One of her hands was pressed against his chest, the razor-sharp fingernails poking through his shirt and digging into his flesh. The other was on his neck, but this one was almost caressing him, her touch soft and gentle.
With her face hovering right above his, her lips nearly touching his, her black eyes stared right into him. She leaned in closer, pressing her chest against his, so his shirt would be left damp.
“I could eat your heart right now,” Penn told him in a provocative whisper, and she stroked his cheek gently, her fingers running along his stubble.
“You could,” Daniel agreed, meeting her gaze evenly. “But you’re not.”
“I will, though.” She studied him for a moment. “Eventually.”
“But not today?” Daniel asked.
“No. Not today.”
“Then I need to get to work.” He put his hands on her waist, and when she didn’t react with clawing or yelling, he lifted her up and set her on the seat next to him.
Penn pouted. “Work is so drab.”
Daniel shrugged. “It pays the bills.”
He’d moved away from Penn to the edge of the boat and was about to step off when he felt Penn’s hand clamp onto his wrist. She moved supernaturally fast, and it was hard for him to get used to that.
“Don’t go,” Penn said, and it was the pleading in her words that made him pause. She knelt on the bench next to him with a strange desperation in her eyes. Hurriedly, she blinked any emotion away, trying to recover with an uneasy smile that was probably meant to be flirtatious.
“I have to,” he insisted.
“I can pay you more,” she said, her tone almost comically breezy.
For all her attempts at trying to seem nonchalant, her grip on his wrist had only tightened. It’d gotten rather painful, but Daniel refrained from pulling it free. He didn’t want her to know that she was hurting him.
“What would you need me to do?” Daniel asked.
“I could think of something.” She winked at him.
He rolled his eyes and finally yanked his arm free. “I’ve told them I’d build the sets for the play, and I’m a man of my word. They’re expecting me.”
“A fence,” Penn said hastily as Daniel climbed off his boat. She stayed behind, leaning on the rail so she faced him. “You could build a fence around my house.”
“What do you need a fence for?” he asked, waiting on the dock to see if she had any good reason for it.
“What does it matter to you why I need a fence? I just need one.”
“I have my hands full already.” He turned away from her.
“Ten grand!” Penn called after him as he walked away. “I’ll pay you ten grand to build me a fence.”
Daniel laughed and shook his head. “I’ll see you around, Penn.”
“We’re not done yet, Daniel!” Penn shouted, but he just kept walking.
THREE
Alterations
“Stop that,” Marcy said as Harper began emptying the overnight drop box at the library.
“What?” Harper turned back to face her with a stack of worn Harry Potter novels weighing down her arms.
“Working,” Marcy replied tightly, and Harper rolled her eyes.
“Edie’s been back for weeks. You have to be used to it by now,” Harper said, but she let the door to the drop box slam shut, leaving a small pile of books behind.
“Nothing more than usual.” Harper let out a deep breath to blow her dark hair out of her face. She stopped scanning the books and turned to Marcy. “Gemma’s seeing some guy.”
“Some guy?” Marcy raised an eyebrow. “I thought she was still in love with Alex or whatever.”
Harper shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, she probably still loves him. That’s why I don’t know why she’s sneaking around with someone else. It just seems ridiculous.”
“Isn’t she still grounded?” Marcy asked.
“Today’s her first official day being ungrounded,” Harper said. “She’s been hooking up with this guy she met at play rehearsal, and then she stays out all night with him doing … I don’t even know what. So I was waiting up for her last night.”