‘Do you have to go right now?’ Ben grinned at her. ‘I haven’t seen you for two weeks and I was just getting ready for round three.’

‘You’re insatiable,’ she laughed as she started to dress. ‘Yes, I have to go.’

Standing up, he walked across the room and she took the opportunity to admire his naked body. Slipping his hands around her waist to her behind, he pulled her towards him. She ran her fingers through the tight curls on his muscular chest as he kissed her long and hard. Her resolve to leave weakening with each passing second.

‘Right now?’ he asked again.

‘Yes, right now,’ she groaned.

‘Hmm okay. I’ll let you go. Same time tomorrow?’ he asked, raising one eyebrow.

She stroked his cheek, enjoying the feel of his day-old stubble under her fingertips. She wished it didn’t have to end again. He could tell that she had something on her mind. He knew her far too well.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, his voice full of concern.

‘We need to stop seeing each other for a while.’ She looked at the floor, because she couldn’t bear to look him in the eye.

‘What?’ She could hear the exasperation in his voice and she couldn’t blame him. ‘Why do you do this to me, Grace? Every time I get close to you, you push me away. I can’t keep doing this with you. You told me to give you a few months and I did, yet here we are again.’

He walked away from her now and sat on the bed with his head in his hands.

‘I’m sorry,’ she told him honestly. ‘We just can’t be together right now. It’s too dangerous.’

He looked at her. ‘Nathan?’ He spat the word out as though it was a poison that left a bad taste in his mouth.

‘We can’t risk him finding out yet. You know he would kill us both if he found out. You know that. And it’s just too risky with him hanging around all the time.’

Taking hold of her hand, he pulled her towards him. ‘But he’s been out for over six months and he hasn’t found out. Besides, I thought we agreed we were going to stop sneaking around anyway?’

‘I’ve got so much on my mind right now. With Patrick in hospital. I’ve got things I need to sort out. I can’t be worrying about you and me being caught as well as all the other shit going on.’

‘You always have shit going on, Grace,’ he said. ‘That’s just an excuse.’

‘Look. It’s just different now,’ she snapped.

‘Different how?’ he asked, and she could hear the frustration building in his voice.

‘Because he’s going to be around a lot more. And he’ll know if I’ve been with someone else now, that’s why.’