Page 45 of Speed Trap

“No doubt the same thing they said after my last sleepover.” I nuzzled the shell of her ear. “You were loud.”

A raspy giggle erupted from her throat that ended in a bout of strained coughs. “Stop that,” she whispered against my shoulder as I closed the door behind us. “You’ll break me.” But when she raised her head her eyes were lit with humor and her lips curved in a sweet smile that nearly brought me to my knees.

“Not possible,” I said. “You’re too damn tough.”

Just the way I love you.

Her eyes glowed as though she’d heard the words I said in my head.

Sunny led me into the kitchen where Honey sat devouring an oversized bowl of cereal.

“Morning, Hawk,” she called around a mouthful of food. “Are you driving Sunny in today?”

I shrugged. “You know she’s cleared. I thought I might offer my car up to wreck if she wants a stab at city traffic.”

Honey choked on her cereal.

“That’s not nice,” Sunny rebuked me, rubbing her sister’s back. She shot me a dark look tinged with a side serve of laughter.

I extracted a sheaf of papers from inside my jacket and threw them on the table. “I might not be, but that is.”

Sunny eyed the papers, her brow dipping as she looked from them to me. “What is it?”

“Have a look.”

Sunny reached out and flipped them over.

Her gaze tracked over the title, and the rest of the top page. Then she read it again. The papers shook in her hands as she flicked through but kept coming back to the top page.

Her head raised and her eyes glittered with unshed tears. “Is this real?”

“As real as you and me.” I folded my hands behind my head, no longer able to conceal my grin.

“She can come back to the track?” Honey swallowed an enormous mouthful and let out a whoop. “You, sir, are a god.”

“Can’t deny it.”

A blur shot toward me and latched around my neck. “Iloveyousofuckingmuch.”

“Whoa, Princess. Gentle. I love you, too. But be careful with yourself, huh?”

“I thought you said I couldn’t break.” She gave me a good natured grin. But like so many others, it didn’t reach her eyes.

I brushed back a curl the color of her name and brushed my lips over hers. “You won’t, Sunny. You’re unbreakable. It’s the thing I love most about you.”

Her true grin lit up the room as she let out a whoop of her own, high and clear, not a rasp in it.

Then I had to chase the damn minx to my car before she really did wreck it. Not that I minded. She could ruin as many ofmy vehicles as she wanted as long as she gave me true smiles like that one.

And as long as she didn’t check the glove compartment until we made it into the city for our brunch date.

If I lasted that long.

EPILOGUE

HAWK

Spoilers: My patience was shite.

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