My heart is thudding, and I can feel it beating against my skin, as Andrea stands and pulls me to my feet. She takes hold of my hips and pulls me close, kissing me slowly, as my hands find their way into her hair. The kiss is slow and sensual. It is perfect.

She is perfect.

She unbuttons my blouse so slowly, and I want to tell her to just rip it from my shoulders, but she seems to enjoy taking her time. As she undoes each button, she kisses the newly revealed skin and I feel her hot tongue dart out to make contact. I know only a moment of hesitation when she removes it fully and I am left in just my bra and skirt, but she just stares at me so sweetly.

I had been so glad when we walked in here, that rather than the main bulb, the small floor lamp in the corner had been the only light. It fills the room with a soft glow that hides all manner of sins. However, she is looking at me like I am a piece of art, and I realise then that she would still look at me like this even if the room was filled with a harsh bright light.

"You are stunning," she tells me, "absolutely beautiful."

She walks around behind me and I can feel her searching for the zip on my skirt. I laugh as I take her hand and guide it to the side instead, and she inches the zip down slowly. My skirt drops to the floor and I don't care that it is probably getting creased.

I turn in her arms again, and reach for the hem of her t-shirt, pulling it up over her head. Stepping closer I am overwhelmed at the first sensations of our bare flesh touching. She is so soft, so flawless, and I am desperate to see all of her now. I pop open the button of her jeans, lower the zip and start tugging them down her legs, huffing with frustration as they get stuck. I am not as smooth as I would have liked to believe, and it doesn't help that my fingers are shaking as I try to remove her clothing.

She takes over the job of removing her jeans, as I remove my stockings and then all that is left is us, in our lingerie. My own is all black lace; dark, and as dangerous as my reputation. Andrea is an angelic vision all in white satin, but there is nothing virginal about her, I know.

I reach around her to remove her bra, but it's backwards to how I am used to doing it, and after three unsuccessful attempts I give up. She grins as she undoes her own, and then, with one hand, in one smooth movement mine is also undone and falling to the floor. I roll my eyes as she grins at me smugly.

"Come lay down with me," she suggests, and I'm grateful because my legs feel wobbly, and I am struggling to remain standing.

Laying on the bed together, I look at her. I let my gaze wander over her curves, over her muscles, over her flawless skin.

"You are truly a wonder, Andrea," I can't help but tell her, wanting her to understand just how incredible I find her. I reach out and trace her curves reverently, delighting in sensations of her muscles rippling under the lightest of my touches.

"And you are absolutely beautiful, Miranda. I love you so much, let me show you," she asks, as she pushes me onto my back, and gets up on her knees to crawl above me.

She kisses me then, and it's the most sensual experience of my life. I can feel her breasts grazing against mine and it is like nothing I have ever felt before. She leaves my mouth and I hear myself whine, but it soon turns into a moan as she starts to worship every inch of skin that she can find. She trails hot wet kisses across my collar bone, down between my breasts, and across my stomach. I flinch when I know she has reached the few stretch marks that I have, but she traces them with her tongue, kissing as she goes, letting me know that she doesn't mind the imperfection.

She moves up again and suddenly my left nipple is encased in a wet heat as she sucks it between her lips and uses her tongue to stiffen it even more. I want so much more, but she is determined to take her time, as she takes over her caress with her hand and her mouth finds my other one.

Andrea has me a trembling, shaking, mess of desire, and I hear myself do something I never thought I ever would.

I hear myself start to beg.

"Please, Andrea, I need you. Please touch me, I'm aching so much," I plead with her and I hardly recognise my voice as I breathily request these things from her. I have never heard myself sound this way; so desperate, and oh so needy. So wanton.

"I've got you," she reassures me. She tucks her thumbs into the waistline of my thong, "may I remove this?"

"Yes," is all I can manage as a response, shivering as she slowly pulls it down my legs and discards it. She takes a moment to remove her own too and then settles herself above me again.

Finally she begins a descent down my body that has me tangling my fingers into her hair in a desperate attempt to guide her where I need her.

