LITMIR.BIZ

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felt like a lot more but, really, the only person he wanted to talk to there was Maeve, who was watching him with an enigmatic expression, and it looked like they’d have to eat before he’d get any chance of that.

      Tara and Louisa brought the last two plates and they all began to sit at the long table under the tree, but as he crossed to Maeve she moved towards the table as if she felt more confident there. With definite intent he held her chair and then settled himself beside her.

      He glanced around and hoped nobody could see he really didn’t want to be here, then he pulled himself up. It was Christmas.

      One of the little girls said grace, and he acknowledged the nice touch, especially as he would have been stumped if someone had asked him, and the table groaned with food. He hadn’t seen this much food since that Christmas at Simon’s all those years ago.

      When grace was over he turned to Maeve. She was why he was here. Funny how Simon had slipped back into second place, though it was good to see him too. His only friend in the world, and he’d thought he’d lost him.

      But Maeve. She looked even better up close. Much more colour in her cheeks than earlier. He lowered his voice because he imagined she wouldn’t want to draw attention to the fact she’d fainted that morning. ‘Are you okay?’

      A brief glimpse of her confusion as she looked at him. ‘I’m fine.’

      ‘Fine as in Freaked Out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional?’ He tried a poor attempt at a joke.

      A longer look. ‘They been showing you movies in there?’

      He felt his face freeze. His body go cold with the memories. ‘No.’

      Then he saw the distress that filled her eyes and her hand came across and touched his. Stayed for a second, warmed him like an injection of heat up his arm, and then shifted back to her lap. ‘I’m sorry. It was a stupid joke.’

      ‘Ditto. From another movie.’ He forced a smile. ‘It’s fine.’

      Her face softened. ‘You sure? You know what “fine” means?’

      He so didn’t want to play, even though he’d started it. ‘How long do we have to stay? I need to talk to you.’

      She glanced around to make sure nobody had heard. It wasn’t a problem because everyone was talking and laughing full steam ahead and the little girls were bouncing in their seats. Maeve’s eyes softened when she looked at them. ‘Until after the presents, and then I don’t have to be back here until this afternoon.’

      ‘So you’ll come with me for a couple of hours. Talk in private? Sort what we can?’

      He felt her assessing look. ‘We can do that. Not sure how much we can sort in a couple of hours. As long as you get me back here before Christmas lunch at three o’clock. I promised to make the brandy sauce.’ She glanced under her brows at him. ‘I can cook when I feel like it, you know.’

      ‘Oh. I know.’

      It was all still there. Maeve could feel the vibration of chemistry between them. Just an inch or two between her skin touching his skin and even then his heat was radiating into her shoulder in waves without the contact. And all this at the Christmas breakfast table in front of Simon’s family.

      How could this man make her so aware of every part of her body, and why him? He curled her toes, made her nipples peak, her belly twist and jump, and that was without the baby doing its own gyrations in there. It was darned awkward and the only consolation was he didn’t look any more comfortable than she was.

      But this was way more important than incredible sex. This was about the future, and even she had to admit she hadn’t given the future a thought last time they’d been together. He’d been pretty adamant there hadn’t been a future if she remembered rightly, though she had expected a little more pillow talk the next day rather than him being marched away by federal police.

      She caught Tara’s concerned eyes on her and shrugged. She’d be okay. Early days yet. But to think that this morning she’d been crying into her pillow, wanting him to be here for the birth, and here he was within an inch of her. It was a lot to take in. And she couldn’t help the tiny beam of light that suggested she’d been given a blessing to be thankful for.

      Someone asked her to pass a plate of tomatoes. There was a lot of eating going on all around them and she and Rayne hadn’t started yet. Maybe they’d better.

      Rayne must have thought the same because he passed her the ham and she took a small piece, glanced at his plate, and saw at least he was preparing to be fed. Then he passed her the eggs and she took one of those as well. Though she didn’t feel like putting anything into her mouth. Her belly was squirming too much.

      People were putting their knives and forks together and sitting back. Leaning forward again and pouring coffee and juice. Maeve reached over and brought the rolls over in front of her, gave one to Rayne and one to herself without thinking and then realised she was acting like an old housewife looking after her husband.

      He lifted his brows and smiled sardonically at her and she shrugged. ‘Enjoy.’ Reminded herself that she’d been a confident woman the last time he’d seen her and she needed to keep that persona even more now she was fighting for her baby’s future. But what if she wasn’t enough? What if he still left after their talk today? Surely he wouldn’t leave this afternoon after just getting here.

      ‘How long can you stay around here?’

      He paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. Good timing at least. ‘When is the baby due?’

      ‘Tomorrow.’

      His face paled and she thought, Tell me about it, buster, I’m the one who has to do it. ‘But I expect I’ll go overdue. Does it matter what date?’

      He shook his head, clearly rattled by the impending birth. Put his fork down. Couldn’t he see her belly looked like it was about to explode?

      Then he said quietly, aware that a few ears were straining their way, ‘I have no commitments, if that’s what you mean.’

      She sniffed at that. ‘You do now.’

      He glanced around the table. Saw Simon and his father watching them. ‘I’ll be here for as long as you want me to be here. It’s the least I can do.’

      If only he hadn’t added that last sentence. The relief she’d felt hearing him say he’d stay as long as she needed him was lost with the tone of sacrifice. Before she could comment, and it would have been unwise whatever she’d been going to say, at the very least, he touched her hand.

      ‘Sorry. That came out wrong. It’s just that I’m still getting used to you expecting a baby. And this table is killing me.’

      Just then Mia stood up. ‘The girls want to know how long before everyone is finished.’

      Maeve pushed her plate away thankfully. ‘I’m done.’

      Rayne stood up. ‘Let me help clear.’ And he began very efficiently scraping and collecting plates, and she remembered him rinsing his plate at Simon’s house.

      At least he was house-trained, she thought with an internal smile as she began to gather up side plates, probably a lot more than she was. It was a warming thought that maybe there was stuff that they could do for each other, maybe there were things they could share between them that they’d find out and enjoy as well.

      Within a very short time the dishwasher was loaded, the leftovers were stowed in the fridge and the kitchen clean. The big sunroom area of the back room at the end of the kitchen had been cleared when the kitchen table had gone outside and the Christmas tree was surrounded by lots of presents, as well as chairs and cushions so everyone had a niche to perch to watch the fun.

      Simon had Tara on his lap, Mia and Angus were sitting with Louisa on the lounge they’d pulled in, and the girls were hopping and crawling around the tree as they shared out the presents one at a time.

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