A Few Good Fantasies

by Michele Bardsley

  She was pretty—the real kind of pretty. On Fantasyland, there were a lot of gorgeous women, many who’d bought their beauty and paid a price every day to keep it. But not her. He’d seen enough wanna-be Barbie dolls on the island to spot one a mile away. And being real on the outside gave her some points.

  She’s not a cricket match, you idiot.

  Sean looked at the scones. She had bitten into one. Probably nervous. And he’d acted like an asshole. The minute he told Joanne yes, he regretted it. He spent most of the day stewing in resentment, thinking about how he didn’t want to play silly games with a woman paying for the privilege.

  He was a Safety Agent, damn it, not Don Juan.

  But he wasn’t an SA tonight. He sighed. The hurt in Glenna eyes had been real, too. For whatever reason, she’d signed up for a Fantasy Date. He wasn’t too fond of the program. He didn’t like the fakery of it all. But whatever her reasons for being there, she’d picked the one man who wasn’t on payroll as a Lothario.

  He found that interesting. And he found her attractive. She was so proper, so perfect. An ice princess he very much wanted to melt.

  Bloody hell.

  THE BOARDWALK WAS crowded with people hitting the shops, restaurants, and dance clubs. Glenna wound through the happy tourists, horrified at the threatening tears. For God’s sake! Nothing had happened to warrant crying. Had loneliness and sexual frustration turned her into a simpering fool?

  Going against the tide of people who were enjoying their time at the Isle of Romance was like trying to swim upstream. The beach was mere steps from the boardwalk, so she cut across and found herself sinking into the soft sand.

  Wonderful.

  She toed off the heels then scooped them up by the straps. The lights strung along the boardwalk kept the beach well-lit. Several couples, most of them holding hands, wandered close to the shoreline. The ocean was black velvet; its gentle waves whooshed against the shore.

  Glenna didn’t feel like she belonged here. Not on the beach. Not on this island. And certainly not as a Fantasy Date. For a moment, she stared at the ocean. How nice it would be to stand near the waves and have the water tickle her feet.

  Sighing, Glenna turned and walked down the beach toward her hotel. She would order room service and read Jane Eyre. Tomorrow, she would book the first trip available off the island.

  As she neared a flight of wooden steps that would take her onto a less crowded spot on the boardwalk, she heard an Irish-tinged voice say, “I’m sorry.”

  Glenna stopped and looked over her shoulder. Sean stood behind her looking uncomfortable and contrite. How long had he been following her? She turned to face him. “There is no reason to apologize. We simply didn’t connect.”

  “It’s hard to connect to a rude bastard.” He stepped closer and tugged the high heels out of her hand. “Let’s take a walk.”

  Glenna hesitated. Earlier, she had worked up the nerve to indulge her romantic fantasies with Sean. But now, she was unprepared for him. She wasn’t sure she could separate fantasy from reality. No, it was worse than that. She wanted the real thing with a person who had not been paid to enjoy her company.

  “I accept your apology, Sean. You don’t have to prove anything else to me.” She held out her hand for the shoes. “I’ll ensure you receive full compensation for your services.”

  “God.” He dropped the heels into the sand and looped his fingers around her wrist, pulling her close. “You know how hard you make me when you talk all prissy like that?”

  “H-hard?”

  “Yes, love,” he murmured. “Hard. You wanna feel how much?”

  Glenna couldn’t respond. Her face heated and she ducked her head. No reason for him to believe she was easily swayed by his crude words. Still, her pulse jumped and her body tingled.

  “Am I embarrassing you?” he asked softly.

  “Of course not. I very much appreciate your efforts.”

  He chuckled. “Glenna, you’re too polite. Too beautiful. Too irresistible.”

  Glenna’s mouth dropped open. He cupped her face and brushed his lips across hers. Her purse slipped from her shoulder and thunked to the sand.

  His kisses were soft, unhurried. Flames licked through her with every meeting, every parting. She pressed her palms flat against his chest and tried to keep upright as he tenderly assaulted her mouth.

