Page 39 of Sunshine & Sinful

“Thanks,” I reply belatedly as Todd squirts a mountain of ketchup on the corner of his plate.

“Are things right with us?” he asks, dipping a fry into the tomato mound before using it to gesture between us and popping it into his mouth.

“Yes,” I lie. “Why wouldn’t it be?” Snatching a thin napkin from the silver dispenser on the table, I unfold it once and place it on my lap. What good it’ll do if I drop anything, but it should keep me from wiping my hands on my pants.

“This.” He does the fry gesture thingy again, and a string of ketchup flings across the table, landing on the edge of my white plate. I don’t bother wiping it up, and he doesn’t notice. “Feels tense,” he explains. “You didn’t laugh at a single story I told. You always laugh. That’s why I asked about your ex and his dad. I don’t want them hasslin’ you.”

Right. Hassling me.

This man is good—too good. He’s an expert at playing the concerned, patient boyfriend. If I didn’t know he was possibly a hired professional, I’d believe every word is genuine. I’m impressed.

“Oh. Sorry. I mean, my ex does live down the street from me, so he’s around. But not around, around.” I dip an edge of my crusty club sandwich in the side of ranch I requested and take a bite.

Todd’s head bobs along as if he understands what I mean. “Has Lily been over?” he asks as if making politeconversation, but the hairs on my arms stand on end. Worried we’re being watched, I keep my face forward so as not to draw suspicion as I dart my gaze around the small restaurant, including out of the window of our booth, which faces the side of the diner and a line of cars parked there. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. A family eats with their three tiny children two booths over. Their little girl has a chocolate milkshake smeared all over her adorable cherub face. An elderly couple is chatting at the small eat-in bar, drinking coffee from a typical white diner mug.

“Yes. Why?” I ask around a mouthful of deliciousness.

“Because she makes you happy.”

“Yes. She does.” I grin around another bite, and our conversation fizzles into a companionable silence as we enjoy our meals. Playing my part and hoping to erase whatever tension Todd feels, I rub my foot up and down the inside of his leg seductively. The quicker I get him horny, the quicker I get him home. Sure, I can’t fuck him, but we could make out. Maybe. I’m willing to try, even if the idea makes me wanna cut my tongue out.

Once my foot reaches Todd’s knee, he groans and squeezes his eyes shut for half a beat before he reopens them—his pupils blown wide. He readjusts something under the table. I bite back a knowing grin and pay far too much attention to my sandwich while my foot continues to have a mind of her own. It’s better to use it than my hand. After touching him, I might need to dip my hand into a vat of bleach. I’m not fond of messing around with the enemy, even though I sometimes have to for a job. I don’t know many people who are, exceptmaybe Dark. Anything with a vagina and a pulse is fair game for him.

“Am I interrupting?” a deep, sensual voice cuts in.

Before I can respond, let alone process what to do, a gray-haired stud who lights my world on fire slides into the booth beside me. I scooch over a bit to let him the rest of the way in. Without a single fuck, Sunshine plucks a fry from Todd’s plate and shoves it into his mouth, where he slowly chews, all the while staring at my date.

Why is he here?

We didn’t discuss this—not at all. He had all morning to talk to me. We planted seeds in the garden with Lily before I showered to come here. He had time.

I open my mouth to say as much because Todd doesn’t need to know Sunshine stayed over, but by the dark look that passes between them, something is about to go down.

Getting comfortable in the booth, Sunshine stretches his muscular arm across the back of the seat, boxing me in. His fingertips brush my opposite shoulder.

Annoyed he’s here without giving me a heads-up, I discretely elbow the jerk in the side. He doesn’t wince. Doesn’t move. He keeps his gaze locked on Todd as if he’s afraid my date might do something rash, like make a scene.

“Sunshine,” Todd greets with a macho chin lift as if they know each other.

“Anthony,” Sunshine replies, head cocking to the side.

Wait. What?

Todd visibly pales as Sunshine’s hand cuffs around the side of my neck, an obvious claim of ownership. I don’t exactly hate it, but it’s uncalled for, given what we plannedwith Dark yesterday. “Didn’t think I knew, did ya, Anthony? You’ve been fuckin’ my woman here, for what? A few months? Think I wouldn’t look into ya?” my booth companion asks, his tone menacing as I’m still stuck on the fact his name isn’t Todd.

Clearly out of his element, the man across from us looks at me and back to Sunshine, then scoots to the side of the booth.

“If you pull that gun you’ve got strapped to your ankle, you and I both know I’ll put a hole between your eyes before your next fuckin’ breath.” To cement his point, Sunshine pulls back the flap of his Sacred Sinner cut and flashes Todd what I assume is the gun he legally carries. I can’t see it from here without sitting forward, and I can’t move with the big body blocking me in my seat, a hand still very much around the side of my neck. Knowing what’s good for me, I keep my trap shut and let the man I trust the most in this world take care of whatever business he wants to take care of. I’m smart enough to know when to back down. Him wearing his colors is telling enough—he’s here officially, for the club, and he’s not fucking around.

“What do you want?” Todd asks.

“I want you to call your handler,” Sunshine replies smoothly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh. You don’t. Hmmm… I’d say you’re a lyin’ piece of shit, Anthony. That’s your name, isn’t it? Thirty-six years old, never married, no kids. Had your appendix removed at fourteen.”

Wait…When did Sunshine learn all that? Did he already know this morning? Was that why he acted weird on the couch when I left the bedroom?

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