Jennifer shook her head, a little frisson of nerves bubbling inside her as the words formed in her mouth. ‘I was wondering …’ she said, taking a deep breath to finish her sentence. ‘Do you think I could stay over? It’s just with everything going on, I don’t want to be on my own.’

Will’s face broke into a smile. ‘Of course. You can sleep in my bed. I’ll kip on the sofa.’

‘Thanks,’ Jennifer said, half-heartedly. She was not ready to let him go just yet. ‘Do you think we can stay up for a while? Watch some movies?’ Jennifer kicked off her heels, wishing she’d worn something more comfortable than a shirt and trousers.

‘Your encounter’s really shaken you, hasn’t it? We can stay up all night if you like, it’s not as if we have to get up for work in the morning.’

‘I’d like that,’ she said, picking up her empty wine glass for replenishment.

Will turned on the old portable television, jabbing at the plastic buttons as a hazy picture came up on the screen. ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I moved the flatscreen into my bedroom. It seemed like a good idea at the time.’

‘Well, what are we waiting for? You bring the sofa cushions. I’ll bring the booze,’ Jennifer said.

‘I didn’t want you to think …’ Will’s voice tapered off as he reddened.

Jennifer flashed a smile. ‘I don’t,’ she lied. Will was only taking it slow because she asked him to. But lately any romance between them had come to a grinding halt. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she felt sixteen all over again.

The bedroom was bigger than Jennifer’s but came with a more lived-in feel. A kingsize bed graced the middle of the room, and it was a typical bachelor pad, reasonably clean, comfortable, with shelves filled with the latest PlayStation and Xbox games. Will apologised as he tidied, picking up clothes and shutting wardrobe doors, removing empty coffee cups from his bedside table, and switching off the harsh overhead light in exchange for the soft bedside lamps. Jennifer smiled as she came from the bathroom wearing a pair of tracksuit bottoms borrowed from Will, and a freshly washed t-shirt. For once her mind was not on cleaning, and she plumped the cushions as she lay on the bed, patting a space beside her. ‘Leave it, Will, just come and sit beside me. It’s fine.’

Will gave her a curious glance before leaning back on the cushions and pillows, locking his hands behind his head. They settled back into easy conversation as the movie played, berating the actors, and the weak plot about a superhero disguised as a homeless man.

Will leaned his head on his hand and turned to her as the end credits rolled.

‘Do you think George is like that?’ he said. ‘To us he’s some harmless old dude, shuffling around, but in reality he’s biding his time, waiting to save us with a flap of his cape.’

‘If he’s got a costume on under his clothes it must be pretty stinky by now,’ Jennifer said.

Will flattened his pillow as he turned to look at her. ‘I don’t get it, how come you’ve taken such a liking to him?’

Jennifer smiled, her eyes dreamy. ‘You probably think I’m mad but …’

‘Go on,’ Will said gently, coaxing out her inner thoughts.

‘Since the incident last year with Frank, I feel like there’s been a weight lifted. It’s hard to explain, but I feel better in myself, less selfish.’ She gave an uncomfortable laugh.

They rarely spoke about the incident in the boathouse, and it all felt like it happened so long ago. A fleeting look of concern crossed Will’s face. It was gone so quick she wondered if she imagined it.

‘Anyway, you know all about me. What about you? You must have some skeletons in your closet,’ Jennifer said.

Will stifled a yawn with his hand. The white mark from the absence of his wedding ring had gone, and Jennifer found herself feeling pleased about it.

‘There’s nothing exciting to share,’ he said, glancing over at the digital alarm clock by the side of the bed, which glowed ‘02:00’ in red flashing lights.

But Jennifer didn’t want to go to sleep yet. Sleep would bring the nightmares. Her face buried in the pillow, she turned to face him, inhaling the scent of fabric softener.

‘Aw c’mon, there must be something about you that nobody else knows, or at least nobody from work. I don’t mean bad habits or anything like that, you must have something to share.’

Will tilted his head to one side and a spark of inspiration brought a smile to his face. ‘There is actually, but you’re not to take the piss out of me in work for this.’

Jennifer crossed her chest with her finger. ‘I won’t, I promise, what happens in Will’s manor stays in Will’s manor.’

‘OK.’ Will turned down the TV as an advert for toilet cleaner flashed on the screen. ‘Have you ever wanted a tattoo?’

Jennifer’s eyes twinkled. Did Will have a tattoo? It was possible, she had never seen him naked. ‘I’ve thought about it.’

‘Where would you have it?’

‘On my side, say here,’ she said, pointing to the bra strap visible under her white t-shirt, ‘down my side to below my hip bone.’

Will gave a wry smile. ‘No anchors or love and hate on your knuckles?’

‘No, definitely not,’ Jennifer said.

‘Maybe something pretty, and trailing, like a vine, or dark flowers?’ Will said.

‘Yes, I’d say you’ve got it. So what’s your secret? Have you a tattoo?’

Will’s eyes glinted in the warmth of the bedside light. ‘I do as it happens but my surprise is something else. Stay where you are and I’ll show you.’

The bed bounced as Will jumped off and padded to the wardrobe in his stocking feet. ‘Ah, here it is,’ he said, pulling out a brown leather bag which was buried in the back. Rolling open the flap, an array of art supplies fanned on the bed.

Jennifer took one look at the pens and gave a nervous giggle. ‘Oh my God, you’re not going to tattoo me, are you?’

‘Yes. No. Kind of. It’s temporary ink. Want to give it a go?’

‘I’d love to,’ Jennifer said, mellowed by the wine, and warmed by his presence. ‘Have you ever done this before?’

‘My brother bought his own tattoo parlour a couple of years ago, he gave me a tattoo and showed me how to do it. He’s a brilliant artist.’

Jennifer thought of Will’s doodles in interview, and all the scraps of paper buried in his drawers at work. ‘So you’ve done this before?’

‘I’ve given tattoos, yes. You’ll have to stay still, mind. I don’t want you to see this until I’m done.’

Jennifer lay on her side, leaning on her elbow as she supported her head with her hand.

‘You’ll have to lift up your t-shirt. I can’t draw over it.’

A giggle erupted from Jennifer’s lips. ‘Of course, all in the name of art of course.’

‘I assure you it is, Miss Knight. If you’d rather have a butterfly on your ankle…’

Jennifer thought of Will giving tattoos to female customers and felt a small pang of jealousy. ‘Work away.’

Her heart began to flutter as she pulled off the t-shirt, revealing her white lacy bra underneath. In the flickering light of the television Will’s face was one of concentration.

‘Um, where do you want me to start?’ Will said, the warmth of his hand sending tingles through her skin as he touched her side.

‘Here,’ Jennifer pointed above her bra strap, until she realised she would have to undo her bra for him to get underneath. Swallowing hard, she grabbed a pillow and pulled it towards her. Resting her chest in the softness, she slightly reached around and allowed the straps to fall off her shoulders. ‘There you go, free access.’

‘OK, just lean on the pillow slightly on your side, that’s right, it will be worth it, I promise.’

It was already worth it. Every time Will touched her skin was soothing, and instead of being nervous, she felt entranced by the warmth of his hands. His honeyed voice removed any traces of anxiety from her contact with the Raven earlier in the day.

‘Now stay still, this may tickle but you mustn’t move or you’ll ruin it.’