They rode off, the damn cowards, laughing and jeering. Me, I was in tears, frantically looking into the cold, black water. “Ohmigod! Where did he go down?”

“In the centre of those ripples.” Richard kicked off his shoes, and then he was handing me his watch. “Hang on, Sophie.”

Before I quite grasped what he was doing, he was diving in. I’m telling you, my heart just stopped.

Back at the house, Richard had said that lake was twelve metres deep.  “It’s cold, dark, and riddled with weeds, too.”

“You sound terribly pleased about it,” I’d remarked.

“Of course!  It will let Trouper show off her skills!”

I’d laughed, but now I was shaking like a leaf. Richard was down there, in the inky water, and probably tangled in weeds, too, drowning alongside that puppy.  I was kicking off my shoes and about to jump in when there was a rush of bubbles.

“Got him!” Richard surfaced, holding up a small, brown shape. “Take him, Sophie.”

The little dog was limp. I put him on the grass, uncertain what to do for him. You can’t give mouth to mouth on a muzzle that’s long and narrow. Then I remembered a first aid talk I’d been to once.

I grasped a front paw with one hand and began moving it. My other hand was on his chest, pushing rhythmically. It took just a second, and then the pup was coughing. Water gushed from his mouth, but he was sucking in shuddering breaths.

“Is he okay?” Richard, absolutely soaked with muddy water, was kneeling next to me. “Oh, thank God!”

“He’s okay! You rescued him! Ohmigod, Richard, I thought you were going to drown, too!” And then it was me weeping.

“Pooh, a dip in a pond isn’t going to kill me, silly.”

His arms, warm and strong, were around my shoulders. I leaned into his chest, howling with pure relief. “Sorry, I am an idiot. But it’s freezing cold, and twelve metres deep with weeds—”

Richard was just hugging me. “It’s deep in the centre. He was just a couple of metres down. Not more than three or four.”

“You’re a hero!”

I would have kissed him, but at that the little dog struggled to his feet. He was just a pup, a brown and white terrier with big brown eyes and curly fur. “Are you okay?” I reached out a gentle hand, thinking he might snap from being frightened, but he took one look, and then he was crawling on to my lap, shivering with shock.

As I hugged the pup close, Richard petted the little ears.  “Poor boy. What were those buggers thinking?”

“I’d like to thrash them!” I was shaking with anger now. “I’m going to find out who they are and report them.”

“Let me do it,” Richard said. “They might not do much if it’s just a case of animal cruelty.” He was low-voiced, but the fury was coming across loud and clear. “But they’ll have to take note when I file for trespassing, damage to property, and malicious pollution of lake water.”

Okay, so this was the angry tycoon talking. It was awe-inspiring and rather frightening, too. “You’d do that?”

“Damn right, I am.” Richard snapped. “Those weren’t children too young to understand what they were doing, Sophie. Those were men old enough to have a job and start a family. Scum that cruel have to be stopped.”

The grey eyes were steel, and the mouth was set in a tight line. Richard was petting the puppy carefully, but he was absolutely seething. I was suddenly glad the bikers had sloped off. If they hadn’t, Richard would have waded in, fists flying. I was certain of it.

Suddenly I had the feeling that the warm muscles were more than an effort from an occasional workout. Richard was quite capable of taking on that those bikers, totally unfazed about it being an unequal contest.

But as I thought about it, Richard was starting to shiver. The sun was going down, too. “We need to get this puppy inside and dry,” I said to him. “And you.”

“I’ve soaked your dress,” he said ruefully. Then, brightening up, “It’s a little see-through, you know. And I’m getting a great view.”

That got me laughing again. “Seeing you’re a total hero, you can look all you like.”

“Sophie.”

And then he was kissing me. I leaned into the soaking wet tee and sank into the softest kiss. As the strong muscles flexed under the sodden cloth, his lips were warm, questing gently against mine. They slid sweetly, exploring leisurely.

The delicate touch was electrifying. I closed my eyes, hearing my heart beating wildly as my body tightened in anticipation. Overwhelmed by suddenly beading nipples and my breath catching in my throat, I was vaguely aware of his hands running down my back, lingering over my waist and hips.

“You’re so beautiful.” He sighed the words in my ear as he held me closely. The hands were all over me now, slowly running over my back, his nails teasing through the thin cotton. His breath huffed gently into my neck and ears, setting shivers pulsing through me.

I had a sudden vision of us in bed, his skin hot and damp against mine, with those warm hands stroking me sleekly before his body covered mine, possessing me sweetly.

The puppy wriggled between us, breaking the moment. From his lolling tongue, he was happy. He looked at us and then yipped. “I think he’s saying ‘Get a room!’ in dog,” Richard laughed. But then he shivered, a rippling feeling that went straight through him. A raft of goose pimples was rushing up his arms.

