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‘It’s baking in here,’ he went on. ‘Why don’t we go out for some air? I could do with a chilled Coke or something.’

‘Well, I ought to carry on working, really …’ she said, still processing his apology. ‘I’m on my own.’

‘Then close the office.’ He spoke firmly, but not arrogantly. ‘You deserve a break and I need one. It can’t be worse than sweltering in here, winding each other up.’

This was his olive branch and Zennor realised it might be the only one he would ever offer. Given that she’d been watching him work in the heat in an atmosphere that was a tinderbox for so many reasons … a cooldown would probably do them both good.

She nodded. ‘OK. Just for half an hour, mind. I’ll lock up.’

The Wharf was crowded and hot, so they picked up cold drinks and walked over to Porthmeor. There the air was fresh and the surf was crashing on to the creamy sands.

It felt natural to gravitate to the tideline where a skein of shells and sea treasures had washed up. The breeze cooled her hot skin and the surf spray spattered her with cold droplets. She drew in lungfuls of the fresh air, body and mind cooling and easing.

She took off her sandals and carried them. ‘This was a good idea,’ she admitted to Matt.

‘Glad I finally did something right,’ he joked.

Zennor said nothing because there were too many responses she could have made. She ventured a little closer to the sea and let the frilly edge of a wavelet reach her toes before it retreated.

He joined her at the edge, having left his work boots on the dry sand. ‘Shame we haven’t brought our swim gear.’

‘It’s a good job we haven’t.’

‘Why’s that?’

Zennor ventured in a little further, enjoying the bite of cold water. ‘Because I really ought to go back to the office …’

The tide was coming in and a wavelet ran over her feet and halfway up her calves. It felt deliciously cool and sensual. The last thing she wanted was to go back to work. They’d unexpectedly made a step forward today.

Matt waded in ahead of her, up to his knees. A wave rolled in and soaked the hem of his shorts.

‘You’re getting wet,’ she said, stating the obvious.

‘When has that ever bothered me? Or either of us?’

‘Never.’ She shaded her eyes because the sun was behind him, obscuring part of his face and creating a halo around his blond hair. A halo he had never deserved, thank goodness. Desire rippled through her body. They could have been two teenagers messing about in the water.

With his back to the sea, Matt grinned at her from a few feet away. ‘Go on, come in. I dare you …’

A wave rolled in, gathering pace. She could let him be drenched or she could warn him. As the wave rolled closer, she braced herself and smiled.

A second later, the wave smacked into him from behind, catching him completely unaware. He staggered forward. ‘Argh!’

Zennor just had time to realise that the wave had joined another and was going to knock her over too. She heard the dull roar of water and then the crest broke over her, pitching her forward.

Water filled her eyes, ears and nose; she staggered to her feet and found Matt next to her, holding out a hand.

‘Urgh. I’m drenched!’

‘Join the club!’ Matt laughed as he helped her to her feet. He was blurry through her stinging eyes but she knew he was grinning.

She let go of him and stumbled out of the waves and on to the firmer sand.

‘Never turn your back on the sea. I should have remembered that,’ he said once they were out of the water.

‘It’s n-not funny,’ Zennor said, shaking droplets off her hands. ‘Thank God I left my phone behind in the office.’

‘Thank God I put mine in my boots,’ Matt said.