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I hear his footsteps on the stairs, but he manages to hold me so I don't bounce at all or fall out of his arms. Wow, he's got skills. Is that the right word? Not sure. Skills. The word sounds weird, like it's not actually a word after all.
When he lays me down on the bed, I moan and cuddle up with the pillow.
And I fall asleep.
Chapter Fourteen
Richard
Madeleine Solberg got plastered tonight. I wonder if she's never done that before since she seemed rather…surprised by the feeling. She's always wonderful to be with, but seeing her like this, I can't help being charmed by her drunken antics. She's lying on the bed, on top of the covers, still drowned in layers of Victorian clothing. I can't leave her like that, can I? This house does seem to have air conditioning, but still, she might get overheated with all that fabric suffocating her.
Yes, that's the reason I decide to undress her. For her health.
I behave like a perfect gentleman and do not stare at her naked body.
Well, not for more than ten seconds.
Once I've got her settled, I undress and join her in the large four-poster bed. The sheets feel so silky that I wonder if they are silk. Dexter clearly has money, lots of it, based on this enormous house and the fact he owns the entire island. The man did win the Nobel Prize for Literature, though that happened decades ago. His novels continue to sell, so I have no doubts he earned most, if not all, of his obvious wealth. Did he inherit more? Invest brilliantly? I have no idea, but it doesn't matter.
For an hour, I slog through Dexter's new novel. When my eyes get so dry that they start to burn, I give up and crawl under the covers with Maddie. I fall asleep while thinking about her, what we're doing together, how I might feel when it all ends. Does it need to end? I hardly know her, but I already want to spend more than two weeks with the clever, enchanting woman in the blue bikini.
When I wake up in the morning, Maddie is still sleeping, lying on her side facing me. Her mouth has fallen open. Saliva dribbles from the corner of it while she snores like a snorting pig. Even that enchants me. She's so…lovable, in every way.
Never in my life have I become enamored of a woman I've known for a few days, but I love the way it feels to let go of my inhibitions, forget about work, and do whatever the bloody hell I want. It's reckless and selfish, but I don't care.
Today, I plan to have fun with Maddie. Nothing else. Just fun.
Lying on my side, I watch her sleep. She stops snoring, though her mouth still gapes open. I'd love to kiss her, but I won't disturb her after the night she had. Did she get drunk as a ploy to convince Dexter to tell me about his book? I wondered about that last night. She'd been a touch tipsy before then, but when Dex got cagey about the book, Maddie volunteered to pour cognac down her throat. I suspect she doesn't drink much as a rule, but last night, she made an exception.
Why? Part of me wants to believe she did it for my sake.
Maddie sighs and closes her mouth. Her body moves under the covers like she's trying to stretch but hasn't woken up enough to do that. When she yawns and shrugs her shoulders, the sheet slips off them. But when she rolls onto her back and stretches her entire body, arching her spine, the sheet slides down to her waist.
I get a spectacular view of her tits.
"Good morning," I say. "Sleep well? You must've done since you passed out the second I set you down on the bed and haven't opened your eyes since."
"Mm, I did sleep good." She yawns again, bigger than the first time, and aims her beautiful eyes at me. "Good morning, Rick."
I move to kiss her.
She throws a hand up between our mouths. "I haven't brushed my teeth yet."
"Don't care."
"I do. Morning breath is not attractive, especially when it's coupled with a bender the previous night." She winces. "I acted like a total goofball, didn't I? Ugh. But at least Dexter gave you his book. Have you read it yet?"
"Started on it, yes. How much do you remember about last night?"
"All of it. I wasn't totally wasted." She rubs her eyes with the heels of her hands, then looks at me. "Sorry I acted like such an idiot. I was trying to help you."
"It's all right. You were not an idiot. Quite the contrary. You were the most charming drunk I've ever seen." I kiss her cheek. "And the sexiest."
She licks her lips, grimaces, and wipes her mouth with the sheet. "God, can this get any more embarrassing? I drooled, didn't it?"
"Only while you were asleep."
"Well, I guess that's something to be thankful for." She glances around like she's looking for something until her gaze lands on the old-fashioned wind-up clock on the bedside table. Her eyes go wide. "Is that really the time?"
