Page 79 of Sunshine with You
I’m still conflicted about our fight last week. On one hand, I’m continually falling as I get to know the sensitive and vulnerable sides of Hunter. On the other, half of me still expects him to make a flirty pit stop at the folding table for old time’s sake.
Oh.
He doesn’t.
“Hey.” Hunter nods hello but keeps his pace as he walks straight to me. “You ready?” he asks, tapping his fingers on the clothing rack between us.
“Yeah, just let me grab my bag.” I walk toward the break room and glance back at him as I turn the corner, catching him staring at my ass. His eyes flick to mine, and he smirks before I disappear into the room.
It’s not until we’re at the end of the street that he grabs me by the hand and tugs me to him. This dating trial has been going on for a few months now, and just like with our friends, I’ve set a hard line with my coworkers finding out.Don’t want to look stupid if he slips up again.
“Hey, honey bear,” he murmurs as he pulls me into a lingering hug.
“Boy, don’t ‘hey’ me. You were checking me out.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Hell yeah, when I’m at work.”
“Alright, noted.” He gestures for me to walk ahead. “After you…”
I make it a few steps before I realize I’m walking alone. When I turn back, he’s got that same look on his face as he stares at my retreating form. “Hunter!”
“What?” He chuckles as he strides toward me. “You’re not at work anymore. I gotta get it in while I can…”
“Ugh, annoying.” I roll my eyes, trying to stifle my smile.
“Yeah.” He kisses my forehead and weaves our fingers. “I know.”
We catch up on our workdays while walking the last few blocks to lunch. When we get to the doors of Lunch-a-Bunch, I glance at him, and his eyes are already on me. As much as I try to hide it, I’m obsessed with the way he looks at me. His gaze screamsdesire.Paired with his committed restraint, it makes for one sexy combo. Hewantsme, but he also wantsme. Considering his past, that’s a powerful feeling to hold.
Willa’s at a booth inside, sipping on ice water. She stares at the cloudy April sky through the picture window. To keep from blowing our cover, I dropped Hunter’s hand outside the restaurant before he opened the door. I slide in next to her, and Hunter sits across from us. His heated glances while we eat feel obvious as hell, but Willa says nothing. I’m so on edge when it’s time to coordinate our schedules, I swear I’ve lived a hundred lives in the last hour.
“Okay. Our flight leaves for San Francisco on Friday night. We’ll do the bachelorette party at a bar called Chickies on Saturday, and then home Sunday morning.” I list our weekend itinerary while Willa plugs it into her phone.
“You said Chickies?” Hunter’s eyebrows tick up. He pulls out his phone and scrolls quickly. “We’re at Chickies…”
“They can’t have their parties at the same place. That defeats the whole purpose.” I huff. We should have had this all figured out by now, but it’s safe to say I’ve been a little preoccupied lately.
“Does it? Isn’t the purpose to unwind one last time before they lock each other down?” Hunter’s skeptical look fuels my irritation.
“Yeah, but not together. It’s a last hurrah to being single,” Willa explains.
“They haven’t been single in five years. They’ll be riding home together afterward. We can just keep them across the bar from each other…”
“Uh,no…” My head falls into a frustrated tilt. “Have you met Chase? If they’re in the same room, he’s going to be next to her. Do you really want to watch their PDA all night?”
“Good point,” he says.
“Besides, we already reserved a party room. You guys gotta move somewhere else.”
“Can’t you ladies stay in there while we stay on the bar floor? Problem solved.”
Crossing my arms, I stare at him, an annoyed heat creeping into my chest. We’ve already made our plan. Kayla will flip if we change it now. “Oh, just lock us in a room, huh? How will that be fun?”
His jaw clenches as he stares back, and I think he’s going to volley with his usual snark.Typical Hunter.
He doesn’t.
