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“Why did you want me to meet you here?” Sophia asks when she reaches me.
I palm her neck and draw her near for a kiss. “This is how you greet me,” I tell her once I’ve thoroughly tasted her mouth.
She gazes up at me with swollen lips and dazed eyes. “But we’re in public.”
“We’re in a crowd of tourists.”
“And my brother is a police officer whose job is to keep the tourists under control.”
I grin. “I happen to know Weston is busy on the other side of the island for a few hours.”
“What happened? Is he okay?”
I tweak her nose. “Nothing bad. A flock of sheep got loose and are creating havoc for cars and bike riders.”
Her eyes narrow. “You didn’t set them loose, did you?”
“Why would I set a flock of sheep loose?” I wink.
She gasps. “You did! You’re bad.”
“I’m teasing. I didn’t set them loose but when I heard about the chaos, I thought it was the perfect opportunity.”
“The perfect opportunity for what?” She scans the boardwalk. “Are you planning a heist? I know the arcade doesn’t have much cash on site. And quarters are a bitch to carry anyway.”
I chuckle. “You know this for a fact, do you?”
Her cheeks darken and she glances away. “It was a school project.”
“Staking out the arcade was a school project?” She shrugs. “You weren’t staking it out because you were addicted to Pacman?”
She rolls her eyes. “Pacman? How old do you think I am? I played Ms. Pacman.”
“Naturally.” I clear my throat. “I thought it might be fun to play tourist for the evening. Stroll around the boardwalk. Visit the arcade. Maybe grab a bite to eat.”
“I always did love the boardwalk and arcade.”
“I know, Soph.” I want to give her everything she loves. I want to see her face light up with excitement. I could get addicted to it.
I offer her my hand and she doesn’t hesitate to take it. I haven’t walked hand in hand with a girl since high school. I usually find it suffocating. But with Sophia, it’s different. Everything’s different.
“Where shall we begin?” I ask as we enter the arcade.
Her body vibrates with excitement. “Air hockey. No, pinball. Wait. They have go-kart now. Oh, look! There’s a racing simulator.”
“It’s a good thing I brought a ton of quarters.”
She smacks my stomach. “Don’t be a dinosaur. No one uses quarters anymore. It’s all digital.”
“A dinosaur. Who are you calling a dinosaur?”
She flutters her eyelashes at me. “You, old man.”
“I’ll show you I’m not old.” Again and again all night long.
Her eyes flare. And I wonder how quickly I can drive us home. But then she squares her shoulders and narrows her eyes.
“It’s on. I’m kicking your ass.”