Her tongue circles patterns on my stomach, lower and lower, and I can feel my desire dripping down between my thighs. I am so wet. Wetter than I have ever known myself to be, but I don't feel shame. She doesn't let me feel shame.

"You smell amazing, Miranda. So incredible. I can't wait to taste you," she sounds so much in awe as she speaks. "Do you want me? Do you want my mouth on you? Do you want me to make you come?"

We both know she already knows the answer to that. We both know what I need.

I nearly arch off of the bed when she first makes contact with her mouth, kissing me intimately, and then dipping her tongue between my lips.

I hear her groan, "you taste delicious, Miranda. Even better than I thought you would," and I blush to know that she has considered these things. Her tongue circles my entrance a few times, teasingly dipping inside, and I cry out in pleasure. I have never known sensations like this, and I can't stop my hips from rocking towards her face.

She lifts her head, and her eyes meet mine, "you ok? Is this ok?"

She is checking in with me, and that gesture alone makes my heart nearly explode with love for her. I nod frantically, hoping she will get the message and carry on. She does.

As she dips her head back down, I feel her enter me with her fingers, pushing in firmly, and I can feel her fingers curling inside me, as her tongue finds my clitoris. It's a matter of seconds before I know I am approaching climax. I have my hands back in her hair, and I am almost using her to get myself there faster. I am grinding against her face, and I can't seem to stop myself, even as I feel a slight twinge of embarrassment at my actions.

She adds another finger and I catapult off the edge, toppling into the most shattering orgasm I have ever experienced. Waves of pleasure rock through me, over and over, and I struggle to breathe with the intensity of it. She waits for my muscles to stop clenching and gently removes her fingers from inside me, laughing when I whine at their loss.

Andrea crawls back up the bed and lays her body flush against mine.

"You are so incredible, Miranda. That was amazing," and I can see she has tears in her eyes.

I realise then, the difference between her and my ex-husbands. Here she is, this beautiful woman, crying from the experience of giving me pleasure, rather than just taking what she needed for herself.

I need her close, and snake my arms around her, holding her body against mine, and it's only when I feel wetness on my cheeks that I realise I am crying too.

"I've never felt anything like that before," I confess raspily, struggling to talk.

"Me neither," she agrees with me, much to my confusion. She buries her face in my hair, and her arms tighten around me.

"But you haven't… I didn't… I haven't touched you yet?"

"If you want to, I won't stop you," and she laughs then, "but you should know how incredible that was for me. To be able to hold you, and touch you and give you pleasure? That's everything to me."

I can't help but kiss her again then. Kissing Andrea is one of the most pleasurable things I have ever done. I had no idea that kissing someone could feel like this. I can taste myself on her lips, on her tongue, but I am surprised to realise that I don't mind it.

"I want to do that. To you, I mean," I tell her, pushing up and rolling her to the side of me.

"I've never done this before, be patient with me," I warn her, feeling ridiculously inadequate as I contemplate where to start.

"Anything you do will feel amazing, Miranda, and I'm so damn close already, it's not going to take much. I don't think I can last long."

I follow her lead and push myself up on my knees, kissing her skin everywhere I can see. I use my tongue, and my lips, and when I get to her nipple I use my teeth, albeit gently.

"Harder," she instructs me quietly, "I like it a little harder."

I use one hand to pinch her nipple as I draw the other one into my mouth, dragging my teeth over the stiff peak. I hear her moan so I know I am getting something right. I prepare to make my way down her body, the same way she did to me, but she stops me.

"Am I doing it wrong?" I'm scared of the answer, but I want this to be as good for her as it was for me. I want her to tell me what she likes and what she needs, and I am happy to take her instructions.

"No, sweetheart, you're doing everything right, I promise, but just use your hand this time. I want you to stay up here with me, so I can kiss you. I have dreamt of this moment so many times, I want to look into your eyes as I come. I need to know this is real, because it feels like a dream."

How can I refuse such a sweet request? I settle myself next to her, propped up on my elbow so I can kiss her, as my hand runs down over her body until I reach her patch of trimmed curls.

