‘What are you curious about?’

‘Anything and everything. At the moment, you. I’ve loved your music for years. But what’s behind the music? Why am I attracted to Jez Winter, the man? What’s he really like?’

‘He’s a selfish person, jaded, tired, not sure where he’s going in life.’

‘You’re very hard on yourself.’

‘I’m trying to be honest with you, Sophie. I don’t want to hurt you.’

‘I appreciate that. But life hurts all of us from time to time. No one can prevent that.’

‘How did you become so wise?’

‘I’m not wise. I’m as foolish as the next person.’ Particularly foolish tonight. What was she doing with a man like him? However, since she intended to carry on being foolish for as long as this lasted, she reached out to take hold of his hand and watched as his long, elegant fingers twined with hers.

They sat without speaking for a few more moments, then, as a clock chimed the hour somewhere in the house, he groaned and pulled away. ‘I promised Craig I’d not be more than an hour. That damned clock of yours moves too quickly.’

‘You can’t have been here that long already!’

‘I have. Sophie … can I see you again? Can we continue getting to know one another? Can we find out if this is going anywhere?’

She didn’t let herself say yes, but she wanted to, wanted it so much. ‘I don’t know. Maybe we should be careful, think about it for a while.’

‘I’m not feeling at all careful where you’re concerned.’ He pulled her to him and kissed her again, then brushed her cheek with his curled fingers and stood up. ‘I’ll ring you. My movements are a bit uncertain till we get into the house next door and sort something out for my son.’

‘All right.’

She walked with him to the back door, letting him kiss her again before she opened it.

As he went outside, a shadow moved and a man appeared from underneath the chestnut tree.

‘My minder,’ Jez whispered and gave her hand a final squeeze before letting go of it.

Only after the two of them had disappeared through the gate did she remember her coming date with Peter Shane. She wished she’d told Jez about it. She didn’t want him to think she was seeing someone behind his back.

No, why should she tell him? It was none of his business. They didn’t even have another meeting planned. He didn’t own her.

But he was attracted to her. And she to him. And he’d made a big point about being faithful.

She went to stare at herself in the mirror, turning from side to side. She wasn’t slender, didn’t dress fashionably, but still he fancied her! How wonderful was that? And she fancied him, too. Not with a fan’s adoration, but as a woman reacting to a very attractive man.

Then her smile faded and she looked at herself again, one hand brushing briefly against her right breast.