Chapter 17
T hey lay tangled in the sheets, limbs haphazardly intertwined. A thin ocean breeze stirred the curtains, carrying with it the whisper of waves dragging against the shore.
Sunny’s head lay tucked into the curve of Mark’s shoulder. His fingers traced lazy, aimless patterns on her back, evidence of his increasing need to touch her at all times.
This wasn’t good.
Neither of them spoke. There was a lot to say, but the sex had been so good, neither wanted to spoil the moment.
Sunny found a way, though. She’d always been adept at that.
“This is…really messy,” she finally said, her voice rough from all the moaning she’d done.
Mark hummed low in his chest. “Yeah. Potentially disastrous.”
She moved, burrowing deeper into him. “If anybody found out…” she trailed off.
He shifted, turning onto his side so he could look at her properly. His hand slid up her arm, tracing the fine, sensitive skin inside her wrist.
“You look amazing,” he said. “Wearing that disheveled, ‘I just got fucked’ look I love.”
“Well…I did,” she said, making him laugh. “But I need you to focus.”
“Oh, you don’t like it when I’m silly anymore?”
She rolled her eyes. “I do, but I need to talk about this.”
“Okay. What’s on your mind, baby?”
She blew out a breath. Him and that damn sweet talk. She loved and hated when he pulled it out on her.
“I don’t care so much about everybody else,” she said slowly. “But Dav and Brook? I don’t even wanna think about that.”
That seemed to get through to him. He inhaled deeply, shaking his head. “Brooklyn would go off like a nuclear bomb.”
Sunny brought her hand to his head, running her fingertips across the gray hairs. “Dav…he’s a wild card. I don’t know what he’d do.”
“I’m pretty sure he’d try to beat my ass, or at least make a show of it.” He chuckled. “Man code.”
“Oh, God. Orion.”
“Now you know I don’t give nary a fuck about your ex-husband. I’d go tell his ass what’s up right now if you let me.”
“Stop.” She brushed a thumb across his lower lip. “What is up, though?” she asked eagerly, making him laugh.
“Yeah, you tell me. I heard you got a date coming to the wedding tomorrow.”
Sunny groaned dramatically, turning onto her back, throwing an arm over her eyes. “I forgot about that.”
“How you forget to tell me you got another nigga coming to my home?” he teased.
“It’s not like that,” she explained, peeking at him from under he arm. “He’s just a guy I know from work. Strictly platonic.”
Mark grinned. “I’m just messing with you, Cici.”
She swatted his chest. “You’re so annoying. And the only reason I asked him was because I didn’t wanna look lonely and pathetic while Orion paraded his fiancée around.”
Mark’s mouth twitched, fighting a smile. Same old Cici. “So you needed a human shield for the fuckery.”
“Basically,” she said, finally moving her arm. “His name is Luke, and there will be no hand-holding or kissing or romantic walks on the beach.”
Mark’s hand wandered absently along her waist, his fingertips brushing urgently against her skin as if to make sure she wasn’t getting too far away from him.
“Good,” he said, his voice going darker. “I already know I’ma be jealous seeing you with him.”
Her heart kicked up as she reached out to smooth a hand over his jaw. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“And yet I’m still gonna worry.” He caught her hand, turning his head to kiss her palm. “It’s what I do.”
“You pretending to be my date would have been way more satisfying than me dragging Luke into this.”
Mark huffed out a laugh. “Would’ve never worked.”
“Why not?”
“Because, my beauty. You can’t pretend with me.”
She smiled shyly. “Kez.”
“Everybody would have seen me kissing all on you, touching you, throwing you over my shoulder like a caveman.”
Her body warmed beneath the sheet as she remembered the caveman way he’d made love to her tonight.
“Alright,” she said. “I need to go.”
She sat up, only making it halfway to a standing position before Mark reached out and grabbed her hand.
“Stay with me,” he said. “Just a little while longer.”
She glanced at the clock on the side table. 1:48 a.m.
“Prayer breakfast in the morning, remember?”
“Of course I remember,” he said. “I’m paying for that shit.”
Sunny burst out laughing, returning to her spot. Just for a little while longer.
His fingers tangled loosely in her hair before finding her scalp. Soft caresses brought out moans that sounded like music to him.
“Remember when we used to grease each others’ scalps?” she purred.
“I do indeed.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t think I can say this enough, but I really appreciate you playing mother of the bride with Brook.”
She lifted her head to look at him, her eyes shining. “It’s nothing. I’m just standing in as best as I can. I’m sure her real mom is watching over her.”
Mark studied her, something heavy and grateful moving through his chest. “Thank you.”
Sunny smiled warmly. “She’s such a sweet girl. Very easy to love.”
“Ehhh…I don’t know about all that,” Mark said, chuckling, dodging another one of Sunny’s swats. “I’m just saying. She’s spoiled. You’ll see it eventually.”
