Kate felt a great sadness for the man lying beside her. While they had made love she knew that, for a short time anyway, he had forgotten the events of the previous week. It had crossed her mind that he was using her, but wasn’t she using him? He was only the second man she had ever slept with. In forty years, she had had two men. In this day and age it was laughable! Only she wasn’t laughing.

Kate had surprised herself with the intensity of her response. She had never known any other man but Dan, but after tonight she was more than aware of what she had been missing all these years. Dan made love like he did everything else: with only himself in mind. Patrick Kelly, whom Dan would look on as an ill-educated lout, had actually spent time on her enjoyment. Oh, and she had enjoyed it! More than she had ever thought possible. The earth-shattering orgasms that she had read about were not a con, they were there just waiting for her to experience them. She snuggled into Patrick’s hard body, enjoying the feel of him.

‘I bet this would go down like a lead balloon if it was known in Grantley Police Station. The DI knocking off a local villain!’ His voice was jocular and Kate found herself laughing with him.

‘Knocking off? Thank you very much, Mr Kelly!’

Patrick held her tightly.

‘That’s just a figure of speech. You’re a good woman, Kate.’

She put her face to his and kissed him. Let the outside world hang. At this moment all she was interested in was him. She would worry about the rights and wrongs of the situation in the morning. As she felt his hands travel across her body, she closed her eyes and with them her mind.

‘Oh, Happy New Year!’

Elaine had been kissed until her lips were sore and her lipstick just a faded memory. She had not enjoyed herself so much in all her married life. Normally when they were invited to a party George never wanted to go. Elaine had therefore always declined. Since her newfound freedom, however, she had decided that she would get as much out of life as she could. With or if possible without George. And tonight had been her watershed. She had been danced off her feet and had loved every second of it.

She looked around the crowded room for her best friend, Margaret Forrester, and smiled as she saw her sitting on her husband’s lap. Elaine wished she could have a marriage like that. Where everything was just plain and simple, laughing and joking the norm. Her face fell as she thought about her life with George. Still, they were going to Florida and she was going to Spain, so at least this year she had something to look forward to. And this party looked as if it could go on for hours yet!