Page 36 of Daddy's Bodyguard

“That’s bullshit! Then it’s just the luck of the letters.”

“You have to give a plausible definition.”

I narrow my eyes, but I already accepted the challenge, so what is there to do but follow through? I take a drink every time I play a word and Jasper does the same, not bothering to get his own cup. Sharing is caring, I guess.

We get towards the end, and I play all ten tiles in my hand. “Hellicious.”

“Definition?”

“Delicious hell, the kind of torture a person enjoys.” I sit back victoriously.

“Ah, the kinky masochistic kind?” He chuckles, giving me a wink.

“Sure.” I snort. “Let’s just add that to our new dictionary.”

“I think it would do really well in bookstores.”

“Considering you have the ability to make everything sassy or sexual, I’d say yes.”

“Don’t forget funny.”

“You’re not that funny. I wouldn’t watch a Netflix special starring you,” I tease.

Jasper chuckles. “I can’t say the same. You have some zingers.”

“I’m not sure that’s a compliment coming from you.”

He rolls his eyes and starts playing off my word: Sycholoic. When I arch an eyebrow,”he chuckles. “An obviously faked supernatural event, adjective I think.”

“That’s …” But a cough interrupts me, and I choke on my own saliva, laughing and sputtering until Jasper is so worried, he rubs my back.

“Sofia? You can’t die mid game. That’s not how I want to win. I won’t get to rub it in your face.”

That sends me into a fit of giggles. I shake my head, and we somehow end up laughing together on the floor. Jasper grins at me and stupidly, I smile back. “That was terrible.”

“You laughed.”

“Apparently, I’m starved for entertainment.”

“You love murdering my ego, don’t you?”

“Well, the damn thing just keeps growing back.” I shove his shoulder. “You’ll survive.”

We lay there for a moment, and Jasper sighs. “Tell me something real, Sofia. What’s with the obsessive neatness?”

“Everything has a place. It belongs in that place,” I reply with a shrug.

“Bullshit.”

“It’s true. And things are simpler when everything is where it belongs. Organization, planning, all of that makes the bigger stuff, the abstract stuff easier. And it has to be done anyway, so why wait?”

“I think you’re just obsessed with keeping things in place, that’s all.”

“You take that back.” I shove his shoulder again, and he chuckles.

“Admit it, if I moved your shoes from the front door, you’d lose your shit.”

“Would not.” I roll my eyes.

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