He glared at her. “That wasn’t what I meant.”
“You weren’t very specific,” she said unapologetically, shrugging.
He lowered his chin, his eyes turning a dark and serious shade. “Pay a real toll, wife.”
As always, the word sent a thrill down her spine that lit up her toes and made her feet curve with a ticklish tension. She went up on tiptoe again and closed the small distance between them, sliding her hands up his chest and around his neck.
“A real toll, husband?” she murmured, nudging her nose against his. “That could be anywhere from seventy-five cents to two dollars and ten cents. What exactly did you have in mind?”
His hands wrapped around her waist, one tucking into her back pocket as he nuzzled against her lips. “I’m sure you’ll catch on.”
“I’m usually pretty good at that,” she whispered, yelping softly when his teeth grazed her jaw.
“The best,” he told her, the words muffled as his lips dragged across hers.
Mal moaned without warning and pressed his lips more firmly to hers, wishing she could arch up farther still to have more of him. Hunter held her more securely, lifting her until she couldn’t feel the floor beneath her at all. Not that she was paying attention to such minor details when her husband was kissing her like that. He turned her to the counter, pressing her against it as he leaned more fully into her, his kisses making Mal’s head swim.
A trill of a phone going off interrupted the would-be memorable liaison, and they paused, lips touching, panting, sense nowhere in sight. The ringing continued, sounding like a phone from the sixties and twice as annoying.
Mal pulled back, stroking Hunter’s neck. “Are you going to get that?”
He kept his eyes on hers, leaning forward to kiss her again. “Wait.”
Wait? No way. She was going to keep kissing him, annoying ringing or not, and she kissed him back in the most encouraging way she could to let him know that. He caught on, and the ringing stopped.
And then the ringing started again.
Mal groaned and firmly put her hands on her husband’s shoulders. “Go make that stop,” she ordered, pushing him away.
Hunter laughed and pointed at her. “Stay there,” he shot back as he moved to the phone on the counter.
“No way,” she said, hopping down. “The fridge is free, and I can have cereal now.”
“Mallory McIntyre,” he growled as he picked up the phone. “You get back over there by the count of five, or…”
Mal waved the milk jug at him and skipped back to her bowl of cereal.
“So much trouble,” he muttered, pressing the answer button on the phone. “Hello? Audrey! Hey, you!”
Mal waved at the phone brightly, pouring the milk now, and Hunter nodded at her with a wink.
“Mal says hi.” He paused. “Audrey’s blowing you kisses.”
“Good,” Mal said, taking a big bite. “Someone should.”
Hunter widened his eyes in warning, smiling in a way that spelled a fun sort of trouble for later.
“Really? That’s an interesting project. You sure it’s him?” Hunter didn’t sound particularly pleased about whatever it was, which sent Mal’s curiosity into a frenzy. She cocked her head at him.
He frowned but shook his head. “I don’t like it, but it sounds like a good chance for her. Let me know, all right? We’ll see you next weekend in Utah, right? Yeah, Park City. All right. Love you.”
“Bye, Auds!” Mal bellowed.
Hunter sighed, shaking his head. “You got that, right? ’Kay. Bye.” He tossed the phone on the counter, then looked at Mal again, smiling.
“What?” Mal asked, cradling her cereal closer.
“Have I ever told you how much I love the way you look in flannel?” he mused, his tone relatively innocent, even if the words tickled everywhere.