We said each other’s name in unison as we approached the doors. Then we both smiled, the tension easing a little bit between us.

‘I shouldn’t have said what I said,’ Jake said, running a hand through his hair as we hovered outside our rooms in the empty, quiet hotel corridor.

‘You took me by surprise,’ I admitted. ‘But I kind of liked knowing you’d been thinking about me.’

‘It’s hard not to,’ he said gruffly. ‘I shouldn’t, though.’

‘Why not?’ I asked boldly.

‘There is a long list of reasons…’ Jake shook his head. ‘I’m trying to remember them but you’re giving me the kind of look that’s making it very difficult.’

I let out a breath. ‘What kind of look?’ I wondered if my attraction to him was showing on my face. By the darkening of his eyes, it definitely was. But seeing his made me feel less worried about him seeing mine.

Jake moved towards me. I moved so my back touched my hotel room door. He stopped instantly. ‘No closer?’ he asked, watching me carefully.

‘No, it’s just, I felt like I needed to lean…’ I was feeling distinctly unsteady.

‘Okay.’ He moved closer. ‘Me too.’ He propped an arm up against my hotel door so he was slightly leaning towards me but he didn’t touch me. There were inches of air between us even though suddenly, it felt like there was no air in this whole hotel. My eyes locked onto his. ‘Have you ever thought about me?’ he asked then, so quietly, I had to strain to hear the question. It was as though he didn’t want to admit he was asking me it.

I nodded slowly, keeping my eyes on his. ‘Yeah, I have,’ I admitted, keeping my voice as soft as his.

Jake exhaled audibly. ‘I like knowing that,’ he said, repeating what I had told him.

‘But I don’t know if I can trust this… feeling,’ I confessed. ‘You asked me to have faith in you but it’s hard.’

Jake sighed. ‘I know, I’m sorry. But now you’re getting to know me, do you believe that there is a good reason behind all of this?’ he asked, gesturing into the air.

‘Why you said those things, you mean?’ I checked.

He nodded.

It was hard – I had read his books for years and the way he wrote about love made me think he did believe in it, that he had enjoyed writing love stories, and maybe he might be a true romantic in his heart. But I knew I was led by my heart and sometimes, I should let my head take over. Jake was keeping something from me, something he didn’t want to share with me yet, so letting him in and sharing myself with him made me feel uneasy. But I fancied him a lot. I couldn’t deny that.