Page 31 of The Summer Escape

With an immense amount of willpower, Beth forced herself up from Trystan’s chest and swung her legs off the edge of the bed. “I really have to go.”

“You said that half an hour ago.” Sitting up beside her, he rested his chin on her shoulder. “But then you started kissing me again.”

“You’re very kissable.” She gave him a quick peck before reaching for her underwear.

“So it’s my fault?”

“Definitely.” Her smile widened as he hampered her efforts to put her bra on by nuzzling her neck. “I really need to go,” she said, gently nudging him away. “It’s one o’clock in the morning and I have to sneak into your mother’s house without waking anyone.” Standing, she untwisted the strap of her bra. “Oh god. What if your mum wakes up?”

“She won’t. Even if she does, the last thing she’s going to do is quiz you about why you’re back so late.” Standing, he slipped his arms around her waist. “Mostly because the pub closed ages ago and there’s nowhere else to go, so she’ll know exactly what kept you out so late.”

She laughed at the amusement in his eyes. “You’re not making me feel any better.”

“I’m just saying it’s not something she’ll want to have a conversation about.”

Hooking her arms around his neck, she kissed him again, feeling slightly stunned at having slept with a guy she barely knew, but also utterly unremorseful. She only wished she didn’t have to leave. “I told you I should have brought my dress upstairs,” she said, forcing herself away from him.

“That was a tactical move so I get to watch you walk back through the house in your underwear.”

At the top of the stairs, she glanced back and snorted a laugh. “Aren’t you going to put any clothes on?”

“I’m not cold,” he said, eyebrows waggling cheekily.

Grinning, she descended the stairs. “I’m starting to see what you meant about not needing alcohol. It certainly doesn’t seem as though you have any inhibitions to get rid of.”

“Exactly,” he said, pinching her bum at the bottom of the stairs.

Once she was dressed and had her shoes on, she lingered by the door.

“Sure you don’t want me to walk you back?” he asked.

“I think it’s probably better if you don’t.” She leaned into his chest, trying hard to keep her eyes at face level. “I can’t believe you’re just wandering around naked.”

“There was no point in putting clothes on to walk you downstairs. I’d only have to take them off again five minutes later. It’s not like you haven’t already seen it all.”

“Do you sleep naked?”

“Yeah. When it’s warm enough.”

She pressed her lips against his, then opened the door.

“Shall I give you a tip?” He leaned against the doorframe, his playful smile making the skin around his eyes crinkle. “When sneaking into my mum’s house, there’s a creaky floorboard on the third step. Avoid that one. Also, stick to the edge of the hallway upstairs.”

Glaring at him, she jabbed at his ribs. “Stop teasing me. I don’t know if you’re joking or not, but I’m going to be creeping through the house like an amateur ninja.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, resting his head on the doorframe as he watched her go.

When she was almost at the house she turned to see his naked form illuminated by the faint glow of the lights behind him. Laughter bubbled out of her as she raised her hand to wave.

Inside, she crept straight upstairs, managing to avoid any creaky floorboards. Ellie was fast asleep in the middle of the bed and Beth shuffled her over when she climbed in beside her.

With a flurry of endorphins buzzing in her system, it was difficult to settle down to sleep. After tossing and turning for a while, she reached for her phone, intent on messaging Dee. It was highly unlikely she’d be awake to exchange messages but it was worth checking.

The screen lit up in the darkness, showing a missed call from Dee from several hours ago, and a message asking what it was like being so old. The teasing jibe made Beth’s smile stretch even wider and she tapped out a reply.

It’s bloody brilliant!

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