He smiles down at me and strokes my hand affectionately with his thumb. My senses respond with the urge to move closer to him, but as I battle to resist doing so, I miss Dom’s advance, and before I know it, he’s lifting my chin with his forefinger and drawing me in for a kiss. We lock together passionately, my body filled with longing for him. It’s just like we used to be – before a big bloody elephant wedged itself between us. I let him wrap his arms round me and pull me into him. Then as suddenly as he kissed me, he pulls away.

‘Oh, I err…’ I stumble backwards, feeling myself colouring a little.

‘I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I walked through the door.’ Dom looks at me and smiles, his feelings on show like merchandise in a shop window.

‘I was a little behind you. But I have to admit, that was nice.’

‘Just nice?’

‘Don’t push your luck.’ I give him a look and open my apartment door.

‘Sorry. Couldn’t resist.’

We do an awkward dance-like movement in the tiny space as we manoeuvre ourselves around the door for him to leave.

‘I’ll see you tomorrow then,’ he says, then pauses thoughtfully. ‘This guy you’ve met. Does he know?’

‘Know what?’

‘About your situation?’

I purse my lips, not keen to get into a conversation about Matt. ‘No, it hasn’t come up yet.’

‘Right. Just wondered. See you tomorrow, kitten.’ He gives me his sexy signature wink – the one he only ever used with me – which I can’t help but respond to with a ‘teenage’ grin.

‘Bye, Dom.’

I give a little wave as I close the door, then, after throwing the lock, I let my body slide down the door until I’m sat on the floor with my back against it. What happened? My new life was going so well. It was uncomplicated – as much as it could be. Now Dom’s driven a bloody great train through all that. Him turning up was the last thing I expected and as much as I want to say it doesn’t change a thing, it clearly does. Because – newsflash – I’m still completely in love with him. It was so much easier when I thought he didn’t want me any more. I didn’t think I had a choice. Now he’s willing for me to keep my new life in Birmingham – with him as part of the package.

But what about Matt? Gorgeous Matt, who leaves me almost unable to form a coherent sentence. I haven’t so much as kissed him. I know so little about him. And now I have to decide whether to pick up where I left off with the man I believed to be my soulmate, or gamble everything for what I currently know to be no more than an oxytocin-inducing, heady crush.

Normally I’m a great problem solver. But how can I make that kind of decision in just over twenty-four hours?