Page 15 of Honey Sunshine

“You really don’t have to do this, Honey.” As I try to break away again, Zach catches me by surprise. He pulls me closer with a swift and forceful tug, pressing a kiss on my lips.

A sudden rush shoots through me, so unfamiliar and electrifying that it catches me off guard—such a simple kiss igniting a need within me that I’ve never felt before. If he would just press himself closer, just a tiny bit, I’m positive he’ll feel the big tent I’m pitching down there.

Zach pulls away quickly. He looks utterly adorable, the way he covers his mouth bashfully with the back of his hand, refusing to meet my eyes. I can feel the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. It’s almost as if he can’t believe what just happened, and I find myself smiling too, unable to resist the warm feeling spreading through me.

“Th-there, how’s . . . that?” he mutters.

It’s then and there I realize how utterly screwed I am, because he’s so fucking cute I can hardly form a coherent thought. There could be no other reason why my heart’s speeding so quickly I think it might just beat out of my chest, or why I feel like I’m in one of those sappy Hallmark movies Mom loves so much.

Ah, fuck me.

3

ZACH

FRIDAY—DAY SEVEN—DAY BEFORE DINNER

“Hear me out; I didn’t know he would be there. I swear. I haven’t seen him there once.”

I stare at Alex, deadpan, as we stand opposite each other in my bedroom. “You mean to tell me... you couldn’t bother picking up and saving me from embarrassing myself in front of my slimy ex because youwere too busy playing agame?”

Alex lets out a shaky laugh as he lifts his hands innocently. He knows that naturally charming smile of his that woos everyone else doesn’t work on me. “It was impossible to pause. I mean... it worked out in the end, so all’s good. You even got to meet your knight in shining armor, straight out of your wet dreams!”

I’m starting to regret telling him what happened. “I was going to meet Harvey anyway for a business lunch so don’t think of taking credit for this.”

“True. But things wouldn’t have panned out the way they did.”

“Yeah, after I embarrassed myself.”

He stares at me for a moment, looking somewhat baffled and perplexed.

“Don’t you usually do that anyway on the daily?” he questions, and when I glare at him, he lowers himself down to his knees in front of me and gives me another shaky laugh, grabbing on to my leg.

“Come on, don’t be mean. I’m even on my knees, bro. I swear I’d never recommend any place I thought Judas would possibly go. I swear.”

Scowling, I swat his hand away. His groveling doesn’t erase the embarrassment I suffered, but maybe he can help me rebound. “Give me your Rolex.”

His face pales. “What? Mybaby? Why not ask for my life?!”

“Oh, I didn’t think that was on the table,” I remark with every bit of sarcasm I can manage, balling my hand into a fist as I squat before he can grab me again. “Now there’s no way I can miss punching you in the face.”

“Here,” he interjects, fumbling to take off the silver watch and handing it to me.

“I’m going to be borrowing this in the meantime.”

“But—”

“If you really want to placate me, the Rolex will do,” I say, as I put it on. Perfect. It matches well with my outfit.

Alex immediately presses his lips into a thin line and stands a few feet back, while I look at the standing mirror in the corner of my room again to make certain I look presentable for tonight. I’m meeting Harvey at his place. Tomorrow is the big day where we’ll need to bring our A-game, and we need to ensure we’ve had enough “practice.”

And it’s definitely and positively not because I enjoy his presence a tad too much, or the fact that we’ve been talking on the phone for hours every day since he brought me lunch at work. We’ve been acting like two college kids who just matched on a dating app, spilling everything about ourselves in that getting-to-know-you phase.

It’s hard to believe this incredibly handsome man is asking me to play the role of his Vivian Ward fromPretty Woman, complete with all the bells and whistles of frolicsome and flirtatious activities. Even a week later, I still can’t quite wrap my head around it, or my cock for that matter, which always seems to forget the fact that it’s all smoke and mirrors.

I’d kept it casual, opting for a crisp navy shirt paired with classic jeans. Then I realized I might be missing an accessory to tie everything together, which would be Alex’s stupidly expensive watch that he’d bought to impress some woman. I can’t say I’m innocent either, seeing how I’m trying to impress somebody too.

“Does he know you’re a tyrant?” Alex feigns hurt. “A tyrant!”

---