Amy Andrews - The Heat of the Night

How many times had she fantasised about kissing that mouth? Too many to count.

And there it was, right in front of her.

Her pulse kicked up another notch as the devil whispered, Kiss him, and she contemplated doing just that.

That would definitely wake him up.

But what if he rejected her advances? It would be embarrassing and awkward. For a very long time. It would probably even kill her. She’d probably die of mortification on the spot.

It would certainly be hard to come back from.

Another sinful whisper. But what if he doesn’t?

In a few short months Luke would be heading back to London, and the thought that she might never get another opportunity to show him how she felt suddenly scared her a hell of a lot more.

Screw it.

And the devil smiled.

The Heat of

the Night

Amy Andrews

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader Dear Reader About the Author Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Epilogue Extract Copyright

When my editor approached me with the idea of doing a duet with Ally Blake last February my first reaction was, Hell , yeah! I adore Ally’s writing, and she’s just all-round fun to work with! Throw in some glorious Australian sunshine, a tropical resort and some bikinis and how could I resist? But let me tell you Ally got the raw end of the deal. I had a hectic schedule last year, and while she was planning her book for the duet—which is, OMG, knock-you-out-of-the-park fabulous!—I still had another three books to finish …

But her enthusiasm for the project and her love affair with Pinterest kept drawing me into the world of the Tropicana. When I’d finally cleared my decks I was all fired up to start.

I absolutely adored creating the world of the Tropicana Nights—an old-fashioned resort from yesteryear, when families holidayed together and entertainment was simple—with Ally. Creating Luke and Claudia was fabulous also. Two people who grew up together with the Tropicana as their playground, who both love the resort in their own ways but who clash over their polar opposite visions for its future.

I love the title of this book. THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT is very apt because—trust me—things soon get pretty fired up between these two childhood friends. They might not be able to agree on what’s good for the Tropicana, but their bodies are perilously in sync.

Ahh … those summer nights …

I hope you enjoy their tumultuous tumble into love. And if you haven’t read Ally Blake’s HER HOTTEST SUMMER YET then run out and get it! You won’t be sorry!

Love

Amy

Those Summer Nights In Crescent Cove find sun, sea and steamy nights …

Read the first book in this sultry duet:

HER HOTTEST SUMMER YET

by Ally Blake!

AMY ANDREWShas always loved writing, and still can’t quite believe that she gets to do it for a living. Creating wonderful heroines and gorgeous heroes and telling their stories is an amazing way to pass the day. Sometimes they don’t always act as she’d like them to—but then neither do her kids, so she’s kind of used to it. Amy lives in the very beautiful Samford Valley, with her husband and aforementioned children, along with six brown chooks and two black dogs.

She loves to hear from her readers. Drop her a line at www.amyandrews.com.au

Other Modern Tempted™ titles by Amy Andrews:

THE MOST EXPENSIVE NIGHT OF HER LIFE

GIRL LEAST LIKELY TO MARRY

This and other titles by Amy Andrews are available in eBook format. Check out www.millsandboon.co.uk.

To Ally Blake for her indefatigable enthusiasm and getting this duet off to an incredible start with two wonderful characters in Jonah and Avery.

And for getting me hooked on Pinterest.

Contents

Cover

Introduction How many times had she fantasised about kissing that mouth? Too many to count. And there it was, right in front of her. Her pulse kicked up another notch as the devil whispered, Kiss him, and she contemplated doing just that. That would definitely wake him up. But what if he rejected her advances? It would be embarrassing and awkward. For a very long time. It would probably even kill her. She’d probably die of mortification on the spot. It would certainly be hard to come back from. Another sinful whisper. But what if he doesn’t? In a few short months Luke would be heading back to London, and the thought that she might never get another opportunity to show him how she felt suddenly scared her a hell of a lot more. Screw it. And the devil smiled.

Title Page The Heat of the Night Amy Andrews www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Luke Hargreaves had never seen such an unholy mess in all his life. Uprooted trees competed for space amidst the smashed and splintered building debris. Dangerous electrical and glass hazards lay strewn everywhere. Only one out of the dozen buildings that made up the five-acre property where the Tropicana Nights had sprawled for forty years had survived intact.

Holy crap. The resort was never going to recover from this.

It was hard to believe standing underneath the perfect untainted blue of a tropical north Queensland sky, listening to the gentle kiss of waves as they lapped at the crescent beach fringing this idyllic tourist spot, that weather could be responsible for such violence.

That the light breeze could build to cyclonic, that the cloudless sky could blacken with ominous intent and the calm ocean could rage and pound.

Sure, cyclones were one of the hazards of living on the northern Australian coastline and the resort had sustained damage in the past from such events that regularly stalked the coast from November to March.

But never like this.

This one had been a monster and Crescent Cove’s number had been up.

A decade in the UK had anaesthetised him to the dangers of tropical storms, but, looking at the destruction now, it was a miracle no one had been killed.

All thanks to Claudia.

Luke’s gaze trekked from the devastated resort to the devastated figure standing on the beach, her back to the ocean as she surveyed the damage. Avery had told him Claudia was taking it all in her stride. But he knew Claudia Davis well. Too well. And her look of hopeless despair was evident even from this distance.

Somehow inside his head, despite the march of time, she’d always been a skinny six-year-old with blonde pigtails and skinned knees. And there was something just as gut-wrenchingly innocent about her today. Her ponytail fluttering in the gentle breeze, her petite frame encased in the God-awful polyester Tropicana uniform that hadn’t changed since the seventies, that damn stupid clipboard she always carried around clutched to her chest.

The intense little wrinkle of her brow as if she was trying to wish it all better from the power of her mind alone.