Tending the homefires

'Before I met Leo, I had a two-year limit on my relationships,' she says. 'And Leo - well, before he met me, let's just say he was a very bad boy!' But this time around it's different, Nicole explains: 'When Leo and I got together we agreed to be really honest, to say exactly what was on our minds. That keeps the relationship fresh because we don't have any secrets or bad feelings weighing us down. Everything stays as light and fresh as it was when we first got together.'

'It might not always be easy to cultivate the trust of your partner,' says Alperen, 'but if you're truly honest with him, you feel known, and that's the only way you can really feel loved.'

At first, the commitment to being honest wasn't easy for Leo, who says he had lied to past girlfriends about fidelity. But, he says, Nicole's willingness to allow him plenty of time to himself ironically has kept him from feeling the need to stray or to create secrets between them.

'When things get too intense, we spend a night or two apart,' he says. 'Sometimes I just need to get away for the weekend with the boys. Nicole doesn't mind at all; in fact, she understands. When we finally get together again, it's like, 'God, I missed you'. We're like sex maniacs!'