AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I pouted.
He sighed but added, “Extra cheese.”
“Mr. Sun?” Natalie gasped. “Do you… need any help?”
“Clearly,” he drawled. “That’s what I’m paying you for.”
“What I mean is, are you… are you okay?”
Yup. It wasthatunbelievable.
“Not by a long shot.” He stared at me dispassionately, heaving a sigh. “What I am, Natalie, is pussy-whipped.”
The next day, I dragged Zach to the conservatory for lunch.
I’d always wanted to eat there, but I figured he’d need some time away after the whole burn-Eileen’s-touch-off incident.
We ate poke bowls. Salad instead of rice and extra cucumber for him. Progress.
The day after, we gobbled up branzino on the balcony.
This time, he let me feed him a roasted potato. He glowered, complaining about the grease the entire time.
Still, before the meal ended, I spotted him swallowing another one.
And the following day, I prepared both of us banh mi thit nuong—dousing the sandwiches with extra homemade aioli. I even shoved pâté in them when he wasn’t looking.
I tossed my napkin on my empty plate, reclining against my seat. “What’s your favorite piece of art?”
“Don’t have one.”
“Seriously?” I boomeranged upright. “You collect so much art, and noneis your favorite?”
“Nope. Not everything needs to be measured against something else.”
“But…” I frowned. “Everyone has a favorite work of art.”
“Even you?”
“Yup. TheLobster Telephone.”
Dad used to own a replica I’d begged for. Vera had auctioned it off weeks after his death.
Zach paused, mid-bite. “By Dalí?”
It drove me crazy how tiny and measured his bites were.
Thirty-two chews each.
At my nod, he arched a brow. “Thatwouldbe your favorite.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He didn’t answer me, wrapping his lips around the sandwich.
When his scheduled lunch hour ended, I double-checked his plate. He didn’t leave a single crumb.
Every morning, I spent half an hour roaming the grounds, opening every window in the manor to let the sun enter. So Mr. Sun himself would feel warmth for the first time in his life.
