Page 50 of Sunshine
He cuts me off. “Because I forgive you. It doesn’t matter what you did with him. I won’t even ask about him. We’ll start fresh.”
“You forgive me?” I huff a laugh. “Have a nice flight home, Gary.”
Walking into the house, I shut the door and lock it behind me. Gary starts pounding on it immediately, and I grab Gran’s iPod, shoving the earbuds into my ears. It’s almost enough to tune out the pounding. And when I open her music app and press play, Aerosmith drowns him out completely.
Locking the back door too, I change into tights, toss my bra off and throw on a cotton tank, suddenly longing for comfort, longing to shed the uptight control freak of a woman I’ve been for too long.
Heading to the kitchen table, I sit down, first signing my name to dissolve my marriage then sending pictures of thesigned papers to Paige. I put the envelope on the front table and book a courier for pickup first thing in the morning with the fastest shipping possible.
And then, finally, I open my laptop and without a second thought for the angry man I used to sleep next to, likely still pounding on my door, I’m whisked away to a very sexy scene with a biker taking his neighbor on the porch of her cottage after a heated argument.
I’m flushed and parched when I finally come back to reality. Blinking up at the clock, I note the change in the lighting. Several hours have passed and I can’t believe it. Looking back down at the document on my computer my jaw drops. I’ve written twenty thousand more words. My total on this new story is…what?Sixty-eight thousand words and I’ve just started the epilogue.
Whoa.
It’s a book, a whole-ass book. It’s not the one that’s due, but it’s still a book. Well almost a book. And even though it’s never going to be read by anyone but me, and maybe Paige for shits and giggles, I’m still happy about it. It’s good too. I’ve never been a prolific author, but if I can keep this pace, this flow, I might just become one.
I smile, fist pumping. “You’ve still got it, Tess!”
Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, I glance out the front window to see Gary gave up at some point and left. I feel a shiver at the desperate look he had, but brush it away. After a quick washroom break, I head back to my laptop.
“Seems it was lack of inspiration after all,” I say to no one at all, and sit myself back in my spot at the table. “And the lack of inspiration can crawl straight back home with his tail between his legs.”
I feel a twinge in my back at the improper chair, but I don’t even care, not when the words are flowing like beer atOctoberfest.Another hour is all I can manage but it’s enough to finish the first draft of the book.
“I’ve finished a book!” I yell and dance around the kitchen, not even caring that Jake has jumped up on the windowsill outside to watch me.
I should thank Case. I twist and my eyes land on the flour canister. I should bake him cookies or something, but what would I say? Hey thanks for being so sexy? You fueled a seventy-five-thousand-word erotic romance novel? Good god, just thinking it makes my cheeks heat. Imagine,me,prim and proper, somewhat prudish Tess Harlow, writing an erotic romance.
I chuckle to myself, feeling lighter and more me than I have in years, I grab my long calf-length cardigan and head outside for some fresh air.
Kicking off my flip-flops as I reach the beach, I squish my feet in the cool sand. The tactile sensation soothes me as I curl my toes in it. The salty breeze blows a little harder this evening and the waves crash a little louder but it’s almost cleansing. I watch the seabirds windsurfing above me, their cries carried off in the wind. I hug my cardigan a little tighter looking out at the vast dusky blue.
“Well, well, look who’s left her cottage.”
I turn quickly, startled, but instantly calm at the sight of my brawny neighbor.
“Good evening, Case.” It’s a weirdly normal thing to say after all the strange ways we’ve interacted lately but I’m so lulled by the sea and my accomplishments, that I have no other words in me.
“Your business was pounding on your door for a long time today.”
“Hmm? I didn’t notice.” I glance at him now standing at my side, a thermos hooked on his finger.
“You didn’t notice?” Case pulls a face, his brows creating a triangle above his strong nose, something that would be indistinguishable in another hour when the sun sinks behind the horizon. “You moan and complain, not to mention sabotage my build, but you don’t notice a man pounding like hell on your door for two hours?” He points at me, the corner of his mouth twitching with the beginnings of a grin. “You’re getting extra punishment for that.”
My brows rise. “Two hours?” I outwardly ignore the rest of his comment but my belly squirms because his threats do dirty, dirty things to me.
“I almost called the cops….” He flashes me a full, albeit crooked, grin which seems way too boyish for a man covered in ink, hard muscles, and ruggedness.
“But then I remembered how useless the cop from earlier was, and that you’re pretty damn capable.” He leans close, nudging me a little. “But I went over myself to make sure. Can’t have my Sunshine inconvenienced by a moron.”
My Sunshine.I swallow. “You did?” He has my full attention now.
He looks at the sea and grunts, “Of course.” Even from his profile I can see his expression turn grumpy. “And, besides, I couldn’t hear my hammer over his damn pounding. It was incredibly distracting. My work is very important, you know. Where would all the bikers live without the club I’m building?”
I bark a laugh. I can’t help it. His words, deep and graveled, and his annoyed expression mixed with the absolute absurdity of his statement cracks me up.
“Don’t laugh, your highness. I take my work seriously which is why you’re still getting spanked for your last stunt.” He keeps a straight face, and it only makes me laugh harder. At least until he drops his thermos and grabs my arm, lowering to a driftwood log and pulling me across his lap.
