Page 187 of Little Sunshine

“I’ll go back to work in a couple days,” he said when I finally let him get a word in.

“Good.”

“But you’re coming with me.”

“Also good.”

His voice grew firmer as his hand moved from my jaw to cup the back of my head like he was preventing a retreat. “And you’ll have extra security. We can rotate through every damn guard we have on our payroll and hire more until you find ones you’re comfortable with.”

Learning that Elliot had been reporting back to the FBI—even just minimally—had hurt. It’d also reinforced my experience that security was always bad.

But I knew it was nonnegotiable. Ash would never back down. And more importantly, there was possibly a serial killer on the loose.

Since I wasn’t an idiot, I said, “Also also good.”

He gave me that small smile that made me want to do anything and everything he demanded.

Only I wasn’t done with my own list of demands. “There are two more things I need.”

“Anything,” he shot back instantly.

“Being in the police station brought back crappy memories and past guilt to mix with my current guilt…”

“You want me to punish you,” he surmised without me having to verbalize my need.

“And tie me up,” I added.

It was amazing how being in literal knots worked so well to unknot the mess in my head.

His hooded eyes heated. “I can do that. And the other thing?”

“I’m hungry for tacos.”

His brows rose in a brief show of surprise before he flashed me a wicked grin. “How about this?” His voice was a low rumble as he tugged my hair to yank me closer. “We’ll go home, I’ll tie you up and spank your ass, and then I’ll keep you tied to me while I feed you the tacos.”

I swallowed hard past the surge of lust that stole my breath and turned my brain to goo. “Tied to you?”

“Secured to my thigh. You’ll be stuck on my lap until I let you go.” Another gentle pull of my hair. “And you already know I’m never doing that.” Like we were discussing errands or something mundane, he released me and started the engine. “Sound good?”

It was messed up that I found that level of attachment comforting and reassuring.

But it was also true.

And so was my answer. “Sounds perfect.”

Chapter 32

Don’t Dull Your Shine

ASH

“Hey, sunshine.”

Mila quickly put her iPad face down, her pretty blue eyes shooting to me as her cheeks grew pink.

Her embarrassment wasn’t from a dirty book—though she and Juliet went through those like lovesick Marco went through tissues.

Marco.

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