"She dropped her hand down to rest on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze of gratitude. "I love that you did that for me."

He cleared his throat and looked down at the case. "CD One.. " he paused. "This is what I wanted to say to you last night," he clarified, eyes glistening. "When I thought I might have lost you for good. I was devastated. Especially because you'd have known; if you'd just heard that bastard radio announcement you'd have known..."

"I know." she interrupted gently. "And I've heard it now. So I do know." She gave his arm another tender squeeze. "C'mon, read them out to me, tell me what it is you wanted to say to me..."

He began reading the song titles aloud, imbuing each with its own significance, pouring his heart into it - and out to her:

"Kayleigh - Hard to say I'm sorry - You do something to me - Owner of a lonely heart - I can't fight this feeling any more - I don't wanna miss a thing - If I could turn back time - I've had the time of my life - More than words - I want to know what love is - Is this love? - Suddenly - Feels like I'm in love - More than a feeling - Crazy in love - It's the way you make me feel - Missing you - Can't get you out of my head - Love really hurts without you - Tears of a clown - Since you've been gone."

She listened intently, a succession of emotions scudding quickly across her face.

He didn't dare look up but carried on reading the titles from the second CD:

"Without you - In my life - Every day hurts - All cried out - Love changes everything - I can see clearly now - I only want to be with you - Pure and simple - I believe in you - Take a chance on me - I'm your man - How 'bout us? - Save the best for last - Never had a dream come true - Get outta my dreams (and into my car) – Show me heaven - Paradise by the dashboard light - Never forget - I love you always forever."

He breathed out audibly and finally looked up from the CD.

"So do you like it?" he asked hesitantly.

She took the case from his hands – face beaming - and clutched it to her, replying simply: "I love it. I don't think anyone's ever given me anything I love as much."

He beamed back in relief. "And do you like the tracks I chose? I wasn't sure if..."

"I love it," she repeated. "I love them, all of them. Except..."

"Except for Meatloaf?" he hazarded a guess.

"No, no, I love that song. No, I was going to say there's a track missing. You could have ended with it..."

"Is it one of your favourites?

She grinned her assent and he racked his brains for the songs she'd sung along to most enthusiastically on their travels.

"Is it The Corrs?" he guessed. "Shaggy? Samantha Mumba?"

"She shook her head and decided to put him out of his misery: "Sixpence None the Richer," she said with a shy smile.

"Sixpence None the Richer? I know the name. Only had one hit, I think. What was it called again? This is bugging me now. Go on, sing a bit of it..."

"So kiss me, beneath the milky twilight..." she crooned softly.

"Ah yeah, of course, that's it! Sixpence None the Richer, 'Kiss Me', got to No. 4 in 1999! I knew I'd..."

"John."

She raised her eyebrows at him and softly sang the refrain again: "So kiss me..."

"Oh! Oh, right..." He smiled bashfully and began to lean in towards her just as she moved to meet him; their gazes locked, measuring the ever-decreasing distance between them until they met with a gentle, tentative press of his lips to hers. He felt her sigh against his mouth and slid closer, slipping his arms round her waist, gently pulling her against him, deepening and prolonging the kiss until...

"Ow!"

He pulled back sharply and rubbed at the sore spot on his side where the handbrake had jabbed into his flesh.

Still half-clinging to him, Kayleigh took a moment to register why he had broken off the kiss so abruptly. When she realised she untangled herself and soothingly rubbed the injured spot herself, giggling. "Aw, poor John! You always said 'love hurts'."

"It's not funny! It's bloody sore that is!"

He whacked the handbrake in retaliation, giving the gearstick a smack for good measure.

She waggled her eyebrows at him and smirked suggestively. "Would you like me to kiss it better?"

Without waiting for his response she leant down to place a quick kiss on his shirt - only to catch her chin on the handbrake as she pulled back.

"Ouch!"

"There now! See what I mean? Bloody cars, they don't design them with people's needs in mind. I was enjoying myself then as well..."

"Yeah, me too," she said wistfully. She smiled to herself before venturing: "You're a really good kisser, y'know?"

His face lit up in unaccustomed delight at the compliment. "Am I? Well, I try. Could probably do with a bit more practice mind..."

As if his words were a command, in the very next instance they were pressed together again, his hands circling her waist, hers tangling through his hair and their lips sliding and parting and moving urgently against each other's.

When they finally came up for air he was half out of the driver's seat and half-kneeling on the offending handbrake, only becoming conscious of it digging into his leg when he tried to shift back into his seat.

"Bloody hell! I'm going to be bruised black and blue after this," he announced, rubbing his shin. "They just don't build these bloody cars for comfort any more."

"John!"

"What?"

"Will you stop going on about the car? We're working on your kissing practice, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry!" he grinned sheepishly. "How am I doing so far?"

"Well, I think you might be ready to move up from 'really good' to 'frig me, that's sh-amazing!' You might need to undergo a bit more training first though..."

