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I hand him his ice cream and push myself off the floor to go into the front room, drawing the blinds, continuing to nibble at parts of my cone.

As soon as I do, he drops his underwear and stands there, smiling.

Moving in with Charlie might be one of my more inspired ideas.

It happened last month, a sunny day in May carrying all my boxes, when Brooke made space for my products in the bathroom, when Charlie found out I had six boxes just dedicated to my stationery and still let me stay.

And it’s the process of not just being with Charlie but becoming a part of this family, of slowly loving and calling this place my home where on the hottest of days or even the coldest of days, we can be us.

Because it turns out hot is overrated. It’s about a love that lasts through all seasons.

Times where we can occasionally get naked and eat ice creams together when Brooke and Sam are out, where we can smile at each other in the mirror when we’re brushing our teeth and I can hug him from behind when he’s doing the washing up.

I bite into my ice cream. I am naked in our living room.

I don’t think I care, it actually is quite pleasant given the temperature.

‘Bonjour,’ I say.

‘Oh, we’re French now, are we?’ he jokes. ‘Hola.’

‘Spanish?’

‘Sí.’

I finish my ice cream and pull my dress over my head. As he lies there, I can see the perspiration glistening around his collarbones, highlighting the shallows of his neck.

‘It really is bloody warm, eh?’ I say, taking off my bra. I am not quite sure why he averts his eyes but maybe it’s so I can’t see the smug look on his face. As I lower my knickers and kick them away, he looks me straight in the eye. ‘That’s a relief.’

‘Isn’t it?’ he says. He walks over to me slowly, tucking my hair behind my ear.

‘I believe the deal was no touching. This is far too close in this heat,’ I say. I lean in and give him a light kiss on the cheek, letting my lips linger against his skin. ‘Much too close.’

He reaches behind me and pulls me close to him, backing me on to the sofa just below the window. As he lies on top of me, I wrap my legs around him, both of us sighing together, my back straightening as he pulls me in. I will always and forever adore that feeling.

‘Much too warm…’ he mumbles, in between kisses and lightly pushing inside me.

‘We should have prepared first. Maybe got the fan down from the room…’ I say, not that I’ll be the one who goes and fetches it. ‘Or hydrated beforehand…’

‘Maybe brought some Calippos,’ he suggests.

And this is what sets me off. This sex might well be the most magnificent thing but laughing with him comes a very close second.

Seeing his face crease up and the sound, the feeling is contagious.

‘I mean, the lady had a queue, she might still be there.’ As I laugh, he pushes deeply into me to get me back.

I sigh, exhaling with a giggle as I kiss the underside of his neck. ‘Yes, Suzie…’ he whispers into my ear.

‘CHARLIE! SUZIE! You in? THE ICE-CREAM LADY IS HERE!’

The sound of Brooke’s voice in the hallway makes both of us descend into giggles as we scramble around desperately.

Charlie stubs his toe, I tidy my hair desperately and find a throw to cover both of us as we sit there, next to each other, trying to act as though this fleece layer is a choice on this very, very hot day.

We watch the doorway as Brooke pops her head around the corner.

She looks at us and then looks at the piles of clothes on the floor.

She starts to shake her head, judgementally.

‘For fuck’s sake, it’s nearly forty degrees. The NHS told everyone to avoid physical activity. You two are gross!’ she shrieks.

For some reason, this makes us laugh even more, sitting there like giggling schoolkids.

‘Have you put a sheet down? I sit there! I’ve had naps on that sofa!’

Charlie may snort at this point, mainly because she’s turned around and is shouting all of this at the opposite wall. She has her big earphones around her neck, a rucksack in her hand.

‘You’re home early,’ he tells her.

‘So you’re telling me when Sam or I are not at home, you shag your way around the house?’

‘It was a one-off, Brooke,’ I say, attempting a bit of damage control. ‘It’s this heat. You know how it is. It makes you do crazy things.’

‘It is very warm,’ she tells us.

‘Does that mean I can take off this throw?’ Charlie asks her.

‘NO! You’re so grim! I’m getting an ice cream. When I get back, I don’t want to see your pants on the floor. Where’s your wallet?’

‘On the coffee table.’

She edges into the room to snatch it before storming off. I pull the throw up to my face to hide my embarrassment. I snuggle into Charlie and he kisses the top of my head, resting his cheek on my shoulder.

‘It really is very hot, isn’t it?’ he tells me.

‘It is,’ I reply. ‘Much too hot for sex.’ I laugh, kicking off the throw and resting my legs over him.

He walks his fingers along my thighs. ‘Never too hot. Love you.’

I take a deep cleansing breath, my heart glowing. ‘Love you too, Carlos.’

*

If you swooned over the sizzling tension between Suzie and Charlie in Hot to Go , you’ll fall head over heels in love with Mia and Ed in Kristen Bailey’s hilarious, unforgettable rom-com Sex Ed .

Mia and Ed have been best friends ever since they began teaching at the same school.

But when Mia discovers Ed is still a virgin at twenty-eight, she decides to take matters into her own hands… Find out what happens here .

Available now, or read on for an exclusive extract!