The Survivors (Book 2): Autumn by V. L. Dreyer Page B

place, and now it’s not.”
    “You’ll get used to it,” I said, lazing on my belly to watch him pulling on his boxer-briefs and jeans.
    “I know, I know; it just takes time to adapt.” He gave me that sweet smile of his, then tugged a close-fitting white t-shirt over his head.  Once he’d straightened his clothes, he wandered over to plop down on the bed beside me.  I felt the warmth of a hand on the small of my back, followed by inquisitive fingers slipping up beneath the hem of my top.  “You understand that better than anyone.”
    “I guess I do,” I agreed, rolling onto my back to look up at him .  His hand slid over my skin, until it came to rest on my belly.  He stared down at me thoughtfully, trailing gentle fingers over the smooth curve of my stomach, as though considering moving them higher.  If he did, the chances of us setting off on time were slim to none.
    He let out a long, deep sigh and reluctantly removed his hand from beneath my clothing .  Self-control could be difficult at times, even for the best of us, but he was a good man and tried so hard.  I felt a sudden rush of affection towards him and popped upright to plant a kiss on his cheek.
    Michael’s brows shot up at the gesture .  Suddenly, before I knew what was happening, he caught me in a playful embrace and bore me down onto the bed.  I found myself pinned down by strong, gentle hands, and could only squeal helplessly while he planted kisses on my belly.  He released me a few seconds later, but it was so sudden and unexpected that it got me laughing all over again.
    “You’re so weird,” I scolded him, giggling; he just grinned right back at me and went about strapping on his vest .  It was only then that I realised he’d been looking for it because he intended to wear it for our trip.  My levity oozed away.  “Wait, you didn’t want to bring the guns, but you’re going to wear that?”
    “I thought about what you said downstairs,” he admitted, tugging a strap tighter against his skin, “and I realised that you were right .  I don’t think Anahera’s whanau mean us any harm, but anything could happen.  We should try to be prepared.”
    “I’ve trained you well, my pet,” I teased him .  While he was busy, I wriggled back over to close the window above his bed, so the rain and insects couldn’t get in while we were away.  “We’ll make a proper survivalist out of you yet.”
    “I hope not,” he answered dryly, then he reached over to poke my bottom while he could reach it easily .  “Positivity!”
    “Hey, hey, what’s with the poking?” I spun around and poked him right back.  “I keep telling you, there’s a difference between negativity and realism.”
    “Ah, but there must be a balance, grasshopper,” he told me sagely.
    “So you’re the Yin to my Yang, Officer Chan?” I asked, moving back to the edge of the bed to sit beside him.
    “Something like that, except it’s the other way around .  Yin represents the feminine and yang the masculine.” He gave me a quirky sideways smile, and started putting his socks and boots on while we were talking.
    “No, I’m pretty sure I meant exactly what I said,” I countered dryly .  A little too dryly, apparently; it took him a second to cotton on to what I’d said.  When he finally put two and two together, he shot me an amused glance.
    “Really now? I’m pretty sure that I’m the one with the—”
    “Maybe so, but which one of us hits like a truck?” I waved a fist at him playfully.
    “Okay, you win that point,” he conceded, laughing.
    Dressed at last, Michael rose to his feet and stretched languidly .  Although the action was quite innocent, it distracted me from our conversation; I watched with interest, admiring his physique.  He really was a remarkable man: mentally, physically, and emotionally.  Suddenly, I felt a little inadequate by comparison.
    Michael glanced over his shoulder at me, as though sensing instinctively