“Awww, baby,” Grace said. “No one has ever treated you better than I do.”

“Most of the time, that’s very true. Today? Not so much.”

Grace covered her mouth but couldn’t hide her laughter.

“It’s very inappropriate of you to laugh in my face, my love.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“You are not!”

The laughter and joking continued until everyone began to leave when the kids started getting cranky. As they did every night, Mac and Maddie worked together to get their kids bathed and into bed. Stories were told, night-lights illuminated and kisses were given to sweet-smelling cheeks.

They left Thomas’s room and propped the door open so they could hear him if he got up in the night.

Mac put the gate across the top of the stairs just in case Thomas went wandering. Exhausted after the long day and a little buzzed from the beer he’d consumed, Mac went into the bedroom, where Maddie was applying lotion to her arms as she sat up in bed. She wore one of the sexy silk nightgowns he bought her for every occasion. They were more for him than her because he loved how she looked in them.

He took a quick shower, shaved the stubble off his face and emerged from the bathroom to a dark bedroom, which was unusual. Maddie usually waited for him to come to bed before turning off the light. The sheets were cool against his naked skin, but he found the heat when he curled up to her.

“Nice time tonight, hon. Thanks for letting the family invade.”

“Mmm, it was fun.”

He slid his hand from her flat belly to the valley between her spectacular breasts. The rest of his body reacted predictably to her closeness, her scent, her sexy curves. Mac pressed his erection against her ass and kissed the back of her shoulder.

A soft snore from his wife was like a bucket of cold water on his plans. “Maddie,” he said softly. Cupping her breast, he ran his thumb over her nipple until it stood up.

Her breathing changed before she turned over, dislodging his hand and nearly unmanning him with her knee.

“Oh, sorry,” she murmured sleepily. “Did I hurt your blowtorch?”

“Oh my God! You were faking?”

She began to laugh and couldn’t stop. “You’ve got some defrosting to do, Mr. McCarthy. I can’t make it too easy on you.”

With his hand on her ass, he tugged her in tight against him. “I know how to defrost you, Mrs. McCarthy.”

“You really are an awful blowhard, Mac.”

“You can blow me hard any time you want.”

She slapped his shoulder but rocked with silent laughter. “It’s a good thing I love you so much, or I’d have to do something about your out-of-control ego.”

“My ego is very healthy, thank you very much. And you’re not going anywhere near male strippers, you hear me?”