The Lunchtime Special

Chapter 19 - Revelations

"Bloody kookaburras; don't they know how early it is?" I pull the doona higher so Mia's shoulders are covered, not wanting her to suffer from the early morning chill, as we listen to the raucous laughter of the cheeky birds.

"That's why they're laughing at us," she smiles, "Because we're awake so early."

"Well, if you didn't snore so loudly..."

She pummels me with her fist and snorts her indignation. "I do not snore, you...you...you Victorian!"

Laughing, I turn to look at her. "Is that the worst insult you can think of?" I lean over her as she lays on her back glaring at me, though I definitely see a twitch at the corners of her mouth. "And yes, beautiful, you do snore – but in a very genteel, ladylike way, if it's any consolation."

She huffs out a breath and my mouth curls into a wide grin. "You're such a charmer," she mutters sarcastically. "Perhaps I should have left you to Shelley's wiles after all."

"God, no!" I move onto my back, pulling her with me so her head can rest on my chest and her arm snakes across my stomach, leaving delicious fingers of pleasure in its wake. Adjusting the doona once more, I press a kiss to her forehead as her warm softness settles against me, her floral scent teasing my nose, and I release a small sigh of happiness. The words 'I love you' are on the tip of my tongue but once again I'm struck by shyness and the worry that it could be too much too soon. While I'm absolutely certain of my feelings, in spite of the very short time we've known each other, I am far less sure of how Mia feels about me and the thought of possibly scaring her off fills me with terror.

"I guess we're even now," she murmurs, her warm breath ghosting across my collarbone.

"At what?" I press another kiss to her forehead.

"At coming to each other's rescue," she explains, squeezing the arm around my waist.

Laughing softly in agreement, I place a finger under chin and turn her face up toward mine. "You made a magnificent knight in shining armour."

A sassy grin appears, matching the twinkle in her grey eyes. "You were pretty good at being my damsel in distress," she drawls.

"Oh god, I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

---

"We have to leave this bed eventually, you know, minx."

Mia lifts her head from the feather-light kisses she's pressing to my collarbone and pouts. "Why? Are you flying back tonight? I thought you were catching the red-eye tomorrow morning."

"I am. But tonight I..." Her mouth moves lower to my abdomen and the anticipation of where it will go next is making it difficult to keep my thoughts from scattering. "I...arranged to have dinner with Laila and Will." She stills. The unblinking gaze she turns on me dries my mouth until I see a familiar twitch and another pout, though cheekier, pulls at her lips.

"I was rather enjoying having you all to myself," she murmurs in a voice so sultry shivers run down my spine, "but I guess I can share you for a short while."

"We'll have one drink, main course only, ditch coffee and be back here in an hour – hour and a half tops," I hastily offer, pleased at the answering gleam in her eyes.

"What time do we need to leave?"

"Dinner's at seven."

Her reply is the predatory purr of a lioness and I'm instantly hard. Reaching out, I pull her up to me and unable to resist her mouth, claim it with my own, intensifying the kiss as she wriggles slowly up until her body covers mine head to toe. My hands move to her backside, caressing the silky smooth rounds while her fingers plunder my hair then move to my neck and shoulders. "You taste so good," she whispers, nibbling and sucking and soothing while I moan. The soft sweep of her hair on my shoulders, her breasts squishing against my chest and her mouth hot and sweet on my jaw and throat drive me wild and I roll us over until I'm on top again, taking one breast into my mouth as my hands glide over luscious curves and she pants beneath me.