I felt the tears coming and I bit back at them. I hated everything with such clarity right then and there. I hated this goddamn house. I hated his fucking friends. I hated the outfit I was wearing and I hated my husband and even myself.

But not Dane. I didn’t hate him.

He was a good man, good enough to step in and wrap me up in his arms with no ulterior motive. He didn’t plan on anything that happened next and he didn’t ask for it. I want to be clear on that.

I take all the blame.

Because I was the one that stepped in and tilted my head up. I was the one that reached for him and I was the one that kissed him first.

And he tried to resist me. Dane froze solid there letting me kiss him desperately trying to elicit a response from him. He waited while I worked my best and when I stepped back he didn’t move in to fill in the gap.

“Ana,” he said quietly again, but I didn’t want to hear it.

“Stop,” I told him, “I know what you’re thinking and I know what I’m thinking. I know this isn’t right and I know that we shouldn’t but goddammit I’m tired of always doing what’s expected of me. I don’t want to want this, but I want it all the same and so for once in my whole life I’m going to be selfish and take what I want. What I fucking need.

“I see the way you look at me when you think I’m not looking. I know you think I’m hot and I know that you would give yourself to me in a heartbeat if Rick wasn’t in the picture, so pretend that he isn’t if you want. Whatever it takes to get you over this and into me.”

He hesitated and I laid down my ultimatum.

“Dane I’m done. I’m done playing games. It’s you or those three guys out there in the other room tonight. I know them and I know they don’t give a fuck. They won’t have any reservations about this.

“And yes, part of it is about hurting Rick. Part of this is all about revenge and if I had my way I’d make sure that everyone involved knows that. I want him to hurt and feel abandoned and walking out on him just won’t do that. But doing this, it will.

“So it’s you or them. Personally, I just might prefer both but I’ll settle for one. I’ll settle for anything. I’ll settle for whatever it takes to make me feel again.”

He swallowed hard. His eyes darted to the door and the sounds of those guys in the other room drifted over all the same. He looked back at me and when he did there was a change in his eyes. The way he looked me up and down, the way his gaze lingered.

It stayed on me, and it told me that this was the Dane I’d been waiting for.

“Fuck it,” he said bitterly, “Rick never deserved you.”

And then he was on me in a heartbeat.

It was like all the years of holding back had been floodgates, and now that the tiniest crack had appeared it rushed forward without hesitation or reservation. He was on me, he was all over me. The man couldn’t help himself and I was loving every minute of it.

I was being consumed by him, physically pushed backwards as his hands traveled over my body and felt me, pressed on me so hard and full that I couldn’t help myself but to feel every bit of it.

When I was with Rick on my wedding night his touches on my corset were so gentle on my corset that I couldn’t even feel them. But with Dane now I could feel every bit of it.

I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t help myself. I moaned so loudly I was sure we were going to draw attention and Dane’s reaction, well I think he might have wanted it.

But maybe not yet.

He spun me around and away from him, pulling me back in an instant against his chest and crushing me, holding me tight. I felt his breath in my ear, heard him whisper while his hands moved all over me.

“You have to be quiet Ana because I don’t want to share. I know what you want, what you really want. What you’ve been craving for years now but I want you first. I want you to be mine. I want to break you and use you and then when I’m done, then you can satisfy them.”