After removing my suit, I join her in the bathroom and watch her eyes crawl over my chest. “See something you like?”
“Maybe.” She turns on the water. “Do you find this whole ‘domestic bliss’ thing as strange as I do?”
“I suppose.” I lean against the counter. “Nothing in life prepares you for standing beside someone and brushing your teeth, so it seems reasonable that it will take some time.”
“I wonder exactly how much time.”
I watch her brush her teeth and rinse. “I’m getting used to it,” I admit, surprising even myself with the honesty. “You know, I’ve never shared space with anyone. Not like this.”
Her hand hesitates as she picks up a towel. “Well,” she says softly, “at least we’re both flying blind.”
The moment lingers, heavy with unspoken truths, before she breaks it with a laugh. “Two clueless people trying to figure it out. What could go wrong?”
“Plenty,” I reply, picking up my toothbrush. “But you like a challenge, don’t you?”
She doesn’t answer, but the faint smile on her lips speaks volumes.
Her hair falls over one shoulder, and I lean closer, studying her closely. “You’ve got toothpaste on your nose,” I say, my voice completely deadpan.
She pauses, her eyes narrowing at me in the mirror. “No, I don’t.”
“You do,” I insist.
Her gaze flicks to her reflection, and when she realizes I’m messing with her, she flicks water at me.
I retaliate without thinking, swiping a dab of toothpaste onto my finger and smudging it onto her nose.
“Max!” she yelps, swatting at me, but there’s laughter in her voice.
“Hold still,” I say, catching her wrist and wiping off the small smudge.
“Payback, Max. It’s never what you expect.”
“I look forward to it.” She flicks her hair in my direction and saunters out of the room with a promising sway in her gorgeous hips.
When I return to the bedroom, I notice she has the covers pulled up to her nose.
Strange.
I mentally shrug it off. As long as she’s in bed with me, who cares what she does.
I lift the covers and notice a whole lot of gorgeous naked flesh. Seems my wife is more open to domestic bliss than she’s been letting on.
I keep my expression neutral, slide beneath the sheets, and flick off the lights. Only the low lights in the alcove illuminate the room. “It’s been a long day.” I lean over and kiss her forehead. “Good night, sweetheart.”
I hear a small huff as I adjust my pillows. “Something wrong?”
“No.”
She adjusts her pillows and gives me an impressive eye roll before sliding one of her freezing feet along my leg. I bite back a curse despite the fact I should be used to it now.
I lift my arm and pull her to my side. “I better keep you warm; otherwise, I’ll risk hypothermia.”
“How chivalrous of you.” She looks up and bats her eyes. “My very own personal heater.”
“I want my wife to be happy.”
“Really?”