We walked back to the hotel, fuelled by giggles and wine. We had left ourselves very little time, so I had no opportunity to preen myself or change into more glamorous and sexy clothes. Comfortable underwear, jeans and a sweater had seemed a natural choice to go out given the cold and damp night air, but now they felt wholly inappropriate.

Anna assured me that I was over thinking the whole thing. “I only care about the person inside, and I am sure the boys will see you the same way. A diamond is still a diamond, even when it is wrapped in a brown paper bag.”

“So you think my dress sense is no better than a paper bag.” I dropped her arm, stood with my hands on hips, and feigned hurt.

She narrowed her eyes at me and smacked me gently on the arm. “You know what I mean.” She walked on two paces without me and turned. “My god, you are sexy when you pout.”

I laughed. Of course I knew what she meant. I was deeply flattered that she thought of me as a diamond. And I was not immune to the fact she had said boys; plural. I was going to be fucked more than once. I felt strange stirrings in my groin. Well, perhaps not so strange. I was very horny.

The night porter welcomed us. “Good evening Mrs. De Carlo, I trust you have had a good day.” I had no recollection of seeing him previously and wondered if he was the stallion. I had no way of knowing, and neither he, nor Anna, was giving anything away. The sudden memory stirred more.

Anna’s room had been tidied and the beds changed and pulled down. The flowers remained and a fresh bottle of Prosecco had been put in the ice bucket. I could not help but admire the respect that this woman seemed to command. She handed me the scarf, her gaze questioning whether I wanted it.

“Are you still sure about this,” I asked. “It is not too late to say no.”

“Yes, I am sure. I love you, and I want to make you happy.”

She had not hesitated. And she had said she loved me. I simply melted, threw my arms around her neck, and kissed her. She responded with a passion and ferocity that surprised me, even after all we had experienced together. Our mouths locked together. Our tongues explored. I could feel my heart racing and my groin getting wet.

I took the scarf. A complex chain of thoughts raced through my mind. Would my sweater come off over the scarf? How would I look in jeans and white cotton bra? It went on. In the end, I stripped then tied the scarf around my eyes. These boys wanted to see me naked, so why not greet them naked.

There was a light knock at the door. “You are beautiful,” Anna said. I stepped back so that I was out of view from anyone passing in the corridor. There were a few minutes of whispered voices and rustling. I was again very conscious that my naked body was being scrutinized by strangers. I felt my nipples involuntarily harden. I hoped it looked sexy.

I heard the pop of a cork and the clink of glass. Someone took my hand and placed a drink into it. I thought that I had already consumed more alcohol than was good for me. I raised the glass in what I intended as a toast, without having any idea if anyone was in front of me or even looking. I focused hard on holding the glass upright and steady. There was going to be enough stains in this room without me adding to them.

Hands started to touch me; masculine hands, on various parts of my body. One feminine one touched and then lightly gripped my fingers. There were hands touching my breasts and teasing my nipples. There were hands caressing my stomach and making their way downward. There were hands running up my back, and there was a hand fondling one cheek of my bum. It was impossible to tell how many men this was. A minimum of three, but it could easily have been more. What had started as warmth and damp between my legs was now a trickle running down my thighs.

The hands at my back pulled my cheeks apart, and I could feel a mouth planting kisses against the puckered hole of my bum. Another mouth started to suck on one nipple while fingers squeezed the other. When a hand slid between my legs and a finger moved easily into my vagina, I had an orgasm. It was small compared to others that I had experienced, but enough to make me sigh loudly. It made me think of the first time I had an orgasm with Anna. It made me think of her sitting on my face. It made me think of having her cum in my mouth. I could hardly believe that was less than eight hours ago.

I was guided to get down on my knees. I sat back. A penis brushed against the side of my face. I turned to kiss it. It tasted of sparkling wine. I remembered a film that I had seen many years ago, took a long sip from my glass, and offered my open mouth to the man before me.

The effect of having cock in a mouth full of sparkling wine was delightful, for me and whoever this man was. I heard him groan, and felt him harden. As much as I had not wanted to drink, I had little choice but swallow, and that made this man positively throb inside me and moan even louder.

He put his hands on the back of my head, and seemed to want to push his cock further in. I wanted to please but equally I was scared; if he tried to push too hard I would gag, and after the wine and pasta, vomit. But I had nothing to fear. He remained remarkably gentle, seeming to judge perfectly how far to push before pulling back.

