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Love wasn’t one of those things that could hit you all at once sometimes. It was soft and sneaky, and it seeped into your bones and made its home in your heart before you knew it was there.

Before you knew it had happened, it was too late.

Not that this was unexpected or unwanted.

I managed to order a meal and forgot what I ordered as soon as the words were out of my mouth. I was too busy looking at Jo. My Josephine.

She’d been mine this whole time. And I’d been hers from the beginning.

“Larison?” she asked.

“Uh huh,” I said. I hadn’t been a very good date so far. I’d been too busy thinking about being in love with her.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

I reached across the table and took her hand. “I’m amazing. Thank you so much for bringing me here. This is the perfect date.”

She laughed softly. “We haven’t even gotten our food yet.”

It didn’t matter.

“Everything with you has been pretty much perfect,” I said.

Her eyebrows went up. “Pretty much perfect? What’s wrong with completely perfect?”

I sipped at my champagne. “There’s always room for improvement.”

She made a surprised sound. “I’m trying not to be too offended.”

Our meals arrived and I was too busy drinking her in to think about what I was putting in my mouth. It was good, whatever it was. When we were done, Jo grabbed my hand and we checked in at the attached spa for our couple’s massage.

“What happens if I fall asleep?” I asked her as we got undressed and put on cozy robes.

“Then you fall asleep and it means we can spend time later tonight doing all kinds of interesting things.”

The way she said it made me want to rip the robe right off her.

I groaned. “Don’t say things like that to me in places where I can’t do anything about it.”

She just giggled and followed me out of the room and down the hall.

The room had two tables set up next to each other with flickering electric candles, soothing music, and a clean scent.

“I’m probably going to fall asleep.” My eyes were already starting to close. The atmosphere was not conducive to staying awake.

“It’s okay. I might join you.”

We slipped off our robes and got on the tables under the sheets. I’d had to stop myself from checking Jo out when she got naked or else I might have done something that would have gotten us kicked out of the spa and potentially arrested.

Two massage therapists entered the room and introduced themselves as Meg and Sam. I couldn’t remember which onewas which when whoever it was started working on me. They’d started us facedown and from the first touch I wanted to thank Jo for thinking of this. When was the last time I’d indulged myself like this? Not for a long, long time. I made a note to ask my parents for a gift certificate for Christmas.

One good thing about Meg and Sam was that they didn’t talk much. I couldn’t see Jo while my face was in the cradle, but I felt her presence next to me. I reached out my hand and tapped around until I felt her squeeze my fingers.

“How’s your massage?” she asked.

“Amazing,” I said in a voice that was almost a moan. “This is so much better than bowling.”

She laughed.