Five Exotic Fantasies: Love in Reverse, Book 3

by Serenity Woods

  He went on to tell her a bit about his childhood, and Coco listened, conscious of the warmth of his arm pressed against hers and the fact that a couple of the other younger women in the cable car were casting him admiring glances. He’s with me, she wanted to yell exultantly. She still couldn’t believe out of all the women in the office, he’d chosen her.

  But then she was thinking they had a choice in the matter, wasn’t she? That he’d cast his eye around looking for a woman to dally with, and thought her a likely candidate. But it hadn’t been like that. He’d told her he never had office affairs, which meant their meeting and connection had been something on a chemical, instinctive level—something it was impossible to fight, which explained why it felt so…right.

  Or was she just being romantic and impractical? It would be easy to think they were just driven by hormones, but they also had brains, and they should have been sensible enough to react against their basic drives.

  Then Felix smiled at her, leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, and she felt her cheeks flush and looked down, unable to stop a swell of happiness flowing through her. How could she fight this? She didn’t want to feel emotional about what she had with him—she wanted to keep it purely physical. But however much she wanted to, she couldn’t fight her feelings. She was falling in love with him, and it might be too quick, and it might be the most stupid thing she could ever have done in her life, but she was powerless to stop it.

  The cable car arrived at their stop and they got out and headed along the path to the Botanic Gardens. It was a beautiful evening, warm and slightly sultry, heavy with the promise of summer to come, and they held hands, fingers linked, and walked slowly along the meandering paths, through the native forest, the conifers, the duck ponds, the begonias and roses, the statues and other pieces of artwork that lined the route. It was quiet and peaceful, the warm sunlight filtering through the leaves of the trees and casting yellow bands across the paths, and fantails and tui birds flitted between the bushes, calling out to them as they passed.

  They walked for a while, talking about this and that, and Coco thought how comfortable she felt in his company, how pleasant he was to be with. Knowledgeable and well-educated, he had an opinion on every subject under the sun, but he was happy to listen to her talk too, and she found him fascinating, entranced by his deep voice, his infectious chuckle and the way he constantly looked at her with an endearing mixture of affection and desire.

  Her heart beat faster every time she wondered if he had an ulterior motive for planning the picnic. Hadn’t she mentioned that one of her fantasies was having sex outdoors? Surely he wasn’t expecting them to do it in the Botanic Gardens?

  She tried not to think about it, but it was difficult when she kept smelling his aftershave, when every time he laughed it sent a shiver down her spine. And when he put his arm around her, she became acutely aware of his height and strength and remembered how it felt to have him making love to her, sliding inside her.

  By the time he drew to a halt and slid the backpack off, she was in a sexual daze and had to take deep breaths to calm herself down while he undid the bag and drew out a blanket.

  “This should do,” he said, looking around. They were in a secluded corner of a rose garden, far from the busy centre. A waist-high wall ran around one side of the garden, covered with climbing creeper, backed by tall conifers. They’d already walked through the Lady Norwood Rose Garden, but this secluded area had small rose bushes planted in circular mounds among the carefully tended lawn, and the garden was filled with their scent. The garden was at just the right angle for the sun to fill it with evening warmth.

  “It’s beautiful.” She helped him spread out the blanket and sat, and he sat facing her, cross-legged, and began to pull boxes out of the bag.

  He’d brought freshly made chicken-salad rolls, small savoury pastries, a large tub of strawberries and a bottle of champagne with two plastic flutes and two plates.

  “You have been busy.” She smiled, warmed right through at the effort he’d put into it.

  “Nothing’s too much trouble for you.” He smiled back and gestured for her to start opening the boxes while he popped the champagne.

  She opened the boxes and placed a roll on each of the plates. “What a lovely idea.”

  “A bit odd midweek I know, but we have to make the most of our time.” He finished taking off the foil, undid the metal cage and popped the cork before pouring them out a glass.

  Coco said nothing, saddened at the thought that this had to come to an end. What a cruel twist of fate that they lived at opposite ends of the country.

  He reached out and cupped her face, brushed her cheek with his thumb, then leaned forward and touched his lips to hers. Then he pulled back and carried on talking as if nothing had happened, but she knew he’d caught the sadness that had passed over her and the kiss had been an apology for mentioning the temporary nature of their relationship. Somehow, she knew he felt the same, and that comforted her. Yes, their situation sucked. But it sucked for both of them, and that made it easier.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  They talked for ages, lying there in the sun, feeding each other strawberries and sipping the champagne as the shadows lengthened and bees buzzed lazily from rose to rose. Coco grew slowly more relaxed as the alcohol threading through her veins, the warm evening and Felix’s presence brought about a hazy sense of contentment.

  At one point she lay back on the blanket and Felix stretched out beside her, brushing her lips with the strawberries and then licking off the sweet juice until she giggled and sighed, opening her mouth to him so he could dip his tongue inside. She raised her hand and slipped it into his hair, threading her fingers through the short, dark strands, and murmured her approval as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip and then nibbled it.

  She’d never grown aroused so slowly and languorously, and she waited for him to start undoing her blouse or run a hand up her skirt, at that moment willing to let him do whatever he wanted.

