‘You didn’t fight me off.’

She shrugged ‘Was I supposed to?’ Where it came from, she didn’t know, probably those pesky hormones again. ‘I quite liked it.’ Ireland Hannah was back. ‘We’re both adults.’

Conor scowled at her. ‘I’ve already told you. Dublin was a one-off. It can’t happen again.’

He ducked down, snatched up his phone from the floor and shone it on the key lying in the corner of the porch. ‘Don’t move. I’ll get the key,’ muttered Conor.

He rose with the key in his hand and took a step back as he held it out to her as if determined to keep his distance. She eyed him, about to take it from his outstretched hand. ‘Thank you.’

‘My pleasure,’ he said smoothly before adding, ‘The key, I mean.’

‘Of course, I didn’t think you meant anything else,’ she purred with an insincere smile.

‘Hannah.’ He sighed and then thought better of what he was about to say, slotting the key into the lock as if to make sure he was seeing her in. Opening the door, he held out an arm ushering her in. ‘Goodnight.’

As soon as she stepped over the threshold, she turned but he was already walking down the path with brisk strides as if he couldn’t wait to get away from her.

Chapter Ten

‘I reckon we just have to run in,’ said Izzy, looking at the sea rippling over the sand in wide, shallow waves.

‘It’s going to be cold.’ Hannah shielded her eyes from the sun and peered out across the water. ‘Next stop is America. This is the North Atlantic.’

‘I’m from Scotland – I’m used to being cold. There are plenty of people already in.’

‘Yes and half of them are wearing wetsuits.’

‘Don’t be such a Jessie.’

‘Who are you calling a Jessie?’ said Hannah, taking off at a run and shouting over her shoulder, ‘Last one in buys lunch.’

Izzy tore after her and the two of them ploughed into the sea, shrieking with the shock of the cold but both determined not to let the other beat them.

As soon as it was deep enough, Hannah threw herself in, gasping as she struck out with a strong breaststroke. ‘Flip it’s cold,’ she shouted to Izzy who’d followed suit.

‘Good for the soul,’ yelled Izzy, doing a clumsy crawl alongside her.

Gradually Hannah’s body acclimatised to the temperature and she swam out a little further, glad that she’d taken the plunge. Thank goodness she’d shoved her bikini in her suitcase at the last minute.