Flesh For Fantasy

by Joan Elizabeth Lloyd

  “You always seemed so confident. You picked me up in the store and again outside the restaurant that first night.”

  “My confidence is all an illusion. I saw you, alone and, I hoped, as lonely as I was, so I bucked up my courage and approached you. It turned out so great I’ve been afraid to mess it up by pushing things further.”

  Ellen put her glass beside Jim’s. “What if I said I was interested in going further?” As she spoke she sensed Jim pulling away.

  With a rueful grin, he said, “I would be scared to death.”

  “Scared? Of me?”

  “You’re an attractive woman. I’m sure you’ve had your share of men and, although you never talk about it, you probably have someone special right now.” He hesitated, then plunged on. “I’m not good with women, except as friends. There was my wife, of course, but that was different. It took her two years to discover that she didn’t want any more time with me. I guess there’s something wrong with me. Women don’t seem to continue a relationship with me once we’ve been to bed.”

  With the wine heating her belly, Ellen thought of Maggie’s words. “You know,” Ellen said, “I have a good friend, a woman by the way, who once told me that there aren’t really any good lovers. There are people who are great together, but wouldn’t necessarily be nearly as good with other partners. Good lovers come in pairs.” As she spoke she realized that, thanks to Kevin, for the first time in her life she was being the sexual aggressor. It was a heady feeling.

  “That’s a nice theory,” Jim said, his shoulders slumped, “but I’m not sure I buy it.”

  “Tell me, if you had a magic wand and could have anything you wanted with a woman in bed, what would you want?”

  Jim moved slightly farther away from her. “Damn, you do ask the most uncomfortable questions.”

  “You don’t have to answer, I’m just curious.”

  His deep breath was loud and prolonged. Then he grinned shyly. “Do I have to be honest again?”

  “I wish you would be,” Ellen said, unwilling to let him off the small hook she had put him on. She had learned a lot about sex from Kevin and from the stories on the CD Maggie had given her.

  “That’s an interesting question. A magic wand. I guess I would want her to want me as much as I wanted her.” He smiled. “I’d want her to tell me what she liked so I wouldn’t be trying to guess all the time.” He stopped as if realizing that he might have said too much. “What made you come up with such a question?”

  “I thought it would be a good way to learn about you.” She remembered Maggie telling her about using the stories on the CD for communication. It just might work with Jim, if he had the open mind she thought he did. If not…“The same friend I mentioned earlier gave me a CD with a collection of highly erotic short stories. They are all about magic and having the power to have sex exactly the way you want it and the idea intrigued me. Actually there’s a story on the CD about a man who wants to know what his girlfriend likes.”

  “A CD with erotic short stories? An interesting idea. I must confess that I’m a Web surfer and I read lots of porn.”

  Would the story totally embarrass Jim or would it open the path to good communication? According to Maggie, the ability to communicate was the most important thing for good sex. In for a penny…“I don’t know the difference between pornography and erotica, but these stories are soft and loving. I could play it for you. I’m afraid it’s really explicit.” She laughed. “I’m not sure I could look at you while we listen, but I think all of the stories have valuable messages.”

  “I’d like to hear the one you were talking about,” Jim said.

  Ellen retrieved her CD player from the bedroom and set it on the coffee table. She realized that it had gotten quite dark outside as the fall evening advanced so all she had to do was turn off one lamp and the room was plunged into almost complete darkness, the only illumination coming in was from the streetlights outside the window.

  Jim took her hand. “It seems we’ve just found a mutual love for explicit tales. Okay. Play on, McDuff.”

  Realizing that their relationship had just passed a milestone, Ellen pressed play.

  “Is there magic in the world?” the voice said as the music faded. “Skeptics doubt that magic exists, or ever did exist. Are they right? I don’t know, but there are still a few people who are willing to keep an open mind, people who believe in old stories, ancient legends, and possibilities. Like the possibilities inherent in the Cloak of Veracity.

  “Zack liked to prowl antique shops. He seldom bought anything, but he had a love of anything that had once been used, touched by people who had died long before he was born. So in stores all around the city he sat in eighteenth-century chairs, rubbed his long fingers over George V tables, even wrote a note on a French desk supposedly owned by Marie Antoinette. He felt some kind of connection to all those who had touched and sat and written before him.

