why does Penny have to practice backflips right now? Why does every innocent stroke or movement cause my cock to jerk in my trunks?

What the hell is wrong with me?

Penny keeps unknowingly testing my self-control, and if she continues, I’m going to fail.

“Yeah,” Nic mutters, mainly to himself, “it’s definitely not enough compensation.” His eyes stay focused on the pool. “I’m jaded enough to know that those girls can only bring trouble.”

Nic’s not off the mark. Each one of them has had her fair share of problems. I can only hold out hope that Penny can be receptive to reason. I have to gain her trust and pray that she will let me guide her. But if she is anything like Angie and Claire, she won’t accept having me hovering on the sidelines as a positive. Thus, the less she knows, the better.

“I’ll make sure nothing happens to your little sister—with or without any compensation. You both have been very generous already.”

With the right type of investing, I’m set for life.

It’s the work I need—not the money.

I value the work.

But it’s the promise I’m making to them that I’m also making to myself. If I keep reminding myself that Penny is the innocent sister, then maybe my thoughts about her will stay platonic in nature and not be laced with the lustful energy that wants to keep charging through my veins.

Nic clears his throat, while rubbing at the back of his neck. “Good. Because I just got notification today that Penny has already found an apartment.”

My eyes snap to his. “That was fast.”

“She is determined and perhaps desperate.”

“Add stubborn,” Graham adds.

“Reckless,” Nic continues.

Graham glares at his sister from afar. “She is sneaky.”

“Oh, I got another,” Nic chimes in. “How about purposely defiant?”

“That’s a good one,” his older brother agrees.

I nod in agreement. Penny is most definitely all of those things.

Taking a glance at the pool, I watch as Penny climbs onto a huge rainbow unicorn float and then reclines into a relaxing position in the fleeting rays of the setting sun.

Her alabaster skin is now a golden tone. I really hope she remembered to put on sunscreen even though it is evening. Her complexion is prone to burning easily.

“I’ll run background checks on the landlord, as well as try to get a list of all of the current tenants for the building whenever she decides to officially take the leap.” I imagine it’ll take a month or so for the unit to be move-in ready. “Is it clear if she’ll have roommates or not?”

“I know she’ll have at least one,” Nic says flatly. “Spending all that time alone in her room at Soulful Mind is probably making her crave social interaction. I can only hope she finds someone who meshes well with her. Girls can be so petty.”

If her roommate turns out to be the spawn of Satan, protecting her will be much more difficult. I can keep her safe physically. However, the emotional toll that females can cause to each other can be even more damaging, with lifelong effects. I can only hope Penny gets matched with someone who is good for her and good to her.

“Oh, I know just how much too,” Graham says with a sigh, probably thinking about his past with his ex. “Just be prepared for anything.”

“I always am.”

“I appreciate it, man,” the eldest Hoffman brother says, patting me on my back. “I know Penny is in good hands.”

“Agree,” Nic says. “My hands are full with Claire and the arrival of our baby. It helps to know that I don’t have to worry about Penny, on top of all this added stress.”

I swallow down the lump in my throat. If I’m going to do my job, I need to get over this infatuation. The best way to do that is to fulfill my desires through other methods. I need to overindulge and get my deprivation sorted out. Maybe if I can get my rocks off with some unattached sex, I’ll be able to maintain the professionalism that my day job requires. Getting too close to the subject I’m trying to protect will only lead to trouble.

In this very moment, I could use a bit of a release of the adrenaline running through my nervous system.

The sound of clinking glass echoes from across the pool, making everyone turn their attention to Donna, as she wheels in the decorated cart of gifts that were collected upon entry into the house. “It’s present time.”

I see mine resting along the side, and I feel the uncertainty flutter into my stomach, wondering if I missed the mark.

It is such a foreign feeling. I’m usually confident in most decision-making. Maybe I’m just wanting Penny to feel special today. She has a lot to celebrate. I think we all feel the pressure to make her day memorable.

The girls exit the pool and dry off, wrapping themselves just in towels and taking seats around a gas fire pit table. Graham claims his woman, circling his arms around her. Nic hugs Claire to his chest. I take the solo chair opposite the love seats and anxiously wait for my gift to be opened.

“This is from your mother and me,” Germain says, passing Penny her first gift. It is a huge silver gift bag, overflowing with tissue paper.

Penny digs inside and pulls out a designer handbag that is a pastel shade of pink. She turns it over in her hands, a huge smile brightening her entire face.

“Thank you so much. It’s beautiful. I love it.”

“Of course,” Donna says with pride.

“And my favorite color.”

“Like we could forget,” Germain says with a laugh.

There was a time when Penny opted to wear only darker colors—never pastel. I think as she healed, her trauma response was to wear colors to outwardly express her mood.