He continued for such a long while that I became concerned he would cum in my mouth. That was not something I thought I could swallow, but as he started to throb and shudder and I knew he was on the brink, he withdrew and sprayed hot sticky semen onto my face, my neck and my tits.

Someone took the glass, helped me to stand and guided me back to lie back on the bed. Anna ’ s hand remained in mine, and someone very gently wiped me clean. The wiping clean seemed an odd gesture, until I felt cold liquid being poured gently onto my breasts and a tongue licking it off. Someone was drinking Prosecco from my tits.

If I thought that was incredibly erotic, it was nothing compared to when someone tried tipping it onto my stomach, licking greedily as it dribbled between my legs. The first couple of attempts ended with wine running sideways and being mopped from around my hips, but once the position was judged correctly, it trickled slowly down my belly, through the small brush of pubic hair, over my clitoris and into the slit that was my now aching, wet cunt. It was simply exquisite, not least because of the tongue darting into the entrance of my vagina tried to catch every last drop. I could feel myself getting close to my second orgasm.

As the glass emptied, the man drinking from me simply changed position so that he could lick my clitoris. He started to slide a finger into my vagina, and then used the finger to massage the outside edge of my anus. There was so much fluid now leaking from me, I did not think I would need any artificial lubricant. I was right. It was not long before his finger was inside my bum. From what I could sense, it was a short stubby finger. Quite thick, but it slid into me very easily and with no pain. When he removed it and tried putting two fingers in however, it hurt. I yelped.

He paused but did not attempt to withdraw. I kept telling myself to relax and tried what I had learned for childbirth; quick breaths. It helped. Eventually he pushed deeper. I could feel the knuckles on his fingers pass into me. It hurt again, but the pain became a lot easier to cope with. When he had both fingers deep inside, he started to move them about; twirling one over the other and slightly parting them. It was exquisite. I could feel the inside of my vagina being massaged. I could feel my bum being stretched.

He stopped and slowly withdrew. I sensed movement all around though had no idea who or what was going where. I managed to wrap Anna ’ s fingers into mine, gently squeezed and tried to pull her closer. She responded. I felt her lift my head and slide under me. Hands lifted both legs, spread them wide and back towards my shoulders. Something greasy was massaged into my bum. I felt the head of a man ’ s penis press against me. I was about to have anal sex.

Thoughts went through my mind that this was the stallion that had fucked me this morning, and the size was going to tear me apart. If I did not die from pain, I was certain that I would from internal bleeding. The sudden fear made me tense.

Anna seemed to sense the panic rising in me, and gently stroked the side of my head. “It’s all right my darling; no one is going to hurt you. I won’t let them hurt you. I promise.”

It was the first time I had heard her speak. The only time anyone had spoken. I tried to relax. I tried the breathing exercise. I tried to focus on Anna being there to protect me. I knew that I had coped perfectly with Anna’s toy inside me, and I desperately wanted to experience having a man fuck me that way.

I felt the penis push into me. It was slow and gentle, and I was surprised that my anus seemed to respond easily. There was a brief moment of pain, but it passed, and I soon felt the head inside me. He continued to push and the shaft entered too. I had no concept of what sort of length or size this man was, or indeed how much penis a rectum might accommodate. All I can say is that it felt huge.

He slowly started to move; to fuck me. I quickly realized that the sensation of having a dildo in your bum is very different to having a man fuck you. The movement really was delicious. It seemed to create sensations that I have never experienced or imagined.

While I had this man’s cock inside me, hands squeezed my breasts and nipples. I now felt the sensation of something pressing into the side of my breast just below my nipple. From the movement it felt like someone was masturbating against me.

The movements of both men started to become more desperate and forceful. I knew I was near to another orgasm. The man fucking me suddenly came, stopping all movement while his cock, buried deep, shuddered. He withdrew, and while my bum made noises, a penis pushed into my vagina. That tipped me over the edge. An orgasm shook my body, causing me to spasm and scream obscenities. The sight and sound of me took the man masturbating to the brink, and as I gasped, I felt him cum on my tits. It was hot and sticky, and seemed to smother me.

The man now fucking my cunt took up a vicious pace, plunging deep and hard into me. I could feel the heat of his cock burning my insides. I could feel the head pushing deep into my womb. I continued to orgasm; I had no idea if this was several, or just one continuous one. I had never cum like this. I continued to scream and I continued to shudder, from head to toe. I could feel fluids running from my vagina and my bum. The man withdrew and I felt his semen spray my belly.