  “One afternoon he was browsing in a new store in a very high-class part of town when he stumbled on a soft gray cloak with elaborate gold buttons. ‘What in the world is this?’ he asked the bored salesman.

  “The man wandered over and gazed at the cloth. ‘I’m told it’s the Cloak of Veracity, the very one that Merlin created so Arthur could find out what Guinevere was up to.’ He laughed. ‘I guess he never got to use it, huh.’

  “ Cloak of Veracity. What does it do?’ Zack asked.

  “ The one who wears it is incapable of telling a lie.’ As if sensing a man with money, the clerk continued, ‘I’m told it’s genuine.’

  “Zack picked it up. ‘It can’t be really old,’ he said. ‘It’s in perfect condition. No wear and tear at all.’

  “ That’s one of the properties of the cloak,’ the store clerk said. ‘It remains in perfect condition and has throughout the ages.’

  “Zack swirled the cloak around his shoulders. He started to say that he wasn’t really interested in the thing, then found himself saying instead, ‘How much?’

  “The clerk reached up to the small collar and looked at the tag safety-pinned to it. ‘It says three hundred dollars.’

  “ Okay,’ Zack said, ‘never mind.’ He swirled the cloak like a matadore. Cloak of Veracity indeed.

  “ I could let you have it for two-fifty,’ the clerk said.

  “Zack let the swirling cloak land on the clerk’s shoulders. ‘How much?’

  “ Actually that thing has been here for more than six months and yours is the first genuine offer we’ve had. No one believes it’s real. I’ll take anything I can get over a hundred bucks.’

  “Zack cocked his head to one side. ‘Interesting.’ He removed the cloak. This is probably some kind of scam, he thought, but it’s a fun gimmick. ‘A hundred dollars and not a cent more.’

  “ Well,’ the salesman said, seemingly unaware of what he had said with the cloak on, ‘I couldn’t possibly accept such a low offer.’

  “Zack started to put the cloak back across the trunk where he had found it. ‘Not a cent more.’

  “ Okay. You win. You drive a hard bargain, sir.’

  “As Zack left the shop with the cloak in a box under his arm, he glanced at his watch. ‘Shit’ he muttered. ‘If I don’t hustle my buns I’m going to be late.’ He broke into a trot and arrived at a small neighborhood restaurant at exactly one o’clock. His girlfriend, Shelly, was waiting, looking particularly lovely in a soft blue wool dress. ‘I’m sorry I’m late,’ Zack said when they were seated at a small table. ‘I got to browsing in that new antique store a few blocks east and I lost track of time.’ He placed the box on his lap.

  “Staring at it, Shelly said, ‘Oh, wonderful. You did remember. I was sure you wouldn’t.’ Her blue eyes were bright with anticipation, her white teeth revealed by her wide grin.

  “Remember? Shit, Zack thought. Her birthday. I forgot completely. Zack and Shelly had been going together for more than five months and he was really fond of her. He felt the box resting on his thighs. The cloak. You
know, he thought, I’d rather be lucky than good any day. ‘Of course I remembered,’ he said, lifting the box. ‘That’s why I was late. I looked and looked for just the right thing. I fell in love with this and I hope you like it.’ He handed her the box and she opened it and gazed at the contents.

  “ Oh, Zack. It’s beautiful,’ she said, fingering the soft fabric. ‘It looks like something someone would have worn hundreds of years ago.’ She leaned across the table and gave him a small kiss on the lips. ‘No other man would have thought to buy a woman clothing, and this is just perfect. Can I put it on right now?’

  “Phew. Even if the veracity part was a gimmick, she liked the cloak. ‘Sure. I’d love to see how you look.’

  “Shelly stood and carefully placed the cloak over her shoulders. ‘Zack, it’s wonderful.’ She sat back down, the cloak still around her.

  “ Would you like to order?’ Zack asked.

  “Shelly gazed at Zack, a glint in her eyes. ‘I’d really prefer to go back to your place and celebrate my birthday privately.’

