Bang

“Nina!” I hear my name being drawn out by one of my friends.

“Jacqueline, don’t you look lovely,” I say as she leans in to kiss my cheek.

“Well, I can’t even compete with you. Gorgeous as always,” she says before turning her attention to Be

While Jacqueline flirts with my husband, I scan the room. Everyone dressed in their finest, drinking and socializing. I turn away from the mindless people and take in the sleek, modern design of the hotel. A minimalistic fitting but clearly bathed in money. As I float my gaze around the room, I land on a pair of eyes staring at me. Eyes that catch my interest. Standing in a small group, not paying attention to a single person around him, a man—a startlingly attractive man—is watching me. Even as I look at him from across the room, he doesn’t divert his lock on me; he merely cocks a small grin before taking a sip out of his highball. When a slender blonde strokes his arm, the contact is lost. Impeccably dressed in a bespoke suit, he has a slightly uncaring look about him. His hair is styled loosely, as if he just ran his hands through the thick locks and said fuck it, and his defined jaw is covered in day-old stubble. But that suit . . . yeah, that suit is clearly covering a body that is well maintained. The lines and cuts hug his form, accentuating broad shoulders that V down to slender hips.

“Honey?”

Pulled away from my lingering eye, I turn to my husband’s curious look and notice that Jacqueline is no longer by his side.

“What’s got your attention?” he asks.

“Oh. I’m just taking everything in. This place is amazing, huh?”

“I was asking about the party, but I guess you were zoned out. So what do you think?”

“Yes, I agree. This would be a great venue and a nice change of scenery,” I tell him, and when I do, I see fuck it guy approaching. He has an ease with his stride, and the other women in the room see it too.

“You must be Be

“Good to finally meet you, Declan. I haven’t seen Cal here tonight,” Be

“He’s isn’t here. He had to fly to Miami to take care of some business.”

“That old bastard never stops moving, does he?” Be

When Declan looks over to me, my husband apologizes and says, “Declan, this is my wife, Nina.”

Taking my hand, he leans in and kisses my cheek before pulling back and complimenting, “It’s a pleasure. I couldn’t help but take notice across the room earlier.” Looking at Be

“I tell her that every day.”

I wear my smile as a good wife should. I’ve been doing this for years, numb to the ridiculous accolades these men tend to throw around in their lame attempts at gentlemanly ways. I can see that Declan makes no attempts though. His shoulders are loose. He’s relaxed.

“This place is quite an accomplishment. Congratulations,” Be

“Thank you. It only took a few years off my life, but,” he says as he takes in the surroundings, “she’s exactly how I envisioned her,” before bringing his eyes back to me.

This guy is outright flirting, and I’m surprised when it slides past Be

“I was just telling Nina that your hotel would provide a perfect backdrop for our year-end party that we throw for our friends.”

I butt in with a smirk, saying, “It’s a once-a-year event where my husband releases the reins, allowing me to create an event to accentuate his financial power, simply to remind everyone who’s on top. A penis extender, if you will, and he’s due for his a

“She’s got a sweet mouth on her,” Declan says.

“You have no clue,” Be

“When does this event take place?”

“It’s a New Year’s Eve ball,” he answers.

“Sounds like that is doable,” Declan says as he takes out a business card from inside his suit jacket, and instead of handing it to Be

Taking the card from between his fingers, I watch as he turns and tells my husband, “I’ll be sure to oversee the pla

“Looks like I’ll be writing a big check this year,” my husband jokes. “Well, Declan, it was great to finally put a face to the name, but if you’ll excuse us, I’d like to show off my wife on the dance floor.”

When Be

We continue to spend the evening mingling and visiting with friends and business associates before we retire for the evening and head back to The Legacy. Stepping off the elevator and into the penthouse that Be

His eyes are rapt as they move down my body. I stand there as he slowly approaches and then slides his hands along the length of my sides until he finds himself on his knees in front of me. He runs his hands up my legs through the opening of the slit in my dress, and as soon as his fingers hit my panties, I turn it off.

The steel cage wraps around my heart and before my stomach can turn, I shut down.

Numb.

Vacant.

He drags my panties down my legs and I step out of them before I feel the warmth of his tongue when he slides it along the seam of my pussy, but I am able to keep myself from entertaining the slightest impulse of intimacy. I’ve been sleeping with my husband for years, but I refuse to allow the pleasure I lead him to believe I’m experiencing.

Why?

I’ll tell you why.

Because I hate him.

He thinks, in this moment, that we’re making love. His cock fills me slowly as I lie beneath him. Arms laced around his neck. Legs spread open wide, inviting him in deeper as he makes a meal out of my tits. He believes everything I want him to. He always has. But this is merely a game for me. A game he foolishly has fallen into. He never questions my love for him, and now my body writhes underneath his and moans in mock pleasure as he comes hard, jerking his hips into me, telling me how much he loves me, and I give his words right back.