They hadn’t pulled the curtains and flashes of lightning punctuated the thunder. When he finally sank into her she cried out, pulling him harder and harder against her until she convulsed in a burst of joy and pleasure that made the storm outside seem like nothing.

Clancy woke in the morning to the agreeable sensation of a hot body spooned around hers and a hand stroking the curve of her hip. She relaxed with a contented sigh. She could get used to the delicious spread of tingling desire being stoked deep in her belly.

The hand trailed delicately towards her breasts and a deep voice murmured in her ear, ‘It’s Saturday and I’m taking the day off to—’

Clancy jumped fully awake. ‘Saturday? Crap, it’s changeover day! I have to get going.’ Lifting the hand from her body and giving it a quick, apologetic kiss, she rolled from the bed and began hunting for yesterday’s clothes. She found them, damp and chilly, in various places on the floor.

‘Yuck,’ she said, wrinkling her nose at the crumpled and clammy dress. ‘I’m not doing the walk of shame in that. But I don’t suppose anything you’ve got will fit me.’ She glanced at the bed and found herself being regarded balefully. ‘Oh, um, sorry to run out on you,’ she said belatedly.

He sighed. ‘I can’t summon up arguments against you doing your day’s work, in the circumstances, but let’s at least stick your clothes in the tumble dryer while we eat breakfast.’

Clancy opened her mouth to protest that there was no time for breakfast on a Saturday but then the sight of Aaron rising naked from beneath the sheets grabbed her attention. He smiled when he saw the direction of her gaze, dropped a kiss on her hair, groped her bottom, took yesterday’s damp clothes from her and led her down to the kitchen. Once he’d let Nelson out into the garden to dissuade him from his usual welcome dance, bearing in mind his claws and their nakedness, Aaron set the clothes whirling in the dryer.

It turned out that there wasn’t time for breakfast after all. At least, not if they were to share a most enjoyable thirty minutes on the kitchen table. It was Clancy who eventually groaned groggily and said, ‘The dryer’s stopped. I really have to go or we’ll have holidaymakers turning up with no one to give them the key and the cottages uncleaned and beds unchanged.’

‘Suppose so.’ Wearing a smile and a satisfied expression he helped her slide to her feet. ‘I’ll take Nelson for his run then come down and help.’

‘What, aren’t you one of my bosses?’ she reminded him, pulling her dress, still warm from the dryer, over her head. It felt a bit too warm for comfort but it was a big improvement on wearing what had looked and felt like a damp paper bag.

He slid his arms around her, which didn’t make her feel any less overheated. ‘Ulterior motive. I’m hoping to spend time with you later.’