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“You always duck away when you smile.” He felt two arms wrap around him when she was done making her observation, and her cheek rested against his back, warm through his dress shirt. “Why is that?”
“I do not smile often and I feel it looks foreign on my face,” he said, clasping his hands over hers.
“I think your smile is brilliant,” she said. “It’s quite beautiful and you should share it with the world more often.”
“Well, you make me smile quite a bit, dear. Perhaps we can go out in public where others can see it.”
Her soft laugh vibrated through him. “There are upsides to staying in, though.”
“Yes, there are.” She let go of him and he found himself near a pout but then she leaned against the worktop next to him. “But dinner first.”
“Absolutely, since it looks like a lamb dish. I haven’t had that in a long time.”
“I’m making an excuse for my diet for the moment to have the roast rack of lamb because I need practice.”
“Oh?” she asked.
“Mummy and Father have asked to come to visit, and roasted leg of lamb is their favourite dish.” He paused. “I’m hoping you’ll join me for dinner that evening?”
“Of course,” she said. “Is Sherlock…?”
Mycroft shook his head. “He avoids our parents as often as he can. I don’t mind entertaining them during this visit to London if you’ll help me.”
“Absolutely,” she said. “I just don’t want things to be awkward again. Sherlock just started speaking to me in more than clipped tones again.”
“He’s yet to say anything else to me, so at least that’s a start,” Mycroft said quietly.
“Oh, Mycroft, I didn’t mean to put a damper on the evening,” she replied.
“No, it’s fine. We can ignore his presence for the evening as much as he ignores our relationship.” He wanted to say more but Molly turned him to face her and pulled him down, crushing her lips against his in one of the most passionate kisses they had shared. He immediately ignored the food he was preparing and pulled her closer, losing himself in the kiss. When they finally had to break apart to breathe again, he looked at her speculatively. “Not that I mind, but...”
“I wanted to take your mind off your brother and get you to focus on something more important,” she said, teasing the top button of his dress shirt. “Will this keep?”
“You know, I think it well, and if it doesn’t, today is already a cheat day,” he said, letting his hands slide around to cup her arse gently. “Do you have any plans you’d like to put into motion?”
“Your guest bedroom, some chocolate sauce you think I don’t know you have, and whipped cream?” she asked with her tone being a teasing one. “If I’m staying the night, your bedroom might be too messy for us to sleep tonight if we have dessert first.”
“I think dessert first is more than satisfactory,” he said, gifting her with an authentic smile, not the type he used to intimidate people into submission. She smiled back and then pulled him in for another kiss, and if they never made it to the bedroom...well, the kitchen was easier to clean, now, wasn’t it?