My legs were released, and for a few moments I relaxed and tried to catch my breath. I thought about the joys of having a man cum inside me. I now had someone cum inside my bum, and I wanted to feel someone cum inside my vagina; deep inside. As I started to wonder whether we had reached an end, I felt Anna lean close and whisper, “they want you to turn over.”

I wanted more. I was happy to oblige and positioned myself on hands and knees as close to the edge of the bed as I could judge safe. As a penis started to rub against the lips of my cunt a second time, a hand pushed gently against my back and I felt my face brush against someone’s legs. The feel of cotton against my skin simply confirmed what I thought; it was Anna.

The man pushed and entered me. Compared to the earlier experiences this was almost rough. With just that one thrust, I could feel the head of this man ’ s cock rub against my cervix, the force of it pushing my face into Anna’s thighs. He started to fuck me hard and fast. I turned my head so that I could breathe easier, my face now close to Anna’s groin. Even though she was still fully clothed, I could smell the sweet musky aroma of arousal. I could imagine how wet she was.

The smell of her intensified all of my notions, ideas and feelings until they collapsed into one simple thought. I wanted to be taken. I wanted to be fucked. I wanted to experience the joy of sex in every way imaginable, but not by the man that was now pounding his cock into my cunt, and not by any other man. I wanted just the woman that lay beneath me stroking my hair.

No sooner than I knew that I had to stop, the man withdrew and I felt him cum over the cheeks of my bum. I might have puzzled at why any man might enjoy doing that, but felt relieved that this way was easier to wash off.

I turned my head as best I could and hoped that I had Anna’s attention. “No more,” I said. She immediately responded, speaking Italian to the men in the room. I had no idea if I was going to be a disappointment to someone, but I no longer cared. I wanted to be left alone with this woman.

Anna guided me to my feet, and into the bathroom. As soon as she closed the door, I removed the scarf and turned the shower as close to scalding that I thought I could bear. I grabbed a face cloth and soap and washed myself harshly. I felt dirty. I did not want strangers semen on my body, and when the men and the soap were rinsed off, I stayed so it would wash away the confused feelings too.

Anna returned. I imagined I had been in that shower for hours. I kept my back towards her as she stepped in with me, wrapping her arms around my wet body. She eventually made me turn, but I hugged her tight. I did not want her to see my face. It was wonderful feeling her body touching mine, feeling her as close as it is possible to be. I tried hard to control my emotions, but it was impossible to hide. She turned the water off and looked intensely at me.

“You are crying?”

“I am sorry.”

She wrapped me tight into her arms and held me while I sobbed. “There is no need to say sorry. My darling Kat, whatever it is that is upsetting you, I promise we can make it right.” She gently guided me out of the shower, wrapped me into a towel and sat me on the toilet. “Please tell me.”

I breathed deeply, trying to get control. “I made a mistake.”

She looked puzzled. “We all make mistakes. We go through our whole lives making mistakes. Time and time again. It is how we learn. We discover that something is wrong, and take a different path, so that we do not suffer that pain again. The only time we should be upset, is if we make the same mistake over and over, but never try to change.”

If she had said that in the restaurant earlier, it would have made no sense. I realized how much I had sobered up. “Thank you,” I said.

“There is nothing to thank me for. I want to help you, and I have promised that I want to be with you. I just hope that it is not being with me that is the mistake.”

“No, of course it is not you. You are the best thing I have. It is ...”

She put a finger to my lips to hush me. “There is no need to explain. I want you to be happy, and you will do that more easily if for now you put this out of your mind. The only thing I need you to do for me at the moment is to move so that I can pee ” She took both of my hands in hers, and tried to help me stand, but I deliberately sat tight. A puzzled face looked down on me. “Kat, I really need to pee.”

“Anna, do something for me?”

“Of course, anything, but ...”

“Pee on me.” There. I said it. I felt myself blush.

She smiled. “If we stay like this much longer I will pee on the floor.”

Anna led me back to the shower and helped me sit on the floor. The ceramic was cold and uncomfortable, but I was not going to complain. She stood astride my legs. I was eye to eye with her thick bush of black pubic hair. She managed to crouch slightly, spreading her legs. I wrapped one arm around her, burying my face into her belly, and slid my other hand up her thigh until I touched the lips of her cunt.

“Kat, I will never pee if you start playing with me.”

I could tell that she was still aroused.