“We need to get you inside.” My voice was a thin rasp of wanton desire. “You’ll catch pneumonia if we don’t get you warm soon.”

“It’s not that.” His eyes were boring into mine. “I want you, Sophie.”

I was wet all over, dripping, and it wasn’t just pond water soaking through my dress.  “Same here,” I confessed. But I was fully aware of his suddenly freezing skin. There was a wind coming up, too. “But not here and now, love. You’re a hero, but you’re not made of steel.”

“My cock is. I’ve had a permanent hard-on since I set eyes on you in the train yesterday.” Funny that. In another man, it might have sounded crass, but Richard was chuckling as he ran his hands over my arms. “You’re everything I’ve always lusted after, Sophie.”

A blast of wind cut him off. “Come on.” I was firm while gathering the puppy up in my arms. “A hot bath and a cuppa, Richard.”

Thankfully the house was downhill. We ran all the way, but the wind was whipping up now. By the time we ran in through the French windows, all three of us were frozen.

“What is that?” Lorelei asked, horrified.

“A puppy!” Andrea was concerned. “And it’s soaked. What happened?”

A few swift words were enough to put them all in the picture.

“You could have drowned,” Lorelei said to Richard.

“Hardly,” Tanaka said. “He’s a certified deep diver.” Then, seeing it was a surprise to me, he smiled, his dark eyes narrowing with fun, “We all are, Sophie. Engineers do it everywhere, even underwater, you know.”

“I’m totally impressed, but he will catch a cold if he’s not careful. And this pup needs to be dried off and fed.”

“You go and get changed. I’ll dry the dog.” It surprised me, but Andrea turned out to be excellent with the puppy. When I came back downstairs, she was in the kitchen, feeding him warm milk and digging out some steak, announcing, “He’s too thin. He needs to be fed up.”

“He’s in the right place for that.”

We watched with pleasure as the pup tucked into the plate of meat, growling quietly with joy as he ate. Andrea’s sapphire eyes were dark, though. “I can’t have a dog. My condo won’t allow it. And Richard travels too much.”

“I’ll keep him. My country house clients won’t be put out by an extra dog, and I have a small garden in London.”

“Oh, thank God!” Andrea was smiling until she remembered she didn’t like me very much. “Richard will be pleased,” she said coolly.

“Richard is delighted.” He was standing behind me, pink from a super-hot shower and smelling of soap and shampoo. He was wearing black chinos and a purple shirt, looking good enough to eat. “That little dog’s going to have an excellent time.”

At that, the pup finished his steak. He licked the plate thoroughly, just to make sure it was all gone, and then he was looking up at us. Now he was dry, he was a handsome little boy, with big, light brown eyes, chocolate ears, and a white face. He took one look at Richard and then came running over, standing up against him and yipping appealingly.

“Awww, he knows you saved his life!” Terriers are very bright, and this one was communicating without any effort at all. “He’s saying thank you, Richard.”

Richard was petting the soft ears and smiling. “You’re welcome. Now, what are you called?”

“Jack,” I was certain of it. “After Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the ocean explorer and inventor of scuba gear. But we’ll spell it the English way.”  

“Because we found him in deep water?” Richard smiled. “I love it.”

The blond hair was still damp, but his eyes were filled with warmth. Without conscious thought, I was leaning into him, my body fitting closely to his as if it belonged there. He kept petting Jack, but one arm came around my waist, hugging me to him.

Seeing it, Andrea’s eyes narrowed. “There’s an email from the US,” she said crisply. “Urgent, I’m afraid.”

Richard sighed. “Urgent as in I can do it first thing in the morning, or urgent-urgent?”

“Urgent as in an hour ago was already late,” Andrea answered, uncompromising. “From the Pentagon.”

“Okay, I’ll come and have a look.” But the arm tightened around my waist, and he was murmuring in my ear. “This is only a reprieve, you know. I’m going to make my best pitch for you.”

Sweet, right?

Especially because he added, “Now you have Jack, you have responsibilities.”

“I do, do I?”

The steel eyes were soft. “It’s well known that two-parent families are best. You’ll need a partner. I’m applying for the job.”

At that, my heart was banging away again. Surely he was just flirting!  Or was he serious? My breath was stuck in my throat again.

“The Pentagon,” Andrea said silkily. “Richard, you can’t keep them waiting all night.”

“Right.” I got a kiss on the side of the mouth, and then he was sighing. “Got to go, love.”

If I were a heroine in a novel, I would have pretended to be cool. As I’m not, I hung about the kitchen for hours. At midnight, knowing I had to be up at six to prepare breakfast, I put together a tray of tea and biscuits and went to the library, Jack at my heels.

