Page 31 of The Flirt

"So, what’s Bella up to tonight?"

"She’s with her mom."

“Right, I forgot.”

“She spends most weekends with her.”

"And you don't like it?"

"Why do you say that?" Chad asked a bit defensively.

"I don't know. You sounded a bit regretful."

He shrugged, closing the button of his jacket. The gesture was oddly sexy.

"It's great that she's got a good relationship with her mother. But I miss her a lot. I have more time on the weekend to make breakfast, her favorite meal. We're always in a hurry during the week, trying to get her to school on time. I miss when she was in kindergarten. The drop-off time was flexible, and I could make an elaborate meal every morning.”

Oh God, who is this man? Sexy god and cute dad all wrapped into one. I was truly melting.

"Your expression changes when you talk about her," I said as we walked past a group of drunkards.

Chad instinctively came closer to me. If he put an arm around my shoulders, I would spontaneously combust. But he didn't.

“Soo... I kind of thought you’d never want to see me again after our beignet evening.”

He smiled at me, and damn it, I had to tell him not to do that anymore. He was always sexy and irresistible, but when he smiled, I had to check if I still had panties on. There was a real risk that they’d just melted off.

"Scarlett, it was one of the best evenings I’ve had in a long while."

My breath caught, and I stared at my feet.

"It was a great evening for me too," I murmured.

The air between us was charged even though he hadn’t even come closer.

I looked up, needing to cut the tension. "And I bet this one will be even better."

We moved back to Royal after a few blocks, and it didn’t take us long to reach Hotel Monteleone. There was already a sizable group in front of it.

Chad jerked his head back. "All these people are here for the haunted tour?"

"They're very popular."

"Clearly!" He sounded stunned.

"Welcome, everyone. I'm counting twenty-four, so it's a full house tonight. My name is Guillermo, and I’ll be your guide."

I walked slowly and stealthily to the front of the group because Guillermo didn't speak very loudly.

I felt Chad at my side the whole time Guillermo told us the stories behind Hotel Monteleone. I was honestly in love with the building. It was huge, and the style was called Beaux-Arts. The white facade looked as if it had been renovated recently. I liked that they treated it with so much care and love.

Apparently, it was a pretty famous spot for ghosts. Some were deceased former employees, like the one nicknamed Red, but apparently a whole lot of ghosts liked to pop in at the bar named Carousel.

"They’re peaceful ghosts," Guillermo insisted.

We moved on to several other buildings, mostly on Royal Street. The stories behind some of the haunted places were downright gruesome. When I booked the tour, I’d imagined something whimsical and fun with a touch of magic.

"If you don't like it, we can always bail," Chad said.

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