‘Exactly,’ Will countered defiantly. ‘God, I shouldn’t even be discussing this with you,’ he said, tugging at his hair distractedly.
‘Fine by me. You know where the door is.’
‘I need to see Kate.’
‘You stay away from her,’ Lorcan said. ‘I think you’ve done enough, don’t you?’
‘I cannotbelieveyou feel you occupy some sort of moral high ground here,’ Will fumed.
‘Me?’ Lorcan howled. ‘Why? What haveIdone?’
‘Don’t play the innocent. You were practically pimping your sister to me?—’
‘Pimping?’ Lorcan was beside himself.
‘You know what I’m talking about. I couldn’t believe you’d go along with it – but you said it was a fantastic idea!’
Lorcan seemed genuinely bewildered. ‘You mean when you asked me what I thought about you and Kate?’
‘Yes, and you said if I could lure her away from Brian, I’d be doing you all a huge favour. You couldn’t have been more enthusiastic!’
‘Well, I didn’t realise quite what you had in mind!’ Lorcan spluttered.
‘What did youthinkwas going to happen?’
‘I certainly didn’t think you were talking about a quick knee-trembler! Call me a romantic fool, but I thought you were in love with my bloody sister!’
‘Iamin love with your bloody sister!’ Will shouted back.
‘You are?’
Will sighed. ‘Yes, I am,’ he said, looking Lorcan squarely in the eye.
As his fury abated, Will realised that something didn’t quite add up. Why had Lorcan imagined he was in love with Kate back then? What had he thought he was asking him? Bloody Rachel. He could cheerfully strangle her. She had set him up. He realised now that Lorcan knew nothing about the family’s sordid little scheme to break up Kate’s engagement. He should have trusted his instinct that Lorcan would never have gone along with it. He decided not to enlighten him now. ‘Look, things have gone a bit pear-shaped, but I’ve got to see Kate.’
‘You’ll have to get past Freddie first,’ Lorcan said, with rather too much relish, still not quite prepared to forgive Will. ‘He’s very protective of her, you know.’
‘Any tips for getting around him?’ Will asked hopefully, sensing that Lorcan was softening and loath to leave until they were friends again.
‘You could try sticking your tongue down his throat – I think he’d like that.’
Will narrowed his eyes at Lorcan.
‘Well, you are a handsome devil,’ Lorcan said bitchily.
Will waited, but nothing more was forthcoming. ‘Wouldn’t be the first time,’ he said finally, leaving the words hanging in the air.
As he had hoped, Lorcan’s insatiable curiosity wouldn’t allow him to ignore that. ‘What,you’vesnogged a bloke?’ he asked disbelievingly.
‘I went to public school, remember.’
‘For about five minutes,’ Lorcan scoffed.
‘I’m a quick learner.’
Despite himself, Lorcan smiled.
‘Well, you’re full of surprises, aren’t you?’
