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‘Oh. I didn’t realise. I’ve never had to deal with leaseholds before. And I guess my neighbours are more understanding than yours.’

‘Lucky you.’ He tucked Mallow into the crook of his elbow. ‘Let’s see what you’ve done.’ He fiddled with the cage for a bit, then pulled out the cleaning tray that sat beneath the grate. ‘I don’t believe it. She’s undone the bloody nuts.’ He held up the evidence. ‘It’s supposed to be a parrot cage, I’d assumed that meant it was parrot-proof. She’s not even that big by parrot standards!’

‘Maybe we just didn’t do them up tightly enough,’ Angela suggested.

‘Maybe. Right, let’s get this sorted. And as for you, missy—’ he bounced Mallow up and down on his arm, making her cackle and laugh ‘—you and I need a little chat. For one thing, this—’ he tapped her beak gently with the nut ‘—is very naughty. For two, you’re not going to starve. You had plenty of other food you could reach — look, here’s your pinecone pick, and the lovely fresh breakfast I chopped you up. And you have treats if you can be bothered to get off your perch and learn to forage for them. And third — and this is very important. If you keep screaming like that, you will get us kicked out, and then we’ll both end up living in a box.’

He looked up at Angela, who watched him with interest.

‘I don’t know how much she understands or not, so I decided just to talk to her normally. I’m not really one of those googa-wooga oogie-boogie type of people.’

He filled up Mallow’s bowl — a task made a lot harder and messier by her insisting on “helping” — and put her, and the dish, back into the cage. ‘I really am sorry about this, Angela.’

‘I already told you, there’s nothing to apologise for. It was a lovely meal.’

‘But?’

‘Did I say there was a but?’ Her eyes were too wide, and that adorable little dimple thing had reappeared.

‘No, but I thought I heard one anyway.’

‘Nope.’

‘Right. So you weren’t thinking the portions were at all stingy.’

‘I might have said “delicate” rather than stingy.’

‘But if I offered to make something to eat — like toasted cheese — you wouldn’t be at all interested in that?’

‘All right, you got me.’ She laughed. ‘I know I’m probably supposed to be playing it coy or something, and pretending that I’m stuffed after half an apple and an egg cup full of custard, but I could demolish a round of cheese on toast. Especially if you’ve got Worcestershire sauce.’

‘Obviously. Only thing you should put on it.’

‘Well, onions or mushrooms can be really nice. But I agree. If you’d suggested ketchup I’m not sure I could have coped with that,’ she teased.

‘That would have been a dealbreaker then?’

‘Ketchup on cheese on toast? Definitely.’ She nodded firmly.

‘I’ll have to make a note of that. Screaming, bratty, bald chicken-butt birds you can handle, but ketchup on cheese is a dealbreaker.’

‘Exactly.’ She grinned, and he leaned over, wanting to kiss her. She wound her arms around his neck, rubbing her nose against his, brushing her lips against his gently then pulling away. It drove him crazy, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

‘Hey.’ She wriggled, teasing him more. ‘You promised to feed me.’ The way she smiled as she bit her lip sent his desire to another level.

‘I’ll feed you in bed, if you like.’

‘Hmm.’ She tapped her finger against her lips, making him want to kiss her so badly it actually hurt. He couldn’t ever remember wanting anyone as badly as he needed Angela. ‘I might be able to be convinced . . .’

‘I’m so glad you said that, otherwise I might have had to fall on my knees and beg.’

‘Well, I wouldn’t want to put you in that position . . . I mean, others, maybe . . .’ And there it was again — that glint of mischief that made him realise he was in the very best type of trouble.

* * *

Angela winced as Ryan dragged his fancy coffee table across the hardwood floor, making a shriek that even Mallow complained at. ‘Sorry.’ He looked around, then grabbed a couple of cushions from the second couch and gently raised her leg up on top of them.

‘Are you comfy? Warm enough?’