Page 70 of A Scottish Highland Surprise

I followed his absent gaze out of the windows beside us. “I asked you what you would recommend from the menu.”

“Oh. Yeah. Sorry.” He dragged his attention back to the menu and gave the pages a cursory glance. “How about the stir-fry prawns with peppers and spinach, or the Thai-style steamed fish?”

Then he transferred his attention back to the car park, scanning the vehicles already there with his keen, light eyes.

I lowered my menu. All around us, there were tables occupied by couples exchanging conversation, discussing what they wanted to eat or sharing an intimate moment. “Jake? Are you all right?”

He blinked back at me across the table, the flickering glow from the candle centrepiece wavering like an exotic dancer. “What? Oh, yes. Sorry.”

I twisted round in my seat, following his gaze out of the window and down to the unremarkable car park. “You seem very distracted.”

Jake snatched up his menu again. “No. I’m fine. Really. Just struggling to decide what I’m going to have.”

“Well, I think the menu will help, rather than the car park.”

Jake let out a loud, theatrical laugh that drew curious glances from a couple of other tables. What the hell was the matter with him?

I examined him across the top of my menu. Oh, for pity’s sake! He was doing it again, gawping out of the window and not communicating with me at all. I could have been exchanged for the Madam Tussaud’s waxwork of Kylie Minogue and he wouldn’t have noticed.

I sat for a few more moments before his rude behaviour ignited my indignation. I thumped down my menu beside my polished cutlery and angled myself further round in my chair.

But this time, Jake shot out his hand and seized mine. I gave a jolt of surprise that almost made me bang my knees against the underside of the table. His charged expression was swivelling between me and the restaurant entrance.

I could hear the effusive maître d’ behind me, greeting more guests who had arrived. Jake continued to hold my hand in a tight grip across the table. It was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable. I think I preferred it when he was ignoring me to admire the car park. “Jake. Do you think you could release my hand, please?”

But he wasn’t paying any attention to me. Again. His expression was contorting from anticipation to smug expectation. He was focused on something over my right shoulder.

Now what was he looking at? I made a move to follow his gaze and prepared to twist around in my chair again, but Jake stunned me a second time, by leaning across the table and snatching my lips with his in a prolonged kiss.

It took a few seconds for my brain and my lips to realise what was happening. Once the weird situation registered, I sprang back, breathless and stunned. My cheeks were zinging with heat.

I fluffed at the hem of my dress, aware of bemused diners looking over.

Then came a flicker of movement at my elbow.

I looked up, expecting to see a member of the waiting staff hovering there. But it wasn’t.

It was Xander.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Jake grinned up at Xander with a look of triumph.

Behind Xander hovered a stern-looking Saffy Clements, dressed in a pillar-box-red shift dress, her corkscrew dark curls springing past her shoulders. She looked gorgeous.

With Xander sporting a dashing black satin waistcoat, charcoal shirt and trousers, the two of them were a very good-looking couple on a night out together. That thought made my insides twist.

I swallowed.

“Good evening, Xander.” Jake grinned. “What a coincidence this is.”

The way he said it – his words dripping in sarcasm – made me sit up straighter. I stared across the top of the flickering candle decoration at him. My eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Xander’s chilly expression fell on me. “Isn’t it just?” He ignored Jake. “Out on a date?”

I opened my mouth to speak, my mind zig-zagging. “Yes. No. Well. Kind of.”

Saffy’s attention travelled from me to Jake and back again. She gave me an odd look as she started to move past us in a pair of pointed heels. “Well, have a nice evening. Come on, Xander. Let’s go to our table.”