The Dog Sitter: The new feel-good romantic comedy of 2021 from the bestselling author of The Wedding Date!

by Zara Stoneley

  He expertly steers the vehicle over the bumpy track, his tanned hands holding the steering wheel lightly – if I was driving, I’d be hanging on for dear life, my knuckles white, but I guess he’s used to doing this. Well, he definitely is, given the mud-spattered state of the four-wheel drive.

  Then he pulls to a stop by a stone wall and turns the engine off.

  There are only sheep for company, and not many of them. Where the hell are we?

  ‘Here we go. You pour the coffee, while I get the gear out.’

  ‘Gear?’ I don’t like the sound of that.

  ‘Paraglider.’

  My fingers falter on the flask. My throat has gone very dry. ‘Paraglider?’

  ‘I didn’t think you’d want to walk all the way down, it’s a long way.’

  ‘I’d love to walk all the way down,’ I croak. No way are my feet going to leave the ground. Is he mad? I’ve seen YouTube videos of people jumping off fells and swooping down over lakes. I feel ill.

  ‘Oh.’ He pauses and frowns. ‘Ropes then? We could abseil?’ He’s out of the driver’s seat and has opened the back door before I can object.

  I feel sick.

  I’m acutely aware of his presence behind me, the hairs prickling on the back of my neck as he rummages around.

  ‘I can’t abseil,’ I squeak out, turning.

  He looks up and chuckles. ‘I was kidding! I think we’ll need a few more bootcamp sessions before we start leaping off cliffs together. This is a different kind of gear. Come on then, if you’ve had your coffee, get your arse into gear!’

  He slams the door shut and the whole vehicle shakes, in much the same way as my knees are doing as I clamber out and watch him put a large rucksack on.

  ‘I hope that’s full of gingerbread!’

  He grins, then taps the side of his nose. ‘You’ll soon find out. Ready?’

  For the first time I look around properly. We are surrounded by vast open moors, not steep fells. I stop panicking. I can do this, whatever it is. I am a bit confused though. ‘Where’s the steep hill?’

  ‘It’s more of a down than an up, come on, you’ll see.’

  ‘Steep down?’

  ‘I’ve done it tons of times, it’s safe, I promise.’ His gaze meets mine and this time he’s not smiling, he’s totally serious. ‘It’ll be worth it. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t know you could do it.’ His certainty, his belief, wins me over.

  ‘O-kay, let’s do this then.’

  I shut the heavy door with a clunk and straighten my top. Something tells me that Ash will look after me.

  To be honest, I’m beginning to wonder what lies ahead as we saunter across the moors. Because it is like a saunter. This seems far too easy. I glance over at Ash a time or two, but he is walking steadily, keeping his pace to one that suits me and looking completely chilled.

  I have absolutely no idea what is in his rucksack, but it doesn’t look like it’s weighing him down so I’m hoping it’s a pile of well-wrapped bacon sandwiches and a good slab of gingerbread. And more coffee.

  His steady pace settles me after a while. It’s addictive. It’s impossible to stay wound up and nervous. So after a while I forget to worry about what challenge lurks round the next corner and allow myself to breathe in the air and appreciate the wide-open space, the stillness, and the fact that there isn’t another living soul to spoil the feeling that we’re in an untouched place.

  My ears are tuned in to the sounds of birds, the distant bleating of sheep. The soft sun is warming my face and I realise I’m smiling.

  No way would I have ever imagined a few months ago that I’d be striding across the moors with a fit man at my side and only the wildlife for company. It’s like my world has been reinvented. Everything is different. Even I’m beginning to feel different – how can I not?

  ‘Look!’ Ash comes to a halt and pulls me in to his side, startling me out of my daydreams.

  I hear the sound first: the unmistakable sound of splashing water. And then he has me close, is drawing me forward.

  ‘Wow!’ I stare. This is totally unexpected. I lean forward a bit more, even though we’re dangerously close to the edge. But I know Ash will hold me and I need to see this properly.

