He’d turned up an hour earlier than they’d agreed, with his tools and some security lights for outside along with deadbolts for both her doors. Which he’d proceeded to install, despite her protests.
She sighed. “It’s going to be hard to teach me what to do if you’re not talking to me.”
Who knew biker babes could sulk?
“All I did was offer to pay you.”
Another chilling look. Whoops. Things were getting icy. “Well, not pay you. Pay you back for the lights and deadbolts.”
More cold silence. She sighed.
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
“It is,” he told her. “I buy something for you then you don’t try to pay me back. Just like if I take you out to eat, you don’t pay for your own damn meal.”
Yeah, she’d gotten schooled in that earlier at the diner when she’d tried to pull out her wallet to pay. He’d been upset over that too.
Seemed biker babes could be overly emotional about certain things.
Greg had always insisted that they keep things equal, financially. His reasoning was that too many couples broke up over finances so they should make certain to each pay their share. Which kind of made sense. Except he had earned a lot more than her, and insisted on going out for fancy dinners every week which she couldn’t afford.
“Fine. I won’t mention it again.”
“You could say thank you.”
She flushed bright red. Way to be a bitch. All she’d done was gripe at him, not once showing any gratitude.
“I’m so sorry. Thank you. I really appreciate it. I’ve never had anyone care about my safety before. I guess I’m not used to it.”
He turned into a rough-looking neighborhood. She looked around. This was where his shop was?
“Your parents?”
“What? Oh,” she said recalling what they’d been talking about. “They weren’t really the type to notice anything I did. They were free spirits.”
“That why your name is Sunshine Bright?”
She sighed. “It’s worse than that. It’s Sunshine River Bright.”
“No shit?”
“No shit,” she repeated.
“Damn, must have been a bitch growing up with that name. Kids tease you?”
“What do you think?”
He nodded. “They teased you.”
“My parents aren’t bad people. They’re just more interested in communing with nature and getting high than what their daughter was doing.”
“You don’t seem the getting high and communing type.”
“I’m not. I was like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. I didn’t understand them and they didn’t get me. I like order and rules and to live in the same place for more than a few months.”
He nodded as he pulled the truck into a space outside a white building that had Ink Inc written on the outside. That was cute. Although she wouldn’t tell Duke that. He didn’t look like the type of guy who would appreciate something of his being called cute. There was a small parking lot out front and on one side there was a small convenience store, on the other a Chinese take-out place.
“I usually park around the corner to leave these spaces for customers. Up a few blocks is Reaper’s, the bar owned by the club. Our compound is behind it. Any reason you’re ever in trouble and I’m not here, you can go there. I’ll tell them all you work for me.” He turned towards her, unbuckling her seat belt. “You’ll be taken care of. Wait there.”