  Lust. She thought she knew the emotion—but no, she had never felt this kind of raw, rip-your-clothes-off anxiousness.

  He angled his mouth to better fit hers and then … oh, then he dropped all pretense of gentility.

  His lips demanded sacrifice. His tongue plundered mercilessly. She moaned and he captured the sound. His mouth took hers again and again until she felt conquered.

  His hands dropped to her waist then slid over her buttocks, holding her closer still. The ridge of his cock so intimately pressed against her womanhood sent electric thrills racing through her.

  When he finally released her mouth, she clung to him as though he were a life raft in a turbulent sea. She stared at him.

  “Why on Earth did you kiss me?”

  “It’s my apology.” He frowned. “No, that’s a lie. You looked so prim sitting in that café. You talk like a politician’s wife.” He met her gaze. “I want to see you messy. I want to see you speechless. But mostly, Glenna, I want to see you naked.”

  Chapter 3

  SEAN WAITED FOR the princess to react. Would she slap his face? Give him a sultry invite to her room? Or faint in his arms?

  What are you doin’, boy-o? Glenna Rosemont was too far out of his league. He shouldn’t have followed her from the cafe. He felt guilty for being an ass. He figured he owed an apology. She hadn’t deserved his rancor. He’d agreed to the damned date.

  And the kiss? Hell, he just wanted to rile her. To see if that icy politeness would melt. Oh, she had melted all right. Even now she trembled in his arms, looking at him as she considered his rather bold proposition.

  “The Isle of Romance is about wooing, isn’t it?” She slid out of his embrace and reached down to get her purse. “Women want romance.”

  “‘And what’s romance? Usually, a nice little tale where you have everything as you like it, where rain never wets your jacket and gnats never bite your nose, and it’s always daisy time.’” Sean smiled at her shocked expression. “You know who said that?”

  She considered him with so serious an expression, he had to look away to keep from kissing her again. Why did her prim and proper manner drive him into instant lust?

  Finally, she asked, “Do you know who said it?”

  “D.H. Lawrence.” He wrapped his arms around her, pleased when she didn’t try to scoot away. “Is that what you want? Pretty, polite and pedantic?” He dragged his lips over her jaw. She smelled so good. And her skin was soft as silk. “Or do you want real and messy and wild?”

  “Oh.” She tilted her neck so that he could have better access. He licked the lobe of her ear and whispered, “Let’s go to your room, Glenna.”

  “‘A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent in doing nothing.’” She looked at him, and he saw the doubt in her gaze. But hovering there was the desire to be spontaneous, to risk. “George Bernard Shaw.”

  “I always did like ol’ George.” Sean grinned. “Let’s go make some mistakes.”

  GLENNA STOOD IN the luxurious bedroom of her hotel suite tugging on her diamond-clustered earlobe. Now that she was standing close to the bed with her delectable Fantasy Date watching her, she wondered about risk versus regret. She was quite sure that sleeping with this man who made her heart race and her mind fog would be a very big mistake.

  Sean leaned against the doorjamb, her Manolo Blahnicks dangling from his right hand.

  “I like you in diamonds,” he said. “So, keep in the earrings and wear these.” He lifted up the high heels. “Everything else goes.”

  Glenna pressed a hand against her neck. “W-what about you?�
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  “Don’t worry, darlin’. By the end of the night, we’ll both be naked and sweaty.” He sauntered to her and placed the heels on the four-poster bed behind her. He tugged the band out of her hair. Blonde curls cascaded to her shoulders. His lips grazed the shell of her ear as he whispered, “Take your clothes off.”

  His demand was threaded with lust. Nervous didn’t begin to describe her state of being. She was terrified. How had a night of romance turned into a night of wild sex?

  Sean stepped back, crossed his arms, and stared at her. His lips hitched. In his eyes, she saw his disbelief. He didn’t think she’d take off her clothes. What was he doing? Waiting for her to throw him out?

  Oh, she wouldn’t fold so easily.