  “He had never expected an answer like that. Shelly enjoyed their occasional lunches out and never made leading suggestions like the one she had just made. ‘Really? Don’t you have to be back at work?’

  “ Mr. McAllister is away and I really have nothing to do. I’ll call them and tell them I’m taking my birthday afternoon off. Then we can spend it together.’

  “ Wow. That would be great.’ He stood. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

  “Shelly called her office and made her excuses, then they chatted on the short walk to his building and up in the elevator. Although Shelly was a bit more outspoken than usual, Zack didn’t think much of it. As he closed the apartment door behind them, he asked, ‘Would you like something to eat? We didn’t get lunch after all. I could see what’s in the kitchen.’

  ‘I don’t want to eat,’ she said softly. ‘I just want you.’

  “Zack stood stock-still. Never had Shelly behaved as she was now. Could it be the cloak? Was she being forced to tell the absolute truth? ‘You want me? For what?’

  “Shelly ducked her head. ‘I just love your body. It makes me hungry just looking at you but it really embarrasses me to say it.’

  “ Let’s go inside,’ Zack said, leading Shelly into the bedroom. ‘We can talk about this.’ As she sat down on the edge of the bed, her soft skirt slid up her smooth white thighs. She pulled her skirt down just a bit and clasped her hands primly in her lap.

  “ Now, tell me,’ he said, ‘what would you like me to do now?’

  “Shelly’s gaze fastened on Zack’s. ‘I would like you to touch me.’

  “Zack crouched at her feet and placed one hand on her knee. Her stockings felt slithery beneath his palm. Slowly he slid his hand to the inside of her thigh, working his fingers slowly upward. ‘Does that feel good?’ he asked.

  “ Oh yes,’ she purred. ‘Very good.’

  “ Then spread your legs slightly so I can touch you better,’ Zack said softly and was surprised when she did as he asked. He eased his fingers to the top of her stockings and found the soft, incredibly warm skin above. He kept his fingers moving, occasionally brushing the crotch of her silky panties.

  “ Maybe we should take off some of these clothes,’ Shelly said.

  “Not the cloak, he thought. She stood and dropped the cloak onto the bed, then pulled her dress off over her head and stood before him wearing only her undies, garter belt, and hose. He quickly removed his clothes until he was wearing only his briefs. ‘Aren’t you cold?’ Zack asked. ‘Let me wrap this cloak around you.’ Before she could get her bearings he swirled the cloak around her near-naked shoulders. ‘That should keep you warm.’

  “ I’d rather you kept me warm,’ she said, moving closer, pressing her satin-covered breasts against his chest, raising her face for a kiss.

  “Zack pressed his mouth against hers, softly at first. Then, encouraged by her enthusiasm, he wrapped his arms around her and, as she opened her mouth, he pressed his tongue inside. For long minutes they played, tongue to tongue, her hands sliding up his chest to tangle in his hair.

  “ What would you like now?’ he asked.

  “ Undress the rest of me,’ she said without hesitation, ‘and kiss everything you uncover.’

  “Her bra went first. Zack loved her beautiful breasts and eagerly kissed and suckled their tempting, erect nipples. He drew first one bud then the other into his mouth, sucking and nipping until he could hear Shelly’s rasping breath. ‘More,’ she groaned.

  “He knelt at her feet and slowly pulled her silky panties down to her ankles, lifting each foot so she could step out. ‘Spread your legs a bit,’ he said hoarsely. When her legs parted, he eased his fingers through her pussy hair to her hot, wet center. She was soaking, dripping love juices and trembling. He knew she wanted to lie down, but he kept her standing, caressing all the tender places usually so carefully hidden.

  “Finally, when he thought she could take no more, he lowered her to the bed, the cloak still partially around her. His erection was so large, it was almost painful, but he wanted to hear her ask for him. ‘What now?’

  “ I want you inside of me. Fill me up. Please.’

  “ Maybe this way.’ He pressed first one, then two fingers inside her, pushing, then withdrawing in mock intercourse. He sucked at her white breasts while be finger-fucked her pussy.

