Sweet Sunshine Read Online Free

into letting you have two treats.” My traitorous, ex -friend Harlow hopped off the stool and took the girl’s hand, shooting me a shit-eating grin and Derrick a glare over her shoulder.
    I scowled at her as she walked away.
    “Man,” Derrick chuckled under his breath, “gotta hand it to Noah. The man must be a saint.”
    My head tipped to the side. “Why’s that?”
    “Well,” he waved in the direction of Harlow and his daughter. “Pregnancy hormones. One minute Harlow’s sweet as sugar, the next she’s looking at me like she’s plotting to kill me in my sleep.”
    I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing, knowing damn good and well it wasn’t pregnancy hormones behind the daggers she’d just shot.
    “Mmm,” I mummed noncommittally, going back to wiping the countertop in even circles, anything to keep my hands busy and my eyes off the perfection standing before me.
    “So, did you like it?”
    My head shot up. “Like what?” I asked.
    His grin grew to an almost devastating level — at least it was devastating to me. “The fruit basket.”
    “Oh!” Damn it! It had happened again. Why the hell couldn’t my brain work whenever he was around? It was seriously beginning to piss me off. “Yes, thank you. It’s very nice. But… I’m not sure what I did to deserve it.” I shrugged.
    His biceps bunched, the corded muscles drawing my attention as he bent his elbows and propped them on the counter. Stupid gorgeous arms, I thought, trying not to picture myself sinking my teeth into them.
    Damn it! And there it is.
    “I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated what you said to Eliza. You know, about saying hurtful things. It saved me an entire weekend of pre-teen girl drama.”
    “Oh…” I started, somewhat stunned that a few simple words to his daughter packed enough of a punch to warrant a chocolate dipped fruit basket. “Well… you’re welcome, I guess. Glad it worked out.”
    His eyes narrowed, his head cocked to the side, and I got the distinct impression he was watching my face very closely. I was suddenly self-conscious that I’d somehow gotten food on my face at some point during the day.
    “What?” I asked as I discreetly brushed at my nose.
    “You okay?” he asked and my stomach flipped again.
    “Sure,” I shrugged.
    He looked like he wanted to argue but before he had a chance to get anything out, Eliza and Harlow came sauntering back. “Dad! Ms. Harlow said I should get a strawberry cupcake and a puff—pruf—po—”
    Harlow took pity on her and offered the correct pronunciation, “Profiterole.”
    Eliza clapped and shouted, “Yeah! That one!” and Harlow cast a smirk in Derrick’s direction.
    “Fine,” he relented with a sigh, and I went about boxing up Eliza’s sweets. As Derrick paid and I handed them over, I offered her one last smile and leaned in. “Congratulations on your spelling test. Just goes to show you’ve got beauty and brains.”
    She positively glowed and my heart expanded in my chest.
    She skipped to the door, and I took the opportunity to turn around and lower my head, giving my back to Derrick and using my hair to block my face, in the hopes of cutting off anything else he could potentially say. I thought my luck had failed when his velvety voice said my name, but then Eliza chirped from the door, “Come on, Dad! I can’t wait to eat these. I’m starving ,” she finished with a dramatic flair.
    Just to be on the safe side, I didn’t turn around until I heard the bell over the door.
    “Pretty sure hiding behind a curtain of your hair won’t work forever,” Harlow chided.
    Picking up my forgotten coffee, I dumped it and went for a refill, muttering, “Shut up,” in my friend’s direction.
    Because I was so mature like that.

 
    Derrick
     
    FUCK .
    I stifled the groan that wanted to work its way from my chest as I pulled my cell from my pocket before I collapsed into the worn, cracked faux leather chair at my desk. The piece of