By Wednesday night, I missed Noah too much. My period had reared its ugly head again earlier that week, making me extra emotional, and I felt sick at the recollection of having thrown him out of my flat so cold-heartedly.

What if he doesn't want to see you anymore, psycho bitch? My subconscious taunted as I lay in the darkness, struggling to sleep.

Without hesitating to think, I grabbed my phone off the bedside table and typed out a simple text asking how he was doing.

To my surprise, his reply buzzed through swiftly. The selfie he sent - laid in bed, shirtless, his hair a mess and his skin looking golden against his white pillows - made my heart skip a beat.

'All good, would be better with you here x' his words read.

Smiling to myself as I zoomed in and studied the photo in detail, I wondered whether it would be too late to ask him to come over.

No, you idiot, my subconscious snapped. You've barely gone forty-eight hours without seeing him, stay strong.

'Looking forward to Friday x' I responded instead.

'Me too, be ready for 7. Pack an overnight bag and wear that dress x' he shot back instantly.

I was still smiling gently to myself as I drifted off, holding my phone loosely in my hand with the image of him open on the screen.

By the time Friday came around, I almost felt like a new person. Not only had my unwelcome monthly visitor finally got the hint and buggered off, but my initial Noah withdrawal symptoms had also subsided.

For the first time since he mysteriously first appeared in my life, I felt like maybe we could maintain a healthy, balanced approach to dating after all. It would make a change from him turning up unannounced all the time, and me constantly battling against my body's urge to take everything at one hundred miles per hour.

A week of focusing on my studies had also done me the world of good, and I'd received high praise for my rendition of Tina Turner's Proud Mary in group performance class. Not an easy task when you're more of a 'sit at the piano and sing a ballad' type of girl.

All in all, I was feeling fresh, focused and ready for some fun. By the time I got back to the flat I only had an hour to shower and get ready.

Ready for what? I thought to myself. Noah hadn't told me anything about where we were going or what we would be doing, but my insides flipped at the anticipation of finding out. Maybe a little air of mystery wasn't necessarily always a bad thing...

Charlotte had happily lent me the black lace dress again. As I slipped it on, my mind flashed back to the last time I'd worn it. The memory of how the material had crumpled against my skin as Noah's big hands had pushed it up and over my body made my heart beat a little faster as I applied my make-up and straightened my hair.

At seven on the dot, the door buzzed and I practically ran to answer it. Charlotte and Alex were already curled up on the sofa - I'm pretty sure they were already practicing for married life - and Alex's wolf whistle as I burst out of my room made me blush.

Turning to jokingly give them both a curtsey, I opened the door to Noah and nearly fell over backwards. I had only ever seen him wearing a suit once before. At Ben's funeral. Even under such sad circumstances, he had looked pretty incredible.

But, tonight, he looked as though all the goddesses ever known had pooled together to create the perfect man, then sent him straight to my front door. His navy suit was perfectly tailored to every inch of his tall frame, and the fitted white shirt he wore open at the neck had the faintest pattern of small grey flowers running through it.

Running one hand through his hair, effortlessly styled up in his trademark messy side parting, he looked almost nervous as his gaze began at my feet then slowly ran all the way up my body until he met my eyes.

"Wow," he whispered, "You look amazing."

"You've scrubbed up pretty well yourself," I smiled back, resting my hands on his chest as I rose up onto my tiptoes to place my lips gently on his.

"Give me two seconds to grab my stuff," I said, placing another quick kiss on his cheek before heading back to my room.

Charlotte's subtle smirk as I walked past said it all. She may have been engaged to be married, but she wasn't blind. I knew she'd be dying to know all the juicy details tomorrow but, for now, I was just desperate to know them for myself.

"Don't wait up!" I called over my shoulder as we headed down to the street, where Noah's car was polished and waiting.

As we drove deep into the heart of London, the atmosphere between us was quiet but comfortable, and I was still clueless about what was in store. We weren't in an area I knew well. In fact, it was one I'd seen more in the movies than in real life, even though I had lived in this amazing city for over half a year.

The buzz of people sipping their drinks on the streets outside posh Chelsea bars, the magical glow of Westminster and Big Ben, then the sleek, futuristic skyscrapers of The City; every single sight was like food for my eyes and I ate it all up in wonder. The only thing distracting me was the beautiful man sat next to me, occasionally stealing me back to him with a comment or question.

