‘I’m not everyone,’ he told her softly. ‘I don’t want to be grouped with the herd.’
She almost laughed at the ridiculousness of that statement. He could never be anything but the forceful individual that he was. ‘But no one else bothers to call me Lauren,’ she persisted.
‘Exactly.’ He was out of the car and helping her out of her side before she had hardly had time to realise they had even stopped. ‘Come on, let’s eat.’
Lauri saw they had stopped outside an attractive little pub, several tables and chairs standing in the picturesque garden at the back. It was to one of these tables that Alexander Blair led her.
‘What would you like to drink?’ he asked once she was seated. ‘I’ll bring the menu back with me.’
‘How do you know they serve food?’ She hadn’t seen any sign up to say they did.
He smiled. ‘I’ve been here before.’
‘Oh.’
‘With my sister,’ he supplied tauntingly.
‘Your sister?’
‘Yes.’ He was openly laughing at her now. ‘She lives a couple of miles from here. Your drink?’ he prompted.
‘Lemonade, please,’ she requested reluctantly.
‘Lemonade?’ His disgust was obvious.
‘I—I can’t drink at lunchtime, it gives me a headache, and I can’t work properly in the afternoon when that happens.’
‘In that case I’ll get the lemonade,’ he teased. ‘I can’t have one of my employees slacking.’
‘I—I’ll just have a sandwich to eat, thank you. Ham or something like that,’ she said shyly, aware that her feelings towards this man had changed drastically since this morning. Just to look at him made her tingle all over.
‘Don’t tell me you have to watch your figure,’ he scorned. ‘Aren’t there enough of us males already doing that?’
Lauri frowned. ‘I don’t know what you mean. There’s only Daryl—’
‘And Steve. And me,’ he added huskily.
The look in her eyes was uncertain. ‘You?’ she repeated breathlessly, feeling curiously as if she had swum too far and was now out of her depth.
‘I’d have to have looked at you pretty closely to know how good you look in denims,’ he pointed out. ‘You’re all long legs and slender hips. And then there’s your—’
‘Please!’ Her face was scarlet with embarrassment. ‘I—Just lemonade and a sandwich,’ she repeated, turning away to look fixedly at the riot of flowers that edged the lawn the tables and chairs stood on.
He didn’t leave immediately and Lauri was aware of his gaze on her for several long minutes more, although she refused to turn and meet that look. Finally he moved away and Lauri turned to watch him as he entered the saloon bar. He had to duck his head to get in the low doors, and then she could hear the low murmur of voices as he gave their order.
What was he trying to do to her? Why the compliments, the almost flirtatious manner? She didn’t trust him in this mood, wanting to get back to work and away from the power he was exerting over her. No man had ever reduced her to such a nervous state before, and she didn’t like it.
‘Here,’ Alexander Blair put a glass down on the table in front of her. ‘It’s shandy.’ He gave a rueful smile. ‘I just couldn’t bring myself to ask for a glass of lemonade.’ He sat down beside her, a glass of whisky in his hand.
An unwilling smile lightened her features. ‘I should think it’s unheard-of for you.’
‘I couldn’t even get the word to pass my lips,’ he smiled back at her.
And they were such firm sensual lips too, curved in a half-smile now as he watched her with narrowed blue eyes. ‘The shandy will be fine, thank you.’
‘I ordered you a steak and salad.’ He sipped his whisky. ‘I hope that meets your approval.’
‘Of course. But a sandwich would have done.’ She couldn’t help noticing the way the sun made his hair appear blacker than