She swallowed the lump that rose in her throat, aware the conversation had taken a subtle shift, and she became intensely conscious of his proximity.
It was all too easy to visualize the hard body beneath the trappings of his finely tailored apparelâbroad shouldered, lean hipped, with the chiseled perfection of well-honed muscles.
âWould you deny me the pleasure of seeing our child grow inside you?â
Heat suffused her veins at the mere thought of its conception. How she lay awake night after night reliving in vivid detail the touch of Nikolosâs hands, his mouth, each caress⦠the electrifying passion theyâd shared several times through the dark hours.
It was too much. He was too much.
âBy making a public statement, youâve irretrievably connected the two of us together. Something you could easily have avoided.â She met his gaze and held it. âSo why didnât you?â
He slanted her a musing glance. âTo ensure thereâs no doubt to whom you belong.â
âMIA!â
A slender form almost identical to her own burst forward the instant Mia emerged into Sydneyâs airport arrival lounge, and within seconds she was engulfed in an enthusiastic hug.
âHey,â she protested with a musing laugh. âItâs only been five months.â
A sisterhood of two, no parents since their untimely death a decade before, the girls had been the best of friends for as long as they could remember. Sibling rivalry didnât exist, never had, and each was sure it never would.
Petite in height, sable-brown hair, dark brown eyes, their likeness was such they had on occasion been mistaken for twins.
Yet Alice was the elder by two years, divorced with a nine-year-old son.
Mia caught hold of her sisterâs arm. âLetâs get out of here.â
It took a while to collect her bag from the carousel, clear the busy terminal and join the flow of traffic heading towards the city.
It was great to be home, although home was something of a misnomer, for she no longer had a home as such. During the past few years sheâd lived on university campus studying for a pharmacy degree.
Mia rolled her shoulders in a bid to ease the lingering tension from too many sleep-deprived nights leading up to end-of-year exams, the lack of caffeine, and a weariness that had little to do with either one of them.
âSo, tell me,â Alice begged. âWhatâs new?â
Hell. Where did she start? Not at all might be best, she decided, while her sister was negotiating busy inner city traffic. It would take a while to reach the northern suburb of Manly, and the kind of news she had to impart was better told seated at Aliceâs dining-room table while sharing a pot of tea.
âThe exams went okay,â Mia reiterated cautiously, aware sheâd said as much via email.
âAnd?â
âItâs good to be back.â
Alice gave her a searching look as the car drew to a halt at a controlled intersection. âYou look pale. Tired,â she elaborated.
Mia offered a faint smile. âThanks,â she managed ruefully. âJust what I needed to hear.â
âNothing some home-cooked food and a good nightâs sleep wonât cure.â The brisk tone was accompanied by a competent smile.
Alice was the ultimate earth mother, taking pride in producing wholesome hearty meals, home-baked cookies and bread, charity bakes. She sewed, stitched, crocheted, knitted, and took pottery classes. It didnât stop there, for she also took art, sculpted, and set oils on canvas. She served on her sonâs school committee, ran as president of the parent-teacher association, and excelled in organisation of all things.
Ask Alice was an invisible bandana her sister wore with pride, for helping had become a mission in life. It made up for the five years of Aliceâs marriage during which her husband conditioned her to believe she served little purpose and possessed no self-worth.
Mia took in the familiar sight beyond the windscreen. Old buildings merged with new, dull, well-worn red brick jumbled together with renovated terrace houses, newly lacquered ornamental iron railings vying with broken wood palings. An endearingly eclectic mix that marked inner-city suburbia.
Traffic, as usual, maintained a hectic pace in a never-ending river of vehicles jostling for position in a bid to catch the next set of lights and minimise road time.