The joy of sext :)

My name is Sarah* and I love to sex text. And it seems I'm not alone. Ashley Cole, Vernon Kay - not to mention the girls they secretly sexted - are hard at it, too. All night it seems, and behind the backs of their gorgeous, glamorous wives.

I'd like to think my sexting is slightly less grubby. For a start, my partner isn't married - but the messages we send each other are lewd, explicit and downright thrilling.

Our electronic foreplay details exactly what we'd like to do to each other when we meet up. Every beep of a message is a huge turn-on, pushing my buttons in more ways than one.

From "I'm feeling naughty" to "I want you so bad" or "I'm going to blow more than your mind", to ones I don't dare share with you - anything, goes.

Ashley got caught texting sexy pics.

I'd never say these things aloud, even after two bottles of Pinot Grigio, and I haven't dared to be identified as the writer of this article just in case my mum reads it! I'm not so shy when I'm punching in the letters on my phone however, and my inhibitions reduce as quickly as my credit.

The messaging always starts innocently as we discuss which restaurant to go to on our date, but it quickly turns to talk of what will happen after dessert.

Lingerie, sexual positions, our secret desires and memories of our last encounter are all on our menu. Like any seduction, it starts off slow and builds to a fast and furious crescendo, sending dozens of messages in a matter of minutes. By the end of our textual intercourse sesh, it's not just my phone that's buzzing with excitement!

But SMS is not without its dangers. My partner confessed he became aroused in a meeting after reading one of my texts and, like Ashley, he's begged me for naked pictures. But, dear reader, don't worry - I've got my own boundaries and sending him a picture of my breasts crosses that line. But I understand how people like Ashley get to the stage when they're trading shots of their body parts. It's easy to up the ante when you don't have to ask face to face. And therein lies the rub.

Sexting gave Vernon a thrill.

I feel like a different person when I'm sexting, taking on the role of a sexually voracious plaything - even though in reality I'm SMSing in my PJs or from my seat on the number 53 bus. It's an instant thrill to brighten up an otherwise dreary day. For married men, I assume the buzz is even more intense. Sending another woman a filthy message while watching TV with your wife is risky business. I'm sure some people even get off on the possibility of getting caught. My only nightmare would come if someone read my messages.

For me, sexting overcomes the geography and hectic schedules that stop me and my lover seeing each other more frequently. Our relationship is very casual, and I'd be lying if I said we meet up to intellectually stimulate each other. It's based on sex, and the sexting sessions fulfil a need when we can't make our diaries sync.

It makes sense that the only people who sext are those who are having - or want to have - no-strings sex. Quite why anyone would spend hours sexting without wanting to subsequently meet body to body and fulfil their fantasies is beyond me.

But after my experiences, I think everyone should have a sexting session. If you're married, though, just make sure it's your partner who gets the message.