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“OK, stop.” Hannah put up her hand. “You’re going to have to do me a favour right now.”

Lottie’s eyes widened, and she looked suddenly nervous. “Anything. Of course. Whatever you need. What’s up?”

Hannah could feel the concern pouring off Lottie, and right now, it wasn’t what she wanted.

“You need to stop looking at me like I’m a wounded animal,” said Hannah, her voice low. “I’m fine, and I really preferred the way you were looking at me last night in the porch.”

Lottie’s face immediately went a pleasing shade of pink and Hannah gave her a half smile, before turning back to take a sip from her wine glass. Excitement travelled down her spine. And she felt a sensation she hadn’t experienced in some time. Perhaps ever. She felt sexy. She knew Lottie’s eyes were still on her as she looked away. And she liked it.

“Are you guys doing your Christmas Eve walk tomorrow?” asked Anya.

Freya answered. “Yeah, mum insists it’s tradition.” She pulled a face.

“It is tradition,” said Zack. “Just the three of us. It’s special.”

Freya rolled her eyes, but Hannah noticed that she smiled afterwards. She clearly didn’t hate the idea as much as she let on.

“Well I think it’s lovely,” said Sunitra.

“Me, too,” said Tom. “And I’ll be in the billiards room with my own Christmas Eve tradition – a festive jigsaw.”

“Rock and roll,” said Anya with a twinkle in her eyes.

“That’s me,” agreed Tom, unashamed of his sedate Christmas habit.

Hannah gave him a warm smile.

“And what about you, Hannah, what’s your plan?” asked Anya.

“I’m not sure,” said Hannah, her mind full of the feel of Lottie’s thigh just millimetres from her own. “If the snow clears a little I might go into Fort William and get a few odds and ends. I wasn’t planning to stay here after tomorrow, so I probably need to pick up some bits.”

“Well do let us know if there’s anything we can, er, do,” stammered Lottie, who seemed unusually ill at ease.

Hannah was beginning to realise that what she wanted Lottie to do had no practical application, and probably couldn’t be discussed in company. But she nodded and smiled at the offer all the same.

The conversation flowed and Hannah let it wash over her. There was an ease to the evening, and she enjoyed soaking up the bonhomie.

Chapter Thirty-Two

LOTTIE

Lottie was struggling to focus on the conversation between Freya, Zack and Tom. They were discussing Love Island, and apparently the series this year had been a classic. Her lack of concentration was less to do with the fact that she’d watched barely five minutes of the programme, repelled by the women with masses of makeup and the men with overly styled hair. It was more to do with the fact that about thirty seconds ago, Hannah had closed the gap between their thighs, and they were now touching.

Lottie was still slightly ruffled by Hannah’s request that she look at her like she did last night in the porch. More specifically, she’d found herself heating up in response to the low voice Hannah had used. If she’d had to describe Hannah’s tone, Lottie would have used the word ‘seductive’.

She thought back to the list in her office, but with a glass of wine in her hand and Hannah’s leg against her own, it might as well have been on another planet.

“I can’t believe you set Brian off with those tourists,” said Zack pointedly at Sunitra.

Anya rolled her eyes. “Welcome to my wife, shit-stirrer extraordinaire!”

“Well, he does so love telling those stories about his time in the royal household,” said Sunitra.

“And the guests love them,” agreed Lottie. “But I think I’ve now heard them, at a conservative estimate, about a million times.”

Freya giggled. “I love Brian and his stories. Has he told you the one about when the cleaning staff polished the floors too well and Brian and his team kept slipping over while trying to serve the Duke of Edinburgh?”

“Yes,” chuckled Lottie. “I think I can quote it word for word.” She dropped a hand to her thigh, which was touching Hannah’s. “But it is a cracking story.”