THE DEAL by Marsh, Nicola (electronic reader txt) 📕

slid down her parched throat. If only she was his girlfriend and today wasn’t part of the charade.

“Why did you invite me here?”

He paused a moment. “Because I like your company and I thought you might like a day on the Harbour.”

“There’s no-one around, though. It can’t be part of our deal.”

He swore softly. “Let’s forget the damn deal for today, okay? It’s a beautiful day, we’re old friends enjoying each other’s company, why not leave it at that?”

She shrugged, though her conscience was far from appeased. Too many casual outings in his company without the safety of their deal would be detrimental to her well-being. “If you say so.”

“Good. Now that’s settled, let’s eat.”

She watched him unpack a selection of delicacies and spread them on a rug on the deck. As he bent over the picnic basket, she realised just how ravenous she was. And it wasn’t for food.

“Hope you’re hungry.” He turned a fraction too quickly. She dropped her gaze in record speed but not fast enough. A devilish grin spread over this face. “See anything you fancy?”

She made a desperate reach for the nearest plate. “Yeah, the buns look good.”

There was a moment of stunned silence before he burst into laughter. He was joined by a nearby kookaburra in a loud cacophony of raucous chuckles.

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she held her hand up. “Time to eat, funny man.”

“Fine. Could you pass me the buns-I mean bread, please?”

She ignored his smirk as she filled her plate from the delicious array of food: roast chicken, smoked salmon, sun-dried tomatoes and King Island Brie were a few of her favourites. She wondered if he’d remembered. If lemon meringue pie was dessert, she’d know he did.

They ate in companionable silence, though she was aware of every glance, every gesture, every morsel of food that passed his lips.

“Still hungry?” he asked, as he cleared away the empty dishes.

She patted her stomach. “Not really. That was delicious.”

“What about dessert? It’s your favourite.”

He did remember, after all these years. “Thanks for doing all this. Lunch was terrific.” She didn’t add ‘you’re terrific’, as much as she wanted to.

He sat beside her, sending her heightened senses into overdrive. He smelled delicious, a tempting combination of citrus aftershave, sun and fresh sea air. She inhaled deeply, imprinting the scent on her brain. Whenever she drove past the Harbour in future, she wanted to remember this day, this man.

“You have a crumb right there.” He cupped her chin and brushed the corner of her mouth with his thumb.

His feather-light touch sent shivers of excitement shooting from her mouth to her core. An involuntary moan escaped her lips, a soft sound deafening in the silence.

His eyes darkened as he continued tracing her lips. “Hey, I’m not a saint. Unless you stop making sounds like that, I’m going to do something you might regret.”

In response, she leaned towards him, reaching for him. Perhaps she was drunk? A fleeting thought as his head descended, blocking out the sunlight.

His kiss tasted of champagne, tart and sweet. Their lips moulded as tongues fused, dancing and teasing. Yeah, definitely drunk. Drunk on the most addictive man in the world. His hands roved everywhere, sliding under her tank top to cup her breasts.

“That feels so good.” She arched in response to his thumbs stroking her, wanting more. So much more.

“You feel so good,” he whispered against the side of her mouth, as his lips trailed along her jaw line to nibble at her ear lobe.

She writhed against him, revelling in the hardness of his body. Her hands caressed his muscular back, sliding down to cup his butt.

“That’s what you wanted for lunch all along, wasn’t it?” He flicked her ear with his tongue, setting nerve endings alight.

She squeezed his butt. “I’m not sure. The other buns seemed firmer, crispier.”

He growled and rolled, pinning her beneath him. She smiled as her hands continued their leisurely exploration up and down his back.

“You’re beautiful.” Matt stared down at Kara, noting her flushed cheeks, her slightly swollen lips, her shining green eyes. He’d wanted her so badly, for so long, he could hardly believe this was happening.

“What are we doing Matt?”

The uncertainty of her question was at odds with her wandering hands. He couldn’t think straight. Pulling away slightly, he rolled onto his side, keeping his arm around her waist. “Seems pretty obvious to me, sweetheart.”

Her hands stilled. “I don’t want this to be just sex.”

“What do you want it to be?” He ran a finger down her cheek, marvelling at its softness. She felt amazing: soft skin, lush curves, full breasts. Hell, he could still remember the image of her nipples against that wet, white T-shirt all those years ago. It had haunted him.

“I don’t know what I want this to be.” She ran her hands through her hair, shimmering in the sunlight like golden silk. “I don’t want to be another conquest for you. It would make walking away at the end too difficult.”

Bitterness rose swiftly, dousing him like a bucket of icy water. He dropped his hand. “Who said you’d have to walk away at the end?”

She tugged her ribbed tank top down as she sat up. “We both know this is going nowhere. The deal is over in less than four months and you’ll happily return to your previous lifestyle. I’m not into casual sex so let’s continue the charade and leave it at that.”

Her words pierced him to the core.

“It always comes back to the bloody deal, doesn’t it? Is the money that important to you?” He kept his voice deliberately low.