“What the fuck!” Addison said. Turning over, she quickly sat up and gave Fiona a view neither of them would soon forget. “Jesus Christ,” Addison growled, tugging with all her might to free the sheet trapped under her body to cover herself. “What the hell are you doing?”

Joanna looked at Addison and immediately grinned. She had the worst case of bedhead Joanna had ever seen, and her indignant expression caused Joanna’s eyes to twinkle. “Addison, please,” she whispered. “It’s okay. I was the one who told her to come in. She’s done nothing wrong. I’ll handle it.”

Addison wanted to be angry. Actually, she really wanted to be angry, but the gaiety in Joanna’s eyes had acted like a wet blanket, extinguishing Addison’s temper in an instant. Resigned to once again giving up control, Addison sighed. “All right. She’s all yours.”

“Good,” Joanna said, giving Addison a wink. Turning back to Fiona, who now was busily picking up shattered pieces of china and coffee-soaked slices of bread, Joanna said, “It’s okay, Fiona. I’ll do that.”

“Oh...um...no, miss...I made the mess and—”

“I think in this instance we can forget about decorum, don’t you?”

Fiona raised her eyes and saw Joanna smiling back at her. “Miss?”

Joanna fought the urge to laugh when she saw the depth of the scarlet coloring Fiona’s cheeks. “What I’m saying is I think you’ve seen enough, and since it’s obvious Addison and I aren’t wearing any clothes, perhaps it’s best you return to the kitchen and put on another pot of coffee. And if you don’t mind, please take Chauncey with you. He needs to go out.”

Fiona got to her feet. “Yes, miss. Right away,” she said as she snapped her fingers to get the pup’s attention. Instantly springing to his feet, Chauncey darted past Fiona and scampered down the hall, and as Fiona reached for the door knob, she glanced at Joanna. “Thank you, miss.”

“You’re quite welcome.”

Joanna waited for the door to latch before looking back at Addison, and when she saw the woman’s mortified expression, Joanna began to chuckle. “Are you all right? It’s not like they wouldn’t have found out eventually, you know?”

“Yes, well, it’s one thing for them to figure it out,” Addison said, still tugging at part of the sheet lodged under Joanna’s bum. “But it’s quite another to be found starkers. Don’t you think?”

Joanna’s amusement overflowed immediately, and reduced to a fit of irrepressible giggles, she continued until her sides began to hurt.