Another soft snort, but this time Petra ignored it. The girl smiled and tucked her black hair behind her ear. “That’s three-twenty, please.”
Claiming their usual spot in the corner of the coffee shop, Petra sat with her back to the rest of the store.
“You can’t look at people if you sit there.” Alice grabbed the back of Petra’s chair and moved her a quarter turn as she passed by to take up residence on the far side. Now she had no choice but to look at the other patrons.
And of course their mystery man had slipped onto a stool facing the window, perfectly in her line of sight as he flipped through a newspaper and drank his coffee. Petra hated that she couldn’t keep her gaze off him whenever he was in the room. As much as she might be tempted to do more than a little light flirting, she didn’t think she’d be able to follow through. She was a giant chicken.
“So,” Alice whispered, only to pause as she slurped her drink. “Dildos?”
Back to the matter at hand.
Petra grinned. Leaning in, she lowered her voice, not wanting to offend any of the more conservative patrons. The store really did make excellent iced caps.
“There’s a new manufacturer of dildos for the classy lady.” She couldn’t help but make the air quotes, even though Alice couldn’t have missed the emphasis. “The products are actually pretty good, though I prefer my glass one. But I didn’t just want to make this about dildos. I thought if I could help women who are nervous about trying dildos, give them a little push, that it would be a great tie in.”
“Who would be nervous about using a dildo?” Alice was cute when she frowned. “They’re like the least intimidating sex toys out there.”
“Are you kidding me? Do you remember the first time you went into a sex store to buy one? You totally freaked!”
“Actually, that was you doing the freaking.” Alice cocked an eyebrow and leaned back in her seat. “I was happily looking at floggers if memory serves.”
Mystery man shifted and for a moment, Petra swore he was trying to listen to them. Shit, was that a bulge in the front of his pants?
No, not possible.
“Okay, so I might have been nervous. I think most women are the first time they go in.”
“Or they simply buy them online.”
“That was a different Sexcapades post. ‘The Dos and Don’ts of Online Shopping.’” Petra still got comments on that.
Another snort from close by had Petra’s head snapping around. “Who the hell is doing that?”
Not really expecting an answer, she was shocked when her mystery man folded his paper and set it down.
“I am.”
She swallowed hard, hoping she wasn’t drooling. While she’d watched him off and on over the past year, she’d never full-out stared at him before. His eyes were a crystal blue, so light they looked like colored contacts. They looked as if they could dissect a person with only a casual passing glance. His brown hair was cut neatly, making him look like the business man he probably was.
Wait a minute.
She glared at him. “It’s rude to listen in on other people’s conversations.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “I’m sitting twelve inches away and you weren’t making any effort to keep your voice down.”
“I was too. Besides, I should be able to have a conversation with my friend without being interrupted by a...a...” He smirked at her, but didn’t interrupt her fumbling. Shit, why could she never make a good comeback when she needed one?
Black sunglasses were perched on top of his head, shooting back a distorted image of herself in the lenses. Her curly hair had partially escaped her ponytail and had formed a frizzy halo around her head, giving her an air of mad-scientist. Great.
“I was simply sitting here enjoying my paper. Though I have to admit I find it fascinating that a woman who can discuss dildos in a public place would be shy about buying one.”
Petra blinked away the mental image of him pressing her against the wall to grind his groin against her. “Pardon? Lots of people get embarrassed buying things like that.”
He crossed his arms and leaned back against his seat. “Things?” Great, was he laughing at her now? “Can’t you say the word anymore?”
“Of course I can.” That presumptuous jerk! “But maybe I don’t think it’s appropriate anymore.”
“Do you have confidence issues around sexual matters? I don’t want you to think I’m picking on you. It’s pretty common with both men and women.”
“I don’t have self-confidence issues.”
Alice began to cough, her face red as she waved Petra’s concern away. “Coffee. Windpipe.”
“I think your friend is too polite to agree with me.”
She glared at Alice. “Traitor.”
“Sorry, Pet. But you have to admit, he has a point.”
Okay, so Petra totally had self-confidence issues. She didn’t get out much anymore, to the point that Alice began dropping hints she might be slightly agoraphobic. And yes, she didn’t like engaging in conversations with strangers, which had put more than a little damper on her love life.
But still!
Her mystery man currently regarded her with an expression that would have been at home on a scientist, as if he was conducting some sort of mental analysis on her. “I’d be curious to hear what you consider dirty talk.” He leaned forward so that the muscles of his bare forearms rippled as he braced his elbows on his knees. “People’s fantasies actually tell us quite a bit about the person—if they are a risk taker, their sexual preferences. Key elements of their personality.”
Why does he have to be so bloody good looking? It took effort for Petra to tear her gaze away from the sun-kissed skin and back to those piercing blue eyes.
“I don’t think it’s the type of language appropriate for a family establishment.” Fate backed her point up with the arrival of a woman and her toddler.
“Yet you have no problem discussing dildos.” He chuckled, then picked up his paper once more, unfolding it with precise motions. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t push. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I’ll let you get back to your coffee.”
