swallow a laugh. No good. He cackled with glee until Toni gave him her death stare, and he stiffened, releasing an occasional snort as he tried to contain his mirth.
“I don’t think that’s how it goes,” he said. “I’ve seen the movie dozens of times.”
“The book is better,” Birdie said wisely.
“I don’t recall a chicken or a Mr. Featherface,” Logan said.
“Mr. Featherface is our rooster,” Birdie said.
“You have a rooster?”
Toni nodded. “They’re kind of necessary on a chicken farm.”
“I still can’t picture you as a chicken farmer,” Logan said, shaking his head at her. “Do you wear overalls?”
She laughed. “On occasion. Actually, Birdie is in charge of the chickens. Isn’t that right, Buttercup?”
“Yep!” The chirp came loudly out of the phone’s speaker.
“So your rooster plays the part of Inigo?” Logan asked.
“Yep. I’m Princess Buttercup and my dog Jonesy is Prince Hump-and-stink,” Birdie said. “And Toni is Tozinni.”
Logan lifted his brows at her. “Tozinni?”
“Vizzini, the mad Sicilian,” she clarified. “There aren’t many female characters in the book.”
“Do the funnest part, Tozinni!”
Oh, what the hell. If Logan could handle her many quirks, surely he could tolerate her reinventing parts of a book to keep herself entertained as she reread it for the billionth time.
“Do you know that sound, Highness?” Toni asked with a lisp that rivaled Daffy Duck’s. “It’s the shrieking peels.”
“Shrieking banana peels!” Birdie yelled. “They’re going to attack the princess. Oh help. Help meeeeee!”
“Inconceivable,” Logan said, shaking his head grimly.
Birdie giggled, and Toni couldn’t help but laugh with her.
“Your five minutes are up,” Mom said, taking the phone from Birdie.
“But, Mom . . .”
“I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon, Buttercup,” Toni said.
“We’re going to the dunes tomorrow,” Logan reminded her.
Toni wasn’t sure if she’d like racing dune buggies through the desert, but Logan was keen on getting her involved in all his insane hobbies.
“Make that tomorrow night,” Toni amended, smiling when Birdie’s face came back on screen.
“I miss you so much,” Birdie said, her eyes watery with tears.
Toni blinked back a few tears of her own. “I miss you too. Good night, Buttercup.”
“Good night, Princess,” Logan said. Toni turned the screen in his direction so Birdie could catch his wave.
“Will you be Westley next time?” Birdie asked him. “Please!”
Logan bowed his head graciously. “As you wish.”
Birdie was still grinning when Mom disconnected the call.
“Thanks for humoring her,” Toni said, setting the phone aside. “She’ll love you forever.”
“It’s hard not to love her in return.”
Toni smiled. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“And it’s impossible not to love you.”
Toni’s heart thudded as their eyes met. “I know exactly what you mean,” she whispered.
Logan grinned. “I like this newfound confidence in you.”
“Huh?” It eventually dawned on her that he thought she meant it was impossible not to love her. She still had a hard time accepting that he did, so she wasn’t yet capable of bragging about it. “I meant it’s impossible not to love you.”
He shrugged, looking devilishly irresistible as usual. “Improbable, maybe, but not inconceivable,” he said with a pronounced lisp.
She smacked him in the face with a pillow, and he tackled her to the sofa. He kissed her, chasing all teasing thoughts from her mind and replacing them with X-rated versions. He shifted his hips between her legs, and she could feel him hardening and lengthening through his jeans and her shorts. He pulled her glasses off and set them on the coffee table. He was close enough that his gorgeous face appeared perfectly clear, and for once she was glad for her myopia. It gave her an excuse to make him stay so close she could feel his warm breath against her sensitive lips.
“What are you going to teach me today, sensei?” she asked, as always, ready for a new adventure with her talented instructor.
He threaded his fingers through her hair and stared deeply into her eyes. “I think it’s time you graduated. With honors.”
She grinned. “Mega cum alotta?”
“That sounds appropriate,” he said tersely.
“Or inappropriate,” she teased, but he wasn’t teasing her back.
Her grin faded. He looked far too serious for Logan. She touched his face, and he closed his eyes, pressing his cheek into her palm.
“Is something wrong?”
He shook his head and opened his eyes. She’d never tire of staring into those expressive, soulful blue beauties.
“You’re planning to stick around for a while, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Forever, if you’ll let me.”
He nibbled on her lower lip, sending sparks of pleasure down her throat. Her nipples tightened, suddenly craving his attention.
“Toni, you can’t be my sex student forever,” he said.