He leaned forward to kiss her. Sam allowed him to support her back with his hand and slide the other under the hair at the nape of her neck. In the moonlight, a shiver of pure lust ran through her and every pore was alive with delicious sensation.

How had this happened? How had she let him get so close? She wasn’t that drunk, she was letting him do this; inviting him … not resisting, wanting the kiss. He moved his hand to her chin and tilted her face upwards. His fingers were warm and every inch of her skin felt as if it was glowing. Every part of her was alive again. She met his mouth with hers. She kissed him and tasted smoky Armagnac.

They weren’t far from the cottage now, and a light popped on in the porch. The door opened and voices cut through the quiet. ‘Nightttt!’

‘Bye!’

It was Ben and Zennor saying goodnight. Ben hadn’t gone home then …

Gabe shook his head and leaned in again, but the moment had passed. The bubble had burst and that was probably just as well. Joking with him, relaxing in his presence, kissing him had felt so enjoyable and natural, she’d forgotten the reasons that had and still kept them apart. The unanswered questions about his betrayal of Ryan: why did he choose to do the ‘right thing’ over his love for Sam?

‘Too soon,’ she murmured, stepping back a little. Gabe said something but it was drowned out by the throaty rev of Ben’s motorbike starting up.

‘OK.’ Gabe caught her hand, raising his voice as Ben roared off down the winding lane. They paused, waiting for the din to fade. ‘Does that mean there will come a time?’

Her pulse skittered. She’d taken a leap forward – or perhaps back – in the past few minutes. She simply couldn’t bring herself to say no. ‘Let’s take it slowly. Get to know each other again first?’ It was a huge cop-out but Gabe’s eyes gleamed with happiness.

‘Take all the time you want,’ he said.

She smiled. ‘I will. Goodnight, Gabe,’ she said as she moved towards the cottage.

‘But hurry up!’ he called after her.

She saw the light in the porch like a beacon of safety. She might be soaring on possibility, but what happened if she came crashing down to earth again? If that happened again, she didn’t think even the festival would save her.

Chapter Twenty-Four