Looking back on this moment, Petra wouldn’t be able to pinpoint exactly what prompted her to do what she did. Maybe it was the way he dismissed her with a flick of the paper. Or even the fact he didn’t seem to think she could spout the nasty on demand. Either way, as she got to her feet, completely ignoring Alice’s soft gasp, Petra knew that for once in her life she wasn’t going to back away from a challenge.
D. Williams would be proud.
Spice and male musk invaded her senses as she closed the distance between them. He looked up from his paper, mouth open, his full lips wet from where he’d licked away his coffee. A tingle shot straight through to her pussy as his crystal blue eyes met her gaze. Petra clenched her thighs together, surprised by the force of her unexpected arousal. “You don’t think I can do it?”
His eyes widened as his grip on the paper tightened. “I didn’t mean to—”
They both sucked in a breath at the same time. It would take nothing to lean in and brush her lips against his. Licking her lips, Petra met his gaze once more. Completely ignoring the sane part of her brain screaming that this was a terrible idea, she said, “I have a more than healthy imagination, and my fantasies would make you blush.”
Taking a deep breath, Petra kept her gaze steady and brought to mind the image she’d created of her perfect man. She would entwine her legs around his and grind her pussy down against his hard cock. When she knew he wouldn’t last much longer, Petra would lean in and suck on his earlobe.
This was it. She could do this.
“I would lean in and keep my voice soft.” Petra knew she was blushing, but honestly, it was his fault for pushing her to this. “I would then say...I want you to take your penis and shove it into my vagina hard. Squeeze my breasts until I’m begging for more.”
The moment the words left her mouth, Petra felt a change in the a
tmosphere between them. As quickly as the unrepressed lust appeared, the bubble burst. His lips, open and lush a moment ago, were now quirked into a smirk.
Smiling was bad.
“Thank you for that,” he said. Petra stepped back as he slid from his seat. “As I said, a person’s fantasies can say a lot about who they are.”
Before his words had completely registered, he pulled back and stepped away from her chair. With a wink to Alice, he snatched up his coffee and paper. “Have a nice day, ladies.”
Petra didn’t even hear the electric chime of the door heralding his departure. What had just happened? Alice took her hand when Petra retook her seat, and gave it a comforting pat. “Well, sweetie, that was an interesting choice of words.”
“What? He wanted to hear dirty talk.”
Alice didn’t bother to disguise her eye roll. “You said, and I quote, ‘I want you to take your penis and shove it into my vagina hard. Squeeze my breasts until I’m begging for more.’”
Oh.
Shit.
Petra thumped her head against the table. “That was the lamest of lame.”
“You’ve never been one to master the whole impromptu thing. You’re a thinker, sweetie. Not a doer.”
Resting her chin on her hands, Petra sighed. “I want to be a doer. But every time I try, it’s as if something in my brain locks up and I become super dork.”
“That’s why being PC of Sexcapades is good for you. It gives you an outlet.”
That was all well and good, but Petra wanted to be PC in real life, not simply online. She wanted to be glamorous, sexy and have men throwing themselves at her. She didn’t want to grow old and alone, with nothing but a computer to keep her company.
Who was she kidding? She didn’t want that. Watching the shit that Alice went through on a weekly basis, the way men treated her like she was nothing more than a pretty face, no way. But having a guy who loved her and was more than happy to let her kinky side go wild wasn’t asking for too much.
Was it?
* * *
Alice had spent the better part of an hour pumping her back up after her disastrous attempt at flirting. Thank God he didn’t know anything about her Sexcapades website.
Would it change how he saw her if he knew she ran the site? Probably. Worse, it would kill any credibility she’d created with PC. Hey, the woman you’re all listening to considers penis, vagina and breasts to be dirty talk. Might want to reconsider the post on dildos!
Punching in the code to retrieve her telephone messages, Petra was still trying to figure out if she should approach him the next time she saw him and apologize for her lame-assedness, when the recorded voice on the line finally got her attention.
“...and we would be pleased to host you for the award ceremony. Please call us—”
What the hell?
Quickly she pressed the back button to start the message over. “Hello, Petra Clark. Thank you for entering your website Sexcapades for consideration in the Toronto Web Awards. We are thrilled to inform you that your site has finaled in the Best Advice Blog category. The awards event will be held at the Rogers Convention Center in three weeks, and we would be pleased to host you for the award ceremony. Please call us back at—”
Petra squealed, jumping up and down and dropping the phone. She’d sent off her application to the TWA nominating committee months ago and had completely forgotten about it. Hers was only one small website in the vast sea of internet information, and she thought the chances of being selected would be miniscule. But holy crap, she’d done it!
If she won her category, she’d have a shot at the grand prize. Given the state of her bank account, twenty-five thousand dollars would mean she could keep doing this full-time. It might be a pipe dream, but snagging this nomination got her one step closer.
Picking up the phone, she replayed the message again and wrote down all the details, grinning the entire time. That was, until the last part of the message.
