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Nina laughed as he left for the steps. She lifted out her phone to see if Isla had messaged, but she hadn’t. Nina sighed.

Cameron reappeared with their beers and handed hers over as he climbed beside her. She suppressed the thought that it was tantamount to lying in an actual bed together. I wish.

“Are you okay in the shade?” he asked. “I can take the canopy down.”

“No thanks. I prefer it this way,” she said.

He held his bottle out toward her and she smiled and clinked hers against it before they both took the first sip.

He smiled. “Is that because you’re terrified of aging, like Ash?”

She laughed. “No. It’s because I’m terrified of developing melanoma and dying. I’ve done a lot of work on anti-cancer drugs.”

“That’s amazing,” he said, “to do something so worthwhile.”

“Yeah, not altruistic, though. Remember that the drug company CEOs make a load of cash off the back of it.”

He nodded. “But they’re making money and saving lives. I’m making money and getting people to dance.”

“There’s more to it than that,” Nina said. “Music and the arts are vital. Without them, the human race would shrivel and die spiritually.”

Cam raised his eyebrows. “I’ve never heard an academic speak about the arts that way before.”

Nina smiled. “It’s true. They’re so important for mental wellbeing. Somebody once told me that Isla’s songs had helped her through a time when she’d considered taking her own life.”

He sat a little straighter. “Wow.”

“It’ll be the same for your fans,” she said. “They’re not just dancing. They’re expressing joy. It’s a balm for the soul. I’ve never experienced anything like the atmosphere at your gig yesterday.”

He leaned toward her. “Really?”

“Of course,” she said. “It was spectacular. I loved it, and I’m no music buff.”

“You’re a great dancer, though,” he said.

She met his eyes. He’d been watching her? Then she remembered that she’d been dancing with Ash. That was why. He’d been looking his girlfriend and she’d just happened to be in the frame. “Thanks,” she said.

He stared at the pool, seeming to be pondering something but staying silent.

She frowned. “What is it?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t dance.”

“Pardon?” she said.

He glanced back at her. “I can’t dance.”

“Yeah, I heard you,” she said. “I just don’t believe it. It’s like a famous writer saying that they can’t read.”

He laughed. “That is not the same.”

She grinned. “Near enough.”

He raised his eyebrow, and it was the sexiest thing that Nina had ever seen. She got off the bed and came round to his side, pulling him to his feet.

He looked at her with a bemused expression. “What?”

She dragged him closer to the pool’s edge where there was more space, away from the sun loungers. “Show me your dancing.”