We left the comfort and the intimacy of the sitting room and entered the crowds in the garden. Day had turned to evening in the time we'd been away which disoriented me. Danny joined a group of people I didn't know and I went to find the host so I could make my apologies and leave. If I wasn't in the mood for this before, seeing Danny had certainly cemented my decision to make an early escape.

"Trinny, it's been great, but I have to go. Sorry to leave so early. Congratulations again."

She looked amazing in a floaty summer dress, now with a cute floral cardigan over her shoulders, her long black hair styled into waves and pinned up in various places. I envied her confidence that I had lost.

"Don't worry, babe. Is everything alright? It's not like you to miss out on a party."

What with being away for her wedding, she'd missed all the drama at work, and now was not a good time to fill her in. She'd know soon enough.

"Everything's fine. Just a headache. Can I ask you something though?" I glanced back over at Danny. "How do you and Harry know him?"

Trinny followed my eyes. "The blond guy?"

I nodded.

"I don't. I guess he must be one of Harry's. Why, you interested in him?" She gave me a playful shove with her hip, both her hands taken up with drinks.

"I've been chatting to him," I confessed. "He's quite secretive though. Just trying to get the scoop." I hoped I sounded more like a journalist than an obsessive love interest.

"Sorry babes, I don't know. I'll ask Harry."

"Don't worry," I said, kissing her cheek. "Let's catch up over coffee on Monday. Enjoy the party. Congratulations again."

I'd parked my car a five minute walk away so I wandered down the darkening country lane, the trees on either side looming over me. I was walking slower than normal; did I want Danny to come after me? I was almost certain he would, but he'd have to notice I had gone first.

I reached my little yellow car and checked behind me before getting in. I sat in the driver seat for a long time, rapping my fingers on the steering wheel. What was I doing? If I left, I could put him behind me. I'd done what I should have done a long time ago and told him something personal. I had the closure I'd been craving.

"Waiting for someone?"

My hand left the wheel and flung to my chest as I nearly jumped out of my skin. Danny appeared in the passenger seat next to me.

"Not waiting - just expecting," I admitted.

"Let's get out of here."

"Where are we going?" I didn't start the engine.

"Come to mine and I'll show you something. Something you don't know about me," he promised. "You shared a personal thing with me, I want to do the same."

I couldn't supress a smile. "Intriguing. It doesn't involve taking our clothes off, does it?"

"No. It can do, but not typically."

I looked across at him. His skin glowed in the early evening light. His eyes were serious as he waited to see if I'd agree.

I started the engine this time. "Lead the way."

What was I doing? Couldn't I just leave this alone? He knew how to lure me in - a promise of information was like catnip to an investigative journalist.

I parked on his long drive fifteen minutes later; my tiny yellow tin can a stark contrast to his large black monster of a car. Nervous excitement tickled my stomach. Was I actually about to learn something about the real Danny Skarsgard? Or was this just a ploy to get me to go back to his? I hoped for the former but expected the latter.

We entered his home. The long dark empty hallway, so familiar to me, lay out before us. I followed him to the stairs and we headed up to the next floor, down the end of the corridor and up another flight of stairs. I'd never been up to this top floor before and I felt a strange sense of foreboding. What was he hiding up here? I had visions of some weird sex room but blinked them away. Our sex wasn't that kinky.

We entered the main, and perhaps the only, room on the top floor; a skylight in the sloped ceiling. It appeared to be empty at first, perhaps a storeroom with an entire wall lined with boxes covered in sheets. Original wooden floorboards ran in rows under our feet with a large fluffy rug in the centre. The rooms edges disappeared into the darkness, but Danny switched on the lamp to reveal a traditional upright piano in mahogany sat in the far corner. A long stool sat in front of it.

"You play piano?" I asked in disbelief.

"I do."

He walked over to it and sat down, lifting the lid to reveal the ebony and ivory keys. I took a few steps towards him and stopped. If I'd had a hundred guesses at what he was going to show me, this wouldn't have been one of them.

"You should really let those keys breathe," I said, faking knowledge of pianos.

"Sit with me," he said, patting the leather seat next to him and ignoring my comment.

I did, and admired the beautiful instrument in front of me. I wished I could play. I'd had a few lessons when I was younger but never got the hang of it.

"Are you going to play something?" I asked in a whisper, not wanting to put him off sharing something with me.

"Do you have a request?" he asked, resting his fingers over the keys, his back straightened.

I was stumped. I had no idea what to ask for.

"Um, my mum's a massive Elton John fan. I grew up on his music. Do you know any of his?"

"I can play some Elton John if you like?" he said nodding thoughtfully.

I could almost see his mind working as I assumed he was trying to remember a song. Could he really play something from memory? My heart pounded.

We sat in silence for a moment. I held my breath as I waited , and finally the first chords of Your Song flowed from his fingers.

"Are you going to sing?" I breathed.

"No, you are. I play, you sing."

I missed the first few words as I tried to lift my jaw up off the floor, but managed to join in.

"... this feeling inside. I'm not one of those who can easily hide."

Danny smiled at me as my voice joined the melodic sound of the keys and my cheeks reddened with his glance. I couldn't stop watching his long fingers move so easily across the keys. The words came easily to me; a song I'd heard a thousand times before. I didn't want it to end.

