Page 102 of Deadly Misfortunes

“Chocolate cake for me. And decaf coffee.”

One of the staff members cleared their plates from the table, and another brought their dessert.

“A swim after this?” Sascha asked.

“I think you were a fish in a former life.”

“Mermaid,” she corrected him.

He laughed. “Yes, for sure, a redheaded beauty.”

Once they finished their drinks and dessert, they raced each other for the stairs. She was glad she had a playful fiancé.

He ran up the stairs after her, giving her a thrill, and she knew that when they reached the top, he’d grab her up and carry her into the bedroom. Which was just what he did. She loved him for it.

He carried her into the bedroom, but he didn’t drop her on the bed because they were going to dress in their swimsuits. She loved swimming with him and then returning to the bedroom to make love.

She figured they would just strip off their clothes and dress, but Gregory was helping her out of her shirt, and then pants, while she unbuttoned his shirt and peeled the sleeves off his arms and kissed his chest.

When they were finally naked, they pulled out swim clothes and put them on, before heading down the stairs.

“Why does whoever it was who tried to strangle Brendan’s girlfriend do that?” Gregory asked, getting the back door for her.

Then he took her hand as they went outside to the pool. By the time they were in the water, Omar and Nick were on the pool patio watching for trouble.

“I don’t know why someone would try to do that,” Sascha said. "That’s the part that is frustrating about visions. There’s so much I don’t know.”

They swam out together into the deep end and treaded water.

Sascha held her finger up to him. “I’m going to try and contact my cousins and Aunt Meg. I should have given them a call. I’m not sure they’re going to ‘hear’ me, but I’ll try.”

“Okay. Want to play on the mat?”

“I sure do.”

He got out of the pool to get the big rubber mat while she tried to get hold of any of her family.

“Hey, Kat, Lucy, Aunt Meg, can any of you hear me?”

Nobody responded.

“I think we’re too far away from them, or they’re busy and don’t hear me. I’ll call them later.”

Gregory pushed the mat into the pool, and Sascha hurried to clamber up on it while Gregory jumped on it from the pool deck.

She couldn’t get over how stable it was as she got on top, both of them standing and able to keep their balance. And then he came at her, and she dove off the mat.

He laughed and jumped into the pool after her with an even bigger splash. Normally, she would have tackled him back, but she loved changing things up too.

She dove under the mat and out the other end. He took the same path and caught her foot as he came out from under the mat. She squealed and laughed.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

“You know, every time we do this, we end up needing to go to bed.”

He smiled. “I’m always ready.”

“Hey,” Kat said telepathically. “Do you need something?”