‘How do they stay in business if they never answer the phone?’ Daniel checked Hope’s nappy and then tucked her gently under the pink blankets, where she let out a big sigh and scrunched up into a sleepy ball.

‘Most of the guests rebook in person before they leave.’

He nodded to where a copy of the hotel policy had been propped up against one of the pillows. Underlined in red ink were choice sentences detailing no sleeping outside of a designated bedroom. No remaining overnight in any of the communal areas. No persons to occupy cars overnight. No sleeping or loitering in the grounds beyond 11 p.m.

‘Looks as though you’re sleeping in here tonight.’

I rolled my eyes. ‘I can sleep on a sofa and then sneak back in here before they wake up. What’s the worst that can happen if I breach the policy?’

Daniel smiled. ‘You tell me.’ He paused before adding, ‘I did think you were here to ask your parents a favour, though, get some inside info on running a successful getaway venue.’

I thought about that, in between feeling embarrassed and awkward all over again.

‘I don’t mind if you stay.’ He smiled again. ‘It’s a bit weird but I think we’re good enough friends now to handle it.’

‘Are you sure?’ I was not at all sure that I could handle sleeping in the same bed as Daniel Perry. What if I rolled over in my sleep and wrapped my arm around his chest or something? What if Grandma’s snoring was hereditary, and I snorted and snuffled all night?

‘What would Charlie say?’

‘She’d think it utterly ridiculous that we were even debating the issue.’

‘I’ll let you have first dibs in the bathroom.’

Daniel was the first to crack. I couldn’t blame him. That had probably been the longest I’d ever stayed in one position without so much as twitching.

‘Okay, so I’ve been thinking.’

I know. I could hear your brain whirring.

‘We could both keep lying here pretending not to be wide awake, or we could give up and do something less stressful instead. That way, one of us might actually end up getting some sleep tonight.’

Daniel’s voice was soft and deep in the darkness. Twisting my head slightly, I could just about make out the outline of his face, looking up at the ceiling. My heart thumped faster beneath the bra, T-shirt and jumper I’d worn, in a vain hope that increasing the layers between us would somehow lessen the impact of being in such close proximity.

He turned to look at me, expression swathed in shadow, and every inch of my flesh broke out in goosebumps.

I couldn’t breathe.

‘Or you keep pretending and I’ll carry on wittering until I’ve bored both of us unconscious? Okay, I can roll with that.’

I couldn’t imagine anything I’d rather do right then than lie here and listen to Daniel’s gentle murmurs through the dark. Except, perhaps, wriggle close enough to feel the warmth of his breath, lean forwards and…