All Saints: Love and Intrigue in the Stunning New Zealand Wilderness (The New Zealand Soccer Referee Series Book 1) Read Free Page A

streets over obliterated the sound of ringing inside.
    “Don’t
tell them!” Mark begged, tears welling in his eyes. I looked at Foxy in
confusion.
    “Tell
who? Tell them what?”
    “Good
girl,” Mark sniffed. “You always were a good girl.”
    I pulled
a face of annoyance and turned, heading down the rickety steps to street level.
“See you, Uncle Mark.” I waved over my shoulder and strode towards Foxy’s car,
noticing the sheen of the paintwork in the confusing autumn weather. Sunshine
beat down on the specs of rain from the momentary shower a few seconds ago, not
a guilty cloud in the sky.
    “Hey, we
can’t leave him there!” Foxy caught my arm and turned me so my breasts touched
his shirt front. “What if he pukes and suffocates himself?”
    “Then
sit down next to him and make yourself comfy. Give me your car keys so I can go
back to the farcical wedding.”
    “I’m not
giving you my keys!” A dimple showed in Foxy’s right cheek and I focussed on it
to help me ignore his full, kissable lips and the angular cheekbones calling to
the palms of my hands. I balled my fists to stop me thinking about how his
rough shave might feel on the sensitive skin of my fingers.
    “Then
drive me back!” I snapped, turning and yanking on the passenger door handle.
    “We
can’t just leave him!” he insisted. “It’s not right!”
    “His
wife’s there,” I said. “We rang the bell, remember? It might just take her a
while to get to the door.”
    “She’s
got cancer!” Foxy said, lowering his voice. “How’s she gonna carry him inside?”
    I
snorted with laughter. “She won’t need to. With a voice like nails on a
blackboard, she only needs to shout at him and he’ll crawl inside.”
    “What
made you so hard?” His hand looped around the back of my neck, his dark eyes
searching my face for clues. The invasion into my personal space made me tense
in fear and he saw the mist descend over my eyes. He still didn’t move fast
enough to avoid the swift kick I administered to his shin.
    “Touch
me again and I’ll kill you,” I threatened and he stepped back, circling me like
a wary cat. Nodding once with slow precision he deactivated the central locking
and hauled open the passenger door.
    “We
shouldn’t leave him.”
    “He’ll
be fine!”
    The
argument continued right up to the gates to the football club and Foxy drove
past the sign marking the start of All Saints territory. I felt the involuntary
shudder snake down my body from neck to ankles and gripped Foxy’s wrist as it
rested on the gear stick. “Please could you give me a ride home?” I swallowed
and worked on controlling the overwhelming sense of panic stomping through my
chest.
    “Why?”
He brought the car to a halt and peered at me, his face filled with concern.
    “I need
to go home.” I took slow breaths and fought the flapping fish in my heart as it
slapped and leapt, threatening to pitch me over the edge. “Actually, don’t
worry.” I gripped the door handle and gave a shove, confused when it wouldn’t
move.
    “Hang
on, hang on.” Foxy pressed a button on the dashboard and I heard a comforting
click. “It locks itself.”
    I nodded
and swung my legs out sideways, still belted in as I pushed at the door.
“Thanks.”
    “Look,
stop!” Foxy grabbed my wrist and pulled, frowning as the contents of my handbag
spewed into the footwell. “I’ll take you home. Just close the door.” The
authority in his voice forced obedience and I closed the door, feeling lipstick
and a mascara under my shoe as I put my feet back on the mat. I chewed my lip
and wouldn’t look at him.
    The car
swung around in the car park like shears through silk and I heaved a sigh of
relief as the All Saints sign asked us to ‘Please drive home safely.’ At the
main road, Foxy straddled the lane and fixed his perceptive brown eyes on my
flushed face.
    “What’s
your address?” he asked, his hand on the indicator ready to send the lights
flashing left