My one secret indulgence? Watching the gorgeous but wildly intimidating Lord Sterling sweep into school to collect his son. I’m ridiculous. Not only is Rafe completely terrifying, but he’s a high-profile barrister destined to be the UK’s youngest ever judge. A girl with a background like mine should stay out of his way.

Rafe: How dare the school insist that I can’t meet the Miss Clara, who told my son his brain “works differently”? Nobody refuses a meeting with me. But when I bulldoze my way past the school rules to confront her, I’m shocked by how much this shy woman affects me. She might be too scared to make eye contact, but when it comes to defending my son, she’s surprisingly fierce. And after I convince her to work as my son’s tutor and she gradually stops flinching in my presence, my obsession with her only grows.

As a rule, I get what I want, and after seeing glimpses of her humour, kind heart and surprising strength, I want Clara Morris with an intensity I’ve never felt before. But I should be careful what I wish for, because Clara Morris is not who she says she is.

In my arrogance, I push her away, not realising that her fear runs deeper than simple shyness, not seeing the danger she’s in until it’s too late…