Unsuitable

Mia pushed the bear off the bed and scooted to the edge to watch it fall.

“That’s the wrong question.”

“What’s the right question?”

“Something like, what do I want for me and my kid?”

Audrey barked a laugh. “That’s it? Where’s your fine point, your caveats, your rights and reversion clauses? Your never get out of jail free provisions?”

“Aud, it’s totally okay to fall in love. It doesn’t mean you give up control. It doesn’t mean you go backwards.”

“That’s not what I’m thinking.”

“Isn’t it?”

She groaned. “He’s got me so confused.” He made her feel as if she’d forgotten how to drive and it was a miracle she arrived anywhere safely. As if no seat belt would be strong enough to prevent her going straight through the windscreen and ending up on sprawling on the road in a pool of mangle, if he left her.

“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I’m stupid about him.”

“Who’s stupid?” Mia waggled the giraffe. Its neck had taken on a raffish angle. It looked vaguely disapproving.

“Me.”

Mia giggled. Les laughed.

“If I’m not with him I’m wondering about him. If I’m with him I’m—”

“Happier than you’ve ever been before,” Les finished.

Audrey sighed. “What on earth are we going to do?”

“We’re tough, we can take it.”

“Where is the Les who would’ve told me not to expect too much, to protect myself?”

Les sighed. “Did you honestly like that chick?”

“Chick?” Les laughed. “Yes, I liked her. She was my friend and I relied on her to help me stay strong.”

“I’m still here, Aud. But I’ve learned there’s more to life than being strong. It’s good to have a man who cares about you in your corner, even if it’s not forever. Let Reece be in your corner. It’s okay for him to be what you want.”

She groaned and lay back on the bed. “You might not say that if you knew how badly he got to me. It’s utterly carnal.”

“What’s carnal?” asked the giraffe, definitely disapproving.

“If it’s anything like Polly gets to me, we can sponsor each other at sex addicts anon meetings.”

Audrey laughed. Mia laughed too and Les followed them both into a good solid giggle fit. Reece would bound up the front steps in less than ninety minutes and she didn’t have a clue what to wear and she was giddy with excitement yet he’d only been out of her sight a couple of hours.

She rang off to more laughter after saying she had to go get her hessian on and was choosing earrings when she heard the burble of Reece’s Monaro pull up outside.

Then there were voices in the driveway, and Reece’s step in the hall, whispers and giggles and Mia saying, “You look niiiiice.”

Oh he looked more than nice. She had no idea he owned a suit. French navy, worn with a well ironed white shirt and a black belt and black dress shoes. He’d skipped a tie and a few shirt buttons and he had the jacket over his arm, but Lord he looked good. He smelled good too, not his usual salty beach outdoorsy scent, but spicy and tart.

“You should’ve told me it was dressy.” It was hard to scold and smile at the same time. She failed on the scold part, her teeth getting in the way.

He started at her face and swept a look down her body to her feet and slowly back up again. Shivers collected at the base of her spine and flooded up her back.