  There’s a dark pool below, but it’s not that which really catches my eye. A waterfall cascades down at one end where the rocks drop down abruptly. This isn’t pretty, it’s wild and spectacular. In places the drop is sheer, the rockface hard and unforgiving, in other parts the slope is dotted with greenery and looks steep but accessible and there even looks to be a shale beach. ‘What is this place?’ I look round at him and he’s smiling. Not his cheeky grin, but an expectant smile that tells me he likes my reaction.

  ‘It’s a quarry, Tranearth quarry.’

  ‘It’s amazing!’

  ‘I told you it was worth the walk,’ he says softly, turning to look back down at the quarry, and we stand in silence for a moment. I’m aware of the warmth of his arm around my waist, the closeness of his body against mine. Even more aware when he pulls away.

  He swings his rucksack to the floor and starts to pull things out. ‘Here you go!’

  Not bacon sandwiches.

  ‘What the heck?’ I can feel the frown form on my face. Talk about disappointing! It looks like he’s brought clothes not food.

  ‘Wetsuit for you, I’ve already got mine on!’

  ‘What?’ As I look at him, realisation hits. ‘We’re not?’

  ‘We certainly are! This is one of the best places for cliff jumping that I know, I reckoned you might be a wild swimming kind of girl?’

  His grin is cheeky, definitely cheeky. ‘You seem to like the water!’

  I look at the wetsuit, then look back at him.

  I shoot another glance down at the pool. Gulp. ‘How do we get back?’

  ‘Scramble up the rocks on the other side! Come on, I dare you!’

  He really should not say that! Oh, what the hell? You only live once. He’s already stripping off his outer layers and a blaze of excitement shoots through me as I pick up the suit. I think adrenalin is to blame. No way am I going to let him go without me though. ‘Last one in is a cissy!’

  ‘Are you ready?’ He hasn’t made it a race. He has waited for me to undress and put the suit on with fumbling fingers.

  I’m not sure I’ll ever be completely ready for this, but I bite my lip and nod as Ash takes my hand in his large, capable one.

  ‘On the count of three?’ He squeezes my hand. His eyes are shining, and his enthusiasm is infectious. I’ve got butterflies in my stomach and my heart is pounding, but I suddenly really want to do this.

  We leap together, soaring through the air. For a moment we seem suspended and then it is over so fast I can hardly believe we’ve fallen so far. The water hits me, icy cold even with the wetsuit. I’m under the surface then bobbing up, brushing the wet hair out of my eyes and spinning around in the water looking for Ash, feeling so totally alive. I think that is the definition of exhilaration!

  He’s right behind me. His face only inches from mine, slicking his own wet hair back. ‘I want to do it again!’ I splutter out.

  He laughs a loud, full laugh as he moves even closer. ‘You’ve got to climb all the way up there first!’ He points back to where we’ve come from, the sheer rockface looming over us. ‘Though Bella has managed to bounce up those rocks, so I’m sure you will make it!’

  ‘I don’t care! I will. That was amazing! Thank you!’ I can’t help myself; I throw my arms around his neck and lean in to kiss his cheek.

  Somehow my lips don’t meet his cheek, they land on his mouth. For a moment neither of us moves.

  His hands are on my waist. I can feel every inch of his fingers even through the wetsuit. His intense blue eyes are staring into mine, framed by amazing thick dark lashes that the water emphasises.

  I feel him pulling me in closer. I feel his body against mine. And then he pulls back slightly. Ever so slightly. But I don�
�t want him to. I can’t help myself; I wrap my own arms around him on impulse, close that gap between us and press my lips to his.

  I never intended to do it. For a split second I wonder if it’s wrong, but then his hold tightens, and I am being well and truly kissed.

  I can’t feel the cold water, all I can feel is the heat of his body against mine, the warmth of his hand on my neck, the taste of him, the need to get closer, to have more.

  It is Ash who breaks it off and pulls away, breathing as heavily as I am.

  He blinks, looking as stunned as I feel. That kiss might have only lasted a few seconds, but it was one hell of a hot snog.

  We both stare. I know I’m flushed with the excitement of it all. He brushes back the hair from my eyes.

