“She’s not my mayor, I don’t live within town limits. It’s more like I’m her panther. And how did you know about that, anyway?”
Ellie laughed, a deep and husky sound. He’d liked her upon meeting her, her and her big quiet boyfriend both. He might feel a little guilty about palming his nephew off on other people when he had offered to look after him, but he couldn’t regret getting to know more of the expansive Madsen clan.
“Oh come on. You and Macy Lang pulled up to Miss Cathy’s trailer staring at each other like a pair of moonstruck teenagers. At least, that’s the way she has it. Or are you telling me she’s a liar?”
“I like making it out of the county with my hide intact, so yeah, she’s got it.”
“Happy for you. And I’m serious about bringing her out some time. She comes with Rikki, but she’s welcome anytime. You too. Anyway, the kids are getting sleepy so—”
“Can you put him on?”
“Sure. He’s not much of a talker, but he’s right here.”
There was a shifting sound, and then Luca heard a soft and familiar breathing on the other end of the line, AJ, who, all right, wasn’t much of a talker, but didn’t have to be.
“Heya, kiddo. Sounds like you had a good day. Pretty good day for me over here too. Got to spend some of it with Macy. Macy, you want to say hello?”
If Macy thought it was weird to say hello to a kid who most likely wouldn’t be saying hello back, she didn’t show it at all, taking the phone from him with an assured hand.
“Hey, honey! I hope the Madsens are taking good care of you and that you’re having fun. With any luck, we’ll catch our snake tonight, and you can have your uncle back. Sweet dreams, AJ.”
She handed the phone back to him, and Luca got an unexpected knot in his throat at the warm look on her face.
“Yeah,” he said, his voice a little rougher than it had been. “Night, AJ. Sleep well. I’ll see you in the morning.”
A soft sigh, and then Ellie took back the phone. They arranged for him to come back out to pick up AJ around nine the next day, and after the call ended, he leaned over to pull Macy back into his arms.
“You’re gorgeous,” he said. “Marry me.”
She laughed.
“Betty-Anne gets back in on Tuesday. But you know what? Yeah. Let’s do it.”
He pulled back, examining her face closely. She was smiling, and God, but this woman could smile, but there was no hint of a joke in her eyes.
“You mean it?”
She exhaled, a soft low sound, and then nodded.
“I do.”
He couldn’t stop himself. He dragged her more fully on top of him where he sat on the couch, and then he was kissing her. It was like pouring pure fire into his veins, ike throwing himself from some high place knowing that wherever he landed, he would be fine. It was exhilarating, and that was before she closed her hand in his hair, tugging gently, and then harder to deepen the kiss.
“Oh, you’re good, you’re so good,” she murmured against his mouth, and he turned to press her back to the couch, his mouth roving from her lips to her throat. She had on a sleeveless button-down shirt, and the first two buttons seemed to melt away for him, leaving the pale expanse of the skin below deliciously bare.
“Let me kiss you,” he realized he was saying. “Let me put my mouth on you, let me have you.”
“Yes, yes, please.”
He leaned up slightly, kissing her throat and then the skin below as he worked at her buttons. In a moment, her shirt had opened like wings, leaving her bare to the waist except for herbra, and he stopped for a moment to stare at the emerald-green satin number she was wearing.
“You like it?” she asked, a trifle nervously.
“Gorgeous, and the bra’s not bad either,” he said, getting a laugh for his joke. Christ, if he could make her laugh, if he could only make her laugh, that would be enough, but now she was tugging the tail of his shirt from his jeans, running her warm hands up his bare sides. He shivered, took it for a moment, and then pinned her hands down by her sides.
“Let me,” he pleaded. “I want to touch you, please.”
“And you can’t if I’m touching you?”
