Chapter 1

SIENNA’S POV

The club’s bass thumped through me, vibrating my bones. I clutched my vodka soda at the bar, the glass cool against my sweating palm. Neon lights flashed over twisting bodies, painting them in electric hues.

The air was thick, a mix of sweat and sickly sweet perfume. My black dress, a reckless choice for a 42-year-old, hugged curves that felt foreign on this dance floor.

Evan had tossed me aside for a 30-year-old with manufactured breasts. His betrayal still stung, a constant whisper that I was old, used up, unwanted.

My new Miami condo, still overflowing with unpacked boxes, felt more like a monument to my shattered life than a fresh start.

My twins were off to college, leaving me untethered, aimless. Lila, bless her wild heart, had dragged me here, swearing a good screw was the only cure for what ailed me. I wasn’t convinced.

My heart ached, a dull, familiar throb.

“Stop looking like your dog died,” Lila commanded, her voice cutting through the noise. Her blonde curls bounced as she leaned in, her sharp perfume momentarily clearing the haze. “You’re hot, you’re single, and you’re gonna bang someone tonight.”

I choked on my drink. Heat rushed to my cheeks. “God, Lila, chill.” The thought of a stranger’s hands on me made my chest tighten. Evan’s rejection echoed in my ears, reminding me I wasn’t enough.

“What? Evan’s out screwing his mid-life crisis, so why aren’t you?” Her grin was wicked, her eyes scanning the crowd like a predator spotting prey.

I twisted my straw, the ice clinking. I wanted to feel alive, desperately. But the fear of letting go, of being truly seen, held me captive. “I’m not you. I don’t just… hook up.”

My voice sounded small, carrying the weight of years spent being the “good wife,” the “devoted mom.” That woman was lost in the wreckage of my marriage.

Lila snorted, snatching a shot from a passing tray. “Bullshit, you’re dying to let loose. That dress isn’t just a dress, Si. It’s a goddamn invitation.”

“Jesus, you’re crude,” I muttered, but a smile tugged at my lips.

Lila had always been my wild side, the friend who’d dragged me into countless high school escapades.

I’d chosen stability then, burying my own dreams under diapers and dinner parties. Now, Evan’s betrayal made me question every choice I’d ever made.

“Crude’s my charm, babe.” She downed the shot, slamming the glass down. “Pick a guy. You need to get laid, stat.”

I scanned the pulsating crowd. Men in tight shirts, women in barely-there skirts, all moving with a confident swagger that screamed ownership of the night.

I felt like an alien observer, my divorce a heavy anchor dragging me down. Yet, beneath the familiar ache, a new hum vibrated through my body—a hunger I’d ignored for too long. Could I really just… take?

“I wouldn’t even know how to start,” I confessed, my voice barely a whisper, the raw hurt seeping through.

It wasn't just about initiating contact; it was about opening myself up to another person, another possible disappointment.

“Him.” Lila nodded towards the dance floor. A man moved with easy grace, his dark hair catching the strobes like spun moonlight. “Young, hot, and staring right at you.”

I followed her gaze, and his eyes, sharp and blue, locked onto mine. The breath caught in my throat. “Fuck, he’s gorgeous,” Lila whispered, nudging me. “He wants to eat you alive.”

My face burned. My heart hammered against my ribs. “He’s a kid. He probably thinks I’m his mom.” Evan’s voice, cruel and cutting, echoed in my head, telling me I was too old, too used up, a relic.

“Kid?” Lila scoffed, her eyes alight. “That’s a man who’d make you forget your own name. Go talk to him. Show him you’ve still got it.”

I gripped the bar, my nails digging into the wood, a desperate need for solid ground. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to bury myself in my apartment with a bottle of wine and a fresh torrent of tears.

But his eyes, slicing through the chaos, ignited a simmering heat deep between my thighs. My core clenched, a delicious tension that defied my fear.

A part of me, the part that Evan tried to extinguish, yearned for that connection, that raw desire.

“What if he laughs?” I asked, my voice trembling. The divorce had shredded my confidence, leaving me second-guessing every single step. What if I tried and failed again?

“Then he’s a moron, and you move on.” Lila’s tone softened, just for a beat. “You’re not Evan’s reject, Si. You’re still a fucking catch after two kids. Go.”

I downed my drink, the vodka burning a path down my throat. I wasn't ready. Not really. But Lila was right about one thing—I was tired of feeling broken.

Tired of being haunted by Evan’s ghost. This wasn’t just about sex; it was about reclaiming something, anything, for myself. Even if it was just a fleeting moment in a loud club.

“Fine. But if I crash and burn, you owe me brunch for a month,” I teased, the humor a thin shield for my raw nerves.

“Deal,” Lila winked, her hand firm on my back as she pushed me forward. “Now go get some.”

I weaved through the throng, my heart pounding louder than the pulsating music. The guy watched me approach, his lips curving into a smirk that promised delicious trouble. Up close, he was devastating.

His jawline was sharp, sculpted. His scent, a primal mix of clean sweat and spice, filled my senses. My stomach flipped, a dizzying mix of want and fear. This was it. The precipice.

“Didn’t expect you to come over,” he murmured, his voice low, rough, like he was already tracing paths on my skin.

I laughed, a shaky sound, smoothing my dress, an attempt to hide the nervous tremor in my hands. “Didn’t expect to either. My friend’s really… persuasive.” My words carried the hint of my recent hurt, a subconscious plea to convince myself that this outward confidence wasn't just an act.

“Lucky for me.” His eyes raked over me, slow and deliberate, lingering on my chest, then my hips. “You’re the hottest thing in here.”

My pulse raced, a hot flush pooling low. He was too young, too bold, too dangerous. But his gaze, so direct and intense, made me feel wanted in a way Evan never had. It was intoxicating.

A potent cocktail of desire and recklessness. Could this really be happening? Could I really feel this alive again?

“You say that to every girl?” I tilted my head, trying to play it cool, but my voice wavered, my unspoken need slipping through.

“Only the ones that make my heart race.” His grin was wicked, a flash of pure mischief. And in that moment, as reckless as it felt, I believed him. I wanted to believe him.

My pussy throbbed, a deep, insistent ache. My body screamed for more, for release, for something to erase the years of emotional drought.

But my mind was a maelstrom—Evan’s betrayal, society’s unspoken judgment of an older woman with a younger man, my own gnawing doubts.

“You’re trouble,” I teased, braver than I felt, trying to mask the aching vulnerability in my chest.

“The best kind.” He stepped closer, his breath warm on my cheek. The scent of him, raw and male, flooded my senses. “Dance with me. Let’s see how much trouble we can make.”

My stomach flipped again. This wasn't me. Not the Sienna who baked cookies and volunteered at school.

This was a new, wilder version, flirting with a man nearly half my age.

“Okay,” I blurted, the word escaping before I could second-guess it. My heart hammered against my ribs. “One dance.”

His grin widened, a dazzling flash in the dim light. He took my hand, his fingers firm, sending a spark of heat straight up my arm. He led me to the dance floor.