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voice sounded close behind her and she froze.
    ‘I won’t let you escape that easily.’ His tone held a thread of humour, but there was also a note of command that was hard to ignore.
    His hand brushed her wrist and the touch was like a firebrand. Lucy was helpless as his fingers enclosed around her, as he pulled her gently but decisively towards him. ‘Come on,’ he urged. ‘We’ve got to have one dance.’
    He made it sound easy, but when she looked into his cool grey eyes she was surprised to see a cautious edge to his smile, as if he wasn’t quite as confident as he sounded. Which didn’t help her to relax.
    A number of wedding guests were watching them, however, and the last thing she wanted was a scene.
    ‘One dance?’ Lucy forced lightness into her voice. ‘Why not?’ She managed a smile. No way did she want to give the impression she was trying to dodge Will. One dance was no problem at all. She would dance with him till her feet fell off.
    Will led her back onto the dance floor.
    Gulp.
    As soon as he placed one hand at her back and took her other hand in his, she knew this wasn’t going to be any version of easy. She drew a jagged breath.
    ‘Smile,’ Will murmured as he pulled her closer. ‘This is a wedding, not a funeral.’
    He took the lead and Lucy obediently pinned on a smile.
    She’d only danced with Will a handful of times, long ago. Even so, she could remember every single detail—his habit of enfolding her fingers inside his, the way he smelledof midnight, and the way her head was exactly level with his jaw.
    Tonight, every familiar memory felt like a pulled thread, unravelling her poorly stitched self control. Being this close to Will played havoc with her heartbeats, with her sense of rhythm. She kept stumbling and bumping into him and then apologising profusely.
    After the third apology, he steered her to the edge of the floor and he leaned back a little, and he smiled as he looked into her face.
    Will said something, but Lucy couldn’t hear him above the music and she shook her head, lifted her shoulders to show she had no idea.
    Leaning closer, she felt her skin vibrate as he spoke into her ear. ‘Are you OK? Would you like a break?’
    That would be sensible, wouldn’t it?
    She nodded. ‘Yes, please.’
    A reprieve.
    Maybe not. Will stayed close beside her as she returned to the table and, before she could resume her seat, he said, ‘There are chairs outside. Why don’t we go out there where it’s cooler and quieter, away from the music?’
    Lucy’s heart stumbled again. Going outside where it was quieter suggested that Will wanted to talk.
    Part of her yearned to talk with him, but she wasn’t sure it was wise. What could they talk about now? They’d covered the basics last night after the rehearsal, and Will had been away for so long that they’d lost their old sense of camaraderie.
    Besides, further conversation would surely lead to uncomfortable topics like her relationship with Josh. Wouldn’t it be wiser to simply keep their distance now?
    But the look in Will’s eyes as he watched her sent a fine shiver rushing over her skin and she knew that wisdom would lose this particular battle and curiosity would win. She secretly longed to hear what Will wanted to talk about.
    ‘I’m sure a little fresh air is a good idea,’ she said and she went with him through a doorway in the side of the marquee into the moon silvered night.
    They found two chairs abandoned by smokers and, as soon as Lucy sat down, she slipped off her shoes and rubbed at her aching feet.
    Will chuckled softly.
    ‘I’m not used to wearing such high heels,’ she said defensively. ‘You should try them. They’re sheer torture.’
    ‘I don’t doubt that for a moment, but they look sensational.’ He released a button on his jacket, letting it fall open. His shirt gleamed whitely in the moonlight and he stretched his long legs in front of him.
    After a small pause, he said, ‘I meant what I said