Page 52 of Lipstick Kiss

“Come again?”

“It’s an inset day. Teacher training day.”

“And salivating over the rowing team is part of the curriculum?”

Luke didn’t know where his snippiness had come from. He could usually control it when Freya looked at other men, but then he was his own worst enemy. If he made a move to see how she felt, then he wouldn’t have to bite her head off every time hot men were running around Edward Hall.

“We start later on an inset day. I had an hour to spare before I needed to head into school.”

“Your school is a three-minute walk from where you live. Here,” he said, pointing to the lawns. “Is a buggy ride away.”

“I wanted to see Heidi?” she posed it as a question, making Archer laugh openly.

“I’m sure the rowing team don’t want women gazing at them half naked while they’re training.”

“I don’t mind,” one of the men shouted up from below them on the grass where one of the markers was sticking out of the ground.

“Oh, hi, Pete. How’s it going?” Freya called out.

“Pete,” Luke hissed through his teeth so Pete couldn’t hear. “You know his fucking name?”

“Yeah, they were in town last night to get a bite to eat. I bumped into them on my way home.”

“Are you still on for a drink tonight?” Pete shouted up.

“No,” Luke called out.

“Sure,” Freya replied, not looking at Pete but smirking at Luke with her arms folded under her breasts and her eyebrow raised. She moved from side to side, goading him to say more.

“I’ll be in the pub at eight. See you there,” Freya said, and Pete jogged away.

“He’s not going to pick you up? What kind of guy doesn’t pick up his girl for a date?”

“You know everyone can hear your yelling, don’t you?” Jason said, coming up onto the balcony. “I can practically hear you from the kitchens.”

Luke dropped his head back and looked at the cloudless sky. He might as well declare his love for Freya right there with his lack of subtlety.

“I know you’re protective of me, and I love you for it. But I am a grown-up and can drink with anyone I want. It’s just a drink,” Freya said.

“He wasn’t looking at you like he just wanted a drink, Peaches,” Luke bit out.

“So?” she said, shrugging a shoulder. “I gotta get to work. I’ll see you at Sunday lunch?”

“Yeah,” Luke said sullenly. “One o’clock.”

“All right then. Bye Luke, Jason, Archer.” Then she turned to the rowing team and bellowed out, “Bye, team.”

Luke stood fuming as the entire team stopped what they were doing and shouted back their goodbyes. Jesus fuck, she had hoards of men after her.

“When are you going to pull your head out of your arse?” Jason commented once Freya was out of hearing range.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Luke said, failing to take the childish tone out of his words.

“Man, if you don’t make a move soon, there are twenty guys out there who will. And that is just this morning. She waltzed out here, and all of them, even the married ones, stopped their exercises and just stared. Their drill sergeant had to snap them out of their daze,” Archer said.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Just kiss her,” Archer said.

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