‘This hardly seems to be the right time to talk about Caroline.’ Drew released her fingers, walked over to the wicker chair, and picked up her quilted dressing gown. He looked magnificent naked, Maddy thought, dreamily, He wrapped the dressing gown around her shoulders and held her again. ‘Caroline was never very keen on sex. At first, I thought she was just naive, and that I would be good enough to teach her to enjoy it. I wasn’t.’

‘Of course you were good enough!’ Maddy said hotly. ‘It can’t have been your fault! I mean, there must have been girls before Caroline.’

‘Yes. But once I realised how distasteful Caroline found it, I began to wonder about the others. After all, I’ve seen When Harry Met Sally. Meg Ryan must have worried a lot of men. I thought I was useless, that everyone must have faked their pleasure.’

‘I didn’t.’

‘No, sweetheart. You didn’t. And it had to happen like that. If we’d planned it, I would probably never have done it. I would have been too scared of failure.’

‘So why do you stay with Caroline.’

‘Because I have to.’ He was staring over her head. ‘Because although I know we’ll never have a proper marriage, I can’t leave her. She still wants me in her life. There are reasons … I even forgot about sex for weeks at a time. Then, I met you.’

Maddy wiped her eyes and stuffed the tissue back beneath the pillow. ‘But I’m overweight and disgusting.’

‘You’re adorable. Beautiful. Warm, cuddly, loving, funny. The sexiest woman I’ve ever met.’

‘I’ve never thought of myself as therapeutic.’ She grinned, then stopped. ‘Do you feel guilty?’

‘No. Blissfully happy. What about you?’

‘The same. Except I really would have liked to have been bathed and scented and made up and wearing decent knickers.’

Drew bundled her over on the bed, making her gurgle with laughter. If it wasn’t love, it was a pretty close thing.

An hour later she tiptoed out into the hall. Suzy zoomed from the sitting-room. ‘I’ve put the dinner on a low heat. I’ve topped up the bath water. You can even play my Michael Bolton tape if you want.’

‘Thanks.’ She grinned sheepishly at Suzy. ‘I’m so sorry. I must have fallen asleep.’

‘Crap, Mad.’ Suzy smiled fondly. ‘I know you and Drew have got together at last – and about bloody time.’

‘You weren’t listening?’ Maddy was appalled.

‘Course not.’ Suzy wrinkled her nose. ‘It was the little things that gave it away. The glasses of wine untouched. His jacket on the door handle. No sign of either of you. The bedroom door closed. And now – well, you’ve only got to look at you.’

Impulsively, Maddy hugged her sister. ‘It was the most wonderful, amazing experience of my whole life. God, Suzy, you won’t tell anyone, will you?’