Luke
Iwas losing my mind where Fliss was concerned. Each time I saw her, I wanted her. Not that she complained. But we desperately needed to talk about this. My mind and body were totally confused. My world was usually well-ordered. Uncomplicated. I’d made it that way since Leanne. I wasn’t about to get burned again. Then why did this confusing redhead make me feel different?
I’d remembered some spare solar lights in my shed and headed over to get them. As Sally often said, you could never have enough solar lighting. No sooner had I entered my shed when I caught Stella’s perfume wafting in behind me. She shut the door and leant against it.
“Got you now,” she murmured.
I felt sick to the stomach. She had her too-short miniskirt on. Her top, unlike Fliss’s, was so low you could make out the top of her bra. I wanted to puke. She sashayed towards me.
“Get the fuck out of here and away from me.”
“Oh, don’t be so silly. Let’s have a little fun.”
I turned back to the bench in my shed and quickly typed a message out to the one person who could help me. I hit send and turned to face her.
She was right in front of me. Her hands went to the buttons on my shirt. I swatted her away.
“Come on, let me see what you’re hiding under there.”
I put my hands on her shoulders and pushed her away from me. Or I tried, because she took that as the go ahead to move in for a kiss. I closed my eyes and pushed harder, just as the shed door opened.
“Don’t you ever take the hint, bitch?”
Stella whirled around to face her, just as Fliss dumped a bucket full of compost over her. She spluttered and coughed, trying to wipe it away from her body.
“You’ll pay for this.”
Fliss moved between us and pushed her out of the door while she was still trying to get rid of the compost.
“Maybe being covered in compost might make you grow into a better person,” Fliss called after her as she ran away.
We came out of my shed to be greeted by cheers and clapping. It appeared our friends approved of Stella’s punishment.
* * *
Felicity
All the food was set out on the tables and most people had arrived. Aunt Doll was fussed over, and Sally was updating her on all the latest gossip from the lottie. She was recovering well from her operation, but being at her beloved allotment had made her look even better. It probably helped that Toby was being attentive, ever present by her side.
I watched Luke head over to get some lights from his shed. He had a mighty fine ass that fitted his jeans in all the right places. The sway of it was almost hypnotic. Hmm, I wanted to kiss him again just so I could hold onto that ass while he devastated my mouth with his addictive lips. I saw Stella hovering close by, but then Vi called out to me. I’d just poured my aunt a glass of wine when my phone beeped.
“Stella’s trapped me in my shed!”
I saw red. That woman was a nightmare. After grabbing a bucket and filling it with compost, I strode over to Luke’s plot.
“Where are you going, love?” Aunt Doll called out.
“I’m going to sort out a garden pest. Back in a minute.”
When I opened the door to his shed, I was livid at the sight that met me. This was sexual harassment. Luke was too much of a gentleman to use any kind of force on a woman, but I’d had it with her. After dumping the compost over her, I had no qualms about dragging her outside and away from him.
I returned to the shed to see Luke still leaning against the bench, his eyes on me as though he’d never seen a woman before. I went to him and held his face between my hands.
“Luke?”
A moan left him as he pulled me in and kissed me thoroughly. I thought I was going to melt on the spot. After he’d finished, he held me while he shook.
“Are you okay?” I glanced up at his face.