I have to say though, these softer colors look gorgeous on her. She’s as sweet as cotton candy, and it makes me happy to see her this content.

“Open ours next.” Claire bounces with anticipation. “It’s actually from Angie and me.”

“Oh fun,” Penny says, lifting off the huge lid of the gift box. “Wow.” She peers inside the box. “This is too expensive.”

“Our men are made of money.” Angie laughs, making us all join in. Graham tickles her, nearly causing her to bounce off his lap.

“Well, show us,” Donna demands, bubbling over with anticipation.

Penny holds up a pair of ice skates, jazzed out with pink glitter. “How did you know I wanted to…” Her eyes turn from excited to confused to livid, as she looks between both of her brothers with her finger pointing.

Both Graham and Nic hold up their hands in defense. “We had nothing to do with this,” her oldest brother says. “Complete coincidence. I swear.”

“You both lie through your teeth,” she snaps. “You know how I feel about my privacy being violated. These skates were on my own personal wish list.”

Angie gets up to sit next to Penny, hugging her to her side. “While the idea of spying and overstepping boundaries is not out of the realm of possibility, the guys didn’t have anything to do with this.”

Penny gives her brothers a sheepish look and then looks up at Angie. “Then how?”

“You basically were glued to the television last Christmas when you were watching the figure skating holiday special. Claire and I just figured you would appreciate your own pair of skates.”

“I love them. I’ve become very interested in skating. But I don’t even know how to skate,” she says sadly.

I’ll teach you, Penny .

I haven’t in years—maybe even a decade—but those skills are never forgotten. The body has an amazing way of retaining muscle memory.

“Then, maybe it’s time to learn a new skill,” Claire says with a smile. “The new place just opened outside of town, and we got you a season pass to go and enjoy the facility at your leisure.”

“Get Iced?”

“Yeah, that’s the one,” Angie confirms.

“Thank you. I appreciate the thoughtful gift. Ironically, I was just looking up training videos on how to skate this past week.” She looks at her brothers. “Sorry for accusing you of spying on me.”

They manage to look innocent, although I know that them keeping virtual tabs on Penny is the norm. As much as they try to stay disengaged from their sister’s private life, I know that when it comes to her track record of trusting the wrong people, they are very much concerned. This is probably the main reason my services are being shifted. The last thing they need to know is personal details about their sister and how she spends her free time. That’s a line they are not willing to cross—on their own. Hiring me to do the job… Well, that’s their decision. They don’t need to be privy to every detail of Penny’s personal life.

“This is from Graham and me,” Nic says, reaching over and passing Penny a small box with a huge silver bow.

Penny shakes it up to her ear. “I wonder if it’s jewelry,” she teases.

“You would be wondering wrong,” Graham laughs.

She pulls off the bow and rips off the lid, gasping as she sees the contents before any of us are aware of what she received.

“What is it?” Donna asks hurriedly.

Dangled on one manicured finger, Penny reveals a set of keys. “Holy shit,” she mumbles. “Is this what I think it is?” Her eyes light up with hope.

“You will have to learn how to drive first,” Nic says, chuckling as she throws herself into his arms, making him stumble back from the shock as he catches her midair.

Graham opens his arms to embrace Penny when it’s his turn. “You are now the owner of an Audi A1 and?—”

“I can’t believe it!”

“Just promise me you’ll be careful,” Germain says quietly from where he is seated nearby.

Penny detaches herself from her brother and does a little jump from excitement. I think all of the Hoffmans are surprised by her energy—I know I am. I didn’t know Penny before she got wrapped up in a bad escort agency and was drugged. However, I would like to think that some of the old Penny is morphing into the woman she is now. I’d hate to think that the one turning point in her life kept her from revisiting her old self entirely.

“Please make sure you stay on top of these driver’s lessons,” Nic whispers to me, as he watches Penny twirl around from the buzz that must be coursing through her.

“Understood.”

“I know we can count on you,” Graham chimes in, for only my ears to hear.

I excuse myself from the conversation, as I find my present to give to the birthday girl. I hope she likes it, because it was very difficult shopping for someone I barely know.

“Here’s my gift to you, Penny.”

Her eyes light up with joy. “Thanks, Collins. I wasn’t expecting you to get me anything. I just thought…” She shakes her head. “Anyway, I appreciate the gesture. That’s really sweet of you.”

Just how she says the word “sweet” makes me feel a rush of warmth coat my insides. I am nearly positive “sweet” is never used to describe me, when ruthless, methodical, and unyielding seem to do a more accurate job. Thus, the sound of it coming from her lips feels so foreign.

While I’m not an asshole to women by any means, I’m not exactly what someone would consider boyfriend material either.

Our hands brush against each other’s as I hand over the gift box that contains what I think Penny would appreciate. But what do I know? I haven’t picked out a personal gift for someone in quite some time. I definitely haven’t been around to watch anyone open something that was hand selected either.

