Page 55 of Playing for Keeps

“No particular reason. He’s just not that well liked. Possibly because Verity isn’t a fan of his. Around here, if you don’t have Verity’s seal of approval, you have a problem.”

“Verity?” She searched her brain, sure she knew the name. “From the cafe?”

“Have you met her yet?”

“No.” Not as an adult, anyway.

“I think her main gripe with Kevin is that he doesn’t let dogs into the clubhouse. Her partner, Bill, comes up regularly while he’s walking his dog. Verity’s always telling him that if the place isn’t good enough for Perry, then Bill shouldn’t set foot inside either.”

“I’ve met Bill and Perry.”

“Anyway ...” Hugh slowed at the turn to her place. “I think most people are like you. Not overly fond of Kevin, but without any particular reason to dislike him.”

Allie turned onto the paved path that ran outside of her place, then looked quizzically at Hugh when he didn’t follow.

“Come here for a minute.” He extended his hand and she automatically slipped her fingers into his and followed him in the direction of the clifftops.

“Where are we going?” She felt completely at ease with Hugh, but there was still the tiniest prickle of a warning deep in her gut. “Should I be concerned that I’m being led down a dark path by a guy I don’t actually know that well?”

Hugh stopped abruptly. “Sorry. I just wanted to show you the view. It’ll be pretty with the full moon, but …”

“That’s good then. Carry on.” She set off, pulling on his arm to get him moving again.

They didn’t go much further, but stopped just before the coastal path. Overhead, the perfectly round moon glowed brightly, spilling moonbeams down to sparkle on the dark water below.

“That’s an amazing view,” Allie said, her voice quiet and filled with awe.

For a moment everything felt utterly still as she took in the silver shimmers on the water. Instinctively, she tipped her head back to catch sight of the moon just before it slipped behind a cloud.

When her gaze came back to Hugh, he was staring right at her. The intensity of his features did something strange to her insides, and with barely any thought, she took a step and pressed her lips against his.

Closing her eyes, she focused on the scent of his aftershave and the way her nose rested against his while she savoured the slow kisses that made her heart rate soar. His arm curled around her waist, the beer bottle in his hand pressing against her back when he eased her against him. Her breath caught at their closeness.

Too soon, Hugh broke the kiss. Softly, he pushed her hair from her face.

“Do you want to go and get your feet out of those shoes?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she breathed, entwining her fingers with his again.

On the short walk back to her place, her stomach fizzed with anticipation that had very little to do with her poor aching feet.

CHAPTER 20

The bright overhead light in Allie’s room didn’t provide quite the same romantic ambience as the moon achieved. Despite being desperate to resume kissing Hugh, she felt suddenly self-conscious. Not only because of the sudden dazzling light but also because of how much of a mess her place was.

“I was in a bit of a rush this morning after surfing.”

Every fibre of Allie told her to quickly tidy the place up, but she wasn’t sure where to start. She shifted a collection of discarded clothes from the floor to the back of the chair, then tried her best to straighten up the mess of papers on the small desk. “Also, there’s barely any storage space, so I don’t have much hope of keeping the place tidy.”

Turning, her eyes went to the tiny kitchen area where the sink and draining board were littered with dirty mugs and plates. She really should try to keep the place nicer.

“Don’t worry about it.” Hugh didn’t seem at all perturbed as he took a seat on the one and only chair, which doubled as a clothes horse. “Did you say it’s just temporary?”

“Yes.”

“Are you looking for somewhere else?” He took a swig of his beer, then set the bottle down on the desk.

Allie sank onto the bed, deciding to do her best to ignore the state of the place. “Not yet. Just getting settled and getting to know the area.”

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