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Chloe said, “Excellent morning, in fact.”
Brushing his lips against the side of her head, he asked, “So. What’s on the agenda today?”
“Sara gave me a huge list. I’ve got no idea where to start. What’s something you wanted to explore but didn’t have time to before?” Chloe asked.
Stroking his hand idly down her back now, he thought for a moment and then said, “You’d probably enjoy the Gaslamp District. Wanna grab some breakfast and then head into San Diego?”
Climbing off of him now, she said, “Absolutely. When I can move.”
They stayed snuggled up for a few minutes before Chris finally rose from the bed, stretching. Chloe lay there, watching him. God, he was sexy. How had she managed to not jump him all of these years?
Completely oblivious to her perusal, Chris wandered in to take a shower.
Chloe lay back now, against the headboard thinking about last night. They’d snuggled up in front of the fire, drinking champagne and talking until the embers had almost died out. Deacon had been right. There was much more than what you saw on the surface, when it came to Chris.
The more they spoke, the more she realized that, despite his laidback attitude, he was a truly passionate person. They’d gotten into a heated discussion about politics last night. While they didn’t agree on some things, hearing him talk about his views made her realize he’d really put a lot of thought into them. Every day she seemed to find more reasons to like and respect him. He was constantly full of surprises.
Chloe drifted in and out of sleep for a few minutes, until she heard the bathroom door open. Seeing a waft of steam float into the room, she got out of bed and sauntered over to grab clothes out of her suitcase. A moment later, Chris walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped low across his hips.
Eyeing her appreciatively, he said, “Nice outfit, baby.”
Smirking, she looked him up and down slowly, then said, “You too.”
Walking past him to the bathroom, clothes in hand, she squealed when he smacked her ass lightly.
“Need any help washing your back?”
Turning her head to look over her shoulder, she grinned and said, “Nope. I’ve got it. Thanks though.”
“Your front?” he questioned further, grinning now, as she walked into the bathroom.
Laughing, she said, “Got that too,” and then closed the door.
A half hour later, they headed in to San Diego to grab some breakfast and wander around. They spent the rest of the morning meandering through the Gaslamp District. There were tons of shops and restaurants, but the best part was all of the cool architecture.
After running through two sets of batteries for her digital camera, they sat down for lunch in Little Italy. Chris was really into the architecture too. They discussed other interesting places they’d like to see. Mostly any place in Europe turned out to be pretty high on both of their lists.
They spent the rest of the afternoon walking through Balboa Park. The gardens were in bloom despite the heat, so Chloe took a million more pictures. After the gardens, they walked through the Natural History Museum. They had an amazing display on the Mayans that they’d spent a long time looking at.
It was almost five by the time they finished with the museum. It had been a thoroughly enjoyable day. Chris had been surprisingly knowledgeable when it came to the Mayans. As they had walked through the exhibit, he’d added tidbits he knew about some of the items.
On the walk back to the car, Chloe grinned and said, “I had no idea under that laid-back exterior lay the heart of such a history nerd.”
Laughing, he said, “Blame it on the podcasts.”
When they reached the car, she wrapped her arms around his waist and asked, “How’s your knee? We’ve been walking pretty steadily since ten.”
Shrugging, he said, “A little tired. I’m probably going to want to soak it tonight.”
“Do you want to head back now?” she asked, concerned.
“Not yet,” he said, “One more place we need to visit. I hope you have more batteries for your camera. La Jolla Cove is supposed to be gorgeous.”
“Another beach?”
“You’ll see,” he said, smiling.