Pulling up outside one of the most well known landmarks, I audibly gasped as I stared up at the angular, reflective glass towering above me. As a valet took the car away I was still gaping like some kind of alien in this new world.

Entering the main lobby, I gripped Noah's hand tightly - for moral support more than anything.

"I've got dinner reservations and a room booked, name of Hartnett," he said confidently to the pretty, dark-haired boy behind the counter. The badge on his burgundy waistcoat read 'Jorge'. Ironic.

"Certainly, sir," he smiled back politely. "It's always nice to welcome you back to the Shangri-La."

"Thanks," Noah mumbled, leaning casually against the counter as he handed over a credit card while keeping his eyes fixed on me.

"You're in our Westminster suite, on the thirty-seventh floor," Jorge continued. "If you'd like to take the elevators at the end of the lobby, someone will bring your bags up shortly. Here are two room keys for you, enjoy your stay."

As Noah swung open the doors to our room, he swept my up off my feet in one swift move and carried me, giggling, inside. My eyes danced around the grand living room as he gently placed me down onto one of the giant sofas, before I immediately ran off to explore. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered the most amazing views across the city and the place was bigger than my whole flat. A beautiful lounge area led off to the master bedroom, a walk-in closet and dressing room, plus the biggest bathtub I had ever seen in my life.

"All ours for tonight," Noah's deep voice whispered in my ear, as he crept up behind me while I stood rifling through all the expensive cosmetics that had been artfully laid out by the double sinks.

His breath on my neck made my skin tingle, and I turned around to drape my arms round his neck. Pushing his hips into mine as I leant against the sink worktop, he slowly touched his lips against mine, but didn't kiss me.

"I want this to be magical for you, Abi," he breathed softly against my mouth.

Shit. Was he planning on going all the way tonight?

"Noah, I'm not sure I'm quite ready for... you know..." I whispered nervously.

"I know, I didn't mean that," he chuckled, before lightly brushing his lips across mine. "I just wanted this night to be magical. It is our first official date, after all."

As my shoulders relaxed, I breathed in his warm breath as his lips teased mine. Parting my mouth with his, Noah gently began to kiss me, softly and tenderly, sending forks of lightning through my body.

"Are you hungry?" he murmured.

"Starving," I replied, smiling slightly as his mouth still hovered against mine.

"Good, let's go," he said, pulling his head away from me and grabbing my hand.

The restaurant was amazing for the views across London alone. As we feasted on gourmet Asian food and shared a bottle of expensive wine, I could feel myself almost glowing at being back in Noah's company. There was no denying almost every other diner had noticed him as we walked in, and I couldn't help feeling slightly smug at the way he didn't take his eyes off me once.

Over the two hours we spent enjoying our dinner, we talked about everything. Noah told me more about his sister and his childhood, and I shared memories of my own early days. I told him how dad being diagnosed with cancer had shaken our family to the core, but how he'd always tried to remain strong for me and mum. Until the day we realised he wasn't as strong as he seemed.

He listened intently when I explained how his death had hit me hard and I'd fallen on George more than ever for emotional support. He laughed out loud when I recounted the story of how dad had bought my first piano for my fifth birthday, but I'd been too small to even reach the pedals so he'd got on his hands and knees and pushed them for me.

"Was he musical, your dad?" he asked gently.

"So musical," I smiled. "He was a jazz guitarist. He had an amazing talent and some success when he was younger but, when mum fell pregnant with me, he gave it all up and found work in a bank."

"He sounds like a good guy," Noah smiled back.

"He was," I whispered, my throat tensing up as I fought back the lump that always formed when I thought of him.

"Anyway, tell me more about you," I said, quickly trying to change the subject.

"What do you want to know?" Noah responded with a glint in his eyes.

"I want to know what your favourite colour is," I laughed. "What's your favourite food? How many times did you have to take your driving test? I want to know everything!"

Laughing as he reached his hand across the table, Noah's green eyes sparkled as he answered my questions one by one and I, in turn, revealed my answers to him.

By the time the waitress politely came by and asked whether we were ready for the bill, we were halfway through another bottle of wine and giggling like naughty kids as our questions grew more ridiculous and laced with innuendo.

