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Knowing he had gone out of his way to make the tea especially for her kick-started her heart When he race to pour a cup out for her and she spotted his bare feet, she had to blink back the sting of hot tears that burned in the backs of her eyes

She reached for a plain croissant and placed it on the plate he’d laid out for her, then took the seat next to him She broke a bit of it off and popped it into heras he addedit before her

‘Thank you,’ she whispered, breaking off another piece of croissant and nibbling at it She wanted to touch him She wanted to place her hands on his cheeks and kiss him

‘Do you knohat I love the most about Grace?’ she asked him when he’d sat back down

He cocked an eye

‘Nothing I love everything about her When I land at thirteen and started a new school, I was cold-shouldered by practically everyone They all had their cliques I was the outsider But Grace tooksure everyone included me She introduced me to art Even when it was obvious that I couldn’t draw much more than matchstickinto her hoed me to study History of Art at university because she could see that’s where ether and reive my life for Grace She was more than a best friend She was the one person who believed in me My parents were so wrapped up in themselves they didn’t care aboutme’

Cara kept her gaze on Pepe as she spoke If he could lay his soul bare then so could she

‘My father had so many affairs I lost count Ti but every tisound I’ve ever heard Do you knohat the worst part was?’

He shook his head, his face a mask

‘He left her After all the affairs, the lies and the humiliation, one day he went to work and never cae lover who “ain” My mother was utterly devastated I don’t think she would ever have left him She held on for two years in the hope that he would come back to her, but when he served her with divorce papers she finally accepted it was over and carted land to start over’

She popped the last of the croissant into her er, she stroked a hand down his smooth cheek and rubbed her thumb over the thick bristles on his chin His deep blue eyes, which hadn’t left her face, dilated, and his chest rose

‘Not long after we arrived in England, my mam started a new relationship with a man as just like my dad An unfaithful char his pecker in his trousers And just like with ives hi second best toout like them Our child will never feel second best Ever I won’t let it happen Our child is innocent and deserves all the love I—and hopefully you—can heap on him or her’ She bit her lip ‘But, Pepe, I’m so scared’

‘Scared of what?’

‘You,’ she answered starkly ‘Until Ibut power and humiliation I wanted none of it But now I can understand why my mam let my dad treat her like a piece of rubbish and why she lets my stepdad treat her the sa insideand I knew I should leave but I was almost helpless to resist you I’o’

CHAPTER TWELVE

PEPE COVERED CARA’S HAND, his eyes boring into her ‘Do you think you’re falling in love with me?’

‘No!’ Her denial was iether on her lap and looked away

‘Good’

She flinched

He placed a finger under her chin and forced her to look up at hih this without screwing either of us up And without screwing up our child I have never cheated on anyone inI would ever put anyone else through I like my affairs short and sweet I admit, there are occasions when I will sleep with an ex, but never if either of us are involved with someone else’