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“I know. Me too,” Bryce replied. “But it would be too easy.”

“Hey!” Sophie laughed.

Looking worried that she’d just said the wrong thing, Bryce pulled back and added, “No, not like that. I meant that we could do that – we could fall into bed, and given how it feels when we kiss, I’m sure it would be world-changing.”

“No pressure,” Sophie teased.

Bryce pressed her forehead to Sophie’s, something she seemingly enjoyed doing a lot, and Sophie was finding that she really liked it when they were like that, connected in a way that made her feel like this was more than just a physical connection. It was Bryce connecting them emotionally, too.

“It will be when it happens. But it’s more than that with us, Soph. I could tell it that night and in every message we’ve exchanged.”

“I know.”

“So, it doesn’t have to be tonight, but I would love it if you stayed over. I’ve dreamed of us waking up next to each other, and we’re only nakedsometimesin those dreams. Usually, we’re in our comfortable clothes, and I just pull you back against me and hold you to wake you up slowly.”

“What time do you wake up in the morning? Because my guess is I’m up before you.”

“Then, you can lay your head on my chest and rub my stomach until I wake up.”

“Oh, I can, huh?” Sophie laughed a little.

Bryce pulled back, took her hand without a response, and they started walking again.

“You can, yes,” she said then. “Tomorrow morning, if you want. You don’t have to go to work now, right?”

“God, I’d forgotten all about that.” Sophie’s free hand went to her own forehead. “I don’t have a job anymore.”

“You have interviews lined up, though, right?”

“Two of them. One is in Atlanta. The other one is with Arnette Assets, and it’s tomorrow afternoon.”

“You’d move to Atlanta?”

“I don’t want to. I’ve never even been there.”

“I have. It’s nice.”

“Wouldyoumove to Atlanta?”

Sophie didn’t mean to make that sound like a loaded question. It wasn’t meant to be one. It was casual and not at all because if she ended up there, she’d want to know if Bryce would consider it, too. They’d spent mere hours together, so this wasn’t the time, but since shehadasked it, she might as well find out.

“I don’t think so,” Bryce replied.

“You love where you are?”

“I love my friends,” Bryce said. “They’re the main reason I love it where I am. But I’ve kind of hit all the restaurants in the tri-county area, so I’ll need to broaden my horizons. I’ve been renting my aunt’s house for a while now, helping her fix it up for when she sells it, and I think that will be in the next year or two, probably, so I’ll need to figure out if I’m staying or going eventually.” She looked over at Sophie as they walked. “Atlanta is nice, but I don’t know that I’d want to live there.” She looked in front of her again. “New Orleans is crowded, but the food is on point, and there are so many options, I think I’d have enough to blog about for years.”

Sophie smiled and said, “You know I wasn’t suggesting you–”

“I know,” Bryce finished for her. “But it’s important to talk about that stuff, right? If this becomes more than just this visit, we’d need to know.”

“Yeah, but not right now, okay? I just want to enjoy the fact that you’re here.”

“When is the Atlanta interview?”

“Not for another week. The hiring manager was on vacation until then.”

“Are you nervous about tomorrow?”