Steve, welcome to the crossroads. What you’ve experienced over the past decade can be kids’ stuff compared to what lies around the corner. Your situation is so parallel to mine a couple decades back….
We met and married in the 80’s; not a first marriage for either of us. My wife would have passed as a body double for Anni-Frid Lingstad of ABBA, complete to the empty, sagging breasts with upturned nipples, face, hair, camel-toe and tummy. She was perfection in every way imaginable and – I believe, emotionally in-love for the first time. Sex was great… for the first year, and then…. It became one position, TV remote in right hand, let me know when you’re finished. Further, she adamantly refused to discuss anything regarding sex/our sex life. Everything else about our life together was perfection.
I know over the years she’s had boyfriends and lovers although she’s extremely private. (I’ve remained monogamous throughout our relationship). There’ve been subtle signs over the years and a couple times I’ve found physical evidence when she’s been careless afterward.
My philosophy: a person is going to do what she/he/they want to do. If they cannot do it openly, or refuse to admit they have the desire, they will do it in private. (I’ve condensed a book to four paragraphs but will get to the point now).
The last time for me was over eleven-years ago. With a combination of ED, age and lack of reciprocation, I concluded my hand and vivid imagination were better. Everything else in the marriage remained perfection. If she wanted to continue with her private life, I wasn’t going to confront her.
I first read She Is His, and now your other, preceding documentaries. Presuming I comprehend what you’ve written and haven’t read anything into it, you are at a place where your (and her) pleasure can go ‘off the scale.’ You are where I was eleven years ago, except you have an open – nothing forbidden – avenue of communication with your wife.
If I wore your shoes, I’d sit down across the table, and give her exclusive rights to everything except the emotions you feel for one another. If you absolutely trust her to remain emotionally true to you alone, what could be a better affirmation of love than to openly give her that freedom. Give up your (marital) right to her body and her sex, and rely solely upon your emotions, non-sexual affection, and what she chooses to share with you.
She derives tremendous pleasure from watching you masturbate and playing with your balls and etcetera. Give her that exclusive right to control the scene while you reach your gratification from what she wants to give you, along with your communication. If she allows unsupervised masturbation whenever you desire... great. If she says, "Only under her direct supervision," enjoy it to the max.
If she enjoys nudity with Paul alone, foreplay and sex with him exclusively, give her that right to exclude you. A weekend alone with him… whatever her desires, allow her that freedom with no strings attached. Trust me when I say… when you’ve gone six-months without seeing, and then get a glimpse down her blouse… your libido will go over the top.
Granted, it takes a long time before you realize… it isn’t yours any more, but while that mindset develops, and every day thereafter it’s a literal constant head trip that far exceeds anything physical. Giving her that control – FOREVER – knowing you will never have the right to her, makes everything she gives you in the future, better than anything you’ve ever had.
I’ll conclude this for now, but will discuss it further if you want. My wife has reached an age now (mid-70s) where I don’t believe she has playmates any more, but taking things in hand, I continue to have the best orgasms imaginable by thinking back to those days….