Playing the Playboy's Sweetheart Read Free Page A

that she was possibly approaching the ride of her life.
    Never, in all her twenty-three years had a man detonated her the way Hugh had.
    His hand was on her thigh as they drove and she took no offence for hers was on his and it was suggestive down to her fingernails in a way she had never been before. The relief when he turned off the engine at the same time as he pulled up the handbrake had her snap off her seat belt in haste to return to his mouth.
    â€˜Emily...’ His hand was up her skirt like two out-of-control teenagers and the spinning wheels in her head slowed as he halted. ‘Not here.’
    She was going to ask him in.
    Sex.
    Brilliant, sex and, and...
    Emily pulled back her head and denied instinct.
    â€˜I’m going in...’
    â€˜Sure.’ Hugh would, of course, rather she asked him in too but, well, this would be so worth the wait.
    She watched his mouth move and offer dinner, a catch-up next week, though his hand between her thighs told her it would definitely end in bed and it was time to bring things to a halt.
    â€˜Hugh.’ She let out a breath. ‘I don’t know...’ She changed tack. ‘It’s just...’ How could she deny the want that thrummed between them? For Emily there was but one thing left to do so she came up with a rapid lie. ‘I’m seeing someone.’
    â€˜Oh.’
    â€˜Gregory.’
    â€˜It’s fine, I get it...’ Though he didn’t. Poor Gregory, Hugh thought as he reclaimed his hand, because five minutes from now he’d have had her knickers off.
    â€˜He’s in Scotland, so we don’t see each other as much as—’
    â€˜You really don’t need to explain.’
    And so the phantom Gregory was born.
    * * *
    When her father and Donna broke up in the New Year it was to Gregory she turned, rather than Hugh, though they did touch on it once, because Hugh came into the staffroom when Emily was on the phone.
    â€˜Donna, I get it that you have issues with my father but I don’t understand what that has to do with me. If you don’t want to see me that’s fine but can I just take the twins to the park or for an ice cream every now and then...?’ She turned in her chair and saw that Hugh had come in just as Donna told her that, no, she’d prefer Emily didn’t have extra contact with the twins—she could see them when her father bothered to.
    â€˜Is she not letting you see the twins?’ Hugh asked when she came off the phone.
    â€˜I can see them when they’re with my dad, which isn’t very often. I asked if I could take them out at the weekend but it unsettles them apparently.’
    â€˜Can she do that?’
    â€˜Of course she can.’ Emily stood and went to walk past but Hugh caught her arm.
    â€˜Emily?’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜Do you want...?’ Hugh didn’t really know what he was offering.
    Emily did.
    Yes, she did want.
    She wanted to burst into tears, she wanted him to take her out and not cheer her up, just share...
    She wanted to share with him.
    Emily looked down at the fingers that still held her wrist.
    Oh, he could hurt her, Emily thought, and then looked up to his eyes. He could really, really hurt her.
    â€˜I’ll sort it out,’ Emily said. ‘Gregory is going to try and speak with her.’
    At the mention of Gregory his hand disengaged from her arm.
    * * *
    For the next three months, every time Emily went to visit her mother Hugh was brought up to speed through vague conversations. However, just as he was starting to wonder about the fact that Gregory never seemed to come down to London, Emily actually found her perfect guy for real, so Gregory was swiftly dumped.
    Marcus
was
perfect.
    Dark haired, terribly serious, he was a social worker at the hospital and liked to hike at weekends. Sex happened on Saturdays, occasional Tuesdays, and Emily developed solid calf muscles from trips up hillsides.
    It was perfect for