‘Hey,’ Matteo says, coming out of his flat. He rushes over and takes the box before it falls. ‘It’s heavy. Did you carry it up the stairs?’

‘I’ve been lugging boxes like that all week. I’ve got loads more like that in the back of the car.’

‘I was worried you weren’t going to come back.’

She remembers now the text she’d sent him after the house had sold. Trent had opened champagne, but she couldn’t drink it. She’s only been able to think about Matteo and how he’d given her cava at New Year.

Has he really been worried? She wishes she could tell him how lovely it is to see his friendly face.

‘Where else have I got to go? Besides, I’ve got to find Jamie. Because if he were to go home … it wouldn’t be there any more. I know it’s silly, but that’s the bit that gets me the most.’

Her voice breaks then and, despite wanting to be strong, she starts crying, more from exhaustion than anything else.

‘Hey,’ Matteo says, and he puts down the box. He pulls her into a much-needed hug. And now, it all comes out – all the sadness, and pent-up fury as she sobs against his soft cashmere jumper.

‘It’s going to be all right,’ he tells her, over and over again, rubbing her back.

Finally, she manages to pull herself together and steps away. She apologises for falling apart and for making a mess of his jumper. It’s covered in mascara and she tells him she’ll pay to get it dry cleaned, but he waves her suggestion away with a gentle smile.

‘I’m sorry, Maddy. It sounds like you’ve had the week from hell.’

‘That’s an understatement,’ she says.

He helps her move the boxes from the car into the flat and she parks in the car park. The flat is a mess and Matteo helps her stack the boxes up against the wall. He leaves the heaviest one with some of her ceramics pieces in it until last and almost drops it. They push it to a safe position amidst the teetering pile of boxes.

They are standing side by side and they are both out of breath. She instinctively puts her hand over his.

She turns to him. ‘Thank you,’ she says.

‘You’re welcome.’ He doesn’t move his hand. Then she sees a question in his eyes and, before giving herself time to think, she kisses him.

He responds, pulling her towards him, and all the sexual tension between them bursts out into the open, as he holds her hair, kissing her hard.

It’s as if a firework has gone off inside her. He lifts her up, kissing her as if his life depends on it and she doesn’t care, there’s no control left. She’s only vaguely aware that he’s carrying her to the sofa and then he’s on top of her and she looks into his deep brown eyes.

‘I have wanted you for so long, Maddy,’ he says. He strokes her hair away from her face. ‘Do you want this too?’