‘You taught yourself? Wow, that’s impressive.’ He touched my knee, which sent a frisson through me. ‘I’m about as musical as … I dunno, a dead duck. I’d love to hear you play sometime.’

I blushed, thinking about the song I was writing. ‘Actually …’ I said, and then tailed off, feeling myself turn even more crimson.

‘Actually what?’ he asked.

I shook my head. I couldn’t tell him I was writing a song about him. ‘Nothing. I could try to bring my guitar down here and play for you sometime, if you like.’

‘I would like that,’ he replied. He reached upwards and gently took the plastic cup from my hand and put it on the ground at the edge of the blanket. He eased himself down so he was lying on his side and patted the blanket in front of him.

‘Come and lie with me here,’ he said.

I felt my heartbeat instantly quicken and a lump rose in my throat as I eased myself down onto the blanket, propping my head on my hand, mirroring his position.

He shuffled closer so that his hips were almost touching mine. My breath caught in my throat as he touched his fingers to my lips, and then kissed me.

He reached round the back of my neck and pulled me closer. I moved my hips closer to his and felt something move inside his jeans. He kissed me harder and moved forwards so that I toppled back and suddenly he was lying on top of me and before I knew what I was doing I shouted ‘Stop!’

He pushed himself up and looked at me. ‘Sorry, I thought you wanted me to …’

‘I do,’ I croaked hoarsely, because even though I didn’t really know what he was doing, or what I was agreeing to, I also knew that a big part of me wanted him to do whatever it was. ‘I just wasn’t expecting that … I wasn’t ready,’ I said. The feeling of him lying on top of me had both shocked and thrilled me in equal measure and I didn’t know what to do with myself.

He looked at me quizzically. ‘So I’m guessing … you’re a virgin?’

‘Like Mary?’ I asked.

He laughed. ‘Yeah, I guess so. Except without the mother of the son of God bit.’

‘Um … yeah,’ I said, although I didn’t entirely know what he meant. I wasn’t like Mary at all. I wasn’t even religious. ‘Does that matter?’

He smiled, leaned in and kissed me, more gently this time. ‘No. It doesn’t matter. We’ll take things slowly.’ He kissed me a little harder and put his hand down the front of my knickers. Oh God. It felt so amazing. Then he grabbed my hand and put it inside his trousers.