Page 43 of Night and Day
Mia bit her lip, thinking about the flight ticket she probably couldn’t use. “I’m not sure.”
“No return ticket?” Mac grinned at his brother. “Then definitely bring your plus one!”
“That’s a great idea!” Sue enthused. “I think it’s time for dessert.” She exchanged a look with Shasa and they snuck away.
“Great.” Mia smiled, taking a long sip of wine to lubricate her throat, which suddenly felt like sandpaper. She’d agreed to a casual barbecue lunch, but a wedding full of aunties and uncles? Could they take this charade that far? It probably didn’t matter. She’d get her documents sorted before then and leave the country.
“So, what sights are you planning to show her?” Mac asked Izzy, nodding at Mia. “If it seems like I’m changing the subject, it’s because I am.”
Izzy laughed but tensed. Mia straightened, worried she was getting too cosy against him, but he tightened his arm around her shoulder, anchoring her to his side. She relaxed back into him, her body revelling in the delicious closeness. Fake as it was, her body didn’t care.
“I have some ideas,” Izzy said. “But I want to surprise her, so...”
Mac raised an eyebrow. “Say no more.”
Something about Izzy’s tone made Mia shiver with anticipation. He’d probably said it to sidestep the question, but she couldn’t help the way her heart leapt at the thought. Izzy had already done so much for her, more than she remembered Mikko doing in the last couple of years. He’d been so focused on the business. That had been his excuse for everything. She’d organised her own birthdays and sent him reminders to make sure he didn’t forget or double book himself.
She’d been the lowest maintenance girlfriend in the world, never needing anything... whereas with Izzy, she’d arrived in his life like a living, breathing emergency, needing his help with everything, and he’d stepped up, making her simultaneously uncomfortable and grateful. Being able to give back by playing his adoring girlfriend didn’t feel right. It was like getting paid to eat chocolate. She was enjoying herself far too much, openly touching his amazing body, staring into those brown eyes. Chocolate, indeed.
Izzy had made an effort this the morning, pairing his worn cargo shorts with a button down shirt. The wrinkled, navy blue linen had probably never seen an iron, but it had impressed her that he even owned something with buttons. He’d stopped at the door before leaving and asked if he looked okay. That flash of concern in his eyes, followed by a hopeful smile as he tried to smooth the creases on his shirt. She’d wanted to hug him right there, kiss that hairy face and tell him how attractive he was, how incredible. Instead, she’d given him a lame thumbs up. Now, finally locked into his embrace, her insides brimmed with wobbly warmth and she felt a subtle sting behind her eyes. Tears? Now? She waited a moment, holding her breath as the prickling fell away, replaced by a wistfulness.
“I don’t mind where we go,” she said, looking up at the unicorn hair clip dangling from his beard. “But I think we have to do a trip to Wellington to get my travel documents organised. Otherwise I’ll never be able to leave.”
Izzy kissed the top of her head. “Maybe I won’t take you.”
Mac laughed, staring at them in awe. “Look at you two!”
John washed down the last mouthful of his food with beer and cleared his throat. “So, what’s the plan after your visit? Are you looking at moving here, or...?” he cast Mia a nervous glance, then shot an even more nervous one in the direction of the house. Mia wondered if Sue would have approved of this line of questioning.
“I don’t know,” Mia said, sensing Izzy’s anticipation as he shifted his weight from left to right, making her head bump against his ribcage. She reluctantly peeled herself away from his warmth. “We haven’t really figured that out yet. My sister is having a baby soon, so I have to get back for that. But maybe I can come back later. Honestly, I don’t even know if I could get a visa to stay much longer.”
John gave Izzy a meaningful look. “Well, there’re always ways around—”
“Dad.” Mac’s tone held a warning.
At that moment, Shasa and Sue returned with a huge bowl of something creamy.
“Ambrosia!” Lilla shouted. She’d wandered into the garden, but returned immediately at the sight of the dessert bowl, jumping up and down like a cartoon bunny. John finished their conversation with a curt nod and joined the dessert line.
Mia glanced at the plate she’d left on the table. She’d barely made a dent in her lunch, too busy side-hugging her fake boyfriend. What if Mikko saw her now? What would he think? All these people believed them, excited about a story of a relationship that didn’t exist.
They sat down at the outdoor table, enjoying the dessert and another round of drinks. Once finished with her food, Mia took the first spoonful of ambrosia and moaned. “Oh. My. God. Where has this been all my life?”
Izzy gave her a glassy look, running his hand across his beard. Mia let out an embarrassed laugh. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make love to my dessert,” she said, her cheeks flaming. “It’s just so good.”
“I’m sure Izzy will make you some more later,” Mac replied with a wink.
Mia felt Izzy’s hand on her knee under the table, sliding to touch her inner thigh. “I definitely will,” he said in a gruff voice.
Despite the molten heat spreading between her thighs, Mia shot him a sharp look, and he pulled his hand away, mumbling an apology. “I think that beer went straight to my head,” he complained, focusing on his own dessert.
Mia’s insides throbbed as her mind caught up with the situation. There was no reason to touch her under the table. His family couldn’t see his hand. It wasn’t for them. She could feel his desire bursting through every look and every touch like a heat wave. How could she leave this lunch and go home with him? Without the other people as a buffer, she’d have to rely on her own willpower. What if they both caved in? She’d betray Mikko and the promise she’d made. How could she live with herself?
If only she could tell what the future held. What if they didn’t have a chance, even with the attraction she sensed? Her feelings might have been brought up by the traumatic events, a circumstantial crush that would fade as soon as she returned home to reality. No one could live a fairy tale, and this felt like the most magical one she’d ever experienced. It couldn’t be real.
Mac slapped Izzy on the shoulder and picked up Lilla, helping her sneak another portion of dessert. Sue and John continued to quiz Shasa on the wedding, offering helpful suggestions, clearly desperate to be more involved.
Grateful that the conversation had shifted away from her and Izzy, Mia retreated to the porch swing, tugging Izzy’s hand. He followed, raising his brow as she sat down and patted the cushion next to her. “Come on, we should sit together. It’ll look weird if we don’t,” she whispered, and he lowered himself into the seat, allowing her to snuggle up to him. “That’s better.”