She wiggles then, and I can see how desperately she needs me. Now is not the time to tease, but I'm sure that will come later.

I dip my fingers further down and I can't help but feel astounded by how much wetness I find spilling out of her. It coats my fingers, and I bring my hand up to my mouth, curious to taste her. She is sweet and delicious, and I promise myself that the next time I make her climax it will be with my mouth.

I push two of my fingers between her lips, and in one smooth manoeuvre that I feel ridiculously proud of, I sink deeply into her slick heat. I add another finger, and she whispers to me to add one more. I know I always need more stimulation, so as I am pushing my fingers into her, I let my thumb find her bundle of nerves and circle it firmly.

She is incredibly responsive, and her moans are getting louder when I realise her legs are starting to shake.

"Just like that, oh god, that's so good," she encourages me, and I press my lips against hers, kissing her urgently, entering her mouth with my tongue.

I keep up the rhythm, and I feel her whole body moving against mine, as she whispers in my ear. She tells me how good I feel, how close she is, how much she loves me. I move slightly so I am more on top of her, removing my thumb and using the heel of my palm to grind against her.

My whole body is moving with my hand when she cries out, and I can feel her muscles tightening around my fingers. It's a strangely connecting feeling, experiencing another woman's orgasm as she rides it out with your fingers still inside her. I marvel at the sensations of her, as her muscles clench me tightly, keeping me inside, drawing me in.

Eventually, her body stills, and she takes my hand and pulls it out of her. She guides it up to her lips and sucks my fingers into her mouth, cleaning them one at a time with her tongue, and I feel close to orgasm again, just from that alone.

"Wow, that was amazing. I can still feel aftershocks," she giggles, and the sound of it is so happy and carefree that I fall in love with her a little bit more.

"Was it truly ok?" I ask, more than a little bit shyly, because I need to know that she is not just saying this to placate me. I am not confident in my skills with any new lover, let alone someone of the same gender as me. This is a night of firsts for me, and I need the reassurance.

"Could you not feel what you did to me? Could you not feel how hard I came?" she asks, incredulously.

"I could feel you, but was it really good for you?"

"Miranda, look at me," she tells me, and I do so, getting lost in her expressive warm eyes.

She strokes my cheek softly and it makes me shiver, "you have known me a long time now, and you know I don't say things that I don't mean, don't you?"

I nod, because, yes. I do know that about her.

"I have never come that hard with anyone in my life," she leans up to kiss me, and I get lost in her as I consider her words.

"Really?" and I can hear how shy and uncertain my voice is.

"Really," she promises, and there is something about her tone that makes me realise she is being truthful.

"I love you, Andrea." I can't help but tell her again because I need her to know how deeply I care about her.

"I love you too, Miranda. You are everything to me."

"I owe you an apology," I tell her, hiding my face in her neck and pulling her close.

"I'm sure you don't, Miranda, but what for?"

"I told you I wasn't ready. I let you think I wasn't ready for you to love me, but that wasn't it at all. Truthfully, I was scared. You are so young and so so beautiful," I tell her wistfully, sighing, "and I got scared to show you my less than perfect body."

To my surprise, she chuckles, and I pull back to glare at her indignantly.

"Why are you laughing at me?" I demand, frowning.

"I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you. It's just, I knew, ok?" She kisses me, distracting me from our conversation momentarily until it sinks in what she has just revealed to me.

"You knew why I was scared?"

She nods, "I had a feeling it wasn't down to getting closer to me, and I know that you are sensitive about your figure now. You put in a lot of hard work to remain fit, but I watch you when a designer dresses you in something that you don't feel comfortable in. I know your reactions, Miranda. I know you."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" I'm genuinely confused why she didn't call me out on my small lie.

"Because in a way, you spoke the truth, whether or not it was for the reason you gave me. It didn't matter if you weren't ready for me to touch you, or whether it was because you were uncomfortable about your body. Either way, you weren't ready. I was happy to wait, sweetheart, because it was always going to be a better experience for us if you were comfortable with me."

