Page 69 of Phoenix

“Ooof!” I say, as she begins to lick my face. “Oh!” I laugh. “Oh, wow. I appreciate the kisses, but at least buy me dinner first.”

“Oh shit. Arya. Down!” he commands and his voice vibrates over me like electricity.

I want him to command me that way. I’ll heel anytime he wants.

Arya listens instantly, climbing off of me and lying by his feet.

I push up to sit, still laughing. “It’s okay. Really. It was funny.”

“I don’t know what that was. I looked at you, and it was like she remembered you were here and boom. Off she went.”

He plops down to sit beside me.

“She’s perfectly fine. I like that she likes me. I do have a thing for cute dogs.”

“So you only like me for my dog?” he asks with a grin.

“Damn. You caught me. I tried to hide it, but look at her. She’s stunning. Irresistible even.” I nod toward Arya as she chases a bug in the air, hops up on her hind legs, then falls over on her side.

We both laugh.

“Arya, get your butt over here.” He calls for her, and when she runs to us, she wiggles in between us to sit.

I scratch her head as I talk. “So tell me about you. Something I don’t know yet.”

“Something you don’t know? Hmm.” He stares off toward the fountain as he thinks. “I hate nuts. Nuts of all varieties.”

“Wow. I could take that to very inappropriate places, but I’ll refrain because I hate nuts too. Peanut butter is amazing, obviously, but not just plain nuts. Gross.”

“Not all nuts. Our time together has proven that.” He smirks.

“Oh God.” I swat his arm, laughing. “You’re disgusting.”

“Disgusting, maybe, but I’m fucking charming and delightful.”

“You’re something all right.” I lean back against the tree. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s beautiful.”

“You’re thanking me for spending time with you, you are aware of that, right?” He leans back with me, so we are face-to-face again.

“I am aware of that, yes, and I’ll keep doing it. I came to Savannah to decompress and you’re helping me do that, so thank you.”

“And what will happen when you’re fully decompressed?” he asks, cupping my cheek in his hand.

I unconsciously lean into his touch, nuzzling into his palm. His skin is so warm and so soft, yet rough and strong at the same time. He’s the perfect mix.

“When I’m fully decompressed, I’ll go back home.” I hate the words even as they leave my lips.

I close my eyes when I hear him sigh, and then I feel him press his lips to my forehead before finally speaking. “Then I guess we should enjoy this decompression time while we have it, yeah?”

I nod. “Yeah, we should.”

“Come home with me tonight? We can order dinner.”

“Actually...I have an even better idea,” I say with a grin.

“I cannot believe I let you talk me into this,” Case says, as we approach Johnson Square to meet the other parties for a ghost tour.

“Stop being a big baby. I needed someone to go with, and since I won’t have sex with you again until we go...” I say with a squeeze of his hand.

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