Page 1 of Love By Sunset

CHAPTER1

The seasidein autumn was an unusual place to be, except maybe if you lived here.

Bare-footed, shoes held loosely by her side, Emily Delamere wandered along in the sparkling shallows, feeling young and carefree, and all because work had brought her to Wales, the land of dragons and daffodils, and the much-loved location of all her childhood holidays.

The wind blew back her dark hair, and the sun’s rays fell warm on her face. Overhead, seagulls wheeled and cried. Shells scattered the beach, and trailing strands of seaweed littered the water's edge. She picked up a shell and inspected it before giving a small smile and slipping it into her pocket. Shading her eyes with her hand, she looked out over the water, surprised to see surfers. No doubt the all-year-round, dedicated experts who could haul themselves effortlessly upright on boards as tall as they were, and skim along under the curl of the wave. They seemed to know just when the wave would drop away beneath them. One of them gracefully stepped off before throwing himself back onto his board to begin the long paddle out to where the large swells heaved. He was too far away to see in detail, but even at a distance, his broad shoulders and slim but muscular body spoke of strength. A tangle of wet hair had fallen into his eyes and he ran his fingers through it to slick it back before continuing.

She watched him a few moments more before turning to look at the car park and the café. Emily had come down to assess the development potential of the Solhaven estate, which was up for sale. She intended to have a look at the entire estate, which consisted of this stretch of coast, the café and its access, and an old Victorian house called Haven House, to see if it suited their purposes for an upscale holiday resort, and already she felt uneasy. Her partner had mentioned developing the site to provide salt and fresh-water pools, heated all year round, with a new restaurant which would have a fancy terrace for eating, but it all seemed perfect as it was. A modern development wouldn’t suit the cottages scattered about, and it would turn what was a family-beach, with a worn and comfortable café, into something overly sophisticated.

Her phone rang, interrupting her assessment. ‘Emily Delamere.’

‘Emily, Sasha here.’

‘Hey, Sasha.’

‘You’re booked into the Seaview Hotel in Solhaven village. It’s close to the estate, so not too much driving round necessary. Have you been down to the beach yet?’

‘There now. Admiring the view.’ Emily grinned as she turned to look out over the sea again, soon picking up her surfer.Hersurfer? What did she mean by that? Even as she mocked herself, she couldn’t help but draw in a quiet breath of admiration at his suppleness as he again pulled himself up onto his board and swooped towards the beach. She knew little about surfing, but this guy seemed way better than any of the others.

‘Emily?’ Her PA sounded amused. ‘Good local talent? Even this late in the season?’

‘Can’t I hide anything from you?’ Emily grumbled.

‘I heard that breath. Usually means you’ve spotted a hot deal or a hot bloke.’

Laughing, Emily confessed. ‘A surfer. I don’t know if he’s hot or not. He’s too far away to see properly, but he’s got a lovely body. And he sure as hell can surf.’ She gave a sudden gasp as he executed a jaw-dropping move. ‘You won’t believe what he’s done! Turned a somersault on his board, landed back on the wave, and just continued his run. He’s amazing!’

‘Wow, I envy you the view! Anyway, that aside, I set up a meeting with Greenall’s for tomorrow at the house, and the local planning department on Monday. I’ve emailed you the times. They were happy to fit you in, even though it’s late notice. You can be home by Monday evening.’

Standing with the sun warm on her face and the shallow, clear water curling over her feet, Emily wondered what there was to rush back for. Her parents had taken themselves off on a month’s cruise, her younger brother was hiking in Peru, and she and her last boyfriend had split up weeks ago. She had so many happy memories of holidays spent down here, and she was due some time off, so despite Sasha’s reassurances about getting home quickly, she was tempted to spend more time in the area, re-visit some old haunts, and just… relax.

‘Thanks, Sasha. Whoa, hang on a mo… he’s coming out, and he’s not far from me!’ Emily turned and wandered back along the beach, towards the headland, before halting, her eyes fixed on the guy as he waded through the shallows, carrying the long board under his arm with ease.