  She took off her shirt, revealing her lacy white bra. His gaze dipped to her breasts and roamed her cleavage. Swallowing the knot in her throat, Glenna unsnapped her pants and pushed them down to her ankles. Her thong matched her bra.

  Sean’s gaze roved over her from ponytail to pedicure. When his gaze finally met hers, he looked as if he wanted to devour her.

  Her stomach squeezed. She knew that he would leave if she asked. In fact, she suspected he thought she would chicken out. He’d been right about life being messy. It was never what you expected. If life was predictable, it was boring. Just like her life, which had had become all about routines and staying in her comfort zone.

  She reached back and unhooked her bra, cupping the front so that it wouldn’t fall away. Sean watched her with greedy eyes. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he’d forgotten about intimidating her.

  Slowly, she worked one arm out of the strap—then the other. She stared right at him as she held the bra in place. He shifted his weight, as if he might pounce on her. His eyes were glued to her chest. For the first time in her life, she realized she had sexual power. She could tease Sean just as much as he teased her. She could make him wait, make him want.

  “Take it off,” he said, his rough voice edged with desire. “Now.”

  “What will you give me?”

  “Give you?” His gaze flicked to hers. His grin was feral. “What do you want?”

  Glenna hadn’t thought about the answer to her own question. She was still amazed she had managed to be flirtatious. “Your shirt.”

  He said nothing. He merely unbuttoned the dress shirt and tossed it to the floor. She looked at his muscles, at the red curls on his chest.

  She dropped the bra.

  He fisted his hands as if to keep himself from touching her.

  Her panties offered the only protection. It seemed silly to think of the thong as the last defense against Sean’s lust. All the same, she sat down and put on the high heels.

  Sean strode to the bed and knelt before her. She sat there, unsure what he would do. She was basically naked with a half-dressed god at her feet.

  Sean’s fingers drifted across her ankle and up her calf. The light touch sent shivers through her.

  He was in no hurry, thank God.

  His fingers tickled the underside of her knee and he leaned forward to press his lips on the top of her thigh. His right hand rubbed her other leg, inching toward her panties.

  Her whole body tensed. She’d never felt such a mixture of lust and terror. She was treading unknown ground. Lovemaking with Charles had never been fraught with this kind of nerve-wracking disquiet. She felt utterly vulnerable.

  His forefinger slipped under the lace perimeter. “You’re wet.” He looked up at her. His green eyes sparkled like emeralds. “I bet you’re tight, too.”

  He was so raw. He didn’t hide his feelings behind pretty words or gentle gestures. Heat swept up her body, a mixture of embarrassment and carnality.

  “Stand up.”

  She did as he bade, though her legs threatened to buckle.

  “Show me your pussy.”

  Uncertainty sliced through her. He looked at her, waiting for her to show courage or cowardice. He apparently didn’t feel it necessary to offer encouragement or even additional demands.

  The decision was hers.

  Glenna slid off the panties and revealed that she was a true blonde. She’d gotten a bikini wax before the trip and Sean seemed to appreciate the trimmed look of her pussy.

  Sean moved close to her. Her breasts scraped his chest and her sensitive nipples hardened. She thought, given his predilection for cutting to the chase, he would simply push her to the bed and feast on her.

  Instead, he gathered her into his arms and pushed back the loose tendrils of her blonde hair.

  “Darlin’ Glenna,” he murmured.

  Oh-so-slowly, he brushed his lips across hers.

  She shuddered with the pleasure. His moan feathered her mouth and she breathed in the mint of his mouthwash.

  Angling his mouth over hers, he tasted her again. His lips were like a butterfly dancing from flower to flower: He never stayed one place and each touch was light, quick.

  He was seducing her with just his kisses. Showing her how much he wanted her. She understood the message. Her breathing was erratic, her eyes dazed, and her arms limp around his neck. Cupping her ass, he brought her close, pressing his jean-clad cock in the vee of her thighs.

  Her heart pounded frantically, her body awash in sensations that were both foreign and exhilarating. With his tongue, he traced the seam of her lips then broke through the slight resistance and dipped inside for a real taste.

