His Irresistible Darling - Sarah Randall Page 0,97

I’m gonna like this lesson, Miss Darling,” he added eagerly with a roguish grin.

She tsked at him before jumping back from his touch, slapping his hand away painlessly and setting off running down the wooden pier, performing a perfect swan dive into the cool deep waters of the lake.

Jumal grinned widely as she broke back up from beneath the surface. A flock of startled ducks took off in flight. She brushed back her long hair from her shoulders and waved at him. “Skinny-dipping one-oh-one,” she shouted, flipping onto her back and starting to float, gently kicking her legs.

He chuckled as he bent down to pick up the tube of Smarties, placing it carefully under her messy pile of clothes. Losing the flawless, two-carat blue diamond—the exact colour of her eyes, which he’d hidden in it, wouldn’t be a good start to their long engagement. He’d let her find it safely later and choose whether she wanted to wear it on her finger or on a delicate chain around her neck—without the risk of choking on the exquisitely rare gem this time!

Looking over at the French poodle and Labrador still cuddled up together on the pier, he made a clicking noise with his tongue. “Whatta you say, you two? You up for a swim?”

George lifted his sleepy head and panted. Mimi ignored him as Pip shouted playfully, “I’m getting cold, Jumal! If you aren’t in here warming me up in ten seconds you’re gonna fail your first lesson!”

No doubt disturbed by the noise, Mimi stood up, stretched and gave them both a look indicating that she thought them both to be idiots before trotting over towards the Scandinavian-style wooden lake house.

Jumal bent down and stroked George’s strong head and was rewarded with a playful bark. Smiling back he started to strip off his own clothes, mixing them with Pippa’s, before taking his Blackberry out of his pocket and saying, “Looks like it’s just you and me then, boy. Come on. Last one in’s a loser.” Getting the message, George leapt up and took off running and barking down the pier before performing a perfectly ungraceful doggie flop, soaking Pippa.

Jumal tossed the phone up once in the air before taking one last look at the liberty-sucking object and launching it into the lake.

Not to be outdone by George, Jumal streaked down the short wooden pier, naked as the day he was born, never happier, hearing the joyful screams and whoops of encouragement from his fiancée and preparing to perform the perfect six point zero bomb, screaming at the top of his lungs, “WOO-HOO, PIPPAAAA!!!!!”

Turn the page to read the first two chapters from Sarah Randall’s

Forever His Darling

Out now!

Chapter One

“You’ve done what!? Tell me you’re joking!” Matt yelled, spinning around to face his younger sister., burning his tongue and dropping the spoon on the floor.

Pip glanced up at him from her laptop as she sat at the large table in the middle of the kitchen. Her eyes were wide with innocence behind the modern thick framed glasses but that old trick wasn’t going to work on him this time. She’d gone too far and he was angry; Tired and angry.

“Here,” Mrs Henderson thrust a glass of water into his hands; expertly maneuvering him away from the Aga and her bubbling stew. “I agreed to let them use Melville House to do a fashion shoot. It’s for Alix Anderson, the famous designer. He’s launching his new country wear range and using Anastacia as the model. It’s a no brainer Matt, it’s so exciting, I thought you’d be really pleased. I know I am!”

He bit on his lip hard, putting a halt to his planned volatile response as he watched Pip do a little jig in her chair. It had been a long time since his little sister had seemed happy and excited about anything. Since the summer, she’d agreed to take on more responsibility and assist Henry with the stud farm and house management. In reality Matt was still making all of the important day to day decisions, but he felt that Pip needed something to fill her time until she decided whether or not she was going back to university in Leeds to finish her business course. Which of course she was, she just needed to come to that conclusion on her own..

Clearly, he’d missed out on making this decision. It would certainly have been a “no brainer” to him…”No way in hell” would’ve been his standard reply to such an enquiry to