Her lips were engorged and wet. I easily slid two fingers deep inside her, found her bladder and pressed. Childbirth had taught me a lot about anatomy. The effect was instant. A warm flow of hot pee ran onto my hand, my neck, my chest, between my breasts and over my belly. It was simply magnificent. It washed away the feelings that soap and water had failed to, and when it formed a warm puddle between my legs, it made me feel horny again. I looked up. I had a view of her lithe body and breasts, surmounted by a smiling face.

“I have never done that before,” she giggled.

I kissed her belly. “And I have never done this before.” I still had two fingers pushed deep into Anna’s wet vagina, and it was easy to move my thumb so it slid across her clitoris. I heard her moan softly.

“Kat ....”

I started to run my thumb in circles.

“Oh my …"

She bent her legs slightly further, giving my hand freedom to move. I started to slide my two fingers out and back into her. At first I went very slowly, but her breathing becoming harsher an erratic seemed to excite me, and I started to fuck her hard. It did not take long before I felt that she was reaching that edge. I partly withdrew my fingers, pushed into her g-spot, and pressed my thumb hard against her clitoris. With a deep moan, she came.

Anna helped me to my feet and we kissed passionately. It felt so good to have this woman in my arms, to caress her flesh with my hands, to feel my breasts crushed against hers. And it felt incredibly erotic knowing the slight squelching sound that we were making as our bodies pressed into each other, came from me being wet with Anna’s pee.

Eventually we turned the shower on. I relished soaping and washing Anna down, but it hardly compared to having her hands on me. While I fascinated at how Anna’s nipples felt as they hardened to my touch, her hands on my breasts sent shudders through me, and when we washed between each other’s legs, I thought I could easily orgasm.

By the time we dried each other and climbed into bed, I was horny and wanted sex, though that was not strictly true. What I wanted more than anything was to just be with Anna. The desire to have sex seemed almost irrelevant beyond that.

Anna wrapped me tight into her arms. We kissed while she slowly and gently caressed my back. I could not resist keeping one hand on her perfect bum. For the longest of times, that is all we did. I think I would have been happy to stay like that for the rest of my life. I felt wanted. I felt that I was a desirable woman. I felt loved.

Anna did eventually reach down and slide a hand between my legs. I was wet, and I was very willing. She gently flicked a finger over my clitoris. As my breathing quickened, moans seemed to emerge from somewhere deep inside me. I felt certain that I sounded like an animal in pain. It took very little time. I came. I shook violently as spasm after spasm rose through my body. I hung onto Anna as if she might be blown away by the tremors that were raging through me.

I lay on my back. I was spent. Anna curled into my arm, her head on my shoulder. Her arm lay lazily across my stomach, fingers gently toying with my tuft of pubic hair. I could feel her breaths become shallow and relaxed against the flesh of my breasts. I felt content. More content than I could ever remember.

“Anna?”

“Yes?” She was nearly sleeping.

“Why did you not speak to me that first night on the terrace?”

She pushed herself up on one elbow. The only light came from the glow of the alarm clock. I could not read the expression on her face, but I sensed a struggle.

“I was frightened,” she said softly.

I did not answer. I wanted to ask why, but words seemed unnecessary.

“My attraction to you was instant, from the moment I saw you walk into the hotel. I spent the whole night and following day thinking about you. I wanted to tell you how I felt. I desperately wanted to tell you, but you were a married woman, married to a man, I had no reason to think you would be interested in me. When I saw you alone on the terrace, it seemed a perfect opportunity to be with you. I thought I could tell you, but suddenly realized that if I spoke, you might turn, recognize me, and just talk to me. I knew you would be friendly, and I had no doubt we would get on well, but I became frightened that was all I would be; a friend. So I stayed silent and I kissed you. I thought that if I could have nothing else, I would at least have that kiss.”

I was glad the darkness hid my tears, but did not think the emotion would be absent from my voice. “Kiss me again,” was all I could manage. She kissed me, gently, and slid back down beside me. It was not long before we were both asleep.

I woke early, wrapped tightly into Anna s arms. I wanted to just stay there, but my bladder had other ideas. It was a good opportunity to freshen up a little. I am not sure I had ever had to clean my teeth with my finger before in my whole life, but it seemed inconsequential compared to the happiness I felt.

Being a single bed, it was impossible not to disturb Anna, but it felt so good sliding in naked beside her. She turned onto her side, her back towards me, reached round for my hand and clutched it tight onto her breast. I curled in behind her, spoon fashion, until I imagined every inch of our bodies were touching.

