She wondered what sort of games he would be in the mood for playing, although she noticed that his earlier frustration at not being able to find her seemed to have dissipated and he appeared in a much more affable mood than usual. She was relieved that he didn’t pursue the topic of where she’d been today any further, seemingly accepting her story that she’d gone to meet an old friend. If he knew she’d spent the afternoon in a hotel room with the man he believed to be his best mate, then she doubted she would see the light of another day. Despite her efforts to distance herself from Ben, he’d convinced her to let him help her with her plan. If she was honest, it was good to have someone on her side.

She started to busy herself clearing the last of the tables when she felt him behind her. His arms around her waist, he spun her around to face him.

‘Do you remember the first time I ever kissed you? It was in this pub, Grace. Almost on this very spot, in fact.’

‘Of course I remember.’

‘After you’d been eyeing me up all night like a piece of meat,’ he laughed.

‘No I was not,’ she started to say in her defence, until she realized he was teasing her.

‘Okay. When I think about it, maybe it was the other way around.’ He winked and she was struck unexpectedly, by how handsome and charming he could still be when he chose to. Although he didn’t fool her. Not even for a second.

‘You looked at me like I was something special, Grace. Like I was something. Those big Bambi eyes, gazing adoringly at me.’ He was still smiling.

‘Love yourself much?’ she retorted, and he laughed again.

He took her face in his hands then. Not roughly, like he usually did, but as though she was fragile. Precious. ‘Would you go back and change it if you could, Grace?’ he asked, his tone serious now.

She had to think about her answer. Not only because she had to think about everything she said to him, but because he’d caught her off guard, and she really didn’t know. How did she explain that she would change everything and nothing? Because despite it all, she was a big believer in fate and everything that had ever happened to her, had made her the woman she was. She had always believed that in the end, everyone ended up exactly where they were supposed to be.

‘No,’ she told him honestly. ‘Would you?’

If he was surprised by her answer he didn’t show it. ‘I’d change a lot of things. But mostly, I’d make sure that you never stopped looking at me like that.’