“You bet,” she drawled as smooth as she could, then cleaned up their breakfast things while Dan amused Karim with the Spider Game—which happened pretty much at every meal these days.Dan pretended his large hand was a huge spider that had come to steal Karim’s food.
As Karim squealed with laughter behind her, she hadn’t expected to feel this relaxed in Dan’s company after what they’d done on the couch.And when he came up beside her to pour himself another cup of coffee—whistling like a man who’d gotten laid the night before—Libby eyed him curiously.
Did he mean it?Would he help her out with a repeat performance sometime?
“You okay down there?”he asked.
Libby blinked.She’d been staring at his carved marble pecs and dark, flat nipples.Her gaze shot to his just as a slow, wide smile spread across his face.“You’d better wait until Karim’s asleep and I’m prepared before you look at me like that again.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said quickly.
“You will soon enough.”Then he sauntered off, taking her gaze with him, which was firmly fixed on his hard backside.
Absolutely,withoutadoubt,the next time Dan was alone with Libby—on a sofa, chair, rug, preferably a bed—he would be prepared.
A whole pack’s worth of preparedness.
Buying condoms was the first thing on his to-do list as soon as they got back to Raro.
Since dawn, lying awake listening to that cockerel, Dan had been reveling in the glory of bringing a woman to orgasm.Add in the fact that the woman in question was Libby, with her lush body and smooth, easygoing personality, and he could out-crow that cockerel with the amount of testosterone running through him.Would she want a repeat of last night?That’s exactly why he’d walked into the kitchen half naked.What better way to test if she wanted another round ofLet’s help each other out?
The answer, judging by how her eyes had been transfixed on his chest, was a resounding yes.
Yes, yes, yes!
Which was pretty much all Libby had said when she was coming on top of him last night.
Yes, indeed.Dan quickly found a T-shirt, packed the rest of his things, and then took over from Libby to tidy the kitchen while she dressed Karim.After he tidied and checked the rest of the place to make sure they’d packed all their stuff, he gave Libby a long look when he took the clothes they’d been wearing last night off the washing line.
“Funny time to be doing laundry,” he said and sniggered when she snatched her still-damp shorts and underwear out of his hand.
An hour later, dead on ten, Andrea arrived to take them to the airport.The Christopher Mac Gang gathered around her truck.
“Will you miss us?”Christopher Mac asked him.
“No.You’re all annoying.”
The kids laughed, and he gave them presents, which consisted of clothes he hoped to replace on Rarotonga, a couple of pens he’d found at the bottom of his bag, a new bar of soap—and his email address.
“Annoying, my ass,” Libby whispered and hopped into the front of the truck with Karim.
Dan chuckled and pulled himself up into the back of the truck with their bags and the pushchair.With a beep of the horn, Andrea started the engine, and the children, cheering, ran alongside for as long as they could.Dan waved until the kids disappeared from sight, then turned his face into the wind, looking ahead.Bumping along the rough Atiuan roads, he was on the verge of something new and wonderful.The interviews and the content he and Libby would create were going to reshape their future.It felt good, knowing he was helping her out as much as she was helping him.And they still had two more weeks together.
Fourteen days.
And fourteen nights…
BackonRarotonga,Danpaid for the cab that had just dropped them off at Tia Rosa’s.Later, once they were settled, he’d call his mother atAre Moanaand tell her they were back.The thought of Mum and Malek still icked him about a bit, but that was no one’s problem but his.Mum was happy, and Malek looked like he cared for her.That was the main thing.Dan wouldn’t intrude on their time, but with Christmas Day being only two days away, it was natural that they would all celebrate together.Libby had suggested cooking a meal at the hut and inviting them over.His mother would like that, and she’d also like to hear about the interviews.
Fizzing with renewed energy, Dan didn’t fear the future as much as he had last week.What had been a dark, unknown hole was now filling with some light and direction.The Junior Athletics British Championships were next summer.Maybe he could do some mentoring and coaching.He already knew a few of the young contenders.Would the sports channels want him to do some commentating?And he’d finally also return Michael’s and Sebastian’s emails and ask about what work they had in mind for him on the Get Living campaign.Which felt…sort of like picking his life up where he’d almost lost it.
But it wasn’t just his and Libby’s collaboration that got him revved up, ready for action.
On the flight back earlier, she’d been her usual chatty, nervous wreck self during takeoff.Dan had tried to make her laugh but quickly realized that making Karim laugh calmed her down quicker.If her son was happy, she was happy.So, Dan had played the hand-spider game again, crawling his fingers over Libby’s arms and legs to amuse Karim.Touching Libby like that was an added bonus.
In fact, he couldn’t wait to touch her some more.
By the time the taxi pulled away at the hut, Tia Rosa had come to the gate and greeted them like old friends.“Kia Orana!” Then the older lady cast her wise eyes up and down his body, like she knew a secret.“So you’re still together?”