I could not help think about the days when I first started sleeping with Tom. We were both still in college. We always slept naked together; a habit that we only grew out of when the children took to unexpectedly climbing into bed with us at night. Tom was very affectionate and considerate while we were awake, but he always needed his own space when he slept. I never felt that I had shared that part of his life. I had never thought that could be any different, until now.

I know that I drifted into another contented sleep. I awoke next to the feel of Anna kissing me gently on the lips.

“I will have to get up soon,” she said. “I am supposed to be at the desk by seven.”

“What time is it now?”

“Six fifteen.”

I put my arms around her and kissed her long and deep. She pulled away to catch her breath and lay back. I climbed on top of her. My legs were wrapped in the bed sheets, and my movements clumsy, but I did not care. With my legs astride Anna’s hips, and my hands free, I leaned foreword to kiss her again.

I started to move downwards. First kissing her chin, then her neck; taking each inch of her body one at a time. Anna lay back and sighed deeply. By the time I reached her breasts and focused on teasing her nipples with my teeth, I could her breathing quicken, and her body hungrily pushing towards me.

“What happened to the gentle sweet Kat that climbed into bed with me last night,” she asked.

I knew what I wanted. I continued to work my way down her body, kissing, licking, teasing and enjoying every bit of flesh of this wonderfully beautiful woman.

“Kat, you are going to make me late.” Her voice now sounded jerky, one word between each rapid breath. I took no notice, and started to pull at her pubic hair with my mouth. Her hands reached down to push my head. I took the hint and buried my mouth fully over the edge of her cunt lips, sucking her clitoris in as hard as I could. I bit on it gently and then proceeded to lick on it. Anna arched her back and let out a deep moan.

I reached down further so I could lick the entrance to her vagina. She had such sweet tidy lips. She was already oozing liquid and tasted sublime; I could feel it sticking to my tongue and dribbling down my chin. I could hear her breathing becoming erratic.

“Kat, I want you too.” Her voice was now almost staccato.

I turned as quickly as I could manage. I sat astride Anna’s chest. As my tongue found it’s way back to teasing her now swollen clitoris, Anna started to lick the outer edges of my vagina. It sent shudders down my back. I ached for her.

I knew that I was near that edge and that it would not take much to send me into ecstasy. I continued to lick Anna, tasting her, until I sensed that she too was close. As I let myself go, I sucked hard on her, taking both of us into orgasms that racked our bodies, making us scream with delight.

As the orgasm subsided, I climbed off and collapsed into Anna’s arms. She kissed me deeply and longingly. I could taste myself on her lips and on her tongue, as no doubt she would taste herself on me. The whole idea of our bodily fluids mingling that way made me happy beyond anything I could imagine.

“I think you have enjoyed making me late,” she teased. Her breathing was finally returning to a more normal rhythm.

“That is because I do not want you to leave me, ever. ”

She pushed herself up onto an elbow. “If I do not leave then I will fall madly in love with you. If I fall in love with you, I would have to have you here with me always, and you could never have sex with anyone but me.”

I already knew that I did not want sex with anyone but her. I already knew that I was in love. Her trying to make it easy for us to part just made me love her and want her more. She leaned forward to kiss me, climbed off the bed and ran into the bathroom. With her kiss I felt the wet traces of tears from her face. I bit hard on my lip. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. It did not matter; I could not let Anna hear the sobs bursting from deep in my soul.

By the time Anna emerged and started to dress, I knew that I had to leave. I was no longer sure if I had a marriage, but I did know that I had three children and a father that meant the world to me and, for a few more years at least, needed me back in California .

“I am sorry,” I said softly.

Anna walked over to the bed and wrapped me in her arms. “There is nothing you need to be sorry for, nothing at all. Nobody can ever take this night away from us. It has been perfect.”

I kissed her one more time, and watched her get dressed in the half light from the bathroom. Within a few minutes she was gone.

The next few hours passed in a haze. I know that I dressed and returned to my suite. I know that I showered and changed into fresh clothes. I know that I went down to the restaurant for an early breakfast, but very little of the detail of that time registered. I was preoccupied. Not with thoughts of what might happen with my life, but just holding on to the feelings and memories that I had shared with Anna.

