She was hilarious, too, in the way she’d reacted to Luca’s attentions after the accident. “It’s just so weird...” she confessed to Annie and Kim in the clinic that day, when Luca had slipped out to get her a fresh glass of water. “I just saw this gorgeous guy waving at me from the water, and yes, I thought I recognized him from the restaurant... But truly, I couldn’t be sure he was actually waving at me, because, well...why would he? So I moved closer, and then, bam—next thing I know, I wake up here. Or at least I think I’ve woken up. Maybe it’s really all a dream?” she said, without a trace of irony. “Because it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve conjured up some drama or another in my mind. I had an imaginary friend growing up, you know...” she rambled, sending Annie and Kim doubling up with laughter and considerable relief that their new friend was indeed OK.

Annie couldn’t wait to introduce the two of them to Harry. She was a bit disappointed not to see him at Music on the Rocks the second night she’d gone back there with Kim and Annie, but he’d reappeared a couple of nights later when she’d once again ventured down there on her own and, this time, neither of them held back.

“Well, hello there, handsome.” Annie grinned when he came up alongside her at the bar. She’d spotted him as soon as she arrived. Gathered in the corner with his friends, and feeling his gaze on her while she strutted to the bar—decked out in a sexy red tassel dress and strappy silver heels—she knew it wouldn’t be long before she had company. “Got your dancing shoes on tonight?”

“Depends on if I’ve got a dancing partner,” he replied with a devilish wink that made her go weak at the knees. “Though from what I’ve already seen, I get the feeling you could teach me a few moves.”

Annie smiled, enjoying the open flirtation and the confident way he was pursuing her. “You better believe it.”

Back home, lads usually needed a fill of drink before awkwardly trying to cop off. Harry’s suave assurance made him all the more attractive.

They’d danced all night and since then had met up casually again a couple of nights, mostly in bars with his mates. But tonight he’d asked Annie if she’d meet him for dinner, just the two of them.

A sure sign that, for him, things were heading beyond just casual. But Annie had kept him under wraps because she honestly wasn’t sure if it was just a holiday fling, or whether she was even that interested. And also because she was pretty certain that once he caught sight of Kim, she herself would be forgotten in an instant.

That happened a lot.