He kissed her forehead. ‘You just have a cry, love.’ So she snuggled in and bawled her eyes out.

Forty minutes had passed since they’d stood together in the lift, both soaked to the skin, hands barely touching, skin buzzing. Maisie had thought the door would never open, and when it did, they clasped hands and ran to the bedroom, like two kids in a silly romance novel.

Once it had closed behind them, Maisie and Fred had stripped each other in a matter of seconds. Fred was frantic but at the same time he was careful, not like Danny who had been so rough she’d nearly lost a nipple when he wrenched off her bra. Fred was strong yet gentle. Maisie was terrified but she was also exhilarated. For once she wasn’t thinking about the kids or the jobs she had to do. She wasn’t wishing the time away or singing in her head, Fuck off, please fuck off and die in a flaming wreck just to keep from punching him on the side of the head. She wasn’t screaming silently, I don’t like that! With Fred, she got lost in the moment, no fantasizing about being somewhere else. Instead she was feeling something good. Jesus, they’re not lying. Sex is really lovely! Maisie Bean had finally let herself go.

When she finally stopped crying he handed her a tissue from the complimentary box on the bedside locker and she blew her nose. ‘I’m done.’

‘Feel better?’

‘You’ve no idea.’ She smiled. Wrapped in Fred’s arms she felt warm and tingly, bright and full of life. She even felt sexy.

‘That felt like my first time,’ Maisie said honestly.

Fred couldn’t hide the fact that he was chuffed to bits. He stroked his beard happily. ‘Ah, they don’t call me Stud Brennan for nothin’.’

‘They don’t call you that, do they?’

‘No. But if you wanted to spread any rumours I’d be fine with it.’

She laughed at him, eejit. She realized she’d laughed more in the previous twenty-four hours then she had in years. Jesus.

‘I believe I fell for you the first time I laid eyes on you, Mai,’ Fred said softly. ‘I shouldn’t admit that, but I did.’