‘Babe.’ The one word brought back a multitude.

‘That.’ He took a breath. ‘Rachel, you need to know that even though I was very angry when I left New York, it soon changed to guilt. And, God, I missed you.’

‘Luke…’

Out of nowhere, the air felt thick.

I blinked, trying to break the tension.

His eyes were fixed on mine. Shimmering between us was the irresistible attraction we’d once shared, powerful and familiar.

I didn’t want this, it was dangerous. But all of my old responses were activated.

Startling me, he slid his hand around my waist, his index finger under my T-shirt, on the bare skin above my jeans. In one fluid movement our bodies were touching.

Overwhelmed by the intensity of my sudden longing for him, I watched his face, looking for clues on what to do. To my disbelief, I felt him begin to unfurl, then harden against me. Holding my gaze, he knew that I knew. Almost suffocating from such intimacy, I stopped breathing.

‘Fuck!’ He stepped back and spun away from me. ‘Rachel, I’m sorry. I forgot, I—’

Dazed, discarded, I managed, ‘…It’s okay.’

I was breathing again, and the oxygen wasn’t coming fast enough, I had to fight the urge to pant.

‘Just for a moment there’—he was able to look at me now—‘I was confused.’ With an awkward laugh, he said, ‘I could never behave myself around you. And with Kallie not here…’

What…did that mean?

That because Kallie wasn’t there to put out, anyone would do? Even someone as repellent as his junkie ex-wife?

I went cold. ‘I’m leaving now.’

He seemed wrong-footed. ‘Uh. Sure, yeah. Take care—’

*

Fucker.

Sleazy fucker.

I walked fast through the field, trying to put distance between me and that creep.

My God, he’d changed. He’d once been a good man but now he was—

‘Rachel!’

I turned. In the encroaching night, his outline advanced.

‘What?’ My tone was sharp.

‘I’m sorry.’ He was short of breath. ‘I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. Like I was saying that if Kallie isn’t here to…deal with me, I’m a liability who’d ride anything.’

I was still waiting for an explanation.

‘Being in Ireland,’ he said, ‘seeing you, it feels like no time has passed. I’m a state. Kallie kept me anchored to the life I have now. But since she’s gone back I’m…I’ve so many emotions, mostly from the past but it’s like they’ve just happened. I don’t know which end is up and I shouldn’t have touched you…I’m very sorry.’

‘…It’s okay. Really.’ I meant it. I’d been affected just as badly. So much so, I had to get away from him. ‘Don’t worry. See you on Saturday.’

‘Okay, see—Hey! Do you have far to go?’

I turned once more towards him.