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Seconds tick by while he contemplates my response.

‘Is that all you have to say?’ Oliver asks, his face softening. He seems relieved and then, after a moment of catching his breath, slightly amused.

He is so overwhelmingly attractive that it has turned me mute. I chew my bottom lip. It’s all I can do in the face of such beauty. Even his bed-hair is perfect.

‘I wake to find you’ve broken into my room and you’re staring at me from the foot of my bed. I think you should at least tell me what you’re doing here, and how long you’ve been watching me.’ He sounds like a barrister for the prosecution. He’s also making me sound like an awful pervert.

I reach down for the baguette and hold it up as though I’m producing evidence.

‘What’s that? Exhibit A?’

I find his sarcasm quite endearing.

‘Sorry. I was just so hungry. I really didn’t think you’d be in here.’

Oliver breaks into a smile. ‘I couldn’t face the spirit dancing either.’ He indicates for me to turn around. ‘Give me a second.’

I spin round to face the wall as I hear the bed creak under his weight. His bathrobe is lying by my feet. I reach out with my toe and hook his robe, flinging it expertly behind me.

‘Thanks,’ he says. A few seconds later, I hear him open the door. ‘Here. This is what we need.’

Oliver is carrying his Happy Bunny tray of fruit and pastries over to the bed. He pats the space beside him. ‘Want some?’

My eyes are on stalks. ‘Love some. It’s very kind of you to share.’

‘It’s very kind of you to join me,’ he says formally. ‘I don’t usually make time for breakfast.’

‘Tell me about yourself,’ I say.

‘What do you want to know?’ he says, grinning.

How do men not know what girls want to know about them? How? It’s obvious. We want to know how many girls they’ve been out with. Were they in love with any of them? If so, how many times? How deeply in love? Was there recently a special someone? Is she pretty? Is she still around? Is she still in love with you?

‘Erm, where do you live?’ Oh my God. Could I have picked a more boring question?

‘I have a base here in Altea, one of the whitewashed townhouses up near the church in the old town.’

‘A base?’

‘Yeah. I travel a lot. I’m thinking of leaving the company I work for and starting a new business from scratch.’

Now, that should be a very interesting line of enquiry to pursue, shouldn’t it? But my brain has other ideas.

‘Do you live… alone?’

His eyes light up. ‘If you’re asking me if I’m in a relationship then no. I’m single,’ he says. ‘By choice. My work is very demanding. Anything else?’

‘No,’ I say, embarrassed at being caught out. ‘That will be all, for now.’

Now I sound like the one in court.

Oliver plays along. ‘Thank you, Your Honour. Let the case for the defendant rest.’ He flicks his gaze to the food and bottles lying around on the floor. ‘We’re partners in crime now. Which reminds me, I’d better get rid of the evidence.’

‘Shame to let it all go to waste,’ I say through a mouthful of croissant. ‘All I got this morning was another stick and half an apple.’

‘Why don’t you take it?’ Oliver suggests. ‘In case you get hungry later. After you’ve enjoyed your stick.’ He starts grinning. It lights up his entire face. A chortle escapes from his lips. ‘Sorry. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good reason they are feeding you twigs.’

His laughter is infectious and before I know it, I am chuckling along. ‘They must have taken one look at me and asked themselves which stress buster package would suit a girl who carries within her the potential to suck out joy from everyone and everything around her?’