Page 42 of Cupcakes and Kisses in Micklewick Bay

Every instinct told Jasmine to fight and scream at the top of her lungs. ‘Get off me! Get off me!’ she yelled loudly, pinchingthe fleshy underside of his arm, digging her nails in as hard as she could and twisting the skin.

‘Argh!’ he yelped.

She yanked herself free, her green eyes ablaze. ‘Touch me again and you’ll get a kick in the balls! I know how to look after myself. You’ll come off worse.’ Thunder echoed around them. Jasmine wiped the rain from her eyes, her chest heaving.

‘That bloody hurt,’ he said, rubbing where her nails had left their mark. ‘I could sue you for assault.’

‘Don’t fancy your chances, buster,’ Jasmine said, as she moved away from him. A lightning-quick appraisal told her he was only a couple of inches taller than her and on the puny side. ‘Men like you who think it’s okay to intimidate women are pathetic and despicable.’ She spat the words out, rage coursing through her. ‘You should be locked up and the key thrown away.’

Her words must’ve hit a nerve as, before she knew it, he’d pushed his chest out and started walking towards her. ‘That right?’

She felt utterly fearless. He’d picked on the wrong woman. ‘Yes! that’s right! There’s no room for the likes of you in this world anymore.’

He pulled his top lip back in a snigger, showing his mouthful of snaggled, rotten teeth. ‘All I wanted was to have a word. That’s not unreasonable. What was I supposed to do if you wouldn’t listen? You didn’t give me any choice, did ya?’ The ape-swagger was in full swing and his voice had taken on a sinister tone.

‘I don’t know who you are, you can have nothing to say to me. So you’d better keep away!’

‘That’s where you’re wrong, Jasmine Ingilby. We do know each other.’ He smirked, drawing closer, his eyes mean and hard. ‘It’s got back to me that you and your brats have been causing trouble for my kids. And I’m seriously brassed off about it. You need to back off running up to school and telling tales tothe teachers like you and your pathetic friends used to do for me when we were there. You won’t get away with it this time.’

‘What?’No! This was Jason Scragg?Had he been deliberately driving around looking for her to get this message across? Fear that things weren’t as under control with the Scragg children as she’d hoped pushed to the forefront of her mind. She was half aware of the pounding of feet nearby as Scraggo moved closer.

‘Jingilby! Are you okay?’ In the next moment, Max was standing beside her, his arm sliding across her shoulders. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Who the hell…?’ Jason Scragg stepped back, glancing up at Max, his callous sneer replaced by a look of alarm.

‘I could ask you the same thing, and why you’re bothering my friend.’ Rain splashed up from the pavement.

‘Keep your hair on. And anyroad, it’s nowt to do with you, I was just having a word, that’s all. Nowt to get het up about.’

‘Didn’t look like nowt to me, looked like you were making a nuisance of yourself.’ Max towered over Scraggo, his eyes hardened in a way that took Jasmine by surprise.

‘Aye, well, you were mistaken.’ Scraggo backed away. ‘I’m off now.’

They watched as he scuttled over to his car, all trace of the ape-swagger gone.

‘What was that all about?’ Max asked, looking down at Jasmine, his shirt drenched.

‘I’m afraid that was Jason Scragg – I daresay you remember him.’ She watched Max’s reaction, his eyes betraying his feelings as realisation dawned.

‘He’s a hard one to forget,’ he said coolly, watching the car screech away. ‘He didn’t hurt you, did he?’

Jasmine shook her head. ‘It was the other way round. And I left him in no doubt that I wouldn’t hesitate to fight back if he gave me any crap.’

‘Still fearless, then, Jingilby?’ He drew her closer to him, smoothing his hand over the top of her arm, oblivious to the rain.

‘You’d better believe it.’ She was aware of her body pressed against his, the warmth he was generating seeping through her saturated clothing.

‘That’s good to hear,’ he said, grinning down at her, his eyes soft.

‘I hate to say it, but he’s landed back in town, has two kids the same age as Zak and Chloe – Connor, too,’ she added reluctantly, knowing how it would worry Max. ‘They haven’t been here long but already they’ve made their mark at school.’

‘Which can only be bad news.’

‘I know. It wasn’t pleasant at first, but I feel confident that school has got it under control. The headteacher’s brilliant, won’t tolerate bullying. She’s fully aware of the situation.’ She glanced up at him. ‘She’s nothing like Old Troutface.’

‘I’d be hard to be worse.’

Jasmine was struck by a thought. ‘How come you’re here?’ she asked, looking up at him. With the adrenalin that had been pumping through her only moments ago now draining away, she was suddenly aware of how cold she felt. She was soaked right through to her underwear and her clothes were clinging to her skin. She started shivering uncontrollably.

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