‘Oh, you’re such an erudite speaker!’ Holly teased. ‘It’s not as ridiculous as it sounds, honestly. It’s all about starting with your own breath, which is the cornerstone of all meditation, and then feeling yourself as part of something bigger, something deeper. This place, with its long, mystical heritage, is the perfect setting for a session. People come away feeling rejuvenated and ready to face whatever life throws at them.’

‘That’s some claim,’ Charlie said, shielding his eyes against the suddenly strong midday sun.

‘Well, that’s what they tell me,’ Holly smiled. ‘And I find it’s a great way to get things straight in my own head, too; this notion that you’re at one with the earth. It brings a certain amount of peace.’

‘Perhaps you should show me some day,’ Charlie suggested. ‘But not right now.’ He moved closer and kissed her, a long, Sancerre-infused meeting of mouths that conveyed exactly how much he didn’t want peace at all right now, but a lot of pleasure instead. As the kiss deepened in intensity, Charlie leaned forward, until he had Holly beneath him, her hand running through his hair as one of his slipped down her body to her waist. The slight breeze in the air, and the scent of newly mown grass, as well as the taste and feel of Holly, made his senses reel. ‘Do you reckon we could get away with, you know… up here?’ He murmured between kisses.

Holly laughed breathlessly, eyes wide with warmth. ‘You’re joking, aren’t you? You can get arrested for that.’

‘It’s a risk I’d be willing to take,’ Charlie said, progressing downwards to kiss her neck.

‘Well, I’m a local business owner and I’ve got a rep to protect,’ Holly chided, pushing him away gently. ‘And it’s not like you don’t have one to maintain, either.’

‘Then can I suggest that we pack away this lovely lunch and head back down the hill, so I can take you to bed before I have to get back to London?’ Charlie could feel the beat of his arousal starting to throb, and from the way Holly was reacting, she felt the same.

‘That sounds like a great idea,’ Holly murmured. ‘Since we seem to be attracting a bit of attention from those people over there. I wouldn’t want to get you into a scandal so early on in your political career.’

Charlie turned to look behind him and was irritated to see a party of what looked to be tourists, who, heedless of the fact that they were standing by one of the country’s most glorious and beautiful landmarks, were more intent on taking snapshots on their camera phones of him and Holly. ‘Bloody hell,’ he grumbled. ‘You try to get away from it all, and the bastards follow you.’ Desire, he knew, was making him cantankerous.