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"No, but I was less interested in what she said than the way she said it."
I twist sideways in my chair to aim a sarcastically offended look at him. "Are you trying to make time with my baby sister?"
"Rika is lovely, but no." He smiles, and it's a mixture of sarcasm and smugness. "She sounds an awful lot like you. That's what I meant."
"Oh, I get it. This is your revenge for what I said about how your voice sounds a lot like Alex, the Dixons, and Dexter."
"I believe you said all Brits have the same smooth voices, and you suggested I have some bloke in my head telling me what to say."
"No, you suggested all you Brits' voices are narrated by one man. I mentioned that movie about a guy who hears a writer's words in his head."
"Hmm." He bends one knee to rest his arm on it, regarding me with a devious glint in his eyes. "Not only do you sound very much like Rika, but you both have voices quite like Elena's and Arden's. Maybe you lot have one woman narrating for you."
"Don't be ridiculous. I sound nothing like Elena or Arden."
"I see. There's a double standard, eh? I'm shocked at your lack of scientific rigor in this matter."
He's smirking now, and I'm such a sucker for this guy that I love his sarcastic smile and his silly attempt to convince me that I sound like Elena and Arden, the wives of Chance and Reese Dixon. I'm right about his voice, but he is absolutely wrong about mine. Am I applying a double standard here? No, never, not me. Okay,maybeI am.
Rick rubs his chin like he's giving his idea serious thought. "Maybe I should run a two-arm parallel assignment to prove my point."
"Do you even remember what that means?"
His mouth slides into a sexy grin. "Not a fucking clue."
I roll my eyes to emphasize the sarcasm in my tone. "Oh, now that'sveryscientific."
Rick watches me for a moment without speaking, and all the humor vacates his expression.
"Are you okay?" I ask. "I was just teasing you."
"I'm not offended." He bows his head. "I want to tell you something, but I'm afraid it might sound insane."
"You can tell me anything."
He swallows hard enough that I can see his Adam's apple jumping. Then he licks his lips but in a nervous way instead of a sexy one. Finally, he shoves a hand into his hair and clears his throat, his gaze aimed straight into mine. "I love you, Maddie."
"I love you too." The words pour out of me before I realize what I'm about to say. Once I've spoken those four syllables, I can't believe I've said them. But I'm not embarrassed or freaked out by it. I meant those words. I love Richard Hunter.
"You do?" he asks, sounding baffled. "We've known each other for not quite two weeks. I assumed you'd think I'm barmy if I told you how I feel."
"I don't think that. And I didn't fully understand how I feel until you said that, then I couldn't stop myself from saying it back. I know this thing between us happened fast, but I also know it's real. I love you, Rick."
He rises to his knees and leans in to kiss me.
By the time he's done doing that, I feel warm and soft and blissfully satisfied.
"Have you decided about that job in Atlanta?" he asks.
"Oh yeah. Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I texted Naveen yesterday morning while you were still asleep and told him I appreciate the offer but it's not right for me."
"What did he say?"
"That he understands, and he wishes me well."
"So, what will you do now?"
"Don't know. I'll figure that out later." I lay a hand on his cheek. "Today, I just want to have fun with you and your friends and your family. Speaking of family, when do I get to meet the mysterious Nick?"
