“Now,” said Chloe to Madison, “you, go wait downstairs in the bar next to the lobby.” Madison’s eyes widened and Chloe could feel the outrage seeping from the other woman’s pores. She started to say something, but Chloe cut her off. “Go.” Then she slammed the door.

Only then did Chloe look at Archer, suddenly sheepish. He blinked a couple of times, scowled, and shook his head as if to dislodge some awful thought. “I’ve overstepped,” she said simply, her stomach clenching as she waited for his face to settle into a single expression. This could be the end of whatever it was they were doing together.

“No.”

A single, simple word, yet it meant everything and Chloe let her breath escape.

He stepped closer, taking both her hands in his. “No, you didn’t overstep. You’ve no need to apologise. I do, however.”

“Wha—”

“Please …” His eyes dropped from hers to the floor and he scowled again. “I should have dealt with Madison before we left for the day, as soon as I found out she’d been here. I put you in the firing line this evening—again—simply to avoid an unpleasant task, and I am so very, very sorry.”

Chloe pulled her hands free of Archer’s and reached up to encircle his neck. “An unpleasant task? Really? You English truly are the masters of understatement.”

He gave a wry laugh, finally meeting her eyes. “You’re being too good to me, lightening the mood.” She shook her head. “You are.” He regarded her intensely for a moment. “You’re incredible, do you know that?” Chloe shrugged in mock modesty, trying to lighten the mood again. “I mean it. You’re authentic, you’re brave—so brave. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone speak to Madison like that. I certainly never did.” Chloe bit her lip, false modesty replaced with its true version.

Archer sighed. “How about this? I’ll get dressed and go and talk to Madison. I’ll be firm and clear, something I obviously wasn’t before, and then I’ll take you somewhere for dinner, somewhere quiet where we won’t be bothered. Can I do that? Can I make it up to you?”

She nodded. He leant down and kissed her softly, then rested his forehead against hers. “You are a wonder, Chloe Sims. Oh, my heart.” With those last words, Chloe felt hers burst in her chest, flooding her with something she hadn’t felt in, well, ever.

Was she falling in love?

*

Thirty-two minutes seemed to take an awfully long time to tick over, especially when you were waiting for your lover to tell his ex that it was finally, truly, and completely over.

Chloe could either fret and obsess and imagine the worst—a passionate Archer-Madison reunion in the lobby bar of a five-star hotel—or get dressed for dinner.

Her insides in upheaval, she dried off her damp hair, carefully applied a smoky eye and nude lip, slipped on her dark-wash skinny jeans and a low-cut black jumper that nipped in at her waist, and stepped into her ankle boots.