All she knew was that she needed a man to say nice things to her. Especially a big, husky man like John. John was twice the man that Bill had ever been, and his compliments made her feel better.

"I think you're absolutely gorgeous," John said, still stroking her shoulder. "I think Bill's probably the biggest Goddamned fool that ever lived."

"Thank you," she whispered. "Oh, thank you. I need to be told things like that. I just feel so miserable."

He kissed her. She didn't mind. The gentle pressure of his lips felt good. He took her hand in his and stroked her palm with his finger. There was something extremely sensuous about the gentle stroking of his finger. It made her feel like she had butterflies in her belly.

He kissed her soft cheeks and then put his lips against the curve of her neck. She shivered as she felt him sucking at her skin, just the way the boys tried to do on dates so that she'd go home with a hickey. But John wasn't trying to give her a hickey. He was nibbling at the soft flesh of her throat like she was some kind of feast.

He pushed her down on the bed and she dropped the piece of ribbon. She felt a little dazed as he put his strong arms around her and crushed her against his massive chest. Her husband had never been a strong man. Bill worked behind a desk most, of the time, and he was getting slightly flabby. She knew that John did some kind of construction work and there was nothing flabby about him. She'd never felt such strength in a man before. His muscles felt like fire, and she felt as helpless as a rag doll in his grasp.

"We shouldn't be doing this," she gasped, just as he put his lips back against hers. This time there was nothing gentle about his kisses. His lips felt hard and demanding. They took her breath away. She felt the probing of his tongue and she obediently opened her mouth. She felt his hard, burning tongue stabbing into her mouth. He seemed determined to drive his tongue deep into her throat.