One corner of his mouth lifted. ‘Is it really bad of me that I’m quite pleased?’

‘Very bad,’ I teased. ‘Anyway, you kissed me last Sunday, that wasn’t stepping back.’

‘I’m only human.’ He turned to face me, and took the glass out of my hand. ‘And you are adorable.’

To my total horror I replied by burping in his face. ‘I am so sorry. I’m very gassy these days.’

‘Spitting and belching,’ he said, laughing. ‘Remind me again why you’re still single?’

I shrugged playfully. ‘It’s a mystery.’

‘To me too,’ he said softly.

I held his gaze and felt my heart thump against my ribs. My feelings for this lovely man were getting harder to hide and suddenly I wanted him to know everything, to put his mind at rest about Harvey and to know with absolute certainty that he was no longer part of my life.

‘Then I’ll tell you: I’m single because Harvey was controlling and erratic and I was scared of him. So I left him. I don’t want him to be part of my life, or the baby’s. We could never be parents together.’ I blew out a breath. ‘So now you know.’

Jensen looked stricken and stared for a second.

‘Oh my God, I had no idea. Come here.’

Then he pulled me towards him and held me tight, and I buried my head in his neck while he pressed kisses to my hair and I dared to think that maybe if he cared for me like I was beginning to care for him, then one day home for him would mean coming home to me. We stayed like that, holding each other, until the sun slipped from the sky and the owl started to hoot and he regretfully peeled himself away, made me vow to look after myself and promised to meet me before my radio interview in London and take me for lunch.

All of which was heavenly but made me very late getting round to ringing my dad.

Conscious of the time difference between England and Germany, as soon as Jensen had gone, I got comfortable on the sofa and dialled my dad’s mobile number. He must have been waiting for my call because he answered on the first ring.

‘Hello, Dad!’

‘Hello, love. I was beginning to think you’d forgotten your old man.’

‘Sorry I’m late. I’ve had a visitor and he’s only just left.’

‘A gentleman caller, eh?’ Dad probed.

‘Not like that,’ I said vaguely, not wanting to go into details. I knew what Dad was like: he’d be wanting chapter and verse if I didn’t nip it in the bud. Besides, I really wanted to tell him about the baby. ‘It was my boss Betsy’s grandson, Jensen. But enough about him, how are you?’