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He nods, and we both stand and head for the bar.

“Get more wine!” Emily calls after us.

“Jamie’s off to find you more, remember?” I shoot back.

Once we’re behind the counter, Aidan mutters, “Well, that was fucking awkward. That Grace, though . . .” He lets out a low whistle. “She’s some looker, isn’t she?”

I ignore that comment. Grabbing a glass, I pull Aidan a pint. “Mate, what am I supposed to do?”

“How do you mean? You’re in a perfect scenario. Grace is literally telling Emily just to have sex with you and not do any of the other stuff. It’s every guy’s dream!”

“Aye, well . . .” I turn off the tap and hand Aidan his drink. “The problem is I like her, mate. I really like her.”

Aidan freezes, the lager almost at his lips. “You do?”

“Aye.”

A surprised grin spreads across his face. “Fuck! You’re falling for this English lass, aren’t you? In that case, we had better win over her friend.” He glances at Grace again. “Why don’t I try my charms on her? If I take her to bed, that might chill her out a bit.”

My best mate has a lot of experience in the bedroom. He doesn’t do relationships, but one-night stands? They’re his speciality.

“You’re not sleeping with her, Aidan.”

He holds up his hands. “All right, well, you can’t say I didn’t try to help.”

Shaking my head, I pour three glasses of water, which I carry to the table.

Emily isn’t impressed when she sees them. “Boo! Where’s Jamie with the wine?”

I slide down beside her. “I’m sure he’ll be back soon,” I say evasively. “For now, why don’t you have some water?”

While Aidan makes conversation with Grace and David, I encourage Emily to drink the full glass. She tips it back then slams it down, empty. Under the table, her hand finds my leg and squeezes it. She giggles, her cheeks flushed, her gaze coquettish.

Leaning close to me, she whispers, “Is red wine an aphrodisiac? Because I want you, Ally. As nice as it is to see my friends again, all I want is to go upstairs with you—right now.”

In my trousers, my cock stirs. Despite what Grace said earlier, I’m desperate to head upstairs with Emily too. I need to control myself, though. We’re not alone: our friends are on the other side of the table. And yet, even as I try to check my feelings, Emily slides her hand up my leg. This really doesn’t help matters.

I place my hand over hers, stopping her from moving it any higher. Judging from the mischievous twinkle in her eye and the way she licks her lips, she knows exactly what sort of effect she’s having on me. She’s playing with me.

“Save it for the bedroom,” I say in a low voice.

“Aw!” She tries to wriggle out from my grip, her fingertips almost brushing a very sensitive part of my anatomy.

Meanwhile, across the table, Grace asks Aidan what he does for a living.

“Well, Ally and I”—he waves towards me, which is my cue to scoot away from Emily—“are thinking of starting our own outdoor-activities business. Ally’s agreed to chat about it sometime this week, but he’s been a bit vague about when.”

“Tomorrow!” Emily declares, prodding my chest with her finger. “Mondays are quiet in the hotel, and Lewis is more capable than Ally realises. He can look after this place while you two are talking.”

I’m still trying to stop an unwanted hard-on, so I’m caught off-guard. I protest that there’s stuff to do around here on Mondays too.

“Live a little!” Emily says. “Do it! Do it! Do it!”

David and Aidan join in, slapping the table as they chant at me to “Do it!”

“Fucking hell, all right!” I say eventually. “It’s just a chat, though, aye?”

Aidan jumps to his feet and dances across to me, hugging me and patting my back. “Yes, mate. It’s just a chat, but you won’t regret this, I promise!”