  ‘Wow.’ His pulls a funny face, breaks the spell and stops me feeling embarrassed. Then he takes my hand in his. ‘Again?’

  I nod and let him help me clamber out of the water.

  We scramble up the path together, which is far, far harder work than the coming down was and leaves me feeling breathless and my legs wobbly. Although I was breathless before I started – from the jump, and from the kiss.

  The second time, after we leap, there is no kiss. Just his warm hand to tow me to the side. But it feels natural, good. I feel on a high, pumped full of energy.

  ‘Had enough?’ Laughter dances in his face. He’s so alive, he makes me feel alive as well. A no-boundaries type of guy who dares me to push myself, to feel the same highs that he does.

  ‘Definitely!’ I suddenly realise that I might feel pumped, but my limbs haven’t got the message. I need to sit down. ‘I need to recover!’

  He laughs, that rich gorgeous laugh that makes the world seem a happier place, and leads me towards the tiny shingle beach. We sit down, side by side. ‘It’s beautiful here.’

  ‘I thought you’d like it.’ He smiles. ‘I used to come here a lot as a kid, but I’ve not been for ages, it’s not really Georgie’s scene.’ A brief frown flits across his face, but it scuds on as fast as a summer cloud on a breezy day. ‘I did bring Bella once and she loved it, but I thought it would be nice just the two of us, without me having to worry about keeping an eye on her.’

  It’s a bit odd without Bella. I’ve never really been with Ash on my own, she’s always been there. A buffer. It feels strangely intimate without her. Would we have kissed if she’d been here? Or would I have been looking for her, checking she was okay?

  ‘Here.’ He reaches behind a rock and pulls out a rucksack.

  ‘Bloody hell.’ I laugh. ‘Are you always this prepared?’

  ‘A good soldier never lets his troops down.’ He grins back and opens it up.

  ‘Oh my God, you’ve got gingerbread! And another flask of coffee!’

  He’s watching me closely when I glance up, amusement in his eyes, a gentle smile tugging at his lips. ‘I love a girl who’s easy to please.’

  I’m not sure why, but that sends a fizz of pleasure through me, makes me want to hug myself – or him. Instead I tuck into the surprise picnic as we sit and look at the water, my knee occasionally brushing against his. Our shoulders are touching.

  ‘We’d better get back; you’ll start to get cold.’ He brushes the crumbs off his hands and stands up.

  Disappointment hits me. I’d like to stay longer, I’m not sure I’m ready to go back and work, but I know he’s talking sense. And he might need to work, even if I’m flexible.

  I climb to my feet and somehow slip on a rock – before I know it I’m going down, grabbing the first thing I can to try and stop myself.

  It is his thigh. I am hanging on to his thigh. It’s remarkably solid.

  ‘Here.’ He’s grinning, looking down at me with his hand out, but all I can really see is that firm tightly clad leg and that tightly clad bulge a bit further up.

  He peels me off and sets me back on my feet.

  Embarrassing.

  It’s hard to stay embarrassed for long though as he leads the way back to the top, always ready to help me when the going gets steep.

  He steadies me, his hands on my waist when we finally get to the top and I have to stop to draw breath.

  ‘Okay?’

  ‘Amazing.’ I do actually feel amazing. I’ve not done anything remotely like this for so long I’d forgotten how much of a buzz I get from pushing myself, from daring myself. I can do what I like, I really can. The laugh bubbles up inside me and is out before I can stop it.

  Ash doesn’t say anything. He just grins, but I’ve got a feeling he knows exactly how I feel.

  He jogs around to where he left his other rucksack then slips his hand into mine and we make our way slowly back to where we parked up.

  We drive back home in silence – comfortable silence.

  It hadn’t hit me until I’d leapt through the air just how stuffy life with Teddy had been. How much I’d compromised. Let him mould me into a person I’m not.

  And it hadn’t hit me until that snog just how superficial kisses with Teddy had been. No lip-mashing there, no teeth clashing or tonsil-sucking. And even when we were naked, his touch hadn’t left me feeling goose-bumpy or melt-in-the-middle.

