Claire hitched herself up and settled on Josh’s chest, looking into his eyes. ‘He sounds like a complete bastard,’ she said.

‘He’s a worthless son of a bitch. We all tried to tell her. We all warned her off. She wouldn’t listen.’

‘Strange, the people we fall in love with.’

‘Yeah,’ said Josh as their eyes met. ‘Very strange.’

She was smoothing her hands over his big muscular chest, sending ripples of pleasure through him.

‘I don’t want to go back there,’ he sighed. ‘Christ, I never want to go back there! I want to stay here, with you.’

‘I know,’ she said.

Claire sighed too. He was married to that despicable whore, they had a family. She still sometimes felt a sense of shame at what she was doing, making hot and almost demented love with a married man. All the trauma of that long-ago rape was forgotten when she was with Josh. Now, he came through the door and right away she couldn’t wait to feel his naked skin against hers, to marvel at his hard, lean boxer’s body, to get him inside her. She loved him.

‘Get this one fight out of the way, then I’ll do it. OK?’ said Josh. ‘I’ll start divorce proceedings.’

Claire’s hands stopped moving. ‘Really?’

‘Yeah.’ Josh’s light-grey eyes were serious as they stared into hers. ‘It might get messy,’ he warned.

‘I know.’

‘But it will be worth it. And I’ll keep you out of it, don’t worry about that. Totally. I’ll just say irreconcilable differences. You won’t be mentioned or known about. OK?’

Claire nodded and dropped a kiss on to his chest, feeling both excited and scared. Shauna would kick and scream against a divorce; Claire knew it. Possession was Shauna’s middle name; she wouldn’t let go of Josh easily.

‘Claire.’ He couldn’t put this off any longer. He had to tell her now.

‘Hm?’

‘I have some sad news for you. I’m sorry,’ said Josh.

‘Oh? What is it?’ Claire’s eyes were anxious.

‘I’m sorry, honey. Your mum . . . she passed.’

Claire stared at him. Suddenly she gave a sob. ‘All these years,’ she gasped out. ‘I missed her. I wanted to tell her where I was, that I was OK. But I was scared, Josh. I was scared of Shauna and scared of them. Of what they might do. And now it’s too late. She’s gone.’

‘I know.’ He cuddled her. ‘Shh, baby. And listen – I told your dad and Trace that I’d seen you and that you were fine. I didn’t tell them where you were, nothing like that. But after Pally lost Eva, it seemed only fair to give him some comfort.’

Claire looked at him. ‘You broke your promise.’

‘I know I did. And I’m sorry.’