I stare at her in wonder. This beautiful, understanding, intelligent woman has just stolen the breath from my lungs all over again. Never have I known such a patient, caring and compassionate person before.

She kisses me and then moves so that she is laying on her back, and I am resting in my favourite place, with my head on her shoulder, listening to her heart's soft beats.

I want nothing more than to make love again, and again, and then again after that. Her heartbeat is so soothing though, that my eyes start to feel heavy and the sheer bliss of the moment starts to pull me under.

"Sleep, my love," she whispers, as her hands trace soothing patterns on my skin, and I allow myself to drift off.

I wake up a few hours later, and I can't resist the woman in whose arms I have awoken. I kiss her, waking her up slowly, and the joy on her face when her eyes open tells me everything that I could ever need to know. We make love again and it's slow and sleepy; so full of love that my heart wants to burst. It is soft, sensual, and we both climax twice before we sleep again, drifting off in each other's arms.

In the morning, we get up, and this time I am brave enough to invite her into the shower with me. There is nothing soft or sensual about this experience. This is hard, fast, and rough, and I have never known such levels of lust before. It is urgent and desperate, and I hear myself say things I have never wanted to say before as I beg her to fuck me.

I never curse. Ever. So I don't know what has come over me to make me utter those words. I hear myself whimpering, pleading with her to take me. Telling her that I need her to take me harder. Deeper.

She takes me up against the wall of her shower, from behind, and she bites my shoulder as I come. I have never wanted to mix pain with pleasure, but that well-timed bite pushed me over the edge so hard and so fast, that I want her to do it again. I can't help but wonder what else I will learn about myself as we get to know each other in a carnal way.

I end up knelt in front of her in the shower, ignoring the discomfort in my knees, as I devour her for the first time. I hear myself moan as her flavour coats my tongue, and I can't get enough of her as I explore her with my mouth. I have never been submissive in my life before, but it is intoxicating being on my knees and serving this incredible woman as she rocks against my mouth and rides my fingers. Her pleasure makes me feel drunk, and I want to drink from her forever.

Eventually, we are both sated, and she helps me get to my feet unsteadily. Andrea surprises me then, and in such contrast to the way she has just loved me so roughly, she gets a cloth and washes me with absolute tenderness. She then makes quick work of her own body.

She rinses me off, kissing my shoulder, my neck, and my cheek. It's such a loving gesture, and I respond by capturing her lips in mine.

I feel my desire igniting all over again, as her tongue slips between my lips and touches my own. She pulls away though and turns off the shower, and I know that we have to get ready to meet with the girls.

We are dressed and in the car not an hour later, and as we drive to the airport we talk about what we will do with the girls there. There are lots of activities they will want to do, knowing them, but mostly I think they will be happy to spend time with the both of us.

Andrea is worried about their reaction to us, but I make it clear to her that I want to be nothing short of honest. They already love her, independently of me, and I don't anticipate them having a negative reaction. I am, instead, excited to introduce Andrea to them as my life partner. I want to introduce them to her as the woman I love and hopefully as a member of our new family unit.

My confidence in their reaction is confirmed when they see us waiting for them in arrivals, and before I know it they have both thrown themselves into Andrea's arms. I can't blame them for this, knowing how much I like being there myself. Andrea lifts her arm off of Caroline's back and takes a step to the side so I can join in the hug, and I realise how lucky I am that this is my future.

I may have lost Runway, but now my family feels complete. My brain is struggling to keep up with all the changes, but my heart feels at peace. It feels like everything has changed so quickly, but in reality, we have been getting to know each other for three years. We have spent all day, most days, in each other's company. I am aware that my work persona is not very personable, but it is a great comfort that she has already seen my worst side. Although we still have a lot to learn about each other, there is so much we already know, and I am excited to discover the rest.

We have both wanted this for so long and loved each other for so long, that this is only the first step of a journey that was ultimately inevitable. We were always going to arrive at this place, even if not at this time. Somehow, eventually, we would have found ourselves right here; safe in each other's arms, with Caroline and Cassidy between us.