The second I opened the door, I knew I was wasting my time.

“Yes, sir,” Richard was sitting in front of three computers, headphones on and typing faster than the infinite monkeys that are supposed to be reproducing Shakespeare’s complete works.  “We’ve got three hours till the satellite is overhead again. I’ve got most of the code. I should have the rest by then, if you would stop asking me for updates every ten minutes.”

I put down the tray, smiled, and left, Jack scampering after me. Whatever was going on, Richard would clearly be busy for some time.

Even so, I found myself ditching the flannel nightie patterned in blue dinosaurs, which I love, for the much more glamorous satin pink. Also, as there’s no point in hiding this from you, I brushed my teeth and then put on some lip-gloss. Okay, I brushed my hair, too, and put on a little perfume.

“It’s never a bad thing to look your best,” I said to Jack who was watching with interest. He was smiling at me, or maybe he was laughing.

Anyway, he curled up on the end of the bed as if he belonged there, and he was so happy that I let him stay. My ears were on strings, hoping that there would be a miracle and that Richard would walk along the corridor, pause at my door, knock... but of course it didn’t happen. When I snuck onto the landing an hour later, the lights were still blazing downstairs. It was clear Richard was deep in his work.

I slunk back into my room and found Jack sleeping peacefully on one side of the bed. My side, of course, the warmed one. I should have moved him, just to establish who was boss, but he was so cute that I just couldn’t do it. I snuggled up on the cold side, regretting the flannel nightie, but thankfully, the long day caught up with me. I was soon fast asleep.

The alarm blasted me out of bed at six. I’m not really a morning person, but years of practice means I can be up, showered, and dressed in fifteen minutes. Seeing Richard liked my buttercup print the day before, I went for floral again. A floaty blue dress with a structured top and a skirt printed with pink roses. It fell down to my knees, camouflaging my ample bum but showing off respectable calves and ankles.

“Do I look nice?” I asked Jack. He licked my toes, and I took that as a yes. “I can see you’re a supportive pup,” I told him. “Do you think Richard will like it?”

Just saying his name gave me butterflies. Did he really want more than a flirtation, or was I kidding myself? My head warned me to be careful, but my heart knew it was already too late. He was sweet, funny, clever, and brave. I’d lusted after him from the second I’d first seen him in the train, but when he dived into the pond, totally focused on rescuing Jack, I lost my heart to him.

At that, Jack yipped at me. “You love him, too, don’t you?” I said to him. “Well, he was working late, so he’s probably fast asleep. In the meantime, how about a quick walk and then breakfast?”

It was amazing. He was just a scrap of a puppy, but Jack behaved as if he were a seasoned country house dog, accustomed to grand living. He went to the field for a pee, came running back when I called him, waited patiently for his breakfast, and didn’t even try to steal the bacon and sausages I set out for Vladimir.

I praised him lavishly. “You are the best boy ever,” I told him. “You have some extra milk while I read the news.” While Jack guzzled happily, I was dreaming of delicious mornings, Richard and I laughing together as we parented our little dog. There’d be kids, too, a little blond boy and girl.

Presumptuous, right? But I was smiling as I picked up my iPad and opened up my news app. That’s when my fantasy came crashing down.

“What A Dick!” The headlines screamed at me. “Tech Guru Ditched Me!” And then there was a big picture of Celine, looking absolutely beautiful and super thin, crying about her doomed romance.

“The moment our eyes met, I felt this connection, as if we were soul mates,” she was quoted as sobbing. “I just felt so perfectly at home with him. And he adored me. We were going to get married. But he left me, and I don’t know why!”

There was an inset with an actress, and another with a swimsuit model, both saying exactly the same. On the centre page, they featured an Irish dancer, a French singer, and an Italian model. Guess what? Instant connection. Instantly smitten. Instantly dropped.

As I read, my happiness evaporated. I’d felt that instant connection. I’d felt that sense of being home. I’d felt he adored me. I looked at the lovely faces and knew I’d been a fool. Richard had dozens of exes, all of them beautiful, successful, talented models and actresses, and none had lasted. I’d fallen for a man who couldn’t or wouldn’t commit.

I was crushed. This was just like Barry. I’d hidden that secret pain for two years, but now it was rushing back. Bloody Barry. We met at an Oxford ball.

“I love your dress,” he said to me.

“Thank you.” It was shimmering taffeta, teal and blue.

“You’re a big girl, aren’t you? And that frock does amazing things for your boobs.”

Barry had been a bit pissed, and I’d just laughed. But when he’d sought me out the next day—“I can’t believe I said that”—I forgave him properly, and we went out for lunch.

