“What was that you said? I can’t hear from all the noise your blowtorch is making as it tries to thaw me out.”

Growling, he turned her onto her back and settled into the V of her legs, one of his favorite places to be. The nightgown was now hitched up around her hips, and he was delighted to realize his lovely wife hadn’t worn panties to bed. How convenient for the kind of defrosting he had in mind. “You’re very sassy these days, my love.”

“You like me that way.”

He kissed her sweet lips. “I like you every way, but I don’t want you going near those strippers.”

“Mac?”

“What?”

“Shut up and make love to me before I change my mind about forgiving you.”

Never one to have to be told twice, Mac did as directed, entering her in one smooth stroke that took his breath away. God, he loved her. He loved being inside her. He loved laughing with her and raising their beautiful kids with her. He loved every minute he spent with her, even when she was pushing his buttons, which was most of the time.

“No strippers near my gorgeous wife,” he whispered.

She responded by tightening her internal muscles and nearly finishing him off.

“That was dirty.”

“I can fight dirty when need be.”

“As long as you’re only fighting dirty with me, that’s fine.”

Running her hands down his back, she grasped his ass and squeezed.

He captured her mouth in a ravenous kiss. She made him crazy every time she touched him. Hell, she made him crazy every time she walked into a room and looked at him with those golden eyes. The thought of her looking at—or, God forbid, touching—any other guy made him positively feral.

When he was fully seated inside her, he said, “I’m not letting you come until you promise me you won’t even look at those strippers.”

She shocked the shit out of him when she ran her hand down the front of her body to tease her clit, brushing up against his cock in the process.

He could feel her smile against his lips.

“Damn it, Madeline. You’re making me mad.”

“Seems to me I’m making you harder.”

“That, too.”

She laughed, and he couldn’t help but smile at how cute she could be—even when pushing buttons.

“Your sister is right about you.”

“What does that mean?” he asked indignantly.

“You’re a bossy pain in the ass.”

He slid his hands under her and pinched her butt. “This family would fall apart without my steadfast leadership.”

“You’ve really sold yourself a bill of goods, haven’t you?”