I watched his back as he went into the bar, pausing briefly at the door as if there was something he’d forgotten to say. He was tall – a good few inches taller than me, even in my heels – and he wore his suit like a second skin. It seemed so natural on him, as if he never wore anything else. His shoulders were square, without being overly broad, and his jacket was fitted enough to show off his athletic build, well-toned but not overly muscled. His dark hair curled slightly over his collar, and he put his hand up to it now, running his fingers through it as if he, too, felt somewhat awkward.

For a moment, I thought he was going to turn back to us – to me – but, if he’d intended to, he thought better of it and disappeared into the bar.

‘Well!’ Kitty seemed almost speechless. ‘Isn’t he adorable?’

‘I’ll smoke if I want to,’ I said, not really listening. ‘What’s his problem, anyway?’

‘He was just trying to make conversation.’ She gave a shrug. ‘You need to lighten up a bit. He was a babe.’

‘Yeah,’ I said, wondering if she was right. Maybe I was just over sensitive. I kept seeing that disappointed look and, despite everything, I felt angry with myself. I wanted to please him, I realised, but that just made me angrier.

‘Your loss is my gain, anyway,’ Kitty continued, heading back inside. ‘I’m in there, later, I reckon.’

‘Yeah,’ I repeated, taking a last look out across the park before following her in. She was probably right, after all. She had the looks and personality to attract a man like that. Not to mention the reputation. Next to her, I was a definite also-ran. Not to mention a disappointment. How come it was okay for Kitty to smoke, anyway? Maybe he didn’t want to risk upsetting her. Take the piss out of the sad friend instead. Yeah, that made sense. I needed to forget him, and fast.

None of this stopped me looking around for him as we walked back across the dance floor to our table. There were more people in the bar now, but he wasn’t one of them.

‘He’s gone.’ Kitty gave a long-suffering sigh and sank down into her seat. ‘Oh well, plenty more where he came from. Look, it’s really filled up!’

It had, somewhat. There were certainly fewer empty tables. A blond man was leaning over the railings above us. He was quite handsome in a Nordic God kind of way, all blond hair, tanned skin and muscles, and it didn’t take Kitty long to notice him.

‘Hey-up,’ she murmured under her breath to me, chinking her glass in his direction. ‘I think I’m in here.’

And, this time, she was right. He came down and sat with us, talking exclusively to her, until I felt as awkward and uncomfortable as I’d felt the night before, when Liv had abandoned me at the bar.

Twenty Four

Kitty Hart was worse in the flesh than she’d seemed on the news. Fuck knows why Grace had agreed to come out with her. She was a liability with a large mouth and a love of publicity - good or bad, it didn’t seem to matter to her. I couldn’t believe she’d tipped off the tabloids. I’d had to push my way through a small army of reporters when I’d arrived, and I was still furious with her.

I didn’t care what she did to herself, but she was likely to suck Grace down with her, at this rate. I stood at the end of the bar out of sight, and watched them both, wondering whether to just go home. Grace had seemed less than impressed with me – again – and I was starting to think I was wasting my time.

For a start, she was smoking. I’d seen her cadge it off Hart, so I knew she wasn’t a real smoker. What did she think she was playing at? I’d teasingly nipped her nicotine-binge in the bud, but she hadn’t taken it well. I’d expected her to laugh, maybe protest a little, but then relent and start chatting. I was wrong. I wondered if she was always so defensive, or if it was purely aimed at me. She certainly seemed to have developed an intense and immediate dislike for me. It put me on the back foot; I was used to reactions like that from men, but seldom from women, particularly those I barely knew.

She looked just as awkward and prickly now, though, so maybe it wasn’t just me. Hart was fawning over some blond guy. He’d been standing alone, casing the room. As soon as they’d sat down, he’d moved over and stood above their table, leaning on the railing by the bar. I’d seen him in there before. He was a regular at the hotel. He might even be an escort, judging from his behaviour. I wondered if she had any idea what she was getting into. I didn’t get the impression she much cared. She was all over him, anyway.

Grace, on the other hand, was just sitting there, her leg crossed away from them, looking around the room. She looked bored to death, and I didn’t blame her. I was beginning to regret inviting them here in the first place. There were plenty of other bars and clubs I could’ve chosen, but I’d plumped for this one because it was quieter and more discreet than the rest. In hindsight, it was perhaps a bit too discreet. There was no crowd to blend into, no chance of just happening upon her as I walked around the club. If I was going to talk to her again, I was going to have to be obvious, and I didn’t much fancy that, after her reaction out on the terrace.

I wondered again what I’d done. She’d had it in for me from the moment she’d seen me in Max’s office. Maybe that was why I’d found her so alluring. It was rare for me to meet a woman that was a real challenge, and she was starting to become exactly that. I swirled the ice around in my glass, and looked over at her again. That was it. I’d treat her as a challenge. Then, even if she brushed me off yet again, I wouldn’t feel so defeated and I’d have my own permission to keep trying.

I was just about to go over and try, again, to talk to her, when some guy went over to her. She looked up at him, and then over at the group of guys he’d been sitting with. She shrugged briefly and smiled, before getting up and following him over to sit with them. I couldn’t believe it…I’d missed my chance. I could only watch in increasing disbelief, as she smiled round at them all and shook their hands. It was my own fault, I knew. I should have been quicker off the mark…been more direct with her out on the terrace.

She sat down between two of the guys, smoothing her dress as she did so. She had her back to me, and I could see the bones of her spine tracing a curve down the open back of it as she crossed her legs again. I wanted to reach out and run my fingertip down that spine, trace a line back up it with the tip of my tongue.

Even as I thought it, one of the guys put his hand to the nape of her neck, and did exactly that. He caressed her neck for a moment, before letting his fingers slide, trailing down her spine to the point where the silken folds of her dress met in the small of her back. It was such a subtle, predatory movement that it sent a shiver right through me. Even before I saw him flash a grin at his mate, I knew what he was after.

I started forward, ready to intervene, then paused as I realised she’d done nothing to stop him. In fact, far from protesting, she was laughing and shaking her head slightly, tipping it coyly to one side, as she smiled at him.

I sighed. It was the end to another perfect day. I might as well leave and get sorted for the morning. I might even squeeze in a run for the first time this week, if I left now. I threw one more regretful look in Grace Anderton’s direction, and made to go.

That was when I realised Kitty Hart and the blond guy had disappeared.

I looked around to see if they’d moved, but they weren’t anywhere to be seen. They weren’t at the bar or on the terrace, and their drinks were sitting empty on their table. I went to the door. Matt was on security there. It wasn’t his usual job, by a long stretch, but I’d wanted to make sure no undesirables got in tonight, and he was one of the few men I could still trust one hundred per cent.