With nervous fingers, she straightened the cutlery yet again. Declan was due to arrive at any moment and she couldn’t sit still. Chloe had cleaned her apartment from top to bottom and then spent the better part of the afternoon cooking. They were supposed to go out for dinner, but she wanted to stay in. The conversation they needed to have couldn’t happen in a crowded restaurant. Declan would need time to adjust. He’d need time to think through all the implications. This was not something she could just drop on him casually over dinner and then expect an immediate answer.

     She heard his knock and her stomach somersaulted. Taking...