Page 89 of Just Say Yes
‘You know you’re going to miss me when this is all over.’
‘Is that right?’
‘Why can’t you just admit it?’
‘Perhaps because it’s not true?’
‘See, now I know you’re definitely fibbing because you’ve got that cute little blush going on, just here.’ He tapped the top of his unfairly chiselled cheekbones and raised one dark brow.
‘Oh, I have not. Isn’t it time Bod had a walk?’ Just because I could feel the warmth in my cheeks didn’t mean that I was going to admit that to Lorcan.
‘Yeah. He looks desperate, doesn’t he?’ Bod was once again asleep, this time upside down with all four feet in the air, the two front paws hurriedly scooting along in thin air as he charged along in his dream, the odd cute little noise emanating from him as he did so.
I gave Lorcan what was supposed to be a patient look, which clearly didn’t have the amount of patience in it that I’d aimed for.
‘Fair enough. It’s not fair arguing with you when you’re this shattered anyway. Gives me the advantage.’
I gave a snort of disbelief.
Lorcan didn’t say anything, but the warmth that lit his eyes and turned one corner of his mouth up said plenty. ‘You feeling better now?’
‘Yes, I am,’ I answered honestly. ‘Thank you. It’s easy to get carried away with work sometimes, isn’t it?’
‘It is, I agree. That’s another bonus of having a dog. They certainly let you know when you’ve had enough. Or when they have. Plus it forces you to have a break, go for a walk.’
‘Yes, I can imagine. Unfortunately, I don’t think having one would work with my lifestyle. I’m all over the place – at least I am when business is booming.’ I leant over and knocked on the oak end table for luck. ‘It wouldn’t be fair on an animal.’
‘True. They are a commitment but that’s not always a bad thing.’
‘Says the man who’s allergic to commitment. Or does that only apply to two-legged creatures?’
‘I’ve just found the four-legged varieties more reliable.’
‘Now that sounds like a story.’
Lorcan released a laugh on a soft huff of air. ‘It’s really not.’
‘So why don’t I believe you?’
‘I don’t know, now. Why don’t you?’
‘Because you’re blushing, just here,’ I said, imitating the gesture he’d made earlier to me.
This caused the soft laugh to morph into a full-bodied one. I did my best not to enjoy the sound of it so much and dutifully squashed the flickers of flame low down in my stomach it produced. If I was totally honest, I would miss Lorcan once all this was over even though, had you asked me that several weeks ago, the answer would have been entirely different. He’d grown on me. Where once I would have avoided his company, now I missed him when we parted. He was caring and funny, and more complex than I’d given him credit for. And I liked him. Perhaps a little more than I wished to.
‘You look exhausted. We really are going to get out of your way now. Please don’t let me find out you went back to work after we left…’ he said, studying me from his height advantage as he heaved me up from the sofa with a lot less effort than it would have taken if the position had been reversed.
‘No, I’m not. That’s another benefit of being able to use my garden office again now someone kindly had a path put in.’ I looked up at him through my lashes. ‘It’s easier to separate work and home again now. When it’s all there staring at you on the kitchen table…’
‘Yeah. Five minutes more is easy to say but harder to stick to.’
‘Exactly. But I am paying you for that path.’
Lorcan held up his hands. ‘Seriously, like I told you, you did me a favour. I don’t know how I managed to over-order but trying to split and return some of the goods…’ He shook his head. ‘Just a massive headache.’
‘Funny how it was exactly the paving slabs I happened to have chosen when you were apparently innocently chatting about what I’d thought of for the path though, isn’t it?’
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ he said, bending down and scooping Bod up with one large hand. ‘You, Miss Hart, are a very suspicious woman.’