I rock on my heels as Penny rips off the paper and tosses the box lid behind her. Her bottom lip slips between the cage of her top teeth, and I can’t stop wondering if her skin there is as soft as it appears.

“You got me a year’s pass to the Japanese Garden?”

I shrug, not really knowing how to feel. “Yeah.” My shoulders tense as I watch Penny pull off the tissue paper.

“I love it there,” she says thoughtfully. “I haven’t been there since…”

Seattle . Shit. I want her to be happy, not sad. The last thing she needs are reminders of all she has missed.

“And a journal?”

I nod.

She eyes me with curiosity. “How did you know I just discovered my current one is completely filled?”

“I didn’t know.” The only thing I knew was that her therapists encouraged her to write in one. “There’s one more thing.” When she looks confused, I point toward the journal that is engraved with her name across the top. “Inside the cover.”

Within seconds, Penny is squealing and hopping up to?—

“Whoa,” I mutter, catching her midair as she pounces on me.

I stumble backward a step, taken completely off guard by her sudden outburst of unfiltered joy. Her still damp body feels good against mine.

My hands don’t know where to touch that isn’t bare skin. Every part of her that is covered by a swimsuit feels inappropriate to touch. So I have no other choice but to press my hands against her warmth.

Penny is magnetic, in personality and in the physical sense. If I’m not careful, I’m going to jeopardize the best job I’ve ever had and sever more relationships than I can afford to lose.

I may not have had a forever family, but I do have a found family.

And I can’t afford to mess up the one place where I feel like I belong.

Dammit.

Our hearts are beating so rapidly, it is hard to tell whose is whose. And in this moment, I gained more than just a hug; I gained a memory. An embedded concoction of emotions, wrapped up into a singular event in time…

“What got you so excited, Penny?” Donna asks, laughing over her reaction.

Penny’s eyes lock on to mine, as I slowly release her and set her back on her feet. “You got me Grace and Jace tickets for their fall concert?” she asks, obviously surprised by my gift.

I clear my throat. “I did.”

She examines the tickets. “They are playing at the garden. Oh, ha, that’s why I have passes there too. And they just announced their tour dates. I didn’t even know tickets were being sold. Yeah, this is basically awesome.”

Her words come out as one stream of consciousness, and if I said it wasn’t adorable, I’d be lying.

But in the span of just a few days, I’ve gotten really good at lying to myself.

To think that I can do this job and maintain the loyalty a man with honor upholds…might be the biggest lie of all.

“Collins?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

I am enchanted by her free-spirited excitement. It’s contagious.

The concert tickets were an on-a-whim purchase. “Glad you like your gift.”

Grace and Jace often play at the Hoffman Hotel. However, their outdoor fall tour seems to be popular among their fans. And Penny most definitely just confirmed she’s a fan.

Penny’s cheeks heat to a bright shade of pink, and a shyness coats over her entire demeanor. I want to comfort her and tell her that it’s okay, as to how she reacted. I really am relieved she loves her gift. She doesn’t need to be weird around me. I can keep her emotions safe and never make her feel awkward with her outward expression of them.

“Like is too mild of a word,” she jokes, trying to catch her breath. “I’m in love”—she turns the tickets over and over again in her hands—“with my gifts. Plural. Because you got me so many things. Kind of unexpected too. Thank you.”

Penny is unexpected.

“You are very welcome. Happy birthday, Penny.”

Seeing her smile does something to make me soften. I hope there never comes a day where I’m responsible for a frown on her sweet face. Penny deserves happiness. She deserves a chance to move forward with her life. I just hope I can find a balance between keeping her safe and letting her live the life she is desperate to live.

Donna brings out bite-sized snacks and desserts while we all float around in the pool. Despite Nic having a fit over Claire overexerting herself, we form a guys versus girls water volleyball game, which we end up winning.

I can’t even remember the last time I smiled so much. Being around these people does this to me.

They make me realize what is important in my life. And right now, doing the job I was hired to do is what really matters. My head may be cloudy from every soft curve of Penny bouncing out of the water, but when it comes down to business, keeping her out of trouble will be my top priority.

I owe it to her brothers. I owe them my loyalty.

I just hope that I can?—

Fuck.

What is Penny doing? Why is she swimming closer to me? And why the hell is she pouting out that bottom lip of hers, as if she’s already predicting the answer to be no?

When she is so close I can count her freckles, her distraught face morphs into game on. Her hair is matted along the side of her face, as her hands slick it back off her forehead. Her skin looks kissed by the sun. Water droplets settle along her nose, and the way her lips curl up into an earth-stopping smirk…

“Can you hoist me up on your shoulders, Collins?”

Why? “Umm…”

“Angie and I are going to battle it out.”