“I told you before, I ain’t mad at it.”
He sighed, returning his fingers to her scalp. “I just hope she’s ready for this. Marriage is real shit.”
Sunny was quiet for a moment, listening to the steady pulse of his heartbeat. “Is anybody ever truly ready? I think you learn as you go. I think you just…grow into it. You fall, you mess up, and you get back up and figure it out.”
Mark stared at her, his gaze soft. “Yeah. I agree. You figure it out.”
A sad smile crossed her lips. “Or, in my case, you don’t.”
He brought his free arm to her waist, pulling her in closer. “I like to think we would have figured it out,” he murmured, the words slipping out before he could stop them.
Sunny’s throat tightened, emotion swirling just beneath the surface. She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch for a moment before gently pulling away. “I’m just glad we have right now,” she whispered.
His hand moved to her face, knuckles grazing the soft curve of her cheek. “Are we ever gonna talk about it?”
Sunny stilled. For a long, stretched moment, she said nothing.
Finally, with a soft exhale, she looked up at him. With tenderness in her eyes, she said, “No.” Just like that. “I don’t want to.”
Mark nodded, understanding her without needing to hear more. His hand slid slowly up her thigh, slipping between her legs with easy familiarity. She shuddered when his fingers found her wet, slippery folds, gasping when they touched her clit. He caressed her in slow, gentle strokes. Lovingly. Reverently.
“You sure you have to go?” he murmured again, his voiced tinged with well-earned cockiness.
She debated, even as she spread her legs wide open for him. Even as she subtly rolled her hips, chasing his touch. Even as she felt the orgasm creeping up on her.
The debate ended when he dipped his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth.
He remembered how she liked to be suckled…gently. He remembered how much she loved it when he strummed her clit like a guitar, and how she only lasted two minutes when he did this—at most .
Sure enough, she shattered again, and he remembered to cup her pussy while it spasmed, applying just enough pressure to prolong her pleasure.
But when he brought his hand to her mouth, swiped a finger across her bottom lip to paint it with her essence, leaned in to slide his tongue across, then sucked it all off—well, that was new.
“ Shit ,” she whispered, her head spinning. She felt hungover. 2:36 a.m. She frowned as she watched him suck the rest of her off of his fingers, confused about how much time had passed and why she couldn’t move. She was supposed to have been gone by now.
“Alright,” he said as if he’d read her mind. “Now you can go.”
It was almost 3 a.m. when she finally slipped from his clutches. Mark propped himself up on his elbow, shamelessly admiring her as she slipped her coverup back on.
“Tomorrow,” he said lazily, his voice a soft caress, “try not to look too good when you’re on that other man’s arm. I can’t be responsible for what I might do.”
Sunny slid her feet into her sandals. “Responsibility is overrated,” she said with a wink.
Mark laughed, already missing her presence, aching for her as she moved further away.
She smoothed her hair, checked her appearance in the mirror, then turned to blow him a kiss. Mark smiled warmly as he watched her go, his heart thudding painfully against his chest. He’d fallen right back in love with her in the two days since she arrived. Insane, but he knew it was true. And a part of him knew it was only gonna get messier from here.
But for her, he’d burn it all down.
The casita door whispered shut behind Sunny as she slipped out into the night.
She couldn’t stop smiling.
The world seemed different somehow. Sharper. Clearer. Sweeter. The stars above seemed impossibly bright. Even the air tasted richer, like it had been spun with sugar.
Every part of her hummed with the remnants of the pleasure Mark had given her.
She hadn’t felt like this in years.
Sex with Orion always felt good enough, but the edges were tinged with pain and regret. With Mark, it felt like everything was right side up again. She could breathe. She was alive .
Sunny glanced back once, feeling warmth bloom in her chest at the sight of the casita. Her first love was in there. She hated that she couldn’t spend the rest of the night with him.
But it was too risky.
The thought of consequences should have sobered her, but it didn’t. It just made the night feel even more delicious, like she was walking through a dream she didn’t want to end.
But then—
A shiver raced up her spine.
She slowed her pace, the hem of her coverup fluttering around her calves.
The air around her shifted as if to accommodate the presence of something else. Something…human. She turned her head, eyes sweeping the lawn.
Nothing but shadows. Swaying palms.
Still, the sensation prickled along her skin, the distinctive feeling of being seen.
Her heart sped up. She walked faster, but with deliberate even-keeled energy. Just a brisk late night walk. Nothing to see here.
She reached the house just a few moments later, slipping inside the door, closing it carefully. She leaned against it for a moment, chest rising and falling, her mind racing.
Someone had seen her.
She didn’t know who, and she didn’t know what they made of her being out so late, but something told her the night’s secrets wouldn’t stay hidden for long.