"No." She snorted. "A little hot, actually."
“You’re welcome.” Then, after a minute, I said, "It's almost seven."
She peeked at the clock on the nightstand. "Ugh."
"Do you want to shower before me?"
Turning her head and blinking up at me, she pulled my face down for a kiss. "I'd like to shower together, but I don't think that would be a good idea."
With a wolfish grin, I looked down at her. "Why not?"
"You can't keep your hands to yourself, and I'm exhausted."
Fuck, I overdid it in my eagerness to be inside her. "I wore you out, didn't I?"
"It's okay."
"No, I—"
"Burke." With her fingertips over my lips, she silenced me. "I wouldn't trade the past twelve hours for a week of sleep, and I'm not complaining. Stop worrying."
In response, I covered her mouth with mine, briefly wishing I could spend the day in bed with her.
I showered first, pulling my hair up in a bun afterward so I didn't have to worry about drying it. While Burke showered, I dressed for the day, thinking that moving into his bedroom had been a fantastic idea. His bathroom was spacious and his shower was massive. I didn't even know what to do with all the sprayers and knobs, but it didn't matter. It was a luxury.
One day, I'd love for Burke to take me in the shower, but it wouldn't be that morning. Though I'd fed Finn in the middle of the night, I missed him. Heading out and down to the next room, I opened the door quietly so I didn't disturb him and found Maddie in the rocking chair, stroking his forehead and singing softly.
"Maddie," I whispered.
Maddie looked up with a small smile. "Good morning."
I moved into the room and sat in the armchair, seeing that Finn slept in Maddie's arms. "You want children, don't you, sweetie?"
"You caught me."
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate you keeping him overnight."
"Oh, please, Kinsley, I loved it." Maddie tried to hide a grin but failed. "I hope you got thoroughly fucked."
I blushed, a laugh escaping me unbidden. "Um, yes."
"Yes!" Maddie glanced at Finn to be certain she hadn't disturbed him.
"It was amazing. Dinner was great, and he was relaxed and sweet the whole time. I think it's safe to say we've crossed into new territory in our relationship."
"Aw. Did he say the L word?"
Cocking my head, I frowned. "No."
Maddie responded quickly. "Oh, well, I'm sure he will when he feels more comfortable."
"I'm sure you're right."
The thought stayed with me for the rest of the day. I'd never said it, either, but I couldn't fathom telling him if he wasn't going to say it back. It would mortify me if he responded with something such as I know or thanks. I wasn’t even certain he was capable of loving me, only possessing me.
Burke sat in the dining room when I entered, and we had a pleasant breakfast. He read the paper and drank too much coffee, but he was funny and teasing. I knew he had business to tend to, and it didn't surprise me when he left the table before I did. Maddie came down with Finn and stayed until Caden arrived. When the two of them started making out, I took the baby upstairs to give them some privacy. I felt close to Maddie, and wanted to see her happy. Hopefully, she would find lasting love with Caden, and they could build the family Maddie clearly wanted. Maybe I could have a sister of sorts, one who understood the ramifications of loving a member of the mafia.
Lunch was a solitary affair, and I wondered if Burke had too much on his schedule to join me because there was a problem, or if it was routine. Always at the back of my mind was the stress of something going wrong. His safety was a top priority for me, but so was mine and our son's.
