Page 42 of Mad Love

“Eavesdropping?”

“Guilty,” I admit with a sheepish grin. “The women they’ve dated want more time and attention. I thought maybe my cousins and my friends are in the wrong, but observing how they interact with them, that’s not the case. They are very attentive men.”

Holding on tight to the satin sheet with one hand and the mug with the other, I rise from my chair.

“I don’t want to be a source of frustration for any man. My oddities are enough to aggravate one.”

Before he can answer, I pad over to the sink and set my mug in it. Then I return for his.

“Are you done? Can I put it away for you?”

He nods, and I reach for his mug on the coaster on the windowsill. My hair falls forward, and thick fingers weave in and out of the inky strands.

“I find your oddities fascinating, Blaise.”

“Maybe in the beginning.” I straighten and walk over to the sink, setting his mug next to mine. “Later on, they’ll stop fascinating you.”

“Like you, I’m not a fan of black clothing. I prefer colors in my wardrobe. The insomniac thing mirrors mine. We should spend a day sleeping and the night clubbing. As for silk and satin, they are my new favorite fabrics.”

Catching his reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window, I take my seat, letting the satin fall off my shoulders and around my elbows, giving Maddox a glimpse of my cleavage. He stares at the hint of skin and licks his lips. I hold back my smile. Can I give what he suggested a try? Could he and I sleep all day and party the night away, clubbing and just living life without a care in the world?

“Does anything help you sleep?” I return us to the topic at hand, the idea of sweaty bodies rubbing against mine on the dance floor upping my heart rate.

“A swim.”

Another thing we have in common, and I like that a lot.

“A swim helps me too. There’s a pool in my Montana home.”

“I saw.”

“I miss my pool.”

“I bet you do. You went for a swim yet you’re up in the middle of the night. Swimming must not be as effective. Something else might work better for you.”

His gaze is heated, and I concentrate on his choice of words rather than the ache between my legs.

“We’re up in the middle of the morning,” I clarify.

“Toe-mae-toe, toe-ma-toe.”

I smile. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” He smiles back.

“You didn’t go for a swim when you returned here?”

“With as much action as I got last night, I figured I’d sleep until the afternoon.”

“Got that much tail?” I ask.

“Tail?”

“Isn’t that what the guys say when they’ve gotten laid?”

“Gotten laid?” His smile widens. “Been around guys much, Blaise?”

“Well, did you?”

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