"Why would you do that?" he asked, rising to his own feet and crossing to join her, just as if she had invited him to do so.

"It would be a brilliant plan. I have a job, you know. Means to pay for a--flat, as you call it. You could have your bedroom, I could have mine. We could enjoy banter at the dinner table."

His hand crept onto her back, palm brushing across it ever-so-lightly. "Or do other things on the dinner table. I recall you enjoyed that."