‘Right. I’ll just keep an eye on any of my drinks tasting a little funny, then.’

‘Oh, sweet boy. You don’t really think I’d use anything you could actually taste, do you? Bless you. So naïve,’ I said, giving a shake of my head. Lorcan’s deep chuckle made me smile as I tidied up my desk, making sure everything was in place to start again tomorrow morning. Peyton’s wedding was going to take all my time once I was in Ireland – ordinarily I’d only go for a day, perhaps two for big weddings, but Peyton had a week-long hen night booked in New York, meaning she wouldn’t be getting to Ireland until shortly before the wedding. That meant it was up to me to make sure everything was perfect. Now that Calum had found out there were some well-known faces going to be at the wedding, he’d had a flutter of nerves, which Lorcan had calmed by saying I’d be there several days prior to go through everything with him.

‘Hungry?’ the deep lilting voice broke into my thoughts.

I glanced up at the dove-grey wall clock, highlighted against the white walls of the studio.

‘Crikey, is that the time?’ Lorcan had fed Bod some time ago but I’d been on a call and hadn’t really taken note of the hour. The dog was happily snuggled up in his bed now between the sofa and the desk, snoozing away, one ear flopped over the edge of the fabric. ‘You must be starving. Why didn’t you say something ages ago? You don’t have to stay anyway, you know. Half of this stuff is for other clients and if anything comes up with our wedding, I can always call you.’

Lorcan’s eyes were fixed on mine and I frowned for a second before my brain hit ‘replay’.

30

‘Not our wedding, obviously! I didn’t mean…’ I flapped a hand that roughly encompassed the two of us. ‘I just meant… you know, the one we’re… Patrick’s wedding.’

Lorcan was still looking at me.

‘What?’

‘I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you get flustered.’

‘I wasn’t flustered. I’m not flustered. Why on earth would I be?’ I said, a trickle of laughter following the words that, even to my ears, sounded totally awkward and fake.

‘You know you’re not making it better, right?’

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ I replied, hoping to God that my foundation was strong enough to cover the blush I knew was lighting up my cheeks right now. ‘So, anyway. I’m sure you’re hungry so you should probably leave and get yourself some dinner.’

‘And what are you going to do?’

‘I have a bit more to do here and then I have something in the fridge.’