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"I need a shower too. Let's save time by doing that together."
"Oh great. Like I'll get clean if we shower together."
"You have my solemn word that I will not shag you."
She's clutching a pile of clothes to her chest, but when she looks at me, she isn't as manic as she was a minute ago. "Okay, fine. We'll take a shower together." She manages to wag a finger at me while still clutching her clothes in both arms. "No sex, Rick. None whatsoever."
"I promise."
And I fulfill that vow. The shower is so large that we could stand five feet apart and still have room left. We don't stand that far apart, but I do keep my hands off her. While she blow-dries her hair and does whatever else women do to prepare for the day, I get dressed and print out the contract. I also arrange for a flight home for me and Maddie. We'll fly to the UK later today.
I order breakfast too, making sure to order enough that Ilsa and Dexter can have some, in case they haven't eaten yet.
Maddie emerges from the bathroom just as someone knocks on the door.
The second I open the door, Dexter throws his arms around me. He thumps both hands on my back repeatedly. "Wonderful news, Rick, wonderful news."
"What is?"
He releases me but keeps his hands on my shoulders. "The contract, of course. What else? You're the perfect man to publish my books." He tips his head in Maddie's direction. "I knew your excellent taste in women meant you have excellent taste overall."
Dexter hugs Maddie too, and Ilsa kisses my cheek. She hugs Maddie, but not as boisterously as Dex had done.
He signs the contract before we eat, then we all enjoy a meal together while we exchange jokes and talk about Dexter's new books. Once the food is gone, Maddie and I tell him how much we love the stories, and I comment on the differences between these books and his old ones, particularly the family element.
Dexter slips an arm around Ilsa's shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. His expression becomes softer, full of genuine affection. "Family means even more to me today than it did in the old days. I had a son with my second wife, but we've grown apart. We still talk, but we're not especially close. When Ilsa came into my life, everything changed."
Ilsa gazes at him with a tender smile curving her lips.
He kisses her forehead. "Ilsa is my daughter. I never knew about her until five years ago when she sought me out. I'd had a fling with her mother, after my first wife divorced me but before I married my second wife. I never saw Greta again after our one night together, and she never let me know I have a child." He kisses Ilsa's cheek. "My daughter is the light of my life, and the inspiration for the family saga I've written."
"You wrote all these books since you met Ilsa?" I ask.
"That's right. I was inspired." He stands up, and so does Ilsa. "Time for us to go home. Thank you, Richard, for agreeing to publish these books. I wish everyone could experience the kind of joy Ilsa has brought me, and I hope these books will accomplish that in some small way."
"You should come to the UK sometime. For a visit, not publicity."
"What a smashing idea. Ilsa and I would love that."
Ilsa lays a hand on her chest, feigning a shocked expression. "Richard, you've performed a miracle. You have cured my father of his misanthropic ways."
"Don't exaggerate, love," Dexter tells her. "I don't hate all people. Only publishers and literary agents." He slaps my arm. "Present company excluded."
We all say goodbye—and it's time for me and Maddie to go home. Will she want to stay for long? I have no idea, but I plan to do whatever I can to convince her to stay forever.
On the long journey back to the UK, we talk about everything except our feelings for each other. The need to tell her how much she means to me grows inside me, the pressure urging me to confess. But there's a certain someone she's going to meet tomorrow, and I haven't told her about him yet, so I'll hold off on confessing my feelings until I see how she reacts to Nick. I should warn her about my brother, but I'm too busy enjoying these last hours of solitude with Maddie. Though it will be early evening when we arrive in the UK, we both need to sleep before I introduce her to everyone. We'll drive to my home in Colchester to rest up, then tomorrow, the throng will descend—my family, her sister, the Dixons, and whoever else they invite.
Can I handle it if Maddie takes one look at my brother and decides he's more exciting than I am? I can't believe she will, but my brother knows how to charm women, and they always love his career choice.
Tomorrow, I'll find out if she wants only my face and my voice, or if what she feels for me is really about me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Maddie
I don't feel jet-lagged this morning, but then, sleeping with Richard Hunter always makes me feel relaxed and refreshed. After our whirlwind romance and our whirlwind trip to the UK, plus our whirlwind drive from London to Colchester, I'd needed lots of rest. Most people sleep on the plane, but we talked instead. So yeah, I conked out the second my head hit the pillow. I slept for twelve hours.
This morning, I'm lying in Rick's bed while he snores this time. He looks so adorable spread out on his tummy, with his head turned to the side, his mouth open, and his hair a mess. He's naked too. So am I. We didn't have sex last night, though. We undressed and collapsed onto the bed, too exhausted to bother digging through our bags to find our sleeping clothes.
