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‘But…’ Frankie stared out in front of her, watching the snow pile up on the top of a little boulder a couple of feet away. ‘Since you’ve been back, I’ve not been sure what to think.’

They stayed silent but Frankie was aware of Jay rubbing his thumb up and down the top of Frankie’s arm, through the wool of the coat.

‘I hope Ben’s treating you well.’

‘Ben?’

‘Yeah.’

Was that disappointment Frankie heard in Jay’s voice? Frankie’s stomach tightened. Was Jay jealous?

‘Ben and I are friends. Nothing more.’

‘Oh.’

There was another long pause of silence, until Jay said, ‘Tonight reminds me of another time, twelve years ago when it was a night like this. The snow was coming down and we’d been for a drink in the Drumkeldy Arms. And then we went back to Ivy Cottage?’

Frankie could do no more than nod.

‘I think about that night a lot.’

Frankie’s heart beat painfully in her chest, as if there was an ache there from a long time ago that wasn’t quite healed.

What could she say to that? Something clever? A sassy retort?

She had nothing like that, only the truth.

‘Me too.’ Her voice came out slightly croaky with the raw honesty.

‘I looked for you at every concert,’ Jay said softly.

Frankie had to swallow hard before she could manage to speak. ‘You told me not to come.’

‘I hoped you’d ignore me.’

Frankie was acutely aware of his warm breath on her neck. His mouth only millimetres away from her skin. She swallowed, aching for his touch.

A second later she felt the soft brush of Jay’s lips on the side of her neck. She closed her eyes, leaning back into him, raising her chin to expose more to be kissed, melting into the sensation of his mouth trailing languidly against her skin. Jay pulled her more tightly against him as his kisses dropped lower. Frankie was sure he’d be able to sense her pulse throbbing through her neck as her heart rate soared.

She turned to face him and his mouth was on hers; hot and insistent. And she was kissing him back just as hard, her hands in his hair, on the back of his neck; anywhere she could touch him and feel the heat of him as their bodies rammed together. The coat fell and Jay’s hands slid around her body, pulling her tight against him, and they fell against the wall of the barn.

Twelve years after their first kiss, they were doing it again. All those years ago their kiss had been hesitant and sweet, but this? This was next-level kissing. This was twelve years’ worth of pent-up longing-type kissing. It was lust-fuelled and carnal. It was an “I-want-to-rip-your-clothes-off” kind of kiss.

Mouth fused to mouth, tongue against tongue, teeth playfully pulling on lip, they tasted each other and explored each other with their mouths and Frankie pushed herself up against him, needing more. Judging by the rock-hard bulge at the front of his jeans, Jay felt the same way.

They broke apart briefly, breathing deeply against each other. Blood pounded through Frankie’s body as Jay kissed the base of her throat as she began undoing Jay’s belt buckle.

‘Jay!’

They froze.

‘Shit! It’s Si,’ Jay whispered in her ear.

Frankie stayed completely still, her fingers on the top button of Jay’s jeans.

Then they heard footsteps getting closer.

‘Whoa! Hang on, mate. Stop there,’ Jay called out.