Page 193 of Oleander

“Oh, trust me, that’s not what this is.”

“Then what is it? Your face has a strange look on it.”

“Does it?” He laughed. “I don’t know, I guess now I know how I’d react if someone told me I’d won the lottery. This would be my face.”

“Well, you’re not doing it now.”

Now he was smiling. Very big and very wide. I felt my own mouth turning up into a smile.

Without warning, Jude threw himself at me, kissing me hard over every part of my face.

“Say it again,” he said when he came up for air. His grin was still pulling at the sides of his mouth.

“I love you.”

“One more time.”

“I’m not a performing monkey, no.”

He laughed and kissed me again, and I kissed him back. But against his lips, unable to stop myself, I whispered it once more.

“You know,” I said when he was relaxed and half-dozing by my side, “Gideon has left you quite a disgustingly large sum of money and a house in Tuscany so it will be like winning the lottery.”