‘Busy day!’ Noah grins.

‘That has to be the understatement of the year!’ Oh boy, am I in trouble. Just seeing him has made my pulse rate go into overdrive and my vocal cords to switch to gushy mode.

He’s too cute. I think kissing him has released some kind of sex hormone in me that is making me want to jump him. I’m on some kind of adrenalin rush that can only have one satisfactory conclusion.

‘Drink?’

‘Large one.’ Maybe alcohol will calm me down, take the need to hang on his every word, hang on his arm, hang on his body, away. Or, oh my God, it might just dissolve the shred of inhibition that is remaining, and I will ignore my latest rule. The only rule that is important tonight – no making moves without an invitation.

‘Are you okay, you look …’

‘Fine, fine, I’m fine. Just a bit … tired.’ I finish lamely.

‘You don’t look tired.’ He gazes straight into my eyes. ‘You look incredibly sexy.’

‘Oh!’ I squeak. Taking the drink that he pushes my way and taking an unwise gulp. Unwise because it burns its way down my throat and makes me splutter. Unwise because I need a clear head or I will forget my new rule.

‘Here.’ He takes the glass from me and puts his hand between my shoulders. Oh boy is it warm. ‘Better?’

‘Much.’ Don’t gaze back into his eyes, don’t.

‘Let’s make tonight all about how it should feel.’ He puts his hand over mine.

Help! ‘Let’s not!’

Oh gawd, that chuckle. I have unleashed that dangerous chuckle. His eyes are alive, I can’t not look into them.

‘I want you to let go of your inhibitions like you did at the top of that wall, like you did,’ he leans in closer, ‘when you saw Gavin.’ His finger traces a line down the back of my hand, and I tense. ‘I’m not going to mention him again. This evening is all about …’ he’s even closer. The light citrus-hint of aftershave surrounds us. ‘This evening is all about desire.’

Oh boy I want to kiss him.

‘Right.’ He snaps back into his seat and jolts me back to reality. ‘Let’s get down to business, Rosie. That’s what you’re not paying me for! Extra-curricular activity.’ He winks, but this time the wink isn’t seductive, it’s mate-y.

Noooo. How does he do that?

My head, my body cannot cope with this. I’m back on that bloody big dipper ride again.

‘We are going to get you chatting people up.’

‘Well, I know that, but …’

‘Here, now, right now! Speed flirting!’

‘I thought you said you weren’t a pimp!’

‘I’m not pimping, this is just a bit of light flirting practice. I can rescue you if you need me to!’

‘Are you mad?’

‘No. Go on. Try. Go up to the bar, I’ll pick a man.’

‘Get lost, you are not picking a man out for me!’

‘You’ll be fine, I’ll watch you.’