My eyes dart to Graham, who looks equally confused but has no choice but to submit to Angie climbing up his back like a bear cub to get onto his shoulders. She leans over him to grab a pool noodle and puts on a fake angry face. She then bursts out laughing over Graham telling her she’s going to get hurt.

“Women are not made of paper, you know,” she teases.

Penny tugs on my arm expectantly. “Please, Collins.” Her bottom lip pouts out again.

If it wasn’t the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, I may have said no. I may have come up with some excuse or even suggest someone else to fulfill her request.

I am technically working. She may not realize that, but I know her brothers who are now staring at me understand the need for me to separate business from?—

Pleasure ?

Ugh. Why does every other thought I have seem to be laced with a sliver of indecency?

I am better than this. I know better. I can do better.

Penny bobs up and down in the water, whining as she bats her eyelashes. “Pretty please.”

I shake my head over the thoughts running through it. Guilt creeps into the voids, making me feel even worse because of what Penny has been through in the past, her age being just twenty-two years old, and the fact that her brothers are now my friends—not just my source of income, pride, and stability.

They trust me. Problem is, I am starting not to trust myself with each second spent in her presence.

“Turn around.” My voice comes out raspier than expected.

Penny’s face beams with a huge smile, as she complies with my simple command. I reach for her slender waist, picking her up with ease. My vision fogs with the soft curves of her ass, while I lift her above my head. Her thighs spread around my neck.

Penny is very light, and yet I feel like the weight of the world is resting upon my shoulders. I feel her shift above me, and I grip her calves to steady her from falling, as she reaches into the water to pick up a pink pool noodle without warning.

“Game on,” she says to Angie, and then gives a fake growl.

My eyes lock with Graham’s, and he actually looks relaxed. That’s what Angie does to him though. She has a way of getting him to lose some of his rigidness.

I wonder what the right woman would do for me?

There’s no point fantasizing. My lifestyle doesn’t leave room for anyone to get close to me. I am all about work. I am a loner and a bit of a hermit. I like things done a certain way and have no qualms about avoiding anyone who disrupts my rhythm.

The only type of women I attract are those who thrive on temporary arrangements, with no long-term commitment or hope for the future.

“Three,” Angie starts.

“Two,” Penny counts down.

“One,” Claire chimes in from the pool’s edge.

“Fight,” the girls scream in unison, reminding me of what this is all about.

Then the two go at it, as the giggling gets more vocal. Claire waves her hands, chanting some made-up cheer that has some filthy connotations to it—but I can’t pay attention enough to be sure.

I steady Penny, shifting my weight in the water to dodge some of Angie’s moves. I’ve played football with both ladies before, so I know how competitive they can be, and how rules are merely suggestions to them. However, based on how Angie isn’t going full throttle, I know this is simply meant to be fun.

Everything about today has been fun.

“I don’t even know who to root for,” Claire calls out while attempting to jump during her sporadic cheer moves.

I have to laugh over Nic’s hovering. It’s as if he’s spotting a guy bench pressing in the gym. The dude needs to chill a bit, or Claire’s going to go into labor early from just the stress alone.

Penny gets a couple of good jabs in with the noodle, missing one time and hitting Graham in the face.

“Oops,” she mutters.

He laughs. “I’m starting to question if that was an accident.”

Doubling up her pool noodle, Angie catches Penny off guard, as she swings and hits her on the side. Penny giggles and loses her balance, causing us both to fall into the water. Her hands grab at my arms, as I pull her up to the surface.

“You okay?” I ask, laughing at her tangled mess of hair in her eyes. I sweep the wayward locks back, tucking some behind her ears. “There, is that better?”

Her doe-like eyes look up at me as she nods. “I appreciate it.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” I whisper, instantly regretting how impassioned it sounds.

Get your head on straight .

I pull my hands back, keeping them down at my sides. I know my way around the female body, and yet everything about Penny is foreign territory. Every touch seems different. Every emotion running through me is new.

“That was fun,” she admits.

Penny breaks eye contact and then swims to the opposite end of the pool. She exits via the stairs and then meanders over to the dessert area to fill her plate with pink French macarons and some fresh berries with whipped cream. The girls join her, and the giggle fest continues, as I catch bits and pieces of their conversation.

The night concludes with a toast to Penny, more wishes of happy birthdays, and then some sparklers in the backyard. Penny says goodbye to her brothers and their women, and then turns to me with a warm smile.

“Thanks for being here, Collins. It means a lot.”

My lips curl into a smile. “I wouldn’t have missed it, Pen. Happy birthday.”

Penny’s face lets me know that tonight brought her joy. She’s running on a high, perhaps from having her family surrounding her or simply from just being home.

She looks happy.

Content.

Fulfilled.

And in this moment, that is all that matters.