‘You’re talking about the lake?’ he thought back to her earlier tale. ‘I guess I was a bit out of control.’ He rememberedthe night clearly. Bouncing dangerously around, head thick with grief and guilt, he’d been clutching the handlebars for dear life, wishing it was him who’d been hurt. Theo moving in had triggered him back to the accident. And when his mother had chewed his ear, he’d taken it out on the lake. He breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn’t cottoned on to what happened at home on the south coast. ‘I need to thank you for tonight, Aria. The dinner was incredible and everything with Donna went really well. I think we convinced her we are on course for love and marriage, and hopefully she will argue our case or do whatever needs to be done to help push it through.’
Aria nodded. ‘We nailed it with the prep.’
‘We did work hard at it,’ he smiled. ‘It wasn’t only the brainstorming, though. I’ve been observing your ways all the time you’ve been here.’
‘Oh yeah?’ Her expression asked him to continue.
‘Well, you’ve always got one eye on Tiger. I think he has you hooked.’
‘Maybe that’s true,’ Aria whispered as she looked at him sleeping. ‘Just don’t tell him he’s the centre of my world or he’ll get too big for his boots.’
Nic smiled. ‘And when you’re talking about the lake your face lights up.’
She shrugged. ‘Anyone could tell you that.’
‘OK…well, when you’re stressed, you try to shove your hair behind your ears but there’s too much of it to rest there.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes, really.’ Using both hands he grabbed some strands. ‘See? It always remains untethered. You need bigger ears. And when you are hungry, you bite your bottom lip.’
She exaggeratedly nibbled on hers. ‘Like this?’
He laughed. ‘Just like that.’
‘Do I need bigger lips?’
‘I think they’re pretty perfect,’ he said. ‘But I haven’t seen them close up enough to make a judgement.’
‘Oh, well, surprisingly, I’m pretty hungry now…’
She looked so deeply into his eyes, biting a lip crying out to be kissed, he wondered if he’d ever be able to look away.
‘…So why don’t you come a bit closer?’ she suggested.
Without breaking their gaze, he put her wine glass onto the coffee table, careful to stand it upright. Then he took her elbow and gently guided her back onto the cushions. His lips were almost touching hers when she closed the final distance, and when he skimmed their softness with his tongue, she moaned softly. He sought out hers with some urgency, feeling her intentions align with his as the kiss really took off. He pulled her close, pushing her hair behind her ears with both hands, before running them down her neck and onto her shoulders. They relaxed into it, following each other’s cues, until a noise made them jump. Opening his eyes, he was startled to see a figure rapping on the window with a big knuckle.
‘Oh Christ, she’s back.’
‘Well, you two can’t take your hands off each other!’ Donna exclaimed, pushing her way in when he opened the door.‘You made me feel a real gooseberry seeing you canoodle from the window. I think I left my phone in your bathroom. Had to get the cabbie to come back. Which was difficult on these roads as I’m definitely a bit squiffy. I hope he has a sick bag in his glove compartment.’ She swayed and stumbled as she headed down the corridor.
‘I’m not the only one who’s had too much,’ Aria stage-
whispered, letting out a hiccup and burp. ‘Oops, sorry.’ She moved her hand to his thigh, before tugging on his belt with an exaggeratedly sexy pout. But he hurriedly pushed her hand away. ‘Nic,’ she mumbled, a frown on her face.
‘As much as I enjoyed that kiss and while even your belching is a turn-on right now, I don’t want the town councillor to see me lose my v-card,’ he joked.
She pulled away, and he worried she felt rejected when she left the room, passing a messy-looking Donna. He downed his wine, got up and walked Donna to the door for the second time, and hopefully the last.
‘If things don’t work out with Aria…’ She leaned forward, and he stepped back, thinking she was volunteering to be his fiancée, until she mumbled something about her daughter.
‘I think anyone who has cleaned my house might not want to date me,’ he chuckled.
‘Why, what’s in your swing bin, Nic?’ Donna said, managing to make a domestic receptacle sound alarmingly sexual as she came too close, pupils dilated and lipstick smudged. Nic smiled politely, pushed her into the cab, came back inside and locked up.
He gave Aria five minutes or so before venturing to the bathroom. Gently knocking on the door, he asked if she was OK.
‘No. I’m not.’
