to get the house finished before getting anything like that so that he could easily see the best place for it.’
‘Great!’ Janey smiled. ‘I can’t remember the last time that house saw a Christmas tree.’
‘Don’t worry. I know a great place,’ I whispered as Janey and Patrick began talking between themselves.
‘You’re a lifesaver. I don’t know how she does it, but my sister always manages to catch me on the hop.’
‘Probably just because she knows you so well.’
He gave an eyebrow shrug of concession. ‘Thanks for bailing me out.’
I smiled and went back to my book. But not for long.
‘Although I do have one bone to pick with you.’ His voice was still quiet, but now a little stern too.
I looked up to see him holding his book up for me to see the title.
‘Jane Eyre? You’re reading it?’ This man continually surprised me.
‘I am. I thought as you had named my dog referencing it that I’d better read it.’
I got the feeling I knew what the bone was he had to pick with me.
‘So Pilot is Rochester’s dog, right?’
‘Mmmhmm.’
‘And Rochester so far appears moody, short tempered and frankly a bit of a cold fish. I’m beginning to wonder if there is more to the naming of that hound than your innocent claim of just liking the name?’
‘I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.’ I tried not to smile and pretended to concentrate on my book, despite the fact I’d now been on the same page for the last ten minutes.
‘I’m pretty sure you know exactly what I mean,’ he replied, opening the book to where the bookmark lay.
I risked a glance. He caught me and held the gaze a moment, before shaking his head.
‘But Rochester has his reasons and he does improve as the book goes along,’ I started digging.
‘So you’re saying there’s hope for me yet? Is that it?’
‘No.’
His eyebrows shot up and that tempting mouth began to curve.
Oh.
‘I mean…not that you couldn’t improve…haven’t improved…’
It curved a little more and I wondered if my fever might be making a resurgence because it was suddenly so much warmer in the room than it had been a few moments earlier.
‘Or rather that…’ I lifted my eyes and met his highly amused ones. ‘It’s just a name in a book,’ I finished feebly.
Michael leaned in.
‘You’re such a bad liar. But I’m glad that there’s hope for him at least.’ He flicked through the book momentarily. ‘I thought I heard somewhere that he ends up marrying his employee.’ He flashed me a look.
‘I’m not your employee!’ The words were out before I had a chance to filter them.
He looked at me evenly, but I could see the merriment in those beautiful eyes. ‘I was merely referring to the fact that the story has a happy ending for him.’
‘I…of course. I knew that.’
‘I know you did.’ He shuffled himself down a little on the sofa and stretched his legs out in front of him, settling the book on the top of his thighs. Turning a page, he glanced up at me. ‘But like I said, you’re “sixty” when you get fired up. And when you blush.’
I gave him a look and then held my book up in front of my face, intent on concentrating. Unfortunately I could see his grin from the corner of my eye and with his shoulder resting against mine, could feel the laughter as they moved. I risked another look as he did the same.
‘Go on now Jane. Back to your book reading.’
‘Hilarious,’ I stated flatly.
He chuckled again and went back to his novel.
***
A couple of days later I was just heading out to Michael’s after dropping in at the office to rendezvous with Bernice and do a bit of catching up, making sure she was happy with everything. Thankfully, as usual, Bernice had everything under control.
‘Off to Mr O’Farrell again?’
‘Yep,’ I replied, buttoning my coat, before pulling on my hat and winding my scarf round my neck. I knew that soon I’d be doing the usual thing of taking it all off in order to prevent melting whilst on the train and then putting it all back on to stop myself freezing on the walk between the station and his house.
‘You don’t seem so reluctant to go there these days.’
I ignored the prompt.
‘And you say he stayed at his sister’s the whole weekend too?’ Bernice tried again.
‘There’s nothing going on between us,’ I stated. No need to add that I’d had a moment when I’d wanted nothing more than for him to kiss me.
‘Right,’ Bernice replied. ‘But you don’t want to hit him with a snow shovel any more either, do you?’
I turned, my hand on the door handle. ‘Not most days, no.’
‘That’s what I thought.’ Bernice waggled her eyebrows and I left the office to the refrains of Love is in the Air.
The trouble with someone who is completely and utterly loved up is that they then feel it is their mission to get you to the same place. Which is a sweet sentiment, but not necessarily achievable. And frankly, after the last debacle, perhaps just giving myself and everyone else some space, might be the best plan moving forward. Yes, Michael was gorgeous and yes, I’d had a moment or two of weakness when a random thought had popped into my brain reminding me of his tempting mouth, or the body that I knew lay beneath the clothes. Well, obviously I didn’t know all of it. That was…
Crikey, I thought, it’s warmer out here than I thought. I pulled at my scarf and flapped some cool air around my neck and face as I made my way towards the train that would take me to Michael’s.
***
‘I’ll see you soon then.’
My step faltered as I turned onto the drive and looked up. Stepping out from Michael’s front door was a tall, expensively dressed blonde. As I hesitated, her arms slid around his neck and he responded by hugging her close. As she stood back from him, she drifted her hand to his face and then leant and kissed him, somewhere between his mouth and cheek.
‘It was good to see you Michael.’
I saw
