She made no attempt to resist him as he took her in his arms, gathering her up against himself with gentle care. She felt slender and fragile, warm and softly woman-scented. His body trembled with the fight to control his emotions as he kissed her with tender restraint and then kissed her again with no restraint at all when he felt her response to him. 'I had to see you,' he told her as he held her, kissing the top of her head, wrapping her tightly in his arms as though he never intended to let her go. But ultimately he would have to let her go, Philippa recognised; ultimately they would have to let one another go. 'You shouldn't be here,' she told him. 'We agreed ' 'That we couldn't be lovers,' Joel interrupted her. His hands cupped her face, tilting it upwards so that he could look down at her. 'But we can still talk, can't we? Still be... friends...?' 'Oh, Joel. This... this thing between us isn't really real, you know,' she told him sadly. 'It's...it's just a...a fantasy...a...a mirage we've both conjured up because...' 'Oh, it's real to me,' Joel said fiercely.
