‘I think you already did,’ she murmured beneath his lips, sinking into his arms.

They lay entwined for a little while, listening to the comforting hiss and pop of the fire.

Hannah sighed. ‘This is so peaceful. I could stay here forever.’ As she said it, something shifted inside her. It had been a passing thought but it seemed to take root. What if she could stay here forever? Not necessarily with Conor but in this place? She shook her head, as if to dislodge the seed of the idea. She needed a big, bad crow to come and peck it away. What a daft notion! She would no more up sticks and move to another country than… than what?

She realised Conor had said something.

‘Sorry?’

‘I said did you fancy doing a jigsaw?’

‘A jigsaw?’

‘Yes, those funny little wooden things that all fit together.’

‘I know what a jigsaw is, Conor.’ She laughed. ‘I didn’t have you down as a jigsaw sort of person.’

‘Oh you can have a lot of fun with a jigsaw.’ He waggled his eyebrows in a ridiculously lascivious way that had her laughing.

‘I’ll take your word for it. I haven’t done one in years.’

‘They’re curiously addictive. I always put one in every cottage and you’d be surprised how often people do them.’

He got to his feet and crossed to one of the wooden cupboards built in on either side of the pretty Victorian fireplace and pulled out a box with a quaint harbour scene on the front.

‘That’s sweet.’

He opened the box and pulled out a purple drawstring bag.

‘And posh.’

‘This is a Wentworth puzzle; they’re made of wood. Smell.’

Surprisingly, there was the smell of freshly cut wood and as the pieces spilled from the bag, she spotted various shapes – a piece like an anchor, a beach hut, a fish, and even a pair of sunglasses.

‘It’s gorgeous.’ She laughed, picking up another piece shaped like a turtle.

It was also fiendishly difficult, she discovered, as they started with finding the edge pieces. Despite sifting carefully through the box, there didn’t seem to be any corner ones.

Once they started, she realised that it really was rather soothing and completely addictive… and that Conor was up to no good. It took her a while to notice that as he reached across her to place a piece, he’d casually skim a hand across her stomach, under her breast, across her breast.

Seduction by jigsaw was definitely a new one on her but she wasn’t complaining.

Chapter Twenty

She was convinced the hens were pleased to see her on Monday morning as they came rushing out of the hen coop.