Page 56 of Mistletoe Season
“I... I don’t think I have your number.”
“Ah, right.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. “Do you mind putting inyournumber?”
She stared at him. Prince Arran was asking for her phone number.
A wonderful flood of delicious warmth tingled up her body. Attraction?
No sirree.
Besides, he wasn’t asking for her number in a romantic way.
At all!
He wanted her number as a colleague. That’s it. Maybe even as a friend.
And that was good. Fine!
“Sure. Yes.” She wiped her fingers on the handkerchief and then took his phone, quickly adding her number.
“And it’s fine if I text you mine?” He took back the phone.
“It would make the communication happen a lot easier if you did.”Good. Her sarcasm had come to the defense.
“A sense of humor can suit a lady too.” He winked as she offered him the handkerchief, carefully tugging it away.
“Hey, are you two over here holding hands or working?”
Charlie looked up to see Luke approaching, a rascally expression on his face. Heat invaded her cheeks all over again.Family!
“I think the protocol is to exchange mobile numbers first, and then the hand-holding can commence,” Arran replied, nonplussed. And then... he shot her one of those lopsided grins. “Step one is complete.”
“Gross.” Despite Luke’s exaggerated grimace, the twinkle in his dark eyes only intensified Charlie’s mortification.
“The only hand-holding he’s needed was the initial stonework placement.” She smiled in mock sweetness. “Otherwise, his hands have been too busy for holding.”
Luke rolled his eyes, as if he didn’t believe a word of it, before looking down at his watch. “Aren’t you and Ellie meeting this afternoon?”
Charlie froze. “Oh, right. Dancing talk.” She pushed to a stand and dusted her hands on her jeans. Praise God for small means of escape. “I lost track of time.”
“Lost?” Luke heaved a heavy sigh. “That’s the whole reason I came over here, really. You looked so lost in Arran’s eyes, I figured I’d better come rescue you before I had to send a search party.”
Her glare bounced off his smirk.
“You’re merciless, Luke.” Arran chuckled, warm and much too entertained. “Charlotte is too levelheaded to set her sights on a rogue prince.”
Her level head and his crooked smile were not playing fair, actually.
“Riiiight.” Luke drew out the word, then shifted his attention between the two of them before gesturing back the way he’d come. “I’ll clean up my tools back at the rock wall and then come take over Charlie’s spot here with you.”
With another humor-filled look in Charlie’s direction, Luke moved back across the floor, careful of his steps on the wooden planks they’d marked for safe passage over the stones.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” She offered Arran a side wave and made to step back when he caught her by the arm.
“You never told me how to avoid the southern mothers at church.”
Her grin resurfaced, her sarcasm rising above the effect of his nearness on her internal temperature. “I’m afraid there are only two remedies.”
His brow tipped in question.
