"Let's not talk about work or other men's voices while we're naked in bed together." I kiss a trail up her throat and nuzzle her ear. "I'd much rather talk about you, Maddie. You're an extraordinary woman. You confront criminals, memorize an entire catalog of fish species, handle a randy old goat with ease, and have a deep passion for everything you do."
"If you don't stop paying me compliments, I might start to blush."
"Then I won't stop. I love seeing you blush." I still have my face against her cheek and ear, so I slip my tongue out to tease her lobe. "I love everything about you."
"I like you lots too," she murmurs, turning her face toward me, her lips grazing mine. "I know we agreed to wait to have sex, but the timeline was vague. 'A few days,' you said. Seems like it's been more than that."
"Are you still sore?"
"Nope."
"Then let's do it."
She grins. "Seriously?"
"Yes." I skim a hand up and down her arm. "I will make love to you, Maddie, but after breakfast. Dexter invited us to join him in the dining room this morning, remember? Besides, I need to bite that bullet and talk to Dex about his book."
"Sure, I can wait a couple more hours." She catches my bottom lip between her teeth, flicks her tongue across it, and lets it go. "You're not fooling me. You don't hate Dex's book. I know because you get a hard-on every time I read it to you."
"That's becauseyouare reading it. Your voice does that to me. I should hire you to narrate audiobooks for my company."
"No, it's you and your friends who should do that."
"Me?" I laugh. "I'd be awful at it."
She sits up, stretching and smiling. "Wouldn't it be weird if we did have narrators performing every word we say, like we're puppets? I think I saw a movie like that once. Whatever an author wrote, some guy heard it in his head like an audiobook."
"That's rubbish," I say, shaking my head while I struggle not to laugh. "You're having me on, aren't you? I sound nothing like Alex Thorne or the Dixons. And I certainly don't have an author in my head writing every word I say."
She kisses me. "Okay, no more teasing you about your voice. You're kind of sensitive about that, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not." I slide off the bed, and the cold wood floor chills my feet. "Think I'll have a shower before breakfast."
"Do we have time for that?"
"Ilsa stopped by last night while you were snoring to let us know breakfast will be served at eight o'clock. It's only half seven."
"Think I'll call my sister while you're getting clean. Rika's been texting me for days, but I ignored her." She sweeps her gaze over my entire body. "Maybe you shouldn't take a shower. I love it when you're dirty."
"Sweat-encrusted isn't sexy."
"You might have a point there." She pinches her nostrils between her thumb and forefinger while waving the other hand as if she's trying to eradicate a bad smell. "Whew, do you stink."
I latch an arm around her waist and drag her closer, then I crouch so I can plant my mouth on her belly and blow, making my lips vibrate on her skin. She giggles. I keep doing that, moving my mouth around until I find a spot that makes her shriek with laughter. Only when I notice her eyes are watering do I stop.
"Now, let's try that again," I say. "How do I smell?"
She wipes her eyes with her fingers. "That was a dirty trick."
"But you like me dirty. You just said so."
"Yep, I did."
"And the correct answer to my question is…"
She grins again. "You smell wonderful."
I slap her arse and head for the bathroom.