"Yeah, we're done here, thanks. Can you charge it to my room?" Noah grinned at the waitress, who immediately blushed.

"No problem, Mr Hartnett," she mumbled, before starting to clear away our plates.

"Are you a local here or something?" I laughed.

"Not really, just done a few gigs here before. And who could forget a face like this?" he laughed, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

After a slightly wobbly walk back to our suite, I threw the doors open wide and span my way into the middle of the living area like Maria Von Trapp.

Wrapping his arms around my waist to stop me mid-pirouette, Noah laughed as our faces came to meet. God, he looked beautiful when he smiled like that; his eyes lit up as they creased around the edges, and the most adorable dimple appeared in one cheek.

"Come on, I want to make the most of this suite," he murmured, placing a kiss on my forehead before leading me by the hand to the bathroom.

As I sat on the closed lid of the toilet, Noah began to run the bath, adding a random selection of liquids from the fancy toiletries on display to create a ridiculous amount of bubbles, and lighting a large church candle that sat up on the shelf.

"Stand up," he said, finally turning his attention away from his mad scientist moment to face me with that familiar wicked look in his eyes.

Doing as he said, I stood up and walked over to him, standing next to the giant bathtub in anticipation.

Without saying a word, he reached down and began to slowly pull the hem of my lace dress up over my thighs, making sure his fingertips lightly brushed my skin as he did so. He paused slightly before lifting the material over my breasts, his eyes widening instantly at the revelation that - yet again - I was braless in the black lace dress.

Once he had swiftly pulled it over my head, he softly held my shoulders as he stepped back slightly to admire every inch of me, standing there in front of him in only my tiny black pants, illuminated by the soft candlelight.

Brushing his lips lightly against my neck, Noah began to work his mouth down my bare skin; tracing lines with his lips across my shoulders and chest, teasing my nipples with his tongue, and sucking gently as he kissed my stomach.

Standing back up, he removed his jacket and shirt, finally giving me a glimpse of the toned, inked torso I had been thinking about all night under his tailored outfit. Unbuttoning his trousers, but not removing them, he slowly worked his way back down my body until he was knelt in front of me.

Keeping his eyes on mine as he looked up, he hooked his fingers under the elastic of my underwear then tugged them down in one long, slow, movement.

"Do you want me to kiss you here again, Abi?" he asked gently, his voice crackling against the electricity between us.

I didn't answer, only ran my fingers gently through his dirty blonde hair as he knelt there looking up at me.

"Tell me you want it," he said, his voice thick and heavy.

"I want you to," I breathed. The pulsing was already thumping heavily between my legs, crying out for the feel of his warm tongue.

His tongue darted out to wet his lips as he focused on my smooth skin.

"I love that you've shaved for me again," he smirked, looking up.

Sliding his finger lightly against my centre, he breathed in sharply as he felt my wetness already waiting for him.

"You are something else," he mumbled.

Slowly, he placed his mouth against me and began to massage gently with his tongue, his hands gripping my backside to hold me in position stood above him.

After just a couple of minutes, the sight of him on his knees became too much and I could feel the tingling start to grow within me. Gently pushing his head away, I dropped down to meet him on the floor, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him with urgency.

As I pulled his trousers and boxers down, he was hard and ready. Dropping onto all fours in front of him, I used one hand to slowly guide him into my mouth, performing the same sucking and swirling motions up and down his length as I had done the last time.

As he let out a deep groan, I took him further into my mouth. The feeling almost made me gag but I wanted to feel as much of his length between my lips as I could.

"Fuck," he hissed. Wrapping my hair around his hand, his pelvis started to move in synchronisation with my mouth as he knelt in front of me.

"Slow down," he panted, pulling on my hair a little harder than before and making me feel even more alive.

Pulling my mouth off his length, I moved back up to kiss his lips. His strong arms wrapped around my waist and, within seconds, I was flat on the floor under him.

"You don't know how much I want to fuck you right now," he breathed between powerful, passionate kisses.

"Do it then, I want you to be my first," I panted in response.

"Not yet," he replied, before breaking away from my lips to nibble my ear. "I will - trust me I can't fucking wait to be your first - but I don't want either of us to be drunk when it happens."

