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Daniel shook his head, smiling.

“Just give her some food. I’ll be back.”

Daniel disappeared into the crowd.

“What was that about?” asked Julia.

“Some men like to pull out before things get too messy.” Kitty giggled with a snort.

“Food,” said Julia sternly.

She took Kitty to the edge of the room, sat her down on a wooden chair and fetched her a crisp roll, a large mound of butter, some plump, ripe strawberries, and a large glass of sparkling water.

“Thanks, Julia. I’ll be okay. It’s hot out there, and I had an early start. I’ll slow down, I promise.”

“Stay here. I’ll track down a bottle of water to take back outside,” she said, heading into the milling crowd.

Kitty sat in the noise and commotion of pink-faced ladies and portly gentlemen eating pork pies and coronation chicken, picking at the roll on her plate. Her head cleared in the pavilion's coolness, and in the crowd's jostling, she was aware of a tinkling laughter somewhere to her left.

She glanced around and spotted Patricia Gore standing in a group of older ladies. She was hanging on to Josh’s arm and his every word. As he spoke, though, his eyes were on Kitty, not Patricia, and her stomach fluttered when she saw them crinkle at the corners.

Kitty turned away, but in her peripheral vision, she could see Josh moving towards her. A knight in cricket whites, coming to rescue the damsel in distress. Her heart sped up as he approached, all the questions he’d left her with this morning melting away. All that mattered was being near him.

“Hello again,” Josh said with a beautiful smile. “You survived the pastry delivery unscathed?”

Kitty put her plate down on the wooden floor and stood to meet him.

“I did. I even had time to make myself look respectable.”

Josh’s eyes took her in, deep and intense.

“You look beautiful,” he said, watching her from under his lashes. “But I think I preferred this morning’s outfit.”

Kitty’s cheeks heated as she remembered her little knickers and T-shirt combo. Was he flirting with her? He’d said things like that before, but this was different. The energy between them was different.

Jostled by a passing player, Kitty fell into Josh. He met her body with his, and his arm snaked around her waist. His fingers caressed her skin through the thin cotton of her dress.

“I’ve got you,” he said, his voice low. His breath tickled her ear, and every nerve ending in her body awoke.

“I think I’ve had too much to drink,” she said, turning towards him.

“Whatever you’ve had too much of, it suits you.”

Kitty’s eyes widened.Hewasflirting with her! The glow in his azure eyes was unmistakable.She’d have killed for that look over and over. Now she had it. She froze, her heart drumming in her ribcage.

They were so close. Kitty couldn’t tear her eyes from Josh’s lips. He hadn’t let her go, maintaining a delicious steady pressure against her, drawing her into his body.

“How are you enjoying the match?” he said, the corners of his mouth lifting.

“She’s enjoying it so much. She’s polished off half a bottle of bubbles already,” came Daniel’s voice. The pressure from Josh’s arm released, and they both spun around as if he’d caught them stealing cookies from his jar.

Daniel stood, one hand on his hips and a glass of icy lemonade in the other. How long had he been there? He gave Kitty a broad smile, handing her the drink.

“I believe this is what the lady ordered,” he said.

Kitty took the drink while Daniel and Josh nodded curtly at each other. She glanced at Daniel and couldn’t help but notice a lipstick mark on his collar.

“You’ve a little something on your shirt,” she said with a smirk, pointing to the offending smudge. Daniel followed her finger to look down at his neck.