‘So do you,’ I said as I stood up, my shoes now on. ‘It’s a shame we can’t really go to the party together,’ I added a little shyly as I didn’t want to come on too strong or anything. I liked the fact he thought I looked good, though. ‘But we definitely need to stay apart; no dancing together like we did in Times Square,’ I said as I grabbed my bag. ‘Hayley will be around us all night, I bet.’

‘If that’s what you want,’ he replied quietly, stepping out into the corridor as I walked out and closed the hotel room door behind me.

I would have killed to slow dance with him again, especially in his sexy suit, but I knew dancing together would make it nearly impossible to hide the fact we were more than colleagues. And the last thing I wanted was for Hayley to notice anything and change her mind about discussing my future once we got back to London. Plus, everything was going so well for Jake at the conference; we didn’t want to derail it now. I was sure that the good opinion he’d won would change if people started gossiping about us.

Jake put his hands in his pockets as we walked to the lifts. I was disappointed we weren’t touching while we were alone but maybe he was just being ultra careful, and I couldn’t fault him for that after I’d asked him to. He glanced at me as I pressed the button for the lobby but didn’t say anything. It was maddening not to be able to read his thoughts.

We went down to the lobby and across to the conference hotel side by side but in silence, feeling weirdly distant from one another when just a couple of hours ago, we’d been asleep curled up together. But I told myself that this was for the best, and we’d be in each other’s arms again tonight.

That thought would get me through the next few hours.

We walked into the banqueting suite where round tables with white cloths were laid out for dinner, and authors and readers and publishing-industry people mingled together dressed in black tie.

Hayley came straight over. ‘I’ve moved the seating so I’m next to Jake,’ she informed us. ‘Freya, I’ve put you over there.’ She gestured to the other side of the room. ‘See you at the party.’ Grabbing Jake’s arm, she steered him away and I was left alone. With a resigned sigh, I went to my table. I didn’t know anyone on it and I could not only not see Jake or Hayley but Tessa and Liv were nowhere close by either.