“Do you surrender to me?”
“Never,” he taunted.
Fire glowed in her eyes. “Never? We shall have to see about that.”
Sin picked her up and tossed her gently to the bed. He grinned triumphantly, then turned his back.
She launched herself from the bed and wrapped herself around his waist, piggy-back style.
Sin was laughing even harder as the door to their room opened.
They both froze to see her maid standing in the doorway, her eyes bulging at the sight of Sin wearing nothing but his breeches while Callie was draped over his back with her shapely legs bare and wrapped around his waist. Feathers were still hanging in the air and unless he missed his guess, both of them had feathers in their hair.
Braden glanced into the room as he walked past outside. Then he returned to stand behind the maid and eye them curiously. “Should I ask?”
Callie buried her head against his neck and howled with laughter. Trying to look casual and normal, Sin shifted his weight and cleared his throat. “You see something unusual about a man waking with his wife?”
Braden exchanged a puzzled frown with the maid.
“I’ll be back later.” The maid backed out of the room and shutting the door.
Callie slid slowly down his back. But she didn’t release him. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his bare shoulder blade. “Good morning, Sin.” The cheer in her voice astounded him.
Sin glanced at her over his shoulder. “Shall I ask now what brought on the pillow madness?”
“I was angry with you.”
“For what?”
“Sleeping on the floor again. What is it with you and the floor? Most women have to fear their husbands are in the bed of another. Me, ‘tis the hearth I envy.”
Callie saw the wave of seriousness descend over his face. She narrowed her gaze at him. “Don’t you dare.”
“Dare what?”
“Turn those serious eyes on me, Sin, or else I’ll bash you with my pillow again.”
An astonished look replaced the sternness. “You’ve gone daft on me, haven’t you?”
“Not daft. But definitely in the mood to do harm to you if needs be. I am proclaiming this Fun Day. There will be no earnestness today. No moodiness or brooding.”
Sin stared at her in disbelief. “You’re serious?”
“Quite. For every stern look I see, I shall punish you for it.”
He arched his brow at that. “Punish me how?”
“In ways you’ve never been punished before. With pranks and tricks guaranteed to make you want to strangle me.”
He smiled in spite of himself.
“See. It’s easy to smile and make merry.”
How he wished he could do as she asked. Spending the day with her would be wonderful indeed. But he had duties to attend. “I have a rebel to find.”
“Then you can look until you go blind from it, but you’ll enjoy this search or else I shall tickle you until you beg me for mercy.”
The woman was insane. And yet he liked it. She reached up and brushed feathers out of his hair. “My first rule of business today is to make you wear something other than your armor.”