  Her tongue shyly met his, and he held her tighter. Her palms pressed flat against his chest and she felt the erratic beat of his heart. It thrilled her to know he was as turned-on as she was.

  Finally, he broke the kiss, pulling away just enough to look into her eyes. “How far do you want this go?”

  “How far?” She stared at him, astonished. “I’m naked. I’m in your embrace. And you just kissed me like I was last chocolate truffle in the glass case. I believe I’ve made my position on this matter clear.”

  “Good.” He released her and moved back. His eyes twinkled with wicked intent. “You’re in charge, darlin’. What do you want to do?”

  Chapter 4

  GLENNA CONSIDERED HER options. What she really wanted to do was to shock the hell out of him. She couldn’t change her personality or her manners or the way she’d been raised. But Sean was giving her an opportunity to behave however she wished, without judgment or expectation.

  It seemed silly to keep thinking about Charles, but he had been her only lover. Though he always worked to bring her to orgasm, she always felt that their lovemaking lacked something. They had been two bodies working together toward mutual pleasure in a very staid, proper way. And that was not the same as spontaneous, passionate sex.

  She looked at Sean from beneath her lashes. So, he liked her prim words? Hmm.

  She walked toward him, trying to hide her anxiousness behind a wide smile. She trailed her fingers up his chest then looked up into his handsome face.

  “I would very much like to…” she trailed off, nibbling her lower lip. She glanced away, pretending shyness. Then she gazed at him again. His eyes had gone dark, his body rigid. It startled her to believe she really did have the ability to make him want her. “Oh, my. I’m not sure if I can say … that.”

  “Try.” The word was almost growled. Instead of frightening her, the roughness of his voice betrayed his own need. For her.

  “I want … to … suck your cock.”

  “Jaysus.” The Irish was thick. “I can’t believe you said such a naughty thing with that prissy mouth.”

  “My prissy mouth is capable of much more.” She reached down and unbuttoned his pants then slid down the zipper. She tugged on the waistband, but he brushed aside her efforts and pushed down his pants and boxers. His thick cock sprang free and Glenna nearly swallowed her tongue.

  He was huge. Much bigger than Charles. Nerves plucked at her stomach as she wrapped trembling fingers around his hard shaft.

  “I want to taste you,” she said. “Please.”

 
; SEAN WATCHED GLENNA kneel and nearly lost it. He was doing his best to romance her, though it wasn’t red roses and gourmet chocolates. He figured she’d had enough of pretty rituals. Maybe he was egotistical enough to believe that showing her a good time in bed was what she really needed.

  His eyes almost crossed as she cupped his balls. She was tentative as first as if she didn’t quite know what to do with his genitals.

  She figured it out. She drew one testicle into her warm mouth, released it, and pleasured the other. Oh, God. Her tongue whipped up his cock and then she drew the tip of his penis into her mouth.

  She practiced taking his full length over and over. Her eagerness outweighed her inexperience and soon she managed a rhythm that included suction and movement.

  His hands fisted against his thighs. She was wild now. Her nails dug into his ass. She took his cock again, her rhythm doubled, her tongue flicking fast and furious.

  “Glenna!” He reached down and pushed her face away. His balls tightened, his cock pulsing with the need to ejaculate. He inhaled steadying breaths, trying to stall the orgasm.

  After a long moment of thinking about cold showers and baseball statistics, he looked down at her. Her gaze was wide-eyed and her face flushed.

  “Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

  “Hell, no. You did something right.”

  Her gaze dropped to his cock. Pre-come pearled the tip. She leaned over and licked it off.

  “You’re going to make me come.”

  “Why is that a bad thing?”

  “Did I say it was?” He stepped out of his boxers and pants, bending over to take off his socks and shoes. When he was naked, he straightened. “Now, it’s my turn.”

  “Y-your turn?”

  Sean helped Glenna to her feet then scooped her into his arms. She laughed breathlessly, obviously startled by his action. He strode to the big bed and lowered her on top of the thick coverlet.