Just as he reached the beach, he stopped, glancing up. Their eyes met, and he gave a lazy half-smile and raised an eyebrow. There was pure invitation in his look. Standing still, as if pinned in place, Emily looked into eyes the colour of sand in the sunshine… almost gold. She felt as if someone had punched her… breathless and weak. Dropping her gaze, unable to cope with his intensity and the sexual innuendo crackling around him, she swung away, looking back out to sea, exhaling through pursed lips. ‘Jeez, Sasha,’ she murmured into her phone. ‘He’s hot, all right. Just as well this isn’t a proper holiday, otherwise I might stalk him.’

‘Go on,’ Sasha’s warm laugh came down the phone. ‘Tell me more.’

Emily sighed and raked a trembling hand through her hair. ‘Okay, are you ready to swoon? Gold eyes… averycome to bed face. Sexy as hell. Long, curly hair. Touch of stubble. A mouth begging to be kissed. Hell, Sasha, I’m trembling!’ Emily turned and watched him as he strode up the beach toward the car park, his walk as effortless as his surfing. Some of the tension left her body, although her hand still trembled.

‘Well,’ Sasha said, ‘hemustbe hot. It’s not often you rave as much as this.’

‘He’s gone. And I must go, too. I want my dinner. Speak later, Sasha.’ Ending the call, Emily stood for a few moments, her mind still turning over that glance between her and the surfer… and thinking about his utter male beauty. Just onesultry look had caused her heart to race and her body to melt. Surely she must have imagined it, read too much into it?

Anyway, someone as sexy as that was bound to have a steady girlfriend. Hell, even a wife. And yet, if he did, he’d just been downright unfaithful, looking at her the way he had. She rubbed her fingers across her lips, imagining him pulling her towards him, lowering his sexy mouth… her heart thudded and heat pooled inside as she allowed her imagination a few moments free-rein.

Emily gave a quick shake of her head. Dreams of a holiday fling were not part of her character, and she’d probably never see surfer-guy again, anyway. No, she didn’t do casual. She was surprised her thoughts had taken that direction. She’d come here to assess this Solhaven estate, to meet with a planning officer, and to make the final decision whether to proceed and put in a bid, and she had no time for eyeing up local talent. Reasserting her steely control, she went back to her car.

CHAPTER2

Jake thoughtabout the brunette as he strode up the beach. Nice. Very nice. He wondered why she was here, at this time of year. He’d have to keep his eyes open over the next day or two, and if he saw her again, maybe he’d find an opportunity to start up a conversation. The look between them had been long, hot, and provocative, that was for sure, even though she wasn’t his usual type. She was older than the twenty-something year-olds he normally chased. More his age. And brunette, not blonde. But, hey, a change was as good as a rest. And hell, she’d caused his stomach to flip, enough to stir his body to a definite reaction, despite being tired and feeling very cold. Shaking his head, he smiled wryly.

Once changed and dry, Jake headed home and microwaved one of his own meals, brought from the café for his dinner. Eating at his kitchen table, he was happy both with the silence and his solitude, although… maybe better with a pretty brunette across the table from him? He shook away the rogue thought. Where had that come from? And why couldn’t he shake the brunette out of his mind? He was a casual, no-commitment sort of guy.

Throughout his teen years, he’d seen what commitment could do to a person as he watched his mother’s grief and his father’s despair. For nearly seven years, his dad’s illness had dominated their lives until the bitter end—his death. That sort of loving hurt, and it was better to avoid getting enmeshed. It’s why he didn’t take romance seriously. Women were for fun, not for long-term. For him, the girls came and went. He had no trouble attracting them, and he enjoyed them, but at the end of their holidays, he made no promises and refused to accept phone numbers or email addresses. Occasionally, a lovelorn missive would turn up at the café, but most of them realised he was just a fling, a holiday romance, someone they could post about on social media.

Once he’d eaten, he cleaned his kitchen. It was habitandpreference, drummed into him by years of working at the cafe. Closing his front door, Jake jogged the few yards to the harbourside pub where he knew he’d find his mates, David and Brian.

Jake bought a pint of the honey-blonde bitter and took an appreciative sip. He went over to join David and Brian, who were already sitting at a window table, their pints partly drunk. There was a gentle rumble of voices as the clientele put the world to rights, the thud of darts hitting the board and the clatter of glasses. The smell of chips lingered in the air, mixing not unpleasantly with the yeasty smell of beer.

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