“Always with the work,” he said, exasperated. “I’m proposing a bill requiring one night a week with no work, no commitments, no obligations, just you and me. We’ll call it the Cappuano-Holland To Hell With Work Law.” He kissed her. “All those in favor?”

“Mmm,” she said against his lips. “Me. Definitely in favor. Holland-Cappuano has a better ring, though.”

He smiled. “Passed. Unanimously.” Framing her face with his hands, he delved deeper, teasing with his tongue. “Speaking of rings, you know what sounds even better? Cappuano-Cappuano.”

Taken aback, Sam stared at him.

“Someday?” he asked with a hopeful, sheepish grin that made her melt.

“Maybe,” she stammered. “Someday. But I’m not changing my name.”

“Mmm. Progress.” His pleasure came through in a deep, passionate kiss.

Her cell phone interrupted them.

She pulled back from him to reach for it.

“We have a law!”

“Sorry,” she said. “I really need to take this. Holland.”

“Hey, it’s Conklin.”

Sam held her breath. “What’s up?”

“I just now got out of the deliberations.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, to call it heated would be an understatement. The suspension was reduced to two days unpaid, effective immediately. That was the best I could do.”

She could live with that. Swallowing hard, she said, “And the other?”

“We’re meeting again in the morning to discuss it.”

Her heart sank. “What’s the hang up?”

“Andrews wanted to think on it overnight.”

Sam kept an eye on Nick as he checked the pots on the stove. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. He’s a reasonable guy. You’re going to need to watch out for Stahl, though. He really has it in for you. The two-day suspension infuriated him.”

“Well, thanks for letting me know.”

“I’ll call you as soon as I have more.”

Sam ended the call and clutched the phone to her chest. Her heart raced with anxiety. And then Nick turned and smiled, chasing away her worries.

“Everything okay, babe?”

“Everything’s just fine,” she said, surprised to realize it was true. Everything was fine as long as she had him. He was indeed so totally worth it. She sent him a saucy grin. “You know that bill we passed before?”

He popped a bite of carrot from the salad into his mouth. “Yep.”

“Can we make it effective as of tonight?”

“Absolutely.”

She held out her arms to him. “To hell with work.”

Sam woke up the next morning to the feel of Nick’s lips laying a path up her back. Keeping her eyes closed, she wallowed in the sensation until she remembered the suspension.

“Why’d you just get all tense on me?”

“No reason,” she said, not ready to leave the bubble they’d been in since the night before.

“You need to get going. You’re going to be late.”

“I’m working from home today.”

“How come?”