Before I knew it Tom returned from Rome , and I slipped back into being the dutiful wife, interested only in his trip and his meetings. We spent the last of the morning walking the streets, enjoying coffee and pastries. I was genuinely pleased that dinner with the chairman had sealed the negotiations and he was able to return with a substantial new contract for the company.

Tom did apologize that he had neglected me. I know that in his mind he was concerned only with his unforeseen trip to Rome , but my thoughts were on the generality of the last twenty years. I had become a good housewife and a good mother, but I had stopped being the lover that Tom wanted to come home to at night. I had stopped being a woman. I accepted what Tom said with as much grace as I could manage, but somehow it left an unpleasant taste.

When it was time to leave, Anna came to find us. She told us that our taxi was waiting and our cases had been taken care of. I watched her intently. I could see the pain behind her eyes. I could sense the flood of emotion that she was going through. I understood it. It was no different to how I felt.

“You must have left this at the restaurant last night. One of the staff found it and brought it back this morning.”

She handed me a small brown paper bag. I felt baffled; I had never seen it before, but at that moment I could think only of Anna. I admired her calm and professional manner. I was on the brink of breaking down.

She turned to Tom and kissed him, Italian style, on both cheeks. “It has been a pleasure to have taken care of you both. I hope you will come and stay with us again.”

When Anna turned to me, I could not bear the idea of a perfunctory peck. I threw my arms around her and wrapped her into me as tightly as I could. She responded without hesitation. “I love you, Anna. I will never forget you.” I hoped my words were quiet enough that Tom had not heard, but I was not sure I cared if he had.

She pulled herself from my grip and held my hands. “Ditto,” she said.

“I am pleased that you enjoyed yourself and made friends,” Tom said after. We were on the way to the airport.

“Anna was kind enough to keep me company last night. We had a very nice meal in town together.”

“She seemed very nice.”

“She is.”

“What is in the bag?”

It was still gripped tightly in my hand, and I had no idea. Realizing that I was unable to describe whatever it was, I opened the bag. Inside the bag was a small box and inside the box, a necklace; a small mounted diamond, on a thin silver chain. I had seen it several times before, hanging around Anna’s neck. Tears filled my eyes. I bit hard on my lip.

“It is beautiful,” Tom said.

“Yes.” It was all I could manage at first. “I saw it and thought it would be a nice memento to take back with me. It was not especially expensive.”

Tom took it from my hands and placed it around my neck. I wrapped my hand around the diamond so that it pressed into my skin. I had no qualms that I had just lied to my husband, but I did regret having said it was cheap. I had no doubts that it was a real diamond, but that hardly mattered. It had a value beyond money; my diamond in a brown paper bag.

“We should come back; you seem to like the place and the people.”

“Perhaps one day.” I hesitated. It felt like there was a dam about to overflow, and I had no idea where the flood was going to take me. “We should go to more places, take more vacations together.”

“We do have more time, so yes, we could.”

“I do not mean with work, or with the kids, or going away with friends, I mean just me and you. I mean romantic vacations.” I could see the taxi driver watching me in the mirror, smiling.

“Okay,” Tom said, clearly unsure where the conversation was going.

“I am serious Tom, we need to try to find that spark again. I want to be wanted.” The taxi driver’s eyes were wide and glaring.

“Kat, this is not the time or place.”

I knew he was right, but I feared that if I did not speak now, I would never say what I felt. “I know, and I am sorry, but I cannot help that we are in the wrong place. I need to feel like I matter; matter as a woman. I want to be loved.”

“You are loved Kat. I do love you.”

“You love me for being a good wife and a good mother, but I am a woman too. I need to be desired and wanted. I need you to want to make love to me and not just have sex now and again.” I glared back at the driver and forced him to look at where he was driving.

Tom was embarrassed. “I am sorry. I did not know our lovemaking was so disappointing.”

“I am sorry too. This is all coming out hurtful, and I did not mean to be hurtful. You have been a good husband and an even better father, but I have realized that I need something more. There is a huge hole in my life that I need to fill. Our lovemaking does not have to be disappointing. It can be different. I just need you to be willing to change.”

“Okay, but I am not sure I know how to change.”

“We can learn. If necessary we will buy books and watch movies. We can do it if we try, if we both try; together. Just promise me you will try.”

“I promise,” he said, and lapsed into a thoughtful silence.

As Sorrento slowly faded into the distance, I sat and thought about my life. I had no idea if I could ever fall in love with Tom the way I needed to for our marriage to last, but for his sake and the sake of our kids, I thought I should try.