Stripped Love (Guys Next Door #1) - Baylin Crow Page 0,56

messages on breaks, and I was constantly checking the time until I could crawl back into bed with him. When our mouths and hands weren't busy, I found contentment in his arms I hadn't known I was missing.

After our first time together and making things official between us, we’d discussed getting tested so I could take him bare and had even gone out to get it done. The thought of having him inside me that way had me on constant hormonal overload. Or horny as fuck, Phoenix would say right after claiming he’d created a monster. In a way, I guessed he had.

I stood in my room getting dressed for the date Phoenix had planned for us. He'd told me to dress casually, so I pulled on a soft gray t-shirt over navy cargo shorts. My hair was a mess, and I briefly considered trying to tame the wavy disaster. But Phoenix usually rode with the windows down so I didn't bother.

"Archer! Your boyfriend's here so stop making yourself pretty and get down here!" my uncle shouted from downstairs.

"Coming," I yelled back. With one final look in the mirror, I quickly shoved my shoes on and grabbed my keys and wallet. I hadn't been on a date before, but I wasn't nervous. Only curious because Phoenix refused to tell me where we were going.

Phoenix stood in front of Isaac in the living room, and I caught the tail end of their conversation as I approached.

"Yeah, exactly, colorless to match the rest," Phoenix said and tugged me to his side where I wrapped an arm around his back and inhaled his scent. I couldn't get enough of the smell and feel of him.

My uncle's eyes twinkled with amusement when Phoenix dropped a kiss onto my mussed hair. What he didn't see was the secret grope of my ass Phoenix snuck in. I stifled a laugh, and he apparently took that as permission to leave his hand there.

Uncle Isaac nodded at whatever they'd been discussing, while stroking his salt and pepper beard. "I'll get something drawn up and we'll go from there. You kids have fun."

"Sounds good," Phoenix said before leading me outside into the late morning sun.

"What was that about?" I asked as I pulled the door closed behind us.

"New ink. I was thinking about getting 'Archer' tattooed on my ass. Thoughts?" He shot me a crooked grin as we crossed the lawn to his car that was already running.

I elbowed him, and he barked a laugh as we separated, splitting around the hood, and climbed in the car.

As I clicked in my seatbelt, I glanced at Phoenix. "I don't think my uncle would feel comfortable with that. What are you really getting?"

"Lightning," he said casually as he adjusted the air conditioner.

"Lightning?" I frowned. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "I asked him to work up a storm scene to put right here." He tapped his forearm. "Billowing dark clouds and a web of lightning streaking through them. Guess you could say I have a new appreciation for when Mother Nature gets pissed off." He winked and my cheeks burned hot.

"You may as well just tattoo my name on your ass after all," I muttered, secretly flattered.

"I can't help where I draw inspiration, Arch. But damn, it was inspiring." He bit his lip, eyelids heavy over the spark of heat in his stare.

"Phoenix." I groaned and hid my flaming cheeks behind my hands.

"What? You asked." He chuckled as he revved the engine and backed out onto the street.

I lowered my hands and sighed, mostly to mask the ridiculous grin tugging at my lips. "Where are we going?"

"You can keep asking, but I'm still not telling you," he chided again and pulled out of the neighborhood toward the highway.

Phoenix shifted gears and raced up the on-ramp, merging with the constant heavy traffic that only grew denser the closer we got to the center of the city.

As expected, the windows were down and my strands whipped across my forehead. Loud, but with slow melodies, rock music filtered through the speakers, and he only lowered the volume when he exited and slowed as we approached the stoplight.

Scanning our surroundings, I tried to guess where we were headed at each turn he took.

Phoenix easily navigated the tangle of streets, dodging construction and pausing at crosswalks. When he pulled into the parking garage across from a familiar building that read Georgia Aquarium, a smile split my lips.

I loved aquariums but had never told him that. I had