Page 31 of Lipstick Kiss

“You’re right, it didn’t, but it has broken down half a mile away. I took a look, but I really don’t know why it stopped.”

“You put petrol in, right?”

He gave her a surprised glance. “I’m supposed to fill it with petrol?”

“Luke,” she snapped, not knowing if he was teasing.

“Well, fuck,” he said, raking his fingers through his hair, his head turning in the direction of the sea. “Maybe it just ran out of fuel.”

His head whipped back to her, and he winked.

That wink warmed her insides. He’d never winked at her before. She’d never seen him wink at anyone else.

It was sexy. Very sexy.

“Get in. I’ll give you a ride.”

Then she got a face-splitting grin.

Was he flirting with a knowing grin?

“I’m driving,” he said, trying to shove her over with his hip.

“My vehicle, my rules. I’m driving. Get in, or you can walk.”

“If I walk, I’m walking back to Sabrina Lodge.”

“I never asked you to come,” she replied.

“Come on, Peaches, let’s get going. They won’t be open for much longer.”

He was right, and she was all out of energy arguing pointless conversations after being with the kids all day.

“Fine, but only because kids are exhausting, and you’re the biggest kid of them all.”

He shone his satisfied grin her way and still shoved her over with his hip. She shuffled along to the other side of the bench seat and folded her arms over her chest. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hauled her back to sit flush with him. When he was happy she was close enough, he dropped his arm to rest on the back of the seat and drove one-handed the rest of the way to the lavender farm.

Luke parked up, and they got out of the vehicle. Freya swiped up her handbag and lifted it to put it crossways over her body. Luke fell into step with her and threw his arm around her neck.

“You know you’re being super weird, right?” Freya said, looking at the hand she could see to her left and then back to his profile.

“Weird, how?”

“You said you didn’t want to touch a woman that belonged to another man.”

“That’s right, I did say that.”

“And here you are with me plastered to your side with your arm around my shoulders.”

“That’s also correct. But I’ve always done that. I reckon whoever this guy is, he needs to get used to the fact I’ve known you forever. We have an unbreakable bond, including hugging, head kisses and arms around each other. Not to mention the occasional piggyback when you’re drunk. Although he can carry your arse home if you get drunk.”

That was the sweetest thing he’d ever said. She’d felt everything he’d said, but she had never heard it from him. She’d hoped they’d had an unbreakable bond. He didn’t talk much about anything, especially in the last seven years since his dad had died right in front of him. Freya wasn’t sure what she was expecting. She knew men were different from women. She would’ve cried and talked Heidi’s head off if it had been her that watched her dad die, but men were different. She’d tried to talk to him, but he was too closed off. She accepted it, trusted that they were still the best of friends and hoped one day he would be okay with talking about that day.

“I don’t get drunk these days. Heidi is too loved up to go to the pub. It’s all changed now she’s besotted with her husband. Not that I begrudge her happiness and her to-die-for cottage.”

“You like her cottage?”

“I love her cottage. It’s off-the-charts sensational. Archer and Erica’s cottage is awesome too. I know the shells are all the same for the cottages. But Erica and Heidi’s places are so different you don’t realise the layout is the same. To die for, honestly, Luke.”

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