Page 87 of Back in the Saddle

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“I feel like I’ve bummed you out, and I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

“Jessie, sweetheart, don’t be. The reason why you dig Disney sucks, but that’s part of why Walt built what he did. So all kids, no matter what kind of lives they had, could have some joy. And you needing to turn to that to find joy doesn’t make it any less adorable you still dig it enough to get your Disney on.”

I said nothing, but what he said made me calm down.

Though, I could tell I wouldn’t like what came next when the teasing light hit his black eyes.

“Do you have ears?”

I looked over his shoulder.

“Fucking hell.” His words were vibrating with amusement again. “What kind?”

I crossed my arms on my chest and muttered, “Not telling.”

He stroked my jaw with his thumbs, urging, “Jessie.”

Ugh.

I looked at him. “Ursula, Maleficent, and I bought some Tinkerbell ones off Etsy. Okay? Happy?”

He sounded like he was choking when he asked, “Tinkerbell?”

It was verbal when I grunted, “Ugh!”

I pushed him again, but he didn’t sway this time.

Nope.

Not an inch.

He kissed me again.

So obviously, I got over my tiff real quick.

When he lifted his head, he swept his thumb along my lower lip and whispered, “That’s why Paris came to mind.”

He was correct.

I’d done Disneyland. I’d done Disneyworld, Animal Kingdom and Epcot.

I had not done Euro Disney.

“Bucket list,” I whispered back.

His eyes warmed so much, the look he was giving me was downright tender.

I was trying to cope with the beauty of that when he gave me more beauty and brushed his lips against mine.

After that, he moved away and pulled me off the counter to set me on my feet.

“Grab a seat, babe. I’ll get you set up then go take a shower.”

I slid onto the stool he vacated and saw he’d been reading the paper.

An actual newspaper.

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