Page 59 of Bumping into You

“Rose.” I wave my hands in front of her. “Did you hear me?”

“Uh, yeah, I . . .” She clears her throat, shaking her head before adding, “I mean, yes, I heard you. I just didn’t think you were serious about that rule.”

“I was definitely serious about it. Deal-breaker, remember?”

“Right.”

“I was thinking mini golf.”

“I’m good with that.”

“Grand! Leave in five minutes?” I ask.

“Five minutes?” she says, her eyes wide.

I nod.

“Okay,” she says, and she grabs her things and heads into her room.

Walking back into mine, I put on some sandals and throw on a shirt. Slipping my glasses on my collar, I head out to the hallway. When Gwen walks out, I freeze.

She’s sexy in short jean shorts, a tight, white tank top, and a flowy top over it.

I resist the urge to pick her up and carry her back into her room.That’s not part of our agreed-upon rules, I scold myself.

“You look amazing,” I say hoarsely.

“Oh, thanks,” she says.

When I make no motion to leave, she asks, “You ready?”

I clear my throat and say, “Erm, I am. Let’s go.”

The mini golf is at the back of the boat on the top floor. By the time we get up there, the boat has started moving out of port, and, thankfully, there are only a few people on the course.

“Not too crowded,” I say.

“Well, that’s good for you,” says Gwen.

“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?

“Less people to see you lose horribly,” she says, laughing.

“We’ll see about that!”

I’ve played mini golf before many times, but playing against Gwen makes me feel like an amateur.

She’s a sexy, competitive bombshell, and I love watching as she lines up the swing, swaying her hips slightly from side to side. Needless to say, I’m a bit distracted, and my game is off.

The course is fairly simple. There are only nine holes, but withGwen’s competitiveness, we treat it like we are on a professional golf tour. She’s currently a couple swings ahead of me.

We’re at the seventh hole, and she aims. The ball bounces slightly off one of the walls, curves around the side of the hill, and drops into the hole with a soft plunk. Gwen jumps up and down, doing a little victory dance. “Oh, that feels amazing. I needed a win lately,” she admits.

I lean down and pick up her ball. “Fair play, Gwen! That was a terrific shot.”

Reaching my hand out to give her the ball, I’m taken by surprise as she jumps into my arms, wrapping hers around my neck.

Feeling like the luckiest man in the world, I wrap my arms around her, pulling her in to me. I pick her up for a little celebratory spin. As I set her down, she doesn’t let go. Instead, she pulls my face toward hers and kisses me. It’s just a little peck, but time freezes. Hope races through me like a dam bursting.

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