Sunday afternoon, Flynn insisted they go back to his flat in Woolwich. ‘I know I gave you the impression when we first met that I lived in a big salubrious place.’ Colour darkened his cheeks. ‘I had to back-pedal when you wanted to stay. I couldn’t tell you the truth that I share a small apartment with another guy who works in the hospital.’

‘I did wonder why you weren’t keen on me staying at yours.’

‘You’ll see why when we get there.’ He pulled her into his arms for a hug. ‘Just don’t condemn me, okay?’

‘I promise.’ She knew everything about him now. There was nothing to condemn.

Flynn had told her the truth about the apartment. It was incredibly small. But it wasn’t the size of the tiny bedroom he had that made Jodie blink with surprise. It was the amount of clothes. The small wardrobe was oozing suits, shirts, and jackets. The only free wall in the room held free-standing shelves, each one stacked with piles of neatly folded shirts, T-shirts, jumpers and jeans.

She ran a hand over a pale-grey jumper and raised an eyebrow. ‘Cashmere.’

‘I spent every penny I had on clothes to keep up the image. Pathetic, aren’t I?’

Jodie stepped closer to him and put her arms around his neck. ‘Not pathetic at all.’ She kissed him on the cheek. ‘You’re so handsome, funny and kind but you don’t have a great opinion of yourself so maybe it was simply easier to pretend to be someone else.’

Flynn took her hands from his neck and pushed her slightly away from him. ‘Are you suggesting I have an inferiority complex?’

‘I’m saying you saw those men in their suits with what you perceived to be more glamorous jobs and envied them a little. The same as I envied you and went for that job interview. Truth is–’ she smiled ‘–being a sales rep is probably hard work and the glamour an illusion. All that waiting for someone to speak to you, touting your wares and hoping someone is going to bite.’

Flynn laughed. ‘I like the way you look at things. And you’re right, of course, sometimes those poor idiots are hanging around for ages and often they’re sent off with a flea in their ear.’ He pulled her into a tight hug. ‘We’ve known each other such a short time, yet I feel you know me better than any woman I’ve ever been with.’

‘And there’ve been hundreds, I assume,’ she said, joking to lighten the mood.

‘Not quite hundreds.’ He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, his fingers caressing. ‘And nobody I felt this comfortable with.’ His warm brown eyes stared into hers. ‘Now that you know all my guilty secrets, there’ll be no more lies between us.’