“We are having a live reading of the list of nominees next Friday evening, and encourage you to attend. There will be media opportunities and a chance to mingle with the other nominees. Let us know if you will be able to make it.”
Media meant photographers, which meant pictures. It also meant people and pretending to be the super sexy PC.
“Oh crap.”
She couldn’t swing making a little dirty talk with a good-looking man at a coffee shop. How the hell was she going to manage taking her online persona out into the real world? She was uncomfortable in crowds on a good day.
Petra had a week to turn herself into a sex vixen, one that all women would want to listen to.
“I’m screwed.”
Chapter Two
When you don’t have a man to give you what you need, then take matters into your own hands. There’s nothing wrong with a firm grasp and a good vibrator.
—PC, Sexcapades — sex advice for women
Ladies, I volunteer to come over to ensure you don’t need to do this. Call me!
—D. Williams, Mantastic — advice for REAL men
Petra fidgeted with the knee-length hem of her hunter-green dress, wishing for the dozenth time that she hadn’t listened to Alice and chosen this particular style. The silk hugged her hips and ass, doing very little to hide the extra inches of padding she’d acquired since she began working from home two years ago. And was showing this much cleavage even legal?
“It’s sexy, Pet,” Alice had said. She had even gone so far as to help tame Petra’s normal tangle of hair into a stylish up-do. “If you want people to think you’re a sex goddess then this is what you need to do.”
Sex goddess. Sure. Right, that was so her.
Once upon a time it might have been, if her ex hadn’t been such a douche. Though it was because of his cruelty that she’d started doing her degree in psychology and sexuality and learned she wasn’t the one with the problem. Wanting to experiment with sex was normal, healthy even. She simply needed to give herself permission to let go.
She could be PC if she put her mind to it.
Tonight was her chance to prove to herself that there was more to her than even she thought.
“Okay,” Petra huffed. “I’m PC. People like me. People might flirt with me. When I don’t know what to say, I will direct them to my blog.” She straightened her shoulders and carefully made her way into the reception area.
The Friday night party proved to be an even bigger event that she’d originally thought. The organizer had been ecstatic to learn that PC would be gracing their ceremony with her presence. Many of the nominating committee had been impressed with her site and having her there in person would add a whole new dimension to the reading.
How hard could it be to dress hot and stand around while someone read her name out loud? Easy-peasy.
I can do this. I will do this.
Even if she ended up falling flat on her ass after stumbling over her spiked heels. The Web of Excellence grand prize would give her a much needed boost in exposure, maybe even send her little advice blog into the big leagues and land her some screen space with a big online magazine. Step one to winning it was how she performed tonight.
She held out her paper invitation to the girl standing at the door, and listened to the laughter coming from inside the hall. The girl had to tug on it hard to pry it from Petra’s death grip. Damn, maybe she was more nervous about this than she realized.
“Oh, so you’re PC.” The girl beamed, a flush rising in her cheeks. “I love your site. Your recent post on dildos was...amazing.”
“Thank you.” Petra accepted the compliment with a smile. Alice was right, smiling made things easier. “It’s always nice to hear that people actually read my blurbs.” And stop talking. Don’t overdo it and you won’t come across as a dork.
“I check it out every week. My girlfriends and I giggle over some of your posts.”
A giggle? A good giggle or a bad giggle? Petra was afraid to ask. “It’s all in the name o
f education and entertainment. And dildos.” Petra winked at the girl, who giggled yet again.
Shit, maybe she could do this.
“The party has started. I think someone is making a speech later, but for now the nominees are mingling. Checking out the competition and stuff.”
Petra let her gaze slip over the crowd, surprised to see so many people had arrived already. She wasn’t that late. “I’ll be careful not to say anything too embarrassing, then.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about that. People are so excited to have you here. Have fun!”
She plastered on a smile and stepped into the dimly lit room. Within seconds, a server had shoved a tray of wine in front of her face. Impulsively, she reached for the red and took a deep sip, not caring what it tasted like.
Though that really was some nice stuff right there. Drinking the rest of the glass like a university chugging champ, she found the closest waiter and exchanged her empty glass for another one.
And there it went...right to her head.
She hadn’t quite been a recluse in the three years since she’d graduated from university, but she’d certainly limited her attendance for large social situations. Alice was always trying to push her, dragging her along to Christmas parties at her office or summer barbeques, doing her best to kick Petra’s ass. Petra really did try to get out, but every time she did, that weird ants-under-the-skin feeling would kick in and she’d find herself drifting away from the strangers. She didn’t need to have a ton of people in her life to be happy.
And she was happy.
Mostly.
Hiding behind the mantel of PC had given Petra the freedom to say things she normally never would, to give others the advice she’d never received. Hopefully it meant she’d saved some woman from bumbling through her sexual awakening. If she could help even one person gain some confidence with men, she was happy.
The noise level in the room was overwhelming. She looked around at all the smiling, confident people. Everyone looked relaxed and seemed deeply engrossed in animated conversations. Several of the women could have graced the covers of any one of the better fashion magazines in their sequins and jewels.
Sexcapades Page 2
