I am happily married. At least, I thought I was.

My husband and I have been together for 10 years, married for 5, got two little kids, 6 and 4.

He’s my best friend, my soul mate, my family, my closest confidant. Except when it comes to this: There’s a man at work who I have become close to, who I can’t stop thinking about, who is making me seriously consider being unfaithful to my husband for the first time.

It’s hard to explain, but I’m sure lots of people who’ve been together for a long time would get it. Our lives are great but they’re busy and stressful and the last thing there’s ever any time for is love and romance and excitement.

I work three days a week, and the man I’m talking about works alongside me. We get on really well. We chat and flirt and laugh while we work. Knowing I’ll see him makes me want to go to work, and makes it easier to leave the kids behind. I feel like ‘me’ again. But the thing that’s turned my head upside down is the physical attraction. I haven’t felt like this, like I’m giddy for him to touch me, like if his arm brushes against mine I might explode. I haven’t felt like that for years.

I’m still attracted to my husband. But not like that. And it’s making me a bit crazy. There’s this big part of me that just wants to give in to the attraction, even just once, and get it out of my system. I would never, ever want to hurt my husband or ruin our relationship, but is it really right to go through life never feeling as alive as I do when I think about this man? And would it really have to ruin everything if I had a fling?

I haven’t spoken to anyone about this. It feels like if I told my sister, or a friend, or anyone that it would real, and riskier. But maybe if no-one knew at all, it wouldn’t have to be a big deal. Am I kidding myself?

What should this woman do? Is it possible to have a sexual fling and not ruin her marriage, or should she run for the hills?