Once their drinks were on the table, Ben looked once more at Natalia and said, ‘Do you want to tell me? Surely worse things have happened at sea …’

Natalia had no idea why she told him, why she felt she could trust him. With some of the information, anyway.

‘I am being blackmailed.’

‘Fucking hell. What for?’ As he clocked her terrified look again, he forced himself to shut up, dying though he was with curiosity.

‘You mind if I don’t tell you?’

‘Of course not. But I think I need to escort you back to your yacht, at the very least.’

Natalia smiled at him again and Ben felt his heart melt. That little gap between her teeth, the chink in the ice-queen armour, would get him every time.

‘Thank you.’

They drank their drinks, which seemed to perk Natalia up a bit, then walked, hand-in-hand, towards her yacht.

‘I …’ She looked all shy again, her eyes red from crying. ‘I thank you.’

‘Do you want me to come in with you? Nothing dodgy, I promise. I just want to look after you.’

And for some reason, again, she trusted him.

‘Maybe you just hug me tonight?’

Ben could do that. Shagging women who were crying their eyes out didn’t really turn him on. Even if they did look like Natalia.

When Natalia woke up, she was still being cuddled from behind. Ben, the handsome movie actor, was snoring slightly. He had been as good as his word, and not even removed his clothes. She had had the best night’s sleep for years, protected from all the horrors out there by his strong, masculine arms. She looked at him as he slept, just trying to absorb the man’s amazing beauty.

Make the most of it while you can, Talia. Your life has no happy endings.

As though he could feel her gaze, Ben’s eyes started to open, and he sat up straight, yawning. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around.

‘Fab boat, Nat. You feeling a bit better today?’

He sensed he had to play it a bit cool.

‘Yes, thank you. But don’t you have to go to work? For the film?’ All her favourite movies were floating around in her head, and now she had a proper film star on her boat, seemingly in no hurry whatsoever to get back to filming.

‘Nope, day off,’ said Ben. ‘Tell you what, why don’t we just have a day out of time? Get to know each other a bit better?’

Natalia looked out of one of the portholes and saw that it was yet another incredible day. The deep blue sea was glistening, the sky almost as deep a hue. She felt happy, despite Georgiou and his blackmail. Fuck him.

‘That sounds wonderful.’

‘Oh, I love this so so much!’ Natalia shouted over the air, as the speedboat galloped over waves, splashing water in their faces. Her legs, in a tiny pink miniskirt, went on forever; her smile seemed to light up Ben’s world.