  But after a while he pulled back, turning his gaze up to the setting sun and giving a silent sigh before saying, “I suppose we should be going. I don’t want you to get cold.”

  She frowned and sat up as he began to pack away the boxes and put them in the bag. She waited for him to look at her, but he continued to busy himself with packing, and then he stood, obviously waiting for her to rise so he could fold up the blanket.

  She got to her feet slowly and caught his hand. “Felix?”

  He turned to her, but busied himself with removing a speck of grass from her shoulder. “Mmm?”

  She lifted his chin so his gaze met hers. “What’s the matter?”

  He smiled, although it didn’t reach his eyes. “Nothing.”

  She stroked his cheeks, his five o’clock shadow scraping against her thumbs. “I thought you were going to make one of my exotic fantasies come true,” she said mischievously.

  He studied her for a moment, then dropped the bag and put his arms around her. He pulled her into his embrace and kissed the top of her head. “I had thought maybe we could find somewhere, but now we’re here…” His voice was husky. “It seems seedy, and I don’t want that for you. You deserve more than a quick screw.”

  She buried her nose in his T-shirt, inhaling his scent, feeling the hopelessness and desire that ran through her veins mirrored in him. His arms tightened around her, and she pressed herself against his hard form, hungry and aching for him. She lifted her chin, searching for his lips, and when his kiss came, it was brutal and desperate, consuming her with a dark desire.

  She moved backward into the shadows of the trees, bringing him with her, until she felt the wall against her butt. Her hands clenched in his hair, holding him firmly as her tongue searched for his, and she deepened the kiss. He pressed against her, and she felt his erection through his jeans as he ground it against her mound, arousing her through their clothing.

  “I want you,” she whispered against his mouth, not caring
they were outside and could be seen at any moment if someone rounded the corner. She couldn’t wait until they got back home. He filled her senses, and she felt that if she didn’t have him inside her in minutes, she was going to implode. Was that the alcohol? Or just her pheromones talking? Either way, she wasn’t willing to wait.

  “I want you too.” His hands found her breasts, and he groaned as he found her braless. He weighed her breasts in his palms and brushed his thumbs across her nipples, and she moaned, hooking her leg around him to try to pull him closer.

  To her surprise, he tore himself away and extracted the blanket from the bag, folded it over the top of the wall behind her and then placed his hands under her butt and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him close again, heart pounding at the thought that they were really going to have sex here, in public, shrouded in shadow but still visible if someone were to look closely.

  He kissed her again as he unbuttoned her blouse, and she arched her back and pushed her breasts into his hands, closing her eyes as he lowered his head and his mouth found her swollen nipples. He sucked, hard, and she gave a soft cry, clenching inside at the exquisite sensations rippling through her.

  He swapped to the other nipple, then back again, and before long she felt like a supernova, pulsing with light and energy, about to explode at any second. “I want you in me,” she whispered furiously, and he stood to kiss her again, fumbling in his pocket and producing a condom.

  “Are you sure?” he murmured, even as he unbuttoned his fly.

  “Yes,” she said, unable to believe the word was leaving her mouth. How slutty must she look, sitting there with her blouse open and her breasts visible to all, pulling up her skirt and laughing as he realised she wasn’t wearing any panties, either? But she didn’t care, and her lack of concern filled her with a strange thrill, and exultation that at last, for once in her life, she was living, really living, young and free from care of anything except pleasuring this glorious man before her, and receiving pleasure in turn.

  He slid his fingers down into her, his lips hovering over hers as his fingers slipped easily through her folds, proving to her she was already aroused and ready for him. He explored her for a moment, but she was too hyped up and excited about the thought of having him here, in the garden, to put up with extended foreplay. She pushed his hand away, took the condom from his other fingers and extracted it from the packaging, then pulled him close. His erection strained toward her through his boxers, and she pushed the elastic down and released him, letting out a slow, approving breath at the sight of him so eager and ready for her.

  “I’ll do it,” she whispered as he reached for the condom, and he nodded. She placed it carefully on the tip and rolled it down, taking her time, noting that he closed his eyes, obviously enjoying the feel of her hands on him.

  When she’d done, he paused to kiss her again. His lips covered hers and his tongue swept into her mouth as he pushed his hips forward to slide into her.

  Coco gasped at the sensation of being filled, feeling herself stretch to accommodate him. He pulled out and moved forward again, and again, until she’d accepted all of him, filled to the brim with his thick, hard length. His arms came around her, holding her safely, and he lifted his head so he could look into her eyes, his own fiercely hot with desire. It was the first time they’d made love like this, face to face, and it felt intimate and sensual, emotional as well as physical.

  She tipped her head back, swimming with sensation. “Oh…that feels fantastic.”

  He planted kisses along her neck and up to her ear, then along to her mouth again, beginning to move regularly with slow, leisurely thrusts. “I know,” he murmured, mirroring the movement of his hips with thrusts of his tongue into her mouth.

