Page 65 of I Knew You Were Trouble

Perfect for two people!shouts my inner voice.

Ignoring it, I walk further into the flat, scouting for the doors to the bedrooms but instead, come face to face – or is it face to bookcase? – with a divider that separates a super king bed from the rest of the flat.

‘What?’ growls Willem. I turn to face him, and he’s clearly confused. He spins around and strides the length of the flat, then returns seconds later. ‘It’s supposed to sleep four people. I thought that meant there were two bedrooms.’

There are patentlynottwo bedrooms. Technically, there isn’t even one.

He takes his phone out of his pocket and jabs at the screen, his face contorted with frustration.

‘Fuck,’ he says, as he reads his phone screen. His head swivels to the sofa. ‘Thatbecomes a bed.’ He meets my eye, his countenance uneasy. ‘Sorry, Kate. I’ve completely messed up. I thought it would be simpler to rent an apartment…andthat we’d have two bedrooms… I’ll go check into a hotel.’ He turns to leave.

‘Wait.’ I reach out and stop him, my hand landing on his forearm. ‘It’s past eleven, we both worked today, and we’ve been in transit for hours… We can stay here together. It’ll be fine.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes.’No.Not one of my imagined seduction scenarios began with an accommodation mix-up and a pissed-off travel companion.

And I could kid myself that sharing a flat was perfectly normal when there were going to bebedrooms, but now the only thing between us will be an IKEA bookcase – one with a clear view of the other side.

Oh, Margot is going tolovethis when I tell her.

16

KATE

I had a rubbish night’s sleep – unsurprising, really. By the time we’d squabbled over who got the super king – against my protestations, Willem insisted it be me, as he was the one who’d messed up the accommodation –andconverted the sofa to a bed, making it up with the extra bedding, it was nearing midnight.

I used the bathroom first and while Willem was in there, I slipped beneath the covers and tugged them up to my chin like a child who’s afraid of the dark, then reached over and turned off the lamp.

So much for the sexy temptress who’d packed lingerie.

Willem emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, and before the flat was plunged into darkness, I got a peek of him in his boxer briefs through the bookcase. There was a rustle of bedding, then a deep, husky, ‘Goodnight, Kate. Sleep well.’

‘Uh, goodnight,’ I replied, instantly embarrassed by how squeaky my voice sounded. Willem either didn’t notice or was too polite to comment. Then I lay awake for a good hour while my monkey brain swung from one thought to the next, intermittently landing on questions I already knew the answer to.

Why did you agree to share a flat with Willem, rather than getting a hotel room?

All the better to ‘accidentally’ tumble into bed together…

Did youactuallycome to Verona for altruistic reasons?

Yes… No… Sort of.

Is itreallya good idea to seduce the Norse god?

Probably not, but I’m entitled to a little fun.

How can this situation with Willem possibly turn out like you want it to?

I’ll never know if I don’t try.

And then the clincher, the thought that tormented me for the rest of the night:

He’s a decent bloke, Kate – kind, supportive, thoughtful… You can’t just shag him for a lark – despite what Margot says. One of you could end up hurt – you both could.

That’s the thing about self-truths: they have a way of working their way to the surface, no matter how hard you try to kid yourself.

And I can no longer ignore that I’m drawn to Willem for more than his looks. Which complicates this situation even further.

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