‘Happily tired, for once. Can I see you again?’

She couldn’t lie to him. ‘I hope so.’

‘Would you like to see over my new house?’

‘I’d love to.’

‘Donna says afternoons are best for you, because you like to work in the mornings. I’ve got something on tomorrow, so how about the day after? Three o’clock suit you?’

‘Yes.’ You’d think someone who earned her living with words could manage more than monosyllables!

‘I’ll get Kevin to meet you at the side gate. We’ve got the perimeter secured now.’

‘Like Fort Knox!’

His expression was bitter. ‘More like Alcatraz. It sometimes feels like being in prison to me, that’s for sure.’

‘I’m beginning to understand that.’

‘I’m sorry getting to know me has done this to you.’ He rang a bell. ‘Someone will have to show you out again. This is a very secure hotel.’ At the door, he put his arms round her. ‘Am I allowed to kiss you goodbye?’

He didn’t wait for permission but drew her towards him and kissed her until her knees grew weak. He smiled as he drew back a little, continuing to hold her. ‘I think the spark is glowing quite brightly, don’t you?’

She had trouble speaking coherently. ‘Yes. It’s surprised me.’

‘Me, too.’

The same woman was outside the suite ready to show her down to the limousine, which was waiting at a side entrance this time.

There had been no sign of the paparazzi on the drive back but a car was parked outside her house when she got home, which made her stomach lurch in apprehension.

Inside the house the phone light was blinking and when she listened to the message from her son asking her to call him, she thought he sounded angry, so she didn’t do it. William always expected her to drop everything when he wanted to see her, usually to give her a lecture about something.

She went up to change into comfortable working clothes, feeling all at sea again. When she was alone with Jez everything felt so simple and right, and she wanted to see him again – and again.

But once the world intruded, their relationship seemed so full of complications it was difficult to believe in a happy, long-term outcome.

As soon as Sophie had left, Jez asked Donna to pull out all the stops to get his new house ready for occupation.

‘That sort of thing takes time.’

‘Doesn’t sound as if we’ve got a lot of time with Tom and the children coming to London in a few days, so if throwing money at it will help us move in quickly, do it. We don’t need everything to be perfect, just to have basic furniture and make sure all the bathrooms work.’

‘And to hire domestic staff, who’ll need vetting, and stock up on food, not to mention finishing setting up the internal security. Jez, it’s a huge house and there are all sorts of details to sort out.’