‘No one,’ she insisted, feigning innocence. ‘I wanted to make C.A.R.D.I.G.A.N. but I didn’t have enough letters.’ Then she picked up the champagne bottle again.

‘Are you sure you want more?’ he asked.

‘Just a little.’

When they’d finished the bottle and were all Scrabbled out, they leaned back on the pillows and watched the end of Enchanted and Lauren cried again when the fairytale princess ended up with the uptight, pinstriped city slicker who was really a softie, because in real life no one really ended up with who they should be with.

It was getting dark outside now and they watched Sleepless in Seattle because it had to be done. She had a little cry again because it was so sad and Tom Hanks had been the cutest person alive at that time and Zak dabbed tenderly at her cheeks with a tissue.

Lauren rested her head on his shoulder and her eyes started to roll with tiredness and she snuggled down on the bed next to him.

It felt nice having Zak here with her. More than nice. She let her hand wander to his chest. The heat of it made her mouth go dry. Her dressing-gown fell open and she made no move to cover herself.

‘I have to assume that’s not the sort of underwear that you put on every day, Ms Lauren Osbourne, otherwise I’m never going to be able to look at you in the same way again.’

‘What if I said it was?’

‘Then I’d be lost.’

‘There are worse things to be,’ she murmured, her mouth against his neck.

Zak sat up abruptly. He swept the Scrabble letters from the board at their feet and then started to rearrange them. A moment later, he held it up to her. C.O.L.D.S.H.O.W.E.R. it said.

‘That’s what I’ll need, if we go any further,’ he told her.

‘Double-word score and it goes over the middle star thingy,’ she informed him. ‘I reckon that gives you forty points.’

‘Whooping your arse at Scrabble is no longer my major consideration.’

‘Zak.’ Her voice faltered. ‘We could spend the night together.’

He shook his head. ‘You’re with Jude.’

She held out her hands. ‘Not that you’d notice.’

‘You know what I mean, Lauren. Two wrongs don’t make a right. There’s nothing I’d like more than to spend the night with you. But you’ve had a lot to drink, you’re with another man and you might well regret this in the morning. I’m happy to Scrabble you within an inch of your life but that’s as far as it goes. I’ll stay here tonight if you want me to. I’ll curl up on that rather comfortable-looking sofa over there.’

Lauren ran her fingers down his chest. ‘Sure?’