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‘I’m fine.’ Angela shook her head, trying not to laugh. Even after her stay in hospital, and weeks of her mum’s care, she still found it strange to be looked after, especially by someone she’d just been naked and very, very happy with. ‘You really don’t need to fuss.’

‘Is it really fussing to try and look after you?’

‘Maybe a bit.’ Angela shoved the sleeves of a borrowed hoodie further up her arms.

‘You look adorable, by the way.’ He leaned over her, bracing himself on the back of the sofa to kiss her.

‘My hair’s a mess, you kissed off my lipstick, and I’m pretty sure the rest of my make-up isn’t much better,’ she complained, always the first person to criticise herself — it was just easier that way. ‘I probably look awful.’

‘Shut up, would you?’ He kissed the tip of her nose.

‘Excuse you?’

‘Excuse yourself. You’re the person being less than kind to someone I care about a lot. I’m not going to stand here and let you diss one of the most awesome people I know.’

‘You’re not making any sense.’

‘Learn to accept a compliment, Angel. You’re due a lot of them.’ He kissed her on the cheek and stood. ‘Now, what type of cheese on toast do you want?’

‘Uh, cooked. Ideally with Worcestershire sauce.’

‘Well that’s a given.’ He laughed. ‘But what type of cheese? Cheddar, mozzarella, goat’s, Gouda, brie . . . I might have some Swiss as well.’

Angela gaped at him. ‘How much cheese do you have?’

‘I like cheese. Yvette used to complain it made my breath smell, and now . . . I’m enjoying what I missed.’ He gave her a look that was so hot, for a second, Angela thought he could have melted the cheese with it — then laughed at herself, glad that he couldn’t read her thoughts. Even in her own head, she sounded cheesier than his menu selection.

‘Chef’s choice.’ She shrugged.

‘Combo then.’ He rubbed his hands together gleefully. ‘And tea?’

‘It’s fine, I can come make that.’ She put her feet down.

‘Nope, you’re my guest, and I’d really like you to stay there. Plus, your friend told you that you need to be careful on your leg still. And I did tell you I’m a little bit scared of her.’

‘Oh, Evelyn’s lovely.’

‘She seems it,’ Ryan agreed. ‘But I also get the impression she’s not someone I would want to annoy, say, for example, by letting you set back your recovery at all.’

‘That’s true,’ Angela conceded.

‘So, in the interests of me not annoying your friend, and supporting getting you back on your feet as soon as possible, will you please just stay here — looking adorable in my hoodie — and let me look after you?’

‘All right, all right, I give in. But do you want to let Mallow out to keep me company? I think she and I need to work on being the type of friends who don’t bite each other, right, Chicken?’

By the time Ryan came back, Mallow had edged along the back of the couch to within arm’s reach of Angela, and was delicately taking treats from her outstretched fingers, chuckling happily every so often.

‘Well, at least no one is screaming.’ Ryan grinned. ‘Come on, Mallow. Back to your stand. No scalding cheese for you!’

‘Yum, this looks delicious.’ Angela picked up a slice and grinned as the cheese fell in long strings. She caught them, twisting them round and then sucking them off her fingers.

‘Yeah, pretty damn tasty.’ Ryan was watching her as she licked her thumb clean.

She giggled and blushed. ‘Stop looking at me like that.’

‘Like what?’

‘Like that.’ She was interrupted when his phone rang. ‘It’s OK if you want to get that.’