Chapter 37
Aria woke up groggy, spooling through the events of last night. It looked pretty much like this: she got completely trolleyed and heaved her guts up before passing out.
In Nic’s bedroom.
She pinched herself, and yep, it was all real, including the raging hangover.
As she struggled to cope with the light, she realised Nic was behind her, out for the count.
Flashing back to last night, head over the toilet, she remembered him calling her some kind of flower as he rubbed her back.
Then she recalled stumbling into his room after pulling the robe on and mis-tying it several times.
She had been unafraid when he turned down the quilt and gestured for her to climb in next to him.
Based on the gentle way he’d refused her advances earlier, she’d had a sense he wouldn’t take advantage of her.
And there she was a few weeks ago, accusing him of raping and pillaging his way into the community!
Putting a hand on her stomach, she found the dressing gown tie still balled in the haphazard knot.
Nic turned and spooned into her, resting a lazy arm on her thigh – if he moved his hand just a few centimetres to the right, he could easily seduce her.
She felt something press against her. His rhythmic breathing told her he was still sleeping, but something else was wide awake.
Burying her head in the soft pillow, she was considering her next move when his phone rang.
Aria heard him sleepily curse and move to a sitting position.
She pretended to turn in her sleep, opening one eye to spy on him.
He was wearing boxers and his bare legs hung over the side of the bed as he took the call, raising a hand to push back hair that stuck out at angles.
She had a sudden urge to run her finger from his elbow to the tip of his fingers, stroking the hairs that formed in swirls on his tanned skin.
She could hear a voice at the other end of the phone gushing.
As he interjected with the odd bit of flattery and chat about last night, she guessed it was Donna.
When he rang off, she launched straight into an ill-prepared speech.
‘Sorry for being drunk as an arseholed skunk last night,’ she said as she self-consciously sat up, pushing the pillows behind her.
‘I think maybe I should retreat back to my fishing hut, take a crash course in angling and become a hermit.’
He turned and shot her a grin. ‘Not necessary.
The dinner was a great success. The mission has not totally been accomplished yet, but we are definitely in a good place.
Donna really enjoyed herself. Apparently, she found our plans quite stimulating and will give her opinion to the decision makers in time for their meeting next week.
She said, as we are heading towards happy marriage, the application would be looked on much more favourably.
‘And if she doesn’t oppose the plans, other councillors might abstain from objecting, and it could go our way before this new rule comes in.
We’ll go full steam ahead now.’ He was out of bed in seconds and despite the warmth of the covers, and the temperate June weather, she felt cold without him.
It struck her that she wasn’t needed anymore.
Last night, she was a drunken mess in a fancy dress, and today she’d become a fake fiancée in the way of him getting on.
‘I must tell Sophie when she comes to clean that her mother came up trumps,’ he said.
‘Perhaps you should have asked her to move in instead of me, after all?’ Aria said, as he disappeared into the ensuite to shower. ‘You could have cut out the middleman and had a guaranteed tidy house.’
‘I do love a tidy house,’ he replied.