  She moaned and abandoned herself to him, knowing she was flooded with moisture, her orgasm already hovering in the wings. Her bare nipples brushed against his cotton T-shirt, the material teasing her sensitive skin. She widened her legs so he could plunge deeper into her, sighing as he obeyed and pumped harder, his hips meeting hers with a smack each time he thrust.

  She didn’t hear the voices at first, only becoming aware that something was wrong when he stiffened and stopped moving, raising his head to look at her. Startled, she went to say something, but he lifted a hand and put his finger to his lips, then gestured behind her.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she saw movement on the other side of the trees. Half a dozen people were having a tour of the rose gardens, and they’d stopped to admire one of the bushes that grew on the other side of the path that ran past the wall.

  Coco’s eyes met Felix’s, wide with alarm. She put her hands on his chest to push him away, but to her surprise his face lit with amusement, and he shook his head.

  Still inside her, he lowered his lips to her neck and kissed up to her ear.

  She wriggled, trying not to groan at the feel of him inside her. His arms tightened around her and he moved his hips again, and she suddenly realised he intended to continue to make love to her with people standing only six feet away, albeit with a wall and trees between them.

  She could hear their voices clearly, one man—who presumably worked at the gardens—detailing the names of the roses visible in that particular area, and others asking questions about the care and maintenance of the flowers. Were they not going to move on?

  “I love this one,” said a woman clearly, “do you know the origins of the name?”

  The guide answered, and Coco closed her eyes, panic mixing with excitement at the thought that they could be discovered at any moment. If any one of them turned around, they’d be able to see through the trees, although how much of them was visible in the shadows she wasn’t sure.

  Felix nibbled her earlobe and she gasped, stifling it hurriedly. He gave a silent chuckle, one arm around her waist holding her tightly as he increased the depth of his thrusts. His other hand came up to hold her breast, and he squeezed her nipple, prompting her to arch her back and bite her lip to avoid crying out with pleasure.

  “…and the third earl of Buckingham had already been married once, but his second wife was Lady Elizabeth Darnley,” the guide droned on.

  Coco’s muscles tingled with anticipation, and she had to stop herself exclaiming. Oh dear God, she was going to come, with all those people just feet away. She looked up at Felix and shook her head with alarm, but his eyes were like fire and his thrusts were deepening, and she realised he wasn’t far from coming himself. He looked so sexy, his dark hair ruffled where she’d tightened her fingers in it, and excitement shot through her again at the thought of what they were doing, at the thought of those people turning around and seeing them having sex, seeing Felix fucking her.

  He covered her mouth with his and then with one hand caught hold of the collar of her blouse and yanked it down her back. She squealed, her cry muffled by his mouth, aware there would be no hiding now—if anyone came upon them she was quite obviously topless, her nipples engorged with the blood that was speeding around her body. Felix dropped his head and sucked one nipple to a tight peak, then the other, and she clenched inside, unable to do anything but give in to his ministrations.

  Her orgasm swept over her, and again he covered her mouth with his. She gave a muffled moan as she came, her muscles squeezing him, burning exquisitely. He held her tightly as he continued to thrust hard, finding his own pleasure and swelling inside her as his climax took hold. They stilled, locked in blissful satisfaction, frozen in mutual gratification. Their fingers clasped, their breaths exchanged and their bodies pulsed and tightened into and around and inside one another.

  And then finally, eventually, they relaxed, breathing heavily and looking into one another’s eyes.

  “I think there’s a fantail in the trees,” someone said on the other side. “I can hear it fluttering around.”

  “There’s a lot of wildlife here,” said the guide, moving along the path. “If you look closely you’ll see squirrels and possums and all
kinds of birds…” His voice faded away.

  Felix’s lips curved. Coco gave him a mock glare.

  “That was wicked,” she murmured as he withdrew and disposed of the condom.

  He buttoned up his pants and she pulled her blouse on and did it up. Then he put his arms around her and pulled her close again.

  He kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It was fun.”

  He hugged her. “I’m crazy about you. You know that, right?”

  Yeah, she thought, I know that. And I’m crazy about you too.

  Oh dear.

  Chapter Forty

  Felix thumbed listlessly through the pages of transcription that Coco had typed up from her shorthand notes, detailing the interviews of the secretaries he’d carried out over the past few days. Along with this he had his own notes from the interviews with the partners, plus sheaves of scribbles he’d made as he worked his way through the case in the spider diagrams he used to brainstorm.

  He tried to concentrate, but struggled to get his brain to work.

  The truth was that he was nervous.

  He’d spent all morning reading the notes and making more on his iPad, checking a few details with Rob and trying to come to some sort of decision on the case, but he still had one more interview to carry out—the one he’d been putting off all week, and the one that he wanted to do even less now.

  He looked at his watch. Miss Stark was coming to his office at two p.m. after her lunch break. He’d asked her whether she wanted anyone in with her apart from him and Rob, but she’d declined in the cool, calm, collected way she had, looking at him over the top of her glasses with no sign of the passion she’d exhibited the night before.

  He put down his iPad and stood to look out of the window. He had to stop thinking about Coco and focus on Miss Stark. She was obviously able to separate her two personalities with ease, so he should be able to as well.