“Because,” he mumbled against my lips, “I want to kiss my woman in peace.”
And who was I to refuse when I had this sexy guy in front of me?
Looping my arms around his neck, I stood closer. “With pleasure.”
The kiss went on and on until I was concerned we’d end up naked. Sure, we’d done it before, but not when we had a prize-giving ceremony to attend. A loud thud on the door forced us apart.
“Are you decent in there?”
“Ooops, busted.” Luke chuckled.
“Yes, Aunt Doll, we are.” I stifled my own laughter.
The door opened, and she stood there with a knowing smile on her face as her eyes went from me to Luke. My cheeks burned. I glanced at Luke; his were red too.
“The judging is about to begin. You can have sexy time later.” She winked and stomped off out of the shed, not giving either of us time to reply.
“Did she really just say that?” I asked, my eyes wide.
“I think she did. Maybe she’s spending too much time with Toby. Come on, before I say to hell with what anyone says and have some naked fun in here.”
“You’re insatiable.”
He swiped my ass. “I can’t help it if my girlfriend is sexy as sin.”
We took the two boxes containing the trophies up to where the presentation and judging were taking place. It was close to where we bought our supplies for the allotment. It had been made bigger so we could hold social gatherings and was used for the judging too. The sun was high in the sky, and there were more people than usual attending.
The week before, we’d had a sale of all our excess produce. This event always went down well. Most people put the money they made back into the lottie fund. Some donated it to charity. So, not only did worthy causes benefit, but local people got some delicious, homegrown food.
All the produce and flowers that were put forward for judging were donated to a different charity each year. This year it was going to the local women’s refuge. I wandered around, looking at all the amazing things which were grown with love. The scent of the flowers from the displays permeated the air; it smelled wonderful in there. The fruit and veg had been lovingly cleaned and presented, looking more like decorations than the real thing. The last table made me smile. It was all the weird and wonderful wonky-shaped produce. From naughty-looking carrots with three legs to tomatoes which appeared to have a nose growing.
“Fliss, what’s happening about the hole in the fence by the gate?” Dave, one of the lottie’s newest members, asked.
“Toby’s nephew runs a fencing company and is going to repair it for us. He has some spare wood, so he’s doing the job for free. Should be done the day after tomorrow.”
That was another thing that had taken place over recent months. Gordon, formerly known as Sergeant Major, had left. Little old me had been made field warden. Initially, I wasn’t sure about taking on the role. Once, I’d been pretty introverted, but my time spent at the lottie had brought me out of my shell. I took my role seriously, and although I had my clipboard, I certainly wasn’t anything like Gordon.
He’d been asked to leave by the committee after he was caught in a compromising position with Stella. On another person’s plot, no less. The lottie had become a more pleasant place since then. Stella’s old plot had been taken over by a charity that helped with mental health problems. Gordon’s plot had gone to a lovely Polish couple, Lena and Marek. They had a knack of utilising every single space on their plot and were a mine of useful information.
An arm slipped around my waist. “Come on, the winners are about to be announced.”
I took Luke’s hand and we stood to the side. Aunt Doll was making the announcements and Sally was handing out the trophies. Luke and I had only entered the misshaped fruit and veg category. We now shared his plot, although I still helped with my aunt’s plot occasionally. Toby and Aunt Doll had been tentatively dating for a few months. I found it very sweet and was happy for them.
“The winner of the misshapen produce goes to Luke and Felicity.”
We chuckled as everyone clapped and laughed along with us. It was a carrot that looked like a body from the waist down in a sitting position with legs crossed.
“Next year, we’ll win the best melon category,” I announced to Luke.
“Hmm, you have the best, juiciest melons I’ve ever seen. Definitely award winning.” His eyes went to my chest.
“Stop it.” I blushed.
It was a couple of hours later while we were putting produce in boxes ready to go to the women’s refuge when I noticed Luke was missing.
“Aunt Doll, have you seen Luke?”
She shook her head, but her eyes had a glint to them. I narrowed mine at her. What was going on?