  “ Baby, fuck me. Please. I want to feel your cock inside of me.’

  “Never had she used such language, and it aroused him still further. ‘Right now, baby,’ Zack said. ‘Right now.’ He quickly put on a condom then touched the tip of his cock to her heat and slowly pushed inside. It obviously wasn’t fast enough for her and he felt her fingernails on his buttocks, urging him deeper. Still he held back, waiting until she was thrashing and squirming. Then she wrapped her legs around his waist and drove her hips upward until he was lodged totally within her.

  “He could feel small tremors in her channel, then a tight squeezing. ‘Oh, baby,’ he moaned, unable to resist any longer. He pulled back, then plunged, over and over until, with a scream she came. Only moments later his orgasm mimicked hers.

  “Later he rolled onto his back and Shelly snuggled against his side, her head on his shoulder. ‘Wow,’ she said. ‘I don’t know what came over me, but that was amazing.’

  “ Yes, it certainly was.’ He shuddered.

  “ You’re chilly. Let me just put this over you.’ She draped the cloak over the two of them. ‘Was this lovemaking okay?’

  “ Okay?’ he said, unable and unwilling to deny anything, ‘it was the best ever.’

  “ Is there any way I could make it better?’

  “Zack felt his cock stir. ‘Not better, just more. And there are so many ways.’ He tucked the cloak around the two of them, knowing he would be incapable of telling anything but the truth about their lovemaking, and delighted at the prospect.”

  Ellen found the stop button on the CD player by touch in the darkened room and pressed it. She felt the distance between her body and Jim’s. “I’m sorry. Did that story turn you off?” she asked as the silence dragged on.

  “Oh no,” Jim said. “I’m a bit overwhelmed. I never realized that others had the same doubts, the same insecurities, and the same desire to know what to do. The author of the story must have known, however, because he hit the nail right on the head.”

  “What if you had a cloak like that right now?” Ellen whispered. “Would you throw it around my shoulders?” Would she be brave enough to tell him what she wanted? Well, she thought, she’d gotten herself into this and she really wanted to make love with Jim. Now! Yet she wouldn’t rush him.

  Jim took her hand in his and she could feel the trembling. “We’re not going too fast?” he asked.

  “I find you very attractive and I think we’d have fun together. It just seems a natural way to go.”

  Jim took another deep breath and asked, “If I threw the cloak over your shoulders, what w
ould you say?”

  “I’d say that I’d like you to kiss me.”

  Chapter

  12

  In the dimly lit room, their mouths came together. Jim’s lips were soft and warm, tentative yet firm. Ellen felt her body melt against him as his arms wound around her shoulders. His tongue slipped between her lips and their heads naturally moved to deepen the kiss. He threaded his fingers through her hair and she rested her palms on his shoulders. “Oh, sweet,” he murmured, moving his mouth against hers.

  “God,” Ellen said, separating for a moment. It was obvious that the story had done more than facilitate communication. It had turned him on. “You take my breath away. You’re a fantastic kisser.” In one small part of her mind she thought about Kevin. He was a sensitive lover, but he wasn’t particularly into kissing. Shy and a bit hesitant as Jim was, he had a terrific mouth.

  “Like your friend said, maybe it’s just that we’re good together.” His mouth again fused with hers, fueling the fire in her belly. For long minutes they kissed while his hands caressed her back and hers grasped the front of his shirt. The world faded and there was nothing but the two of them. She threw her head back as Jim’s lips moved along her jaw and down the side of her neck. “You make me feel brave,” he whispered. “If you were wearing that cloak now, what would you say?”

  She’d gotten herself into this, she owed him honesty. She took his hand and placed it on her aching breast. Her nipple was hard, almost painfully contracted and she needed his touch. “I want you here.”

  “Oh, Ellen,” he moaned, filling his palm with her flesh.

  She fell back against the sofa and pressed against his hand, reveling in the feel of his fingers kneading her breast. “You make me so hungry.” She unbuttoned her blouse and urged his hand inside.

  He touched the cup of her bra and slid his fingers beneath the lace, finding her pebbled tip. “Tell me,” he growled.