At this point, Dev ambled along the landing, a picture of innocence, his mobile phone held up in front of him at such an angle that it gave the impression he had simply bumped into Jenna screaming on the stairs by accident.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said, laying the kind of potent smile on Jenna that caused women all over the world to lick the pages of Vogue. “But I’ve just noticed that the Robinwood Hotel is running Christmas special spa afternoons. So, I gave them a call and told them we had a rather notable Christmas bride in our midst, in desperate need of some R & R, and they said they could fit us in this afternoon. The full works.”

Jenna was beguiled both by the smile and the idea of a full spa.

“The full works?” she asked, smoothing her hair down.

Dev nodded. “They gave me some spiel about short notice at first, and then I told them who you were, and suddenly they had the whole afternoon free.”

Guy and his faults were instantly thrown over for the more pressing matter of being treated like the celebrity she was for the afternoon.

“Charles, I’m leaving shit-for-brains to you. I don’t want to see his weasel face again until at least breakfast.” Then she turned her attentions to Dev. “Quick!” she squealed delightedly. “Let’s get our things and get over there.”

Dev’s smile was artless as he allowed himself to be led down the hall by Jenna.

Ameerah was watching him from their bedroom doorway, Nory beside her.

“God, he’s good,” Ameerah whispered. “It’s like watching a demon in angel’s clothing.”

“Almost as sneaky as you at getting his own way,” said Nory.

“Almost,” agreed Ameerah. “He’d make a great barrister.”

“Would you want to go up against him in court?”

“I’d put myself up against him anywhere,” Ameerah swooned.

“Not quite what I meant, but okay. How long are you going to keep up this charade?” Nory asked her friend. “I know you like-like Dev.”

“How long have you and Isaac been swapping saliva?” Ameerah countered.

“It was a heat-of-the-moment thing.”

“And was it good?”

Nory remembered the way Isaac had swept her into his arms, the fire in his kiss, their breath coming hard . . . Nory shook herself, little spikes of pleasure shooting down through her stomach.

“I think it might have been the best kiss I’ve ever had,” she mused.

“It looked pretty Fifty Shades from where I was standing.”

“It came out of nowhere; I’ve never had an out-of-nowhere kiss before.”

“The unexpected snogs are always the best. What now?”

“I don’t know. We didn’t exactly have time to discuss it.”