arms and kiss her senseless right there in the middle of the restaurant. She had the look of a well-loved…no wait, a well-fucked woman. The color in her cheeks was heightened in a way no make-up could cover and her lips were full and swollen. Her honey-blond hair, which earlier she’d tied in a neat ponytail, now hung long and free, wispy tendrils floating over her eyes and cheeks. The look on her face was lazy, satiated.
He grinned. “The pajama party.”
She leaned close to him and whispered, “I told you, Connor. We don’t really wear pajamas.” Then she turned to him and smiled. “But yes, it was very good. Thanks for asking.”
“No problem.” His grin faltered. Shite, maybe he shouldn’t have sat down next to her. Maybe he should have gone to the other end of the table and spoken to John and George about their new business venture. A bludgeoning erection was hardly appropriate fare at the dinner table. Unless, of course, Maddie was feasting on his cock and not on the pasta prima vera on her plate.
Maddie watch him shift in his seat. “How did your meeting go this afternoon?” She must have picked up on his discomfort and purposefully changed the subject.
“Yeah. It went okay.” He liked that she was curious about him.
“Sounded like it was important. Gabe said your future depended on it.”
He laughed. “Not quite that important. I’m considering moving back to Sydney. The job will help me decide one way or the other.” Usually he wouldn’t have organized a meeting for a Saturday, but there was no other way he could have fit it into his week day schedule. Not with the amount of work piling up on his desk.
The problem was, it wasn’t his job that he wanted to change. He was happy with his position in Melbourne—although heading up the IT division of a blue chip company was mighty appealing. Something else in his life wasn’t working, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what. It had begun as a vague restlessness, a stirring in his gut, and over time had gotten bigger, more pressing. There was an emptiness in his soul, as though part of it was missing. Perhaps returning to Sydney and starting a new job would settle this agitation.
“So what did you think after your meeting?” Maddie asked.
“I’m not sure. I liked the company. I liked the people. But then I feel the same about my current position.”
“Not much help then, huh? Looks like you have a tough decision ahead of you.”
“Don’t I know it.”
“Come back to Sydney,” Maddie suggested. “I know Gabe would be happy to have his best mate living in the same city again.”
“I wish it were that simple.” If his restlessness could be eased by making his pal happy, he’d move back in a shot.
She smiled wryly. “Yeah, if only real life were that easy.”
Connor did not want to talk about his life and his decision. He’d thought about it altogether too much already over the last few months. For now, while he could, he preferred to lose himself in the magic that was Maddie.
“Tell me something, Maddie.” He lowered his voice so only she could hear him. “You know this afternoon, after I left?”
She looked at him through eyes narrowed by suspicion.
Good. He smothered a grin. She was obviously getting to know the way his mind worked. “Did you think about me while you partied?”
Maddie went very still. Then she sat a little straighter, patted his hand and shot him an amused look. “Yes, sweetie. You were upper mind in our thoughts the entire time.”
He couldn’t let the opportunity pass. Connor placed his other hand over Maddie’s, trapping her there. The warmth of her skin heated his entire arm. “I don’t just need to be in your thoughts, you know.”
Maddie gasped and then did her best to hide it.
Across the table Gabe turned to look at her with an indulgent smile. Maddie’s return smile was shaky at best. Gabe’s gaze came to rest on the spot where Connor and Maddie’s hands were joined. He raised