"That was beautiful," I breathed when we'd finished. "I bet you can sing too though, right?"

"Sure I can," he said with a shrug. "I just wanted you to tell me ... what was it you said? How wonderful life is while I'm in the world?"

"Oh, shut up," I said as I punched him playfully. "Play another one. And you sing this time."

"Another Elton John?" he checked.

"Yes, please."

He narrowed his eyes for a moment, a furrow appearing in his brow reminding me I still wasn't sure how old he was. "I don't know many others of his ... apart from one."

I smiled widely. "Go on then."

"It's a bit cheesy. Don't get the wrong idea about the lyrics," he warned.

"I'll try not to." I would.

I sat back a little so I could watch him properly and he began 'Can you feel the love tonight.' My stomach did strange flips as he sang. He was singing words he would never dare say or mean, but I loved it just the same.

An unexpected lump came to my throat. I swallowed it down as he looked across at me at one point during the song. I tightened my jaw in an attempt to keep my face expressionless despite the strong desire to smile.

"So, your heart beats in time with mine?" I teased when he'd finished.

"Sometimes," he said with a shrug. "Especially right after we've had sex."

I brushed him off. "I had no idea you were so talented. You learnt when you were little, I guess?"

He nodded. "Piano lessons every Tuesday and Sunday. My mum used to play, too."

"She doesn't anymore?" I asked.

"No. Arthritis."

"I'm sorry."

"You want to play something with me?" he asked.

"I can't play."

"You don't have to do much."

He took my wrist and spread my fingers out over the keys. My too-small hands had to stretch uncomfortably far to reach the chord but, once in position, I held it.

"This is all you have to do," he said. "I'll nudge you when to play. You'll pick it up."

"What are we playing?" I asked.

"Well, given you seem to have a soft spot for Disney songs ... I don't know any from The Little Mermaid, Ariel, but this one is from Hercules."

I punched him in the arm again, balling my free hand into a fist, but he simply grinned. I didn't know all the words to Go The Distance and I was too focussed on the one chord I had to play to sing along, but for what felt like the first time, we had a laugh together. Disney brought out the children in us. I didn't think I'd ever heard it from Danny before - not a joyful one at least - but his deep sonorous laugh echoed around the attic.

At the end of the song, Danny swung one leg over the bench so he was straddling it, and facing me. He pulled me over to him, lifting my leg and forcing me to do the same. He slipped his hands under my thighs and lifted them on top of his before finally pulling me even closer.

"I'm not sleeping with you," I reminded him as I put my hands on his firm shoulders, his own hands were now wrapped around my lower back, holding me close to him.

"I know that's what you said," he agreed.

"You didn't believe me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope."

I crossed my ankles behind his back. "Well, I was telling the truth."

"You afraid you'll look different naked?" he asked, catching me off guard with his flippant comment.

"No. I'm sure you could handle it." But of course, I was lying. I hadn't slept with anyone since my surgery. The red scar still rough and angry under my right breast.

Danny stood up, still with me wrapped around him and carried me across the room to the large sheepskin rug that covered the floor. He lowered us down onto it.

"You're not very good at taking no for an answer," I observed as he pushed his pelvis into mine.

"You're not clear enough with what you want. Like right now, you say you don't want it, but I can feel and see how turned on you are. You just like making me ... encourage you."

We had indeed encouraged each other to do a lot of things, but he'd never frightened me. Did I want him to convince me now, or did I really mean it?

When I didn't say anything he reached up under my dress and pressed his fingers against my underwear.

"See?" he said as they started venturing underneath and made contact with my burning skin.

I bit my lip, trying not to react, despite my body screaming for him.

"I think you're desperate for me to be inside you again," he whispered, his mouth by my ear.

"I can't help how my body reacts to you," I argued, pushing on his chest. "I can help what I do about it though."

"You think you'd be able to stop me if I decided to take you anyway?"

I smiled. "Maybe not, but you'd regret it."

"A punishment? I kind of like the sound of that," he said, his fingers still teasing me.

I pushed myself up onto my elbows and slid out from under him. "Danny, I'm serious. I don't want to. It's been great seeing you, but I just want to hang out. I don't want to have sex."

Danny sat back on his heels and held out his hand to me. I took it and he stood up, pulling me with him. "Come on then. Let's go downstairs and listen to some real musicians."

We passed the rest of the night listening to Spotify and talking about music and, although we'd eaten at the barbecue, hunger crept up on us by about midnight and we ordered a Chinese takeaway.

"Can I stay the night even though I don't want to sleep with you?" I asked when we'd finished eating.

"Sure, you can stay," he said as he got up to throw out the empty food containers. "I'm still planning to change your mind, so you can sleep in my bed with me."

I didn't have much confidence in my ability to resist him, but we went up to the bedroom anyway and I slipped on one of Danny's old t-shirts; changing in the bathroom away from his burning stare. It smelled like him and I loved the way the worn fabric felt rough against my skin.

I returned to the bed and lay next to him, sinking into the deep pillows. I was asleep within minutes without us saying another word to each other.