  Unlike the kiss and grope with a neoprene-coated Ash.

  I’ve got to stop thinking about that.

  We’re pulling up outside the house far too quickly.

  ‘Today was fantastic. Thanks for taking me there.’

  ‘You’re welcome. I’m glad you liked it, really.’ His dark gaze is intent, and then he turns, roots about in the rucksack and holds something out. ‘I saved the last bit for you!’

  The smell of ginger tantalises my tastebuds, I can’t stop my mouth watering.

  ‘I’d say keep it, but that wouldn’t be me!’ I take the packet, letting my fingertips brush against his. Then I clamber out of the Land Rover and wave as he pulls off.

  I put my hand to my lips as I walk inside. Oh my God, I groped his thighs, practically glued myself to them, and to his mouth. I snogged him, totally snogged his face off after jumping off a cliff!

  Maybe I’m more of a passionate type than I realised.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Oh, bloody hell, why do I feel so nervous?

  I have just plumped the cushions up for the umpteenth time and I’m not a cushion-plumping kind of person. I don’t do it. It’s ridiculous. Why make cushions look perky when all you’re going to do is flatten them again?

  Georgina softened (slightly) a couple of days after her ‘no’ message, and got in touch to say that maybe she’d consider letting Ash see Bella, on common ground, with me holding the leash. She’d think about it and let me know. Which left me feeling so much more positive, and less guilty. I have taken this as a green light. I have been given permission to converse with the enemy. Yay!

  Though it’s not just conversing I’m interested in. I mean, I’m an adult, we’re both adults. We’re single and we fancy each other. Or at least I fancy his arse off, and he wouldn’t have kissed me like that if he’d found me repulsive, would he?

  I’ve not seen Ash since our clamber and hot snog, so it will be a bit awkward, but that doesn’t explain why I feel like a teenager on a first date. It’s not a date.

  It is a picture viewing.

  With possibilities.

  I sent him a text this morning.

  I’ve finished the boathouse picture, would you like a private viewing?

  Well, that was the first attempt, which I decided sounded a bit wink-wink flirty. So, I took out the ‘private’, and that made it old-womanly formal, which I am not. So, I changed it to ‘would you like to see it?’ Which seemed a bit flat. And let’s be honest here, I am actually flirting, so I went with the original.

  Well, okay, I have harboured some ‘maybe after a glass of wine there’ll be some more lip contact’ thoughts. I mean, you don’t just invite a sexy man, whose thighs you have groped, round to look at a picture, do you? However good you think it is. And however much you really, really hope he
likes it.

  So, I’ve made sure I’ve got wine in. No falling at the first hurdle! And it is breathing – more freely than me at the moment.

  My only real worry is that he is actually not at all how he appears to me, and Georgina is right. I have kidded myself he is nice and likes me, because I lust after his body and we seem to have some kind of chemistry going on.

  And we all know how good I am at kidding myself. I kidded myself that Teddy and I could make a go of it, even though he was a reptilian control freak who should be cast in a weird episode of Dr Who where he will be zapped and get his just rewards.

  I am also feeling anxious about the upcoming engagement party for Abby. Oh God, I want her to be happy, I love her, I want to share in her happiness. But I mean, I just feel so desperate not to be the one at the next family party whose most recent relationship ended after everybody had more or less told me that Teddy was a loser. I want them to be proud of me, I want to be leaving here with a plan for the rest of my life. I want to be able to say quite truthfully that I’ve got commissions, that I’m happy with what I’m doing and I have a fab new direction. And I don’t know if I’m going to have all that in time.

  I promised Abs I’d go though, and I will go. She’s my sister. But really?

  Maybe I need to get Ash into bed, be a complete sex-bomb with no inhibitions who he can’t resist, and persuade him to accompany me to the party, in return for the performance of any sexual acts he desires? That way everybody will be shocked into silence and not ask me what’s going on.

  Maybe not.

  I mean, let’s face it. He could be a step ahead of me here. All along the snogging could be part of his evil plan to lull me into a false sense of security (or a state of being so shagged out I can’t move) so that he can grab Bella back.