‘Was that a pun too?’ She raised an eyebrow.
‘Actually, no. But it appears I do it without thinking these days.’
They made their way further onto the grass and took their positions. Clara’s eyes were heavily distracted by Sam. Those forearms were so hot. He twirled his racket like a pro, glancing over and smiling at her.
‘This’ll be a cinch.’ He winked.
‘Aren’t you going to give them a chance this time?’
‘I’m joking. We’re just playing for fun. No scoring.’
Kaleb served, and Sam clipped it back. With no net or lines, they were scampering about all over the place, trying to pick up balls, catch dodgy bounces, and stop wayward shots going into bushes or being picked up by random dogs.
‘Watch out for Dad’s backhand,’ Kaleb called to Jacob. ‘It’s deadly… deadly off course anyway.’
‘Cheeky.’ Sam executed a pretty neat backhand that whizzed past the boys.
‘Ooh, nice one.’ Clara grinned, bumping her shoulder against his.
Jacob sent a lob their way. The ball arced high, landing deep in their court. Both Sam and Clara ran for it. In their determination, neither noticed how close they’d got until it was too late.
They collided, limbs tangling as they lost their balance. Clara felt herself falling, only to land squarely on top of Sam, who’d hit the ground with a thud.
‘Oof.’ He stared up at her, his hands laid out on the grass like he was surrendering. A position she really wouldn’t have minded him being in at all in other circumstances.
‘Oh god, Sam.’ She gasped, her face mere inches from his. ‘Are you ok? I’m so sorry.’
He laid his head back and groaned, a lopsided grin on his face. ‘I’m fine.’ He chuckled, and his chest rumbled beneath her.
Her heart raced as she looked down at him, their faces so close she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. For a moment, the world seemed to narrow to just the two of them. She was acutely aware of every point where their bodies touched, the solid warmth of his shoulders beneath her hands.
‘Dad! Clara! Are you guys okay?’ Kaleb’s voice broke the spell, and Clara scrambled to her feet, her cheeks flushing pink.
Sam sat up, rubbing the back of his head with a rueful smile. ‘Yeah, fine.’
Kaleb reached down and put his hand on Sam’s shoulder. ‘Needing an injury timeout now?’
‘I think I’ll survive.’
Clara brushed grass from her clothes. ‘You got the worst of it. You cushioned my fall.’
Sam rolled his shoulders. ‘No harm done.’
Clara’s eyes met his, and that all too familiar flutter in her stomach started up. The memory of his body pressed against hers lingered, a reminder of how much she enjoyed being close to him.
Jacob burst into a fit of giggles, his freckly face full of mischief. ‘You two looked so silly!’
‘Nice.’ Sam jumped to his feet.
‘You should get married,’ he added, and Kaleb covered his mouth to snigger, his eyes darting between the adults.
Clara and Sam stared at each other before Sam let out a shaky laugh. ‘That’s not really how it works.’ He ruffled his son’s hair affectionately. ‘Clara and I are just friends.’
‘So she’s your girlfriend then?’
‘Not exactly.’
The warmth in Clara’s cheeks got even hotter. This was all a great Easter holiday diversion, but when school restarted, she and Sam would be colleagues. How awkward would it be if they were also sleeping together? Would they be able to keep it quiet? Someone would surely notice something. Lissa, for instance, was sure to catch on – she was sharp when it came to reading body language.