"Oh aye? Do you know anyone who's qualified to teach at that level then?"

"I do as it happens John," she confided, eyes twinkling.

His smile of glee turned into a look of absolute horror when she announced: "I'll just give Elsie a call shall I?"

"She descended into a fit of giggles at his reaction and he loomed over her, intent on silencing her with another kiss, only to be frustrated by the car layout once more.

"He huffed and sat back in his seat, causing her to stifle her amusement in sympathy.

"Meet me in the back in 30 seconds," she declared impulsively and, before he could even register what she meant, she had thrown open her door and climbed out of the car.

He watched over his shoulder as she opened the rear door and slid into the back seat.

"C'mon then," she invited when he failed to move.

"Looking back at her it suddenly struck him that he could see his future laid out before him; it beckoned as bright and as beautiful as the smile on her face, as she coyly prompted him:

"You'll be late for your lesson!"

He didn't need to be told twice and bolted out from behind the wheel. "Level 42," he announced as he slid onto the back seat beside her and into her waiting arms.

"Level 42?" she queried, pulling back from him in mild confusion.

"Lessons in Love," he clarified with a grin, murmuring "Level 42, No. 3 in 1986," as he closed the distance between them once more, tugging her towards him and drawing her down into a lingering kiss.

A few minutes later she broke away, slightly breathless, sitting up and smoothing down her rumpled blouse.

"Sh-amazing," she confirmed, watching as he also pulled himself upright. His hair was sticking up all over the place, his tie was crooked and his lips were smudged a faint shade of red from her lipstick - and, she thought, he was the most gorgeous sight she had ever seen.

As they moved towards each other again something outside the car caught her eye and she placed a hand on his chest to ward off his attempted smooch.

"John," she whispered urgently. "Look!"

She nodded in the direction of the office building and he swivelled round in the seat to see what had so alarmed her. A white security van was parked at the building entrance; inside it he could just about make out the driver who appeared to be looking directly at them.

"Maybe we should drive on," he suggested nervously. "I thought this was a public car park but we might be on private property."

She nodded in agreement, suddenly self-conscious and worried that the van - and its driver - had been there watching them all along.

She hastily tucked in her blouse and swung herself through the gap into the front seat, while John exited the back seat in the conventional manner and got back behind the wheel.

"Where to then?" he queried, fastening his seatbelt and starting the engine.

"Work," she declared decisively.

"Work?" he repeated incredulously as he began to steer the car back out of the business park. "Did I hear you right? Did you, Kayleigh Kitson, just tell me that you wanted to go to work?"

"Yes I did. Despite what you might believe I don't hate my job John! I think I'm actually pretty good at running promotions."

"I agree - you are that," he conceded with quiet pride.

"Anyway," she continued, "I was supposed to be meeting Elsie for lunch and I've definitely got something to talk about now, haven't I? And Rachel, she'll be on the checkouts this morning." Her eyes gleamed at the prospect of putting her scheming man eater of a colleague in her place.

"Oh no you don't!" he exclaimed. "You're not telling anyone anything until I've cleared it with senior management first."

"Why not?" she asked beseechingly, disappointed.

"Because you'll get us both sacked, that's why not! There's already all sorts of rumours flying around about you and about me. Dave Thompson read me the riot act about fraternisation just the other week as it happens, all thanks to Elsie blabbing all sorts of nonsense around, about pot noodles and baths and inhalers and whatnot."

"You and Elsie?" she burst into laughter. "Dave Thompson thinks you're 'fraternising' with Elsie? Oh my god, that's so funny!"

"It's not funny at all!" he protested hotly. "The worst of it is I had to pretend that it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. It was embarrassing. I've never felt so humiliated..."

"Why on earth would you let him think that then?" she interrupted, perplexed.

"To take the heat off you, that's why!" he explained. "Dave's still gunning for you because of that fruit and veg fiasco. He says you're trying to get your hooks into me - he doesn't know you properly. If he hears we're together off of someone else he'll have your guts for garters. It was easier to pretend I fancy Elsie." He screwed his face up in distaste at the very notion.

"Oh John..."

She placed her hand on his and squeezed it in sympathy and gratitude. "You don't have do that for me..."

"Yes I do.

"Why..?" she persisted.

"I told you why - to take the heat off you. And because..." He lifted her hand and raised it to his lips, drawing her gaze to his, "...because I'd do anything for you. You've got me absolutely mad for you, Kayleigh Kitson. And cos I love you, that's why..."

The unexpected declaration caused tears to spring to her eyes and she leaned over to pepper his cheek with a series of soft kisses in response.

"Give over," he smiled, not really meaning it. "I'm driving here!"

His eyes darted to the rear view mirror and immediately his face fell.

"Oh Christ! They've seen us."

"What? Who's seen us?" she asked, looking out of the side window and wondering whether any of their colleagues had been at the bus stop they'd just passed.

"The police, that's who. We're being pulled over."

TO BE CONTINUED