Duke isn’t sure when it starts to happen, but it’s definitely whilst they’re still in the act. Evie is on top of him and has just moaned his name over and over and over again as she writhed around, before switching to repeating the fact that she was coming – over, and over, and over again. The sight of it – hell, the feel of it – was enough to make Duke follow suit not long after, but somewhere in between admiring her boobs, the crash of release through his body, and the feel of Evie’s skin on his, he has started to cry.

‘Are you okay?’ Evie asks, and it’s not the breathy, hey-that-was-so-sexy are you okay a person might expect after what they’ve just done. She actually sounds really worried about him. He can’t really see her very well and then he feels her fingertips underneath his eyes wiping something away and for a second he can see again, before it all gets blurry once more.

‘Urgh,’ he says, when he comes to his senses. ‘God, this is mortifying. God. I’m so sorry.’

Evie moves off him and he sits up, and from there she starts to rub his back. Apparently he can’t stop the crying. This is horrific.

‘It’s okay,’ she says, and her voice is kind and light. ‘I think I’m actually quite flattered.’

Duke lets out a snotty laugh. ‘I swear this has never happened before,’ he says. ‘I suppose I’m a bit emotional, and …’ He can’t finish the thought, because the tears are in the way.

‘Sssh,’ Evie soothes. ‘Take your time. I know it’s been a big month for you. I can’t say this has ever happened to me before, but truly, I can empathise as to why.’ He steals a look at her, and she gives him a lopsided grin. ‘It’s because I’m a spectacular shag, isn’t it?’ The word shag sounds funny in her American accent, making Duke shake his head and do another breathy, mucousy chuckle.