Page 79 of Little Sunshine

I wanted to close the small amount of distance between us. I wanted to take her mouth and taste sweet berries and something that was sure as fuck sweeter. Something that was all Mila. I wanted to press my hand between her legs and feel if I affected her the way she affected me.

Because I honestly wasn’t sure. Sometimes she looked up at me with those damn eyes like she wanted me to do all that and more. Other times, though, she acted like she wanted to be as far as fucking possible from me. Like she was counting down until she could get away from me.

And that was what had me clutching at my control. That and Vi’s true words. Mila was young and skittish and had been through it. I still wanted her. Fuck, did I want her. But more than that, I wanted to take care of her.

I got the feeling it’d been a long time since anyone had done that.

I didn’t want her to feel like that care came with strings attached—and those strings were attached to her body. I also didn’t want to do something that’d make her want to leave. Or worse, make her think she had to stay and reciprocate.

Once she was healed, and I’d handled the dickheads who’d dared to touch her, things would be different. But for right then, I wanted her to stay in the safety I could provide her. Which meant any of my other wants were on the back burner.

And my hand was gonna continue to get a workout.

Keeping the space between us, I shook my head. “There’s no reason to go anywhere. We’ll be in my office.”

“Okay.”

I heard the distant sound of a car door closing, but she didn’t move until the front door opened. Her gaze went to the side and then returned to me, and she looked ready to vault herself backward off the island at any sign of trouble.

In my time working for Maximo, I’d dealt with liars, thieves, dealers, loan sharks, and every other aspect of the Vegas underbelly. Some were dumbasses with less common sense than a snail, but others were smart. Sharp. Aware enough of the world they dwelled in to keep their defenses up at all times.

But she had even them beat.

It made me wonder again what the fuck she’d been through that had her fight-or-flight instincts so acute.

I gripped her wrists before she could do anything that’d hurt herself just as Cole came into the entryway.

“Hey, I put the bags…” His words trailed off when he saw Mila on the counter with me standing close, her wrists in my hold. It was barely perceptible, but his mouth twitched in amusement. “I’ll be in the office.”

“Hold up,” I said. “Mila, this is my coworker Cole.”

She kept her face partially turned, like she was trying to hide the worst of her injuries from him. She gave him a smile and as good of a wave as she could with her hands still in mine. With my fingers wrapped around her small wrists, I could easily feel her pulse thumping beneath the thin skin.

All of it sent a surge of jealousy through me.

Pushing it down, I asked her, “You got your phone with you?”

“Yeah, but it’s busted, remember?”

I grudgingly released my hold on her delicate wrists. “Cole will make it good as new.”

With a soft laugh, she shook her head. “It’s beyond that. This isn’t a little glitch or a needed update.” She pulled it from her pocket and showed him the cracked screen.

Cole shrugged. “An easy fix. You cool if I take it with me?”

Mila didn’t hesitate before handing it over. “Not like I can do anything with it.”

Cole slipped it into the laptop bag he had slung over his shoulder.

Knowing what she’d do if I left it, I moved away from Mila and quickly rinsed the cutting board and knife I’d used before loading them both in the dishwasher. I turned off the sink in time to hear Mila’s laugh. I faced them to see her smiling up at Cole as he spoke quietly.

He’s fucking lucky I’m not still holding that damn knife.

My homicidal jealousy was forgotten when Mila met my gaze, and her grin grew. “You poured tequila on your own phone?”

“Bourbon,” I corrected, grimacing at the hazy memory. “A whole fucking bottle of rare, expensive bourbon.”

That detail made her laugh more. “Why?”

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