Playing to Win (Summer Beach Vets 2) - sweet contemporary romance by H.Y. Hanna

to turn around and say, “Forget surfing. Just kiss me. Kiss me like you did yesterday.”
    And when they had finally got out into the water, Ellie was even more conscious of Dan’s body beside her, as the waves buffeted them together. His strong arms supported her and he used his powerful shoulders to shield her from the surge of the bigger waves as she attempted to slide her body onto the board. Ellie did eventually manage to get up on the surfboard, but she was ashamed to admit that the thrill of standing up for a brief moment on the water was eclipsed by the thrill of having Dan pull her to him as they waded, dripping, out of the surf. His kiss was warm and passionate, his lips salty with the taste of the sea, and his skin slick against hers where their bodies touched. Ellie clung to him, never wanting the kiss to end.
    Afterwards she had enjoyed a takeout “fish ’n’ chips”, savouring the crisp beer batter around the steaming white fish and the thick, chunky fries drizzled in vinegar, as they sat on a bench by the waterfront and gazed out to sea. And when Dan had pulled her into his arms and his lips claimed hers again, it had been the perfect ending to a perfect day.
    Almost too perfect, Ellie thought uneasily. She had seen Dan a few more times in the evenings during the week, and each time it had felt like she was acting out a scene in one of those romance novels she had always laughed at. She wasn’t laughing now. Why had she always sneered at those novels for being silly fantasy? She was living the fantasy now and loving it! She knew that she could easily fall in love with Dan. Maybe she was a little in love with him already. Was it all happening too fast? But it was hard to care when she felt so happy.
    “Ellie, can we come to the beach again next Saturday?”
    Ellie came out of her thoughts and smiled as she felt the tug of a small hand in hers. She glanced down at Will, trudging beside her in the sand. They were just returning from an afternoon together on the beach where she had helped Will build sandcastles and even wrestled with Milo in the sand. She looked down at herself wryly. She was covered in sand and dog hair. But again, she felt too happy to care.
    “Sure, Will,” she said. “I’ve got to go down to Sydney next Saturday night because I’m giving a talk at a big awards dinner. But we can come to the beach in the morning. Just come over to my place after breakfast and we’ll head over here.”
    He gave her hand another tug. “And will you come watch me and Milo in the Paws ’n’ Surf Beach Races next Friday?”
    “What’s that?”
    “You don’t know?” His eyes were round. “It’s this really cool fun day where you get to compete with your dog in things like the Mango and Spoon Race, and Sand Slalom, and Beach Agility… and the best team wins the prize! I’m sure me and Milo will win. He’s deadly fast, don’t you think?”
    Ellie looked at the chocolate Lab who was trotting ahead of them with his pink tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. She shuddered slightly to think of the boisterous Milo in the mayhem of a beach fun day. He would probably eat the mango, followed by the spoon. She’d already heard from Will that so far this week, Milo had swallowed a twenty-dollar bill, a toy action figure, one of his mother’s earrings, and half a box of tissues. Thankfully, they had all made their escape at the other end. Ellie didn’t think anything at the beach races would be safe from Milo’s insatiable appetite.
    But she plastered a bright smile on her face and said, “Yes, I’m sure you guys will do great. And I’d love to come, Will, but if it’s on Friday, I can’t. You know I work on Fridays.”
    “It’s in the afternoon! It doesn’t start until four o’clock. If you leave work early, you could come and watch me,” said Will eagerly. “Can you, Ellie? Please? My mum and dad used to come and barrack for me every year, but this year Dad’s not around…” His