He frowned. ‘What do you mean? Bridget and I were never anything but friends, drinking companions.’ He paused. ‘You didn’t think . . . Oh God. She means nothing to me, nothing.’ He tried to pull her closer but she remained slightly distant, even though every part of her was longing for him to take her in his arms again.

After a pause he went on. ‘I’m sorry I ravished you in Ireland. I was furious with the press, angry with everyone and I’d been working every hour there was, not eating properly, drinking, smoking, doing anything that would help me get a few more words down on the page. I was mad with writing – seven thousand words a day sometimes.’

‘I didn’t see any sign of it when I went there,’ Laura said

He chuckled. ‘No, I hid it all under the bed. But when I saw you, I knew I had to have you, had to put all the care and intensity I put into my work into making things all right for you.’

She blushed and smiled – he was so passionate. ‘Well, you did.’

‘I might have held back a bit longer if you hadn’t been in a temper. There’s something about a woman stamping her foot that is irresistible.’

‘Hmm. You mean in a “Come here, you little fool, don’t you know that I love you?” sort of way?’ She felt she could dare to tease him as things started to become clearer.

‘I don’t know! I just knew I had to have you.’

‘And you did.’ He’d explained about Bridget and she did believe him but somehow she still wasn’t quite satisfied; she still couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he’d used her, even if it had been unintentional.

As if he’d read her mind, he said, ‘Sweetheart, I didn’t just want you because I wanted sex and you were there. You didn’t think that, did you?’ He seemed horrified by this thought. All the while his fingers were caressing hers.

‘No, I didn’t feel that at the time,’ she replied honestly. ‘But when you didn’t get in touch with me afterwards—’

‘But you were so cold! Running away almost before we’d had breakfast.’ He paused, reluctant to reveal his gentle amusement. ‘You must have sat at the airport for ages.’

‘I did,’ she admitted. ‘It was because of Bridget.’

‘I told you there was nothing between us.’

‘I know, but she said—’

He interrupted her. ‘What did she say?’ he pressed.

‘She said something that made me feel you’d . . . used me.’ She couldn’t look at him; all the hurt and humiliation she’d felt at the time came flooding back.

He sighed and sat back again, his hands now in a fist on his lap. ‘That woman!’ he said in frustration. ‘But I wish to God you’d said something at the time.’