Well, that just popped out of his mouth.
Laurel looked taken aback. ‘Come with you to your friends’ barbeque?’
‘Yeah, why not?’ He was warming to the idea. ‘Get out of Lower Houghton, away from the farm for a little bit? Socialise with people who don’t talk about crop rotation and pig mastitis?’
She narrowed her eyes at him. ‘I’ll have you know, pig mastitis is quite common and can be very painful for the sow.’
‘Okay, well, that’s excellent dinner party conversation.’ He raised an eyebrow at her. ‘Come on, it will be fun.’
Laurel took a long look at him, and he could practically hear the cogs whirring in her mind.
‘Will Alex be there?’
‘Alex will be late, but he’ll be there.’ Nate shrugged. ‘It’ll be fine. Jess and Owen are so nice, and Paul will be there as well. Do you remember them from uni?’
‘Vaguely. You guys didn’t hang out with lowly undergrads.’
Was there a hint of bitterness in her tone? Or was it the bubbles from the nearly flat prosecco making her voice funny?
Now he’d said it out loud, he actually did want Laurel to come and meet his friends. Hanging out with Laurel was fun and would be even more fun if there wasn’t the spectre of the farm, or her family, or the dig site hanging around.
Laurel flicked her hair over her shoulder and her throat bobbed as she took a sip of her prosecco. He swallowed, because he could not look away from her pulse beating hard in her neck, her pink lips glistening with sparkling drops of wine. If he reached out, he could drag his thumb over that bottom lip. Something hard and warm expanded in his chest, pushing the air out of his lungs.
Shakily, he blew out his breath. What was that? He couldn’t reach over and touch her lip, that would be ridiculous. Wouldn’t it?
‘Okay, fine. I’ll come.’ Laurel narrowed her eyes at him. ‘But you have to run interference between me and Alex.’
‘Deal.’ Nate lifted his glass in a toast.
Her phone buzzed on the table and she quickly swiped at it. It buzzed again immediately and again, she swiped at it.
‘It’s Robin, and I don’t want to talk to him. He’ll just be moaning about something or other, and I don’t want to hear it.’
Laurel’s phone was hot tonight, because it buzzed again.
‘He really wants to talk to you,’ Nate said.
‘It’s Jack. Jack never calls. Sorry,’ she said, lifting the phone to her ear. ‘Jack. What is it? I’m busy.’
Nate looked away to give her some privacy and took the opportunity to get himself together. Yes, Laurel was beautiful, and yeah, following her collarbone with his tongue, licking into the V at the base of her neck, nipping at the softness where her neck met her shoulder, would probably be amazing. But he couldn’t, he wouldn’t. Besides, who said she would even welcome that? A niggling thought in the back of his mind said that she would, that she nearly invited him back to hers that time. But copious amounts of alcohol had been involved, and people get flirty when they’ve had a bit to drink.
This attraction was passing, fleeting, and let’s face it, who wouldn’t be attracted to Laurel Fletcher? There wasn’t a lot not to like.
Nate could hear Laurel hissing down the phone.
‘What’s happened? Can’t it wait until tomorrow?’ There was a pause and he could hear Jack’s voice coming through the speaker. Jack wasnothappy. ‘Okay, okay, Jack. I’m coming.’
Laurel put the phone back on the table and looked at him, wilting. ‘I’m sorry, I’ve got to go.’
‘Is everything alright?
‘I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s urgent. Do you want me to take you back?’ She stood up from the table.
‘Yeah, if you could.’ She’d only had a quarter of a pint of lager and a few sips of prosecco.
Besides, he wanted to see what was so urgent that it destroyed Laurel’s sparkle.
Chapter Twelve
