Page 35 of Marked

“Food in your belly won’t change the outcome of the day, but it’ll sure affect how you deal with the stress.”

The smile left her lips, and she lifted one slight shoulder. So slim and delicate. “Yeah, I guess so. It just feels like I’m wasting time, you know?”

“You said the same thing about sleep, and look what happened after you rested. We got the biggest break yet.”

Her lips swished to the side. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Besides, we can’t do much before the tattoo parlor opens anyway.”

“I don’t think my nerves can handle sitting in a restaurant. Maybe we can get something to go from a café.” Her honey-colored eyes took on a sly glint. “Perhaps the one Tara works at?”

He pulled his head back an inch. Tara? How the hell did she know about his booty call?

He ran his fingertips over the side of his head. The hair there was longer than usual, reminding him he needed a trim. “Uh...”

Shit, was that all he could muster?

A grin stretched her lips. Little minx enjoyed making him squirm. He shouldn’t be bothered. It wasn’t as if Sophia would be jealous. She just wanted to let him know that she was one step ahead of him.

Except... the spark in her eye seemed to tell a more complex story.

“You know Tara, right? Blonde manager at the café around the corner.”

“Oh, I know her.” He puffed out his chest a little and crossed his arms. Two could play her game. “She screams and shakes in my bed every weekend.”

Sophia’s mouth dropped open.

“I bet she already attested to that, though. You questioned her?”

Sophia tapped one tan-painted fingernail on the countertop, her lost composure quickly replaced with her righteous-cop face. “Yes, I did. I thought you knew that.”

“How would I?”

She narrowed her eyes. “She didn’t tell you I spoke with her?”

“Nope. Haven’t seen her since last Sunday.” A smirk almost took over his mouth. Something about Sophia made him want to smile more than he ever had. “We can stop by there if you want.”

She held up a palm. “I was joking. Besides, she’d probably have heart failure if she saw me hanging out with you after I told her you’re a murderer.” The last word dripped with contempt.

He winced. Damn, did she have to say it like that? A spade was a spade, and he’d never pretend to be something he wasn’t. But the tone of her voice, the revulsion, struck a chord inside him.

Part of him wanted to defend himself, to explain what she’d never understand. I only kill people who deserve it. But there was no point. Still wouldn’t meet her standards of a good citizen.

It didn’t matter. Because as soon as he located her daughter, he’d be out of her life for good. Her opinion of him was moot.

And fuck anything inside him that said otherwise.

***

Cole passed Sophia her egg sandwich and then unwrapped his own. Biting into the gooey cheese and crispy bacon, he watched her nibble off a piece.

Stupid. Of all the women for him to get hung up on, this one took the cake. He wasn’t actually hung up, anyway. It was simply an age-old cliché: wanting what he couldn’t have.

Sophia would fade from his mind and his dick would adjust and get hard for the next sexy little thing who came around. With any luck, that’d happen after today.

They’d both showered back at his place, and it’d been a step farther than torture using the main bath while she stood naked and wet in the shower in his. Then he’d grabbed some food before parking outside the tattoo parlor, where they were eating and waiting for it to open.

He stuffed the last of the sandwich in his mouth and washed it down with a bottle of water.

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