"I'm not drunk," I began to protest, "I want to know how it feels to have you inside me."

"Don't talk like that," he almost winced. "I want to feel you around me more than anything, but I don't want you to think you've been rushed."

"I don't feel rushed at all," I whined, "Please, Noah, just fuck me."

The words that spilt from my mouth took us both a little by surprise. Noah pulled back to look at me, his eyes wide and a smirk across his face.

"I'd love to, but I don't have condom in here for a start," he murmured.

"Doesn't matter, just do it," I hissed, reaching up to pull his head back down to kiss me with one hand, while I slipped the other down between our bodies to guide his length towards the spot where I wanted it most.

As the tip touched lightly against my clitoris I let out a gasp at its warmth and firmness.

"Abi, don't," he breathed heavily, slowly moving his pelvis against me and sucking in a sharp breath as his erection rubbed easily against my wetness.

"Fuck, you're so ready," he hissed, continuing to move against me, "I could just take you right here, right now."

"Noah, please," I gasped, almost on the verge of climax already at the sensation of him rubbing my most sensitive area with his full length.

"No, not without a condom," he breathed. "We need to stop."

As he pulled his body away from mine I whimpered at the momentary loss of contact, before his mouth found my centre once again and his fingers filled the aching need inside. Driving them deep into me, his full mouth sucked and licked in the way I'd grown to love, until an almighty shout broke free from my chest. Losing control, my right leg shot out above his head, kicking the ornate bottle of bath salts off the side into the water.

I could hear Noah laugh gently as he withdrew his mouth and began to place light kisses all across the inside of my thighs.

Returning the favour with my own mouth on him once I'd got my breath back, it wasn't long before he was gripping my head firmly and warning me of what was about to happen.

This time, though, I didn't pull away. As the hot liquid shot to the back of my throat, I instinctively swallowed through reflex alone. It wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't what I'd expected. It clearly wasn't what Noah had expected either, judging by the look of awe on his face as I pulled my head away and wiped my lips with the back of my hand.

"Jesus, you are learning quick," he smiled lazily, kissing me gently as we lay side-by-side on the bathroom floor.

"Are you okay?" he continued with a frown.

"I'm fine," I smiled, looking deep into his hypnotic green irises, glowing and flickering in the candlelight.

"Our bath will be cold," he laughed gently, sitting up to test the temperature of the water with his hand.

"It's still hot," he smirked, "Fancy a dip?"

Taking my hand as I stood up, Noah got in first then opened his legs so I could position myself in between them, resting my head back on his chest.

Gently massaging my shoulders with his rough, strong hands, neither of us said a word as we lay in the warm, soapy tub, relishing in the afterglow we had created for one another.

As the water started to cool, Noah got out first to grab one of the luxurious fluffy white towels, wrapped me in it, then swept me up again in his arms to carry me to the bed.

While I lay there on top of the bedsheets, dripping wet and wrapped up like a burrito, Noah confidently strode buck naked over to the minibar and pulled out an ice bucket.

"What's that for? Are we having champagne, Mr Hartnett?" I laughed.

"Not quite," he smirked, as he placed the ice bucket next to the bed and slowly crawled above me.

Peeling back the towel to uncover my body, I could tell from the look in his eyes that our night of five-star passion wasn't about to end just yet.

"Are you warm enough?" he asked, the corner of his mouth still turned up suggestively.

"Mm-hmm," I nodded.

"Good, then close your eyes," he instructed, reaching over my head to place his hand in the bucket.

Doing as he said, I lay there with my eyes closed, unsure of what was about to happen. The sharp feel of ice on my nipple caused me to gasp loudly as my back arched high off the bed.

Glancing down, I could see Noah had an ice cube in his mouth, looking up at me devilishly through his eyelashes.

I watched in awe as his head slowly travelled further south, teasing my skin with the ice between his teeth. I cried out so loud that they must have heard it down in reception, as the mixture of his hot mouth and the freezing cube made mind-blowing contact between my legs.

If this was our first official date, I couldn't even picture what was to come. Except for Noah and me, of course. Twice more before we both eventually fell asleep; our damp, naked bodies entwined tightly under the finest Egyptian cotton sheets of The Shangri-La.