He dips towards me a little, his mouth only inches from mine. I rise on tip-toe, reaching up to close the gap…
But then in one firm but gentle motion, I find myself propelled away from him. Gripping my arms, he gazes down at me. It’s shadowy in the barn and his expression is unreadable. He lets go of me and I stumble backwards a little.
An awkwardness has sprung up between us and it’s all my fault. My ecstatic response to his arrival was way out of proportion. I feel such a plonker.
‘Sorry,’ I mutter. ‘I was just so pleased to see you.’
We step under the security light and for a brief moment, I glimpse the tension on his face. Then he smiles. ‘Ah, well, you know…I get that all the time.’
Laughter bursts from me. I sound a bit hysterical, to be honest. ‘I really thought I’d be in there all night. You’re a total life-saver.’ Thank goodness he’s making a joke of my embarrassing embrace. I can blame my blazing red face and the frantic beating of my heart on the drama of the situation and we can move on…
‘Why did you call me?’ he asks, as we start walking back down the path.
My legs are trembling, and I’m not sure it’s entirely to do with being trapped in the barn. Just for a moment when I flung my arms around his neck and he pulled me against him, I felt things I’ve never felt before. But it must have been the ecstatic relief of the moment. Nothing more than that…
Vaguely aware he asked me a question, I glance up at him. ‘Sorry?’
‘I was just wondering why you thought you were trapped in there.’ He nods back at the barn.
I stare at him, wondering what he’s talking about. ‘Um…because I was locked in?’
‘But you weren’t.’
‘Yes, I was.’
He shakes his head. ‘The barn wasn’t locked.’
‘What?’ I frown. ‘But it very definitely was. I tried to get out but I couldn’t…I heard a key in the lock. I know I did.’
He looks puzzled. ‘Well, there was no key when I arrived. And the door opened straight away.’
I stare at him, speechless.
He shrugs. ‘Maybe the catch is faulty and it was stuck.’
I shake my head, confused. ‘It wasn’t stuck. I’m sure it wasn’t. It was locked.’
He nods doubtfully.
‘You don’t believe me?’
He shrugs. ‘All I’m saying is it wasn’t locked when I arrived. That’s all.’
‘But I’m not imagining it. Someone - and I don’t know who it was - locked me in that barn, walked away and left me there.’
‘But who would do that?’ His look borders on disbelief.
‘The stranger who’s squatting next door.’
‘Right.’ He frowns across at the house. ‘The invisible man?’
‘Look, I saw the curtain move the day I arrived. I know there’s someone in there. But they…they only come out at night.’
A hint of a smile plays at the corner of his mouth. ‘The invisible man is a vampire.’
I sigh crossly. ‘Someone is in there. I’m certain of it,’ I snap, thinking of the bulky figure, emerging from next-door’s gate in the dead of night. I didn’t imagine those things. Did I?
He shrugs. ‘Well, at least you’re safe now. And you can warm up once we’re inside.’ His voice, a deep comforting rumble, stirs those feelings again, and when his arm accidentally brushes against me, I leap away.
Back in the cottage, in the tiny hallway, it’s almost impossible to take off snowy boots without colliding with each other, but I’m careful to stay as far away from him as possible. I’ve already made enough of a fool of myself tonight, throwing myself at him like that.
‘Hot chocolate?’ he calls through from the kitchen as I hang up my coat and take a moment to breathe again.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I’ve been rescued from the barn. I’m safe and warm. So why do I still feel as jumpy as a cat on a hot tin roof?
I pop my head awkwardly round the door, wanting to say no to the hot drink. But something makes me linger. ‘Er…OK. Thanks.’ I hover self-consciously in the doorway, watching him.
He turns, his eyes crinkling into a smile. ‘I happen to be a master at making the perfect hot chocolate. It’s the way I stir it, you know. It’s in the wrist action,’ he jokes. ‘Did I see some marshmallows the other day?’
‘Er, yes.’ I dart over to the cupboard and we almost collide again, but he stands back and lets me through, holding up