‘Was good?’ Irena asked, gazing into Frank’s eyes as she played with the hairs on his sweat-slick chest a few minutes later.

‘Uh huh,’ he murmured, his heart beating too hard for him to form complete words.

‘Is good for me, too,’ she purred, her soft breath tickling his throat. ‘I have dream of this since night of storm when you sleep in bed with me.’

Breathing out loudly when his pulse began to slow at last, Frank put his arm around her and pulled her closer. He hadn’t lasted very long, but she didn’t seem to mind, so he obviously wasn’t as rusty as he’d thought. Next time would be better – if she didn’t change her mind in the meantime.

They had been lying in each other’s arms for a few blissful minutes, when the doorbell rang, shattering the peace that had descended over the room.

‘Do not answer,’ Irena urged when Frank sat up. ‘If is important, they will come back.’

Another peal echoed through the hallway, and then a shadow crossed the window. Conscious that the curtains were open, Frank glanced round, and his blood ran cold when he saw Evan peering in. Their eyes met, and Evan jerked back as if he’d been burned.

‘Oh, shit!’ Frank muttered, scrambling to his feet.

‘What is wrong?’ Irena asked, snatching her clothes up off the floor to cover herself when he dragged his jeans on. ‘Where are you go, Frankie?’

He ran out into the hall without answering, and opened the front door in time to see Evan striding to the Land Rover.

‘Evan, wait!’ he yelled, pausing to pull a coat on to cover his bare chest before going after him.

‘For what?’ Evan asked angrily. ‘So you can tell me that wasn’t what it looked like? Ironic, eh? That’s exactly what I said to you last night, only in my case it was true.’

‘I can explain,’ Frank said breathlessly, putting his hand on the roof of the car to steady himself when stars began to pulse behind his eyes.

‘Don’t bother,’ Evan said coldly. ‘I saw everything I needed to see. I just can’t believe you’re being such a fucking hypocrite. And when did it start – before or after I came to stay? I mean, I knew you had a problem with me cracking on to her, but if I’d known it was because you were already screwing her, there’s no way I’d have touched her.’

‘That was the first time.’

‘Do me a favour! It was obvious you had the hots for her, and I even tried to tell you I’d be OK with it, but you flat out denied it.’

‘It’s true,’ Frank insisted. ‘And I was going to tell you next time we spoke.’