“Yes,” I said with a big smile. “Not the job he’d have for the rest of his career, but one that got his foot into the door and provided a better income and benefits, got us out of the ghetto, saved my mom from having to work two jobs. He was at that company for a decade, got promoted. Then he was fielding offers from companies who came after him and ended up working at his dream company. Near the top. His ambition wasn’t to make it to the top. This was more than he ever wanted and he’s in a good place. But whenever he has to attend tie events, like work parties or weddings, I always tie his tie and I feel like that little girl again helping her big, protective, hardworking papa. I knew tying his ties was a small thing, but he made it sound like it was the best help in the world, magic. He told everyone he got the job because his daughter tied the best tie.”

I patted Sunny’s chest but neither of us stepped away. I looked up from my great tie-tying work to find him watching me. How long had he been watching me? He was slightly frowning, enough to create that cute little wrinkle in between his brows.

I brushed that wrinkle and said, “This is going to end up being permanent.”

Permanent or not, it wouldn’t matter. That wrinkle worked for him, adding a degree of personality and intensity and a myriad of emotions without him ever having tried. Hm. Maybe my theory that Sunny didn’t know the meaning of emotional expression was flawed. That little wrinkle said it all. And in this moment, it said that he—maybe—found me interesting and tolerable and maybe even gravely attractive with my hair in a messy bun and in pajamas.

“What?” I asked on a breath, realizing how warm his body heat was in this proximity, enough to glide over my skin, reminding me that Sunny was the very definition of scorching when he looked at me like that.

He leaned down, lifting his hand to brush wayward hair from my face so that his fingers grazed my cheek. My knees went weak. My legs were actually shaking, and I was now questioning reality. This must’ve been a dream because there was no way he, of all my nemeses, could make me feel this way when very few others had. Come to think of it, had any other man made me feel things that I’d once laughed at in rom-coms? Seriously, knees buckled because of arthritis and ligament damage, not because of feeling swoony from a mere touch. No one had that power, at least not in my experience.

But this? Lord, I needed to fan myself.

“What are you thinking so hard about, Bane?”

“One, if it’s socially acceptable for me to eat cake as soon as I get to the wedding venue because I think my blood sugar is low. Two, call me Bane one more time and see how vindictive I can be.”

He smirked. “Not what I was thinking.”

Damn his Denzel voice. It was doing all sorts of weird things to my body, things my body knew better than to do for him. But the truth was, we were way beyond this surprise. I knew, and had known for a while, that Sunny got to me in the most fantastic ways.

“Can’t possibly be thinking about anything sultrier than cake,” I teased.

His right brow shot up while I was silently ordering my cheeks not to flush because we both knew the alternate meaning to the word “cake.”

“I’m all for the…cake,” he said.

“Right. I mean, that’s the only real reason I’m attending this wedding.”

“To be clear: for the cake?”

I nodded. “Yep. I love cake.”

Sunny leaned down and spoke in my ear, his voice dropping. “Bane?”

Damnit. Why was he making his stupid nickname for me sound incredibly hot? “I thought I warned you.”

“Yet I’m still waiting for a punishment.”

“What is it, sunshine?”

He flinched. Ah, so he didn’t like my new nickname for him, either. How convenient for me. He sighed, his breath crashing against my neck and sending shudders down my back. “Please tell me that you’re not attending in sweatpants.”

He was mocking me? So freaking smugly, at that!

He laughed when he started to pull away. I grabbed his tie and pulled him back. “Don’t make me undo this tie.”

His amusement vanished faster than a blink. Sunny’s crooked half smile now a straight line of pressed lips; the laughter in his eyes melting into intensity. There was a need there, deep and ruminating.

With that sultry gaze locked on mine, our chests only inches apart, my hand still wrapped around his tie, Sunny said, “Don’t start with me.”

I scowled. “What?”

“Don’t say things you don’t intend to do.”

I bit my lip.

His gaze dropped to my mouth, then eased down to the fist around his tie.

I released the tie and smoothed it down over his chest. “Too bad you have a wedding to get to.”

He grunted, “I’m about five seconds from ditching this wedding.”

I kissed his cheek and stepped aside. “You don’t want to be late, sunshine.”

Twenty-eight Sunny

I hurried to the venue, briefly considering picking up protection. But I thought better of it. If we didn’t have protection, Bane and I wouldn’t cross the line. Well…another line.

My phone rang, and Papa’s name flashed across the screen.

“Papa?” I answered on the second ring, my heart spasming. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes, beta! No need to worry so much over me.”

I blew out a breath. “You’re doing well?”

“Yes. Everyone is fussing over me, but I’m doing everything the doctor told me to do. I just wanted to say, please give Sam and April our congratulations on their big day.”

“Ah. Yes, of course, Papa.”

“Are you there?”

“On my way.”

“You sound like you’re hurrying.”

I was walking faster than I had all week. Once I knew my dad’s affirmative update, we hung up and I focused on the wedding. There wasn’t much to do except keep the groom calm and know when to walk down the aisle.

Yet despite the whirling conversations around me and the flurry of excitement, my thoughts kept meandering back to Bane. No matter how hard I tried to stop myself. There she was. Implanted in my memories like a delicious treat to savor for eternity. Her smell, her kisses, her skin, her dumb jokes.

Damnit. I was so fucked.

Twenty-nine Bhanu

Despite having a good amount of time before the wedding started, I didn’t risk taking too much time getting ready.

A thorough shower, hair washed and dried, shaved, and in my robe, Diya arrived armed with a box in one hand and a friend just outside the door talking on the phone.