Good pitch, she thought. What he meant, of course, was that it would be easier to pounce there than across a table littered with the detritus of a five-course dinner. ‘That sounds nice,’ she said, rising and following him.

Carol checked out the room as she entered. Two sofas in an obvious conversational grouping and an armchair set off to one side. Taking the armchair would be a statement that put distance between them, and while she didn’t want to offer too much encouragement, she was still a long way from home and dry with this sting. Until they had Radecki and Krasic in the bag, she needed to keep him feeling close to her.

Tadeusz had placed the tray on a low sculpted steel and glass table that sat in the angle between the two sofas. He glanced up at her, his eyes lingering over the close-fitting lines of the cocktail dress. ‘Make yourself comfortable,’ he said, bending over to pour the coffee into paper-thin bone china cups.

Carol sat down on the sofa nearest the coffee, crossing her legs in the hope that it would send out the right signals, but failing to realize how it emphasized the smooth curve of her calf and the neatness of her ankle. Tadeusz leaned across the table, one hand on the top to balance himself as he handed over her coffee. ‘Brandy?’ he asked. ‘It can’t be too early now.’

With a slight nod and smile, she acknowledged his reference to their earlier meeting, the first time he’d hinted at business all evening. ‘I’d prefer Grand Marnier, if you have it.’

‘Your wish is my command.’ He crossed to the drinks tray and returned with a balloon of brandy for himself and a liberal Grand Marnier for her. As she’d feared, he took the chance to sit next to her. She was effectively trapped between him and the arm of the sofa. They’re so predictable, she thought wearily.

She hung on to her coffee cup. Nobody would be crazy enough to lunge at a woman clutching hot coffee. ‘That was a beautiful meal,’ she said. ‘I feel completely spoiled. Thank you for going to so much trouble.’

He put his drink down, leaving himself unencumbered. ‘It really was no trouble. A phone call, then the simple adherence to instructions. Turn on the oven at such a temperature. Insert dish A. Wait ten minutes. Insert dish B. That sort of thing.’

Carol shook her head. ‘I’d have been just as happy with a takeaway pizza, you know.’

‘That dress deserves much more than a takeaway pizza.’ His hand strayed to her thigh, his fingertips brushing the delicate linen and silk mixture.

Oh shit, here we go, she thought. ‘Both the dress and its owner are honoured,’ she said.