his mind away from Laura, and what she might be doing. The thought of her with that guy? Naked with guy? He pressed his lips together. He couldn't go there.
Rochelle was at the desk. “Hey, Smoke. I can't wait to show you what Jason has drawn up. Do you want to start now?”
“I would love to.”
Chapter Eight
L aura took the path up to the resort. She'd spent most of the morning in a fruitless effort to work on her new designs. She was getting nowhere. Maybe a walk and some lunch would clear her head. She spotted Ben coming out of the lodge and waved.
“Hey, Ben!”
“Hey, where are you off to?”
“I came to get some lunch, if it's not too busy.”
“It is busy, but give me a minute. I'll check with the servers, see who's got a table coming free outside, if you like?”
“Thanks. Have you got time to join me?” She didn't feel like eating alone and Ben was always good company.
“Sorry. We're crazy with check-ins and check-outs today. Is Smoke flying?”
“I wouldn't know.”
He gave her a puzzled look, but turned away when they heard someone shout, “Ben!”
Michael was striding across the parking lot towards them. “Who's up for lunch?”
Ben raised an eyebrow at Laura.
“You can join me, if you want,” she said.
Michael grinned at Ben. “Aww, are you too busy, mate?”
Ben nodded, giving Laura a questioning look. “Want me to get you a table?”
“Yes, please.” She gave him a reassuring smile. He was so sweet, looking out for her. And he didn't know that Smoke had already moved on to his next victim.
Once they were seated, Laura took a good look at Michael while he ordered. He was a good-looking guy, and that accent was sexy. He wasn't Smoke though, but she had to stop thinking like that.
Once the server had gone, he grinned at her. “Missy gave me a right good talking to this morning, for flirting with you.”
Laura laughed. “I'm sorry.”
“No worries, darl', I'm used to it, she's always giving me grief for something. Always has. I'm the one that's sorry. I didn't know I was treading on some guy's toes, did I?”
She shook her head. “You weren't, though.”
Michael looked puzzled. “She said you were seeing that pilot guy.”
She shook her head again. “We went out a couple of times, that's all.”
Michael smiled. “That's not all though, is it? It's not over yet, darl'. It's written all over your face.”
She looked at him. Was it that obvious? “Okay, if you're so good at reading faces, what does this look mean?” She rolled her eyes then tried to glower at him, despite her lips twitching up into a smile.
“It means....” Michael rubbed his chin, pretending to think hard about it. “I know. It means you think it's over, but you don't want it to be. It also means that you can't decide if you should tell me to wrack off cos it's none of my business, or if you should pour your heart out to me cos you need to talk about it to someone.”
Laura threw her head back and laughed. “I wish I could deny any or all of that, but you really are good at reading faces!”
He smiled, a very genuine smile now. “I read people, darl'. Not faces.” A shadow crossed his own face. For a moment he looked sad, lost. Then the smile was back. “So out with it. Let's hear your troubles, see if we can fix 'em. What's he done?”
“He's not done anything. At least, he's not done anything wrong.”
The server returned with their food. Michael squeezed lemon over his fish before asking, “So, what's he done that's not wrong?”
“He started seeing someone else.”
Michael looked up at her. “You sure about that?”
Laura nodded and toyed with her salad. “Yeah. I saw him in town with a woman yesterday. Then last night he told Miss he wasn't staying cos he had a date.”
“Ah. Do you know who she is?”
“Nope.”
“Maybe I do. It's a small town. What's she look like?”
“Small. Short brown hair.”
Michael's gaze flicked up at her, then returned to his food.
Rochelle was at the desk. “Hey, Smoke. I can't wait to show you what Jason has drawn up. Do you want to start now?”
“I would love to.”
Chapter Eight
L aura took the path up to the resort. She'd spent most of the morning in a fruitless effort to work on her new designs. She was getting nowhere. Maybe a walk and some lunch would clear her head. She spotted Ben coming out of the lodge and waved.
“Hey, Ben!”
“Hey, where are you off to?”
“I came to get some lunch, if it's not too busy.”
“It is busy, but give me a minute. I'll check with the servers, see who's got a table coming free outside, if you like?”
“Thanks. Have you got time to join me?” She didn't feel like eating alone and Ben was always good company.
“Sorry. We're crazy with check-ins and check-outs today. Is Smoke flying?”
“I wouldn't know.”
He gave her a puzzled look, but turned away when they heard someone shout, “Ben!”
Michael was striding across the parking lot towards them. “Who's up for lunch?”
Ben raised an eyebrow at Laura.
“You can join me, if you want,” she said.
Michael grinned at Ben. “Aww, are you too busy, mate?”
Ben nodded, giving Laura a questioning look. “Want me to get you a table?”
“Yes, please.” She gave him a reassuring smile. He was so sweet, looking out for her. And he didn't know that Smoke had already moved on to his next victim.
Once they were seated, Laura took a good look at Michael while he ordered. He was a good-looking guy, and that accent was sexy. He wasn't Smoke though, but she had to stop thinking like that.
Once the server had gone, he grinned at her. “Missy gave me a right good talking to this morning, for flirting with you.”
Laura laughed. “I'm sorry.”
“No worries, darl', I'm used to it, she's always giving me grief for something. Always has. I'm the one that's sorry. I didn't know I was treading on some guy's toes, did I?”
She shook her head. “You weren't, though.”
Michael looked puzzled. “She said you were seeing that pilot guy.”
She shook her head again. “We went out a couple of times, that's all.”
Michael smiled. “That's not all though, is it? It's not over yet, darl'. It's written all over your face.”
She looked at him. Was it that obvious? “Okay, if you're so good at reading faces, what does this look mean?” She rolled her eyes then tried to glower at him, despite her lips twitching up into a smile.
“It means....” Michael rubbed his chin, pretending to think hard about it. “I know. It means you think it's over, but you don't want it to be. It also means that you can't decide if you should tell me to wrack off cos it's none of my business, or if you should pour your heart out to me cos you need to talk about it to someone.”
Laura threw her head back and laughed. “I wish I could deny any or all of that, but you really are good at reading faces!”
He smiled, a very genuine smile now. “I read people, darl'. Not faces.” A shadow crossed his own face. For a moment he looked sad, lost. Then the smile was back. “So out with it. Let's hear your troubles, see if we can fix 'em. What's he done?”
“He's not done anything. At least, he's not done anything wrong.”
The server returned with their food. Michael squeezed lemon over his fish before asking, “So, what's he done that's not wrong?”
“He started seeing someone else.”
Michael looked up at her. “You sure about that?”
Laura nodded and toyed with her salad. “Yeah. I saw him in town with a woman yesterday. Then last night he told Miss he wasn't staying cos he had a date.”
“Ah. Do you know who she is?”
“Nope.”
“Maybe I do. It's a small town. What's she look like?”
“Small. Short brown hair.”
Michael's gaze flicked up at her, then returned to his food.
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