Alice beamed at them all, bouncing eagerly from one foot to the other, hands trembling in excitement as she handed Lucien her report. Her face fell, however, as she took in their disheveled appearance and pajamas.
"I woke you all, didn't I? It's too early? I'm so sorry, I just thought Lucien and Matthew would want the findings right away, I–"
But before Jean could reassure her, Matthew hobbled forward, placing his hand on her arm, his previous grouchiness evaporating at the sight of her distress. "You did fine, Alice. And you're quite right; sooner is always better than later."
Alice beamed at him, not noticing the mischievous glances being exchanged between Lucien and Jean.
Jean cleared her throat, "Well, now that you're all here, I suppose I'll get breakfast started. Alice and Matthew, you two go on to the living room. Lucien, can you help me in the kitchen?"
Lucien winked at her, "Absolutely, love. Be right with you two in a jiffy. Make yourselves at home."
Alice watched the pair of them go and turned her attention back to Matthew, grinning. She took in pajamas and bare feet and terry robe. "Well, I rather feel as if I should have arrived in my nightwear as well."
Matthew's brain conjured up images of Alice in a silk nightgown, her long legs on display, with a neckline dipping just low enough to be tantalizing. It was too easy of a leap for his mind to make to imagine that nightgown hiked around her hips or being pulled from her body as he dropped it to the floor or the way she would look splayed out for him on his bed. He swallowed, his mouth dry.
"Yes," he rasped out. "Perhaps you should have."