His mouth curved in a very naughty smile as he put his feet up as she suggested. An aggrieved shrill voice began cross-examining the barman.

‘Are you sure he’s not here? It looked just like him! I do know him. He’s a friend of mine.’

‘I’m sure you are, but I’ve not seen him,’ came the soft-voiced, unperturbed reply.

The man opposite Hannah smiled and mouthed a Heavenward, ‘Thank you.’

But then heels began to tap towards them and he winced, pushing himself back into the chair.

Tap, tap, tap. There was a determined staccato to their beat and the man closed his eyes as if that might help hide him.

Hannah had no idea what impulse propelled her to act but act she did. Standing up quickly, she swapped seats. He let out a slight ooof as she plunked down into his lap, his eyes widening in shocked surprise. Tap, tap, tap. As the footsteps grew closer, she bent her head towards his so that her curtain of corkscrew curls hid his face.

With nowhere to turn, the two of them stared at each other as the high heels faltered. He pulled her a little closer so that now they were nose to nose. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared, mesmerised, at him.

‘Oh, excuse me.’

The steps began to back away but both of them remained frozen until they receded out of earshot.

‘I ought to thank you,’ he whispered, still gazing at her, an engaging grin curving his lips.

‘You ought to,’ she replied.

‘How do you suggest I do that?’ His eyes dropped to her lips with blatant suggestion and she took an involuntary breath.

Don’t do anything with your lips, Hannah. Don’t draw attention to them. Don’t even so much as move your mouth. But, of course, she did. She pressed her lips together and ever so slightly moistened them with her tongue in a silent invitation that had her hormones’ fingerprints all over it.