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My cheeks heated a little. Yes. “Perhaps.”

“Did you call your parents? Or Aisha?”

I sat ramrod straight in an instant. “No way. I wouldn’t want to cause any stress to Aisha. And I couldn’t cope with the idea of Mum criticizing me.” I turned to give her a weak smile. “Thank you for letting me stress you though. And I don’t mind if you have any criticism, because you’re only going to tell me what I need to hear.”

*

Rona took me home, holding my hand in support as we entered the house to survey the damage. To be fair, it could have been so much worse. The wooden floor in the corner by the window was blackened, with the melted remnants of the extension cord still lying on top. Black staining licked up the wall, with splats of it on the ceiling. And the uPVC window frame on that side was also blackened. It was a good thing there wasn’t any furniture nearby and that I didn’t have curtains instead of my blinds on the window—​those would have gone up in seconds. Also good that I’d noticed the fire quickly, and so had Kerr. Come to think of it, he must have been looking over at the house at just the right time. Lucky for me that we were currently engaged in our mutual game of spying on each other.

Rona helped me clear the area and throw away the objects that were damaged. Then we discussed what work would be required to repair the damage. The floor would need buffing and repolishing, the wall and ceiling needed to be cleaned and painted, and the window frame would have to be scrubbed. I’d also need a new blind because the current one was blackened and the pulley mechanism had melted.

“I’ll have to call the house insurance later,” I said. “But right now, I think I just need to sleep.”

Rona nodded. “Yes, you get some rest. This can all get sorted out later.” We headed to the hallway, where she put on her shoes and coat. “Have you heard how Izzy is?”

My heart lifted at the sound of her name. “Yes, she’s good. Katie messaged to say she checked out fine and I can pick her up later.”

“Excellent,” Rona said, giving me a quick hug. “Right. Off to bed with you, and don’t you dare show up back at work until you’re one hundred percent ready.”

“Ach, I’m fine,” I grumbled as I followed her to the door to wave her off. Once I’d closed it, an immense wave of exhaustion hit me over the head and I practically crawled up the stairs to my bedroom, then climbed under my big winter duvet and snuggled in to sleep.

*

I woke to a knocking sound and realized there was someone at the front door. A quick glance at my bedside clock as I clambered out of bed confirmed that it was twelve p.m., and I’d been asleep for roughly five hours.

I padded down the stairs in my fluffy bed socks, wondering how Kerr was doing and when he’d be home. Then I got the fright of my life when I opened the front door and found the man himself standing there, still in the same clothes he’d been wearing last night and eyes all crinkled with lack of sleep. He looked crumpled and handsome and sexy and oh my God I shouldn’t be thinking that he looks sexy.

The corner of his mouth tipped up into a slightly bashful smile, and it made my heart feel like it was rearranging itself in my chest. “Sorry. Did I wake you?” He had a nice mouth. Smooth, firm-​looking, pink lips. Both full but the bottom more so than the top.

I stepped aside to wave him in. “I was ready to wake up anyway.”

He came past me, my nostrils filling with the slightly smoky smell of Kerr. Somehow, it suited him. He hesitated by the living room door, sending me a questioning look.

“Go ahead,” I told him.

I followed him into the room and watched as he silently and studiously took in the damage, crouching to touch the floor and lifting his fingers to rub the soot between them, then standing to survey the ceiling and check the window frame.

A fuzzy feeling buzzed through my veins as I observed his actions. “I’m going to call the house insurance people this afternoon.”

He looked at me, the connection of his eyes to mine sending a short, sweet shock zipping through my body. “No. Don’t call them.”

I raised my eyebrows, surprised. “Why not? I don’t really fancy sitting in a scorched room of an evening.”

“I can sort this for you, for a hell of a lot less than your insurance premium.”

My mouth dropped open before I could stop it. “You can’t do that.”

He shrugged. “ ’Course I can. I’ve done much bigger renovations before.”

“No,” I said, stepping forward in emphasis. “I mean, you can’t as in I can’t let you. It’s far too much trouble. Especially after . . .” My voice trailed off and I had to clear my throat to kick-​start it. “Especially after everything you’ve already done for me.” Oh great, now my voice was wobbly. I gave my throat an almighty clear, willing it to stay steady. “Thank you for coming to help me, and for saving Izzy.”

His eyes were dark and warm. Like tempered chocolate. “That’s no problem. And it’s no problem for me to take care of this for you. It really won’t be any trouble and I know what I’m doing.”

I blinked up at him. “You’re busy enough. I’ll just call the insurance company.”

Kerr reached out to brush his fingertips across the back of my hand, the rough pads of his fingers featherlight against my skin. I thought my heart was going to stop. He let his hand drop, but I could still feel his touch burning on my skin. “Please. I want to do this for you.”

Okay, now I really was about to burst into tears. I blinked, swallowing hard, my voice completely stuck in my throat. I nodded, looking at the floor because looking into his eyes was too intense. “Thank you.”