Shifting again, Liam propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at her. ‘What happened before was a mistake.’

Ouch. She tried to ignore the sting. ‘Maybe for you.’

‘For us both. I should have never slept with you.’

As her ego crumbled, Hannah tried for humour. ‘Keep going. You’re doing a lot for my confidence here.’

Liam grimaced. ‘I’m not explaining myself properly.’

‘Says the writer.’

‘Look, it’s complicated, okay. Complicated because I’m here on work and you’re part of that work. And you’re making it really difficult because—’

‘It’s okay. I get it. Can we drop the subject now please?’ She wished to hell she had kept her mouth shut and pretended she was asleep. How humiliating. And they still had the rest of the night to get through, as well as the drive home together tomorrow.

‘Would you let me finish? I was going to say it’s really difficult because you’re driving me crazy.’

What? She stared at him, wondering if she had heard right.

‘I didn’t expect this… you. And if things were different. If we had met under different circumstances…’ He trailed off, looking frustrated. ‘In a few days, I have to leave.’

Hannah didn’t buy that. He was a writer. Surely he could work from anywhere. Besides, if he liked her as much as he was saying, he would be looking for solutions, not obstacles. She didn’t tell him that. He had just dropped his guard with her. That was enough for now.

‘Define crazy,’ she said instead, her tone playful.

She liked him. He liked her. They were both adults and there was nothing wrong with a bit of fun if they were both up for it.

Liam’s mouth curved into a sly grin. ‘Let’s just say I won’t be sleeping on my front tonight.’

His comment had Hannah laughing again, her earlier unease now gone. ‘I can help with that if you’ll let me.’

When her hand slipped beneath the covers, he caught it, entwining his fingers with hers.

‘We’re not having sex with your mother in the next room,’ he told her, his tone firm.

‘You’re such a prude,’ Hannah groaned, before giving it one more shot. ‘I was hoping you could distract me from having to spend my first night in this house in fifteen years.’

Liam pulled her hand back up from under the covers, kissing her knuckles. ‘I can do that without sex.’ He looked at the bracelet she wore round her wrist, a cheap piece of string that meant more to her than any other piece of jewellery she owned. ‘What’s this?’ he asked, running his finger along the band.

‘It’s a friendship bracelet. We all have one. Me, Rosie, Lauren, Tash, Jill. Miles had one too.’ Tash had made them the summer Miles had died, and Hannah had never taken hers off since.