One thing led to another, and when he proposed, I was so happy that I said yes. But I’d found out pretty quickly that there were strings attached. We’d broken it off, and frankly, the whole experience had changed me. I was still the happy flirt on the outside, but on the inside, I’d secretly given up on love.

Until Richard. He’d been the first man I’d really looked at since Barry. And now I was realising that I’d messed up again. Richard was not the man I thought him to be. I’d let myself by blinded by my wishful heart. Now the newspaper had opened my eyes to the truth.

“Good morning.” Richard, looking lickable, dressed in khaki chinos, running shoes, and a white tee. Jack went barrelling over right away, yipping excitedly. He fell at Richard’s feet, panting with delight as he had his tummy rubbed.

“Hi!” I wanted to run over, too, but my pride surged. He’d never know my true feelings. “You’re up early.”

“Haven’t been to bed, actually. The client kept me up all night.” He did look rather frazzled around the eyes. “You’re looking scrumptious. Love the roses.”

Even when I knew it was just his way and meaningless, I felt the charm envelop me. “Thanks. You look spiffy, too.” Okay, that came out horribly spry, but I soldiered on. “Big day, huh? Trouper’s first proper trial.”

“Yes.” Richard’s eyes were troubled, their slate fierceness raking over me. “Are you okay, Sophie?”

“Of course.” I busied myself with the kettle, hoping I wouldn’t cry. “You asked for scrambled eggs, but seeing you were up all night, how about a full English?”

“Sophie.” He was putting Jack aside and coming towards me. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

I wanted to throw myself in his arms, but I didn’t. I wouldn’t risk another Barry. Not ever again.

“Good morning!” said Charlotte, fresh-faced and smiling. “Ooooh, a puppy!”

It broke the moment and gave me an excuse to usher Richard out. “I’ll be right along, serving in the breakfast room.”

He was reluctant, but the happy housekeeper and pup clearly made it impossible to talk. “Fine, but whatever it is, I wish you’d tell me.”

“There’s nothing wrong.”

Deny, deny, deny, right? As proud as can be, even when your heart is breaking. Of course, the second he was gone, I was stuffing my face. But even a cup of hot chocolate, rich with cream, failed to offer any solace. I looked at a wedge of Cheddar cheese, but at that point my appetite failed. 

“Are you okay, Sophie?” Charlotte, sweet and perceptive, was concerned.

“Of course, love. Just a bit tired.”

She accepted it, had a cup of tea, and Jack followed me as I served breakfast. “Fruit smoothie for you, Andrea. Hard-boiled egg for you, Lorelei. Scrambled eggs and miso soup for you, Tanaka, and full English for you, Vladimir and Richard.”

As I put down the plates, Richard put his hand over mine, his eyes narrowed with concern. But before he could say anything, Tanaka was forking up his eggs and making plans. “We go to the lake first, right, Richard?”

“I want to add a test,” Vladimir rumbled. “A retrieval from the mud. For underwater mining.”

“It’s good planet work, too,” Tanaka pointed out. “The Galilean moons have seas. There’s bound to be mud.”

“Absolutely,” Richard agreed. “We’ll run them all. But first I want to talk to Sophie a minute.”

Lorelei rolled her eyes. “But why this obsession with Sophie?”

I interrupted before he could blast her, “It’s just flirting, that’s all.” I saw Richard look startled, and I pushed on. “It’s been so romantic with his rescuing Jack that we got a bit carried away. But it means nothing.”

“I knew it,” Lorelei drawled.

Richard was frowning furiously, that agile mind knowing I was lying, I was certain of it.

“Why are you talking nonsense?” Vladimir growled. “We have work to do!”

“Oh work, work, work!” Lorelei was glaring at her husband and then turning to Richard with a languishing sigh. “We had a fling too, didn’t we, darling?”

“No,” Richard snapped back, “we did not.”

“Oh, come on,” Lorelei laughed. “Remember Paris? You’d just left Diana LeCoeur! Or was it Natasha Baron? I forget.”

“This fruit smoothie is excellent.” Andrea was trying her best to steer us back into clear water.

It was too late, though. Vladimir was finally paying attention to his wife. “When was this?”

“Oh, you’re jealous!” Lorelei laughed. She stroked Vladimir’s face. “I love Richard, but now I have you, darling—” But as she smarmed over him, she was sending a smug look at me, letting me know that she could have any man she liked. Hot jealousy ran through me instantly, but I didn’t say a word.

Richard, blast him, knew. “You’re jealous,” he said to me with relief. “Good.”

“Am not!” I tried.

“Are so!” Richard got up, determination in every fibre of his being. “Five minutes, alone, in the library,” he said. “I want to get to the bottom of this.”