“Yep. It is. And if you apologize for that, then I have to apologize for this.” I touched a scratch on his chest. “And this.” A bruise on his bicep. “And I don’t even want to see your back.”

“It’s fine.” He rolled over and pulled me on top of him. “The acceptance of an apology would imply that one was required, which would imply that I would prefer no repeat of the circumstances that led to it. So I strongly reject any apology you might feel obliged to give.”

“Ditto.”

He relaxed and closed his eyes, and I touched his hair, still damp with sweat, and then tickled his neck, and he lay there, calm, eyes closed, lips curved as he enjoyed the attention.

Then my phone rang.

“It’s too far for me to reach,” I said. “Would you mind throwing that against the wall for me?”

He opened one eye. The phone continued to ring. Neither of us moved to get it, but when it stopped, I sighed and said, “I suppose we’ve had as much of a rest as we’re going to get.”

“It was a good rest. If not terribly restful.”

I laughed. “Agreed.”

Gabriel stretched under me. “I’m not intending to return Detective Fahy’s call, but I do need to speak to Rose and Patrick, to see if Seanna has made contact. If you and Ricky want to handle Ioan, that might be a better division of efforts. I’ll retrieve Pamela’s file from the office and we can take that to Cainsville to discuss, in connection with your vision at the fun house.”

“You have very kissable lips.”

He laughed.

“Yes,” I said. “You were talking. It was important. I shouldn’t get distracted. But they’re distracting. Have been for a while, which was very awkward. You’d be saying something important, and I’d be watching your lips and trying very hard not to think what it’d be like to stop you talking. For a minute. Or ten. So now I’m just going to randomly say that when the thought strikes.”

He smiled and shook his head, in that way that said he suspected I was teasing him. “You do realize you’re playing a dangerous game, stroking an ego that doesn’t need the attention.”

“Oh, I think it’ll be fine.” I slid my hands behind his head and leaned down to kiss him. His arms went around me and the kiss deepened, hands moving across bare skin, stroking, caressing, exploring.

“I’d better take it down a notch,” I murmured between kisses. “I don’t think you’ll be up to…Oh, wait. Maybe? Mmm, yes. My mistake. Carry on.”

PHONE ISSUES