Josh pushed her on to her back, got between her legs. She couldn’t see him, she couldn’t see anything, all she could do was feel. She heard him fumbling with his clothes, heard the zip of his jeans go down, heard him pushing them out of the way. Her hands reached out and she felt him then, his cock naked and hard as iron, throbbing and somehow threatening but silky too, and she pulled him in almost frantically, wanting this, wanting him.

When he was there, right at the spot, she pushed up with her hips, taking him inside her, impaling herself on that big hard column of flesh. She felt such pleasure, such unbelievable thrills of desire, that she moved as he moved, pounding into her, taking her, filling her just as she had always longed for him to fill her. All those others had been rubbish, nothing but a rehearsal. This was the real thing.

Then he said it, moaned it.

‘Oh Jesus, Claire . . .’

Shauna stiffened. He really was half asleep – and he was dreaming he was fucking that dopey little cow Claire.

He could get me up the duff, thought Shauna.

But he’d said Claire’s name, not hers. Still, that wonderful thing between his legs was still thrusting inside her and her feelings were all over the place. She wanted to stop him, to push him away from her, because for God’s sake he didn’t even know it was her. But she wanted him to go on too. His movements quickened then, and he groaned.

He thinks it’s her, thought Shauna in fury, feeling spikes of passion rock her, making her stomach clench, making her clasp him even harder inside her.

She didn’t care who he thought she was, not right now. He was in despair over that Milo bitch, and he was taking blind, mindless comfort the way men always had, always would. For her, the pleasure was too intense, almost unbearable. He moaned again, and seemed to get bigger, harder, so that she cried out, not hurt but amazed.

Now he was almost pulling out from her, pushing back in, deeper, harder, fuller.

Shauna cried out again.

Josh pushed in hard, madly, and was still for a while, pinning her there.

Then he pulled out of her, flopped back on the bed. Shauna felt wetness on her thighs. Maybe he had given her a baby. That would be a hell of a result. A quiet, nice, decent man like Josh? He’d have to marry her then; he’d feel obliged to. Gasping and with their limbs tangled together, Shauna cuddled in against him.

‘It’s me, Josh,’ she said quietly. ‘It’s me. It’s Shauna.’

But he didn’t answer.

‘Josh?’ she whispered.

His breathing had deepened. He was asleep.