The man executed a hurried, clumsy dismount and, face flaming, Zia belatedly turned her back as she caught a glimpse of way more of him than she needed to see.

Seconds later, a flustered, panting Ursula joined Zia in the hallway, a sheet gathered hastily around her, pulling the door closed. ‘What are you doing here?’ she gasped.

Zia glared at her. ‘I live here! What are you doing here? Oh, shit, you don’t have to tell me,’ she spat in disgust. ‘Ursula, what the fuck? Why are you meeting someone here for sex? You promised me you didn’t cheat on Stephan. I stuck up for you!’

Ursula, hair tumbled over her eyes, turned puce with embarrassment. ‘It’s like this—’

‘And in my bed!’ Zia hissed. ‘I don’t care whose arse I saw flashing up and down, you can just get him out of my flat now and you can go as soon as you’ve changed the bed. I’m sick of people cheating. Holy fuck, if I ever trust you again—’ She halted as the door behind Ursula swung open.

The man, fully dressed and breathless, face every bit as fiery as Ursula’s, stepped out – burly, sandy-haired and familiar.

Zia gaped. ‘Stephan?’

‘Sorry,’ he mumbled.

Ursula cleared her throat. ‘It was, like, a fantasy thingy. Y’know, like stranger sex … but with your husband.’

Stephan snorted with sudden laughter, burying his face in Ursula’s hair.

‘Ah,’ said Zia, abruptly dismounting her high horse. ‘Ohhhh …’ Then, regarding her friend severely, ‘Did it have to be in my bed?’

Ursula hung her head but she was beginning to shake with suppressed laughter. ‘That was a terrible abuse of your hospitality and I will change your bedclothes straight away. But, y’know the fantasy. It wouldn’t have worked in our bed, now would it? He, like, picked me up in the Black Dove …’ Behind her, Stephan gave a strangled gasp.

A reluctant smile tugging at her mouth, Zia let her backpack slide down her arms and thump to the floor. ‘Well, I didn’t warn you I was coming so that I could surprise you and I certainly did that. I’m going to have to bleach my eyes.’

Stephan let out a roar of laughter.