Her Fantasy Husband (Things to Do Before You Die)

by Nina Croft

  “Did I tie you up?”

  Her eyes widened. “Of course not.”

  “No ‘of course’ about it. That’s what four-posters are for.”

  “Anyway. Why should I be the one tied up? Maybe I should tie you instead.”

  His head filled with an image of him spread-eagle on the bed, wrists and ankles tied while Lexi had her evil way with him. She’d be torturing him, tormenting, teasing with her hands and her mouth. His cock jerked. He swallowed, cleared his throat. “I can work with that. Where else?”

  She colored a little more. “On the beach and in the sea.”

  “Sand gets everywhere. Or so I’ve heard.”

  “Don’t spoil my fantasies.”

  He took a deep breath. They needed to get out of there. He didn’t know where they needed to be, but not here. Desire had been simmering under the surface since he’d first touched her on the stairs earlier. He might tell himself it had been merely for show. But he’d always believed in facing up to the truth.

  He was hot and hard for his own wife.

  And really, there was nothing to stop them. It wasn’t as though they hadn’t done it before. The annulment was never going to happen. They could have sex and still get a divorce when the six months were over, and by then they’d have this inconvenient attraction behind them.

  Over the last two days, he’d started looking at other women, trying to imagine them in sexual situations and totally failing. Sally, his secretary, had asked him what the hell he was staring at, just that afternoon.

  He’d been attempting to imagine her on her knees in front of him, and it had done absolutely nothing for his traitorous libido. Maybe too close to home? So he’d taken himself for a walk, picked random females on the street, and tried to imagine going up to them, asking them out for a drink.

  And he couldn’t do it. Didn’t want to do it.

  Then he’d seen Lexi waiting for him outside her gate, licking her lips and shuffling in those four-inch heels she usually wore. And he’d gone instantly hard. If she’d kept the fantasy thing to herself, he might have managed to ignore it, but she hadn’t. This was down to her. Plus she’d been ogling him when he came out of the shower. She wanted him, maybe almost as much as he wanted her.

  So it looked like if he was going to get laid any time soon, it would be with his wife. His dick jerked again, clearly hot to the idea. But maybe they should set some ground rules.

  “I think we should do it,” he said.

  “Do what?”

  “Have sex. Fulfill a few of your fantasies.”

  …

  Lexi knew she was staring, but she couldn’t seem to stop. Her brain had ceased to function. She cleared her throat. “I thought you only wanted no-strings sex?”

  “No reason why there should be strings involved.”

  “It would be married sex.” Why wasn’t she leaping on him? Why did she have to analyze everything? Take what you’re offered, goddammit. “You don’t want married sex. Remember?”

  “Maybe I want married sex with you.”

  That made her feel special, all warm and fuzzy. It was becoming a habit. More likely it was merely that he wanted to get laid again, and she was his only option right now.

  “Why not?” he asked. “We’ve already done it once.”

  “Because I’m messy and my life is chaotic and you don’t like mess.”

  “Look, I’m not suggesting we make this real or anything. But I want you, and I think you want me. It’d be a simple exchange between consenting adults who happen to be married.”

  She nibbled on her lip. “You want me? Really?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  No. Nothing was obvious. She was still reeling from his sad story about his sister. She’d wanted to comfort him, but she didn’t think, from the way he had changed the subject, that he would appreciate it. So she’d told him the fantasy thing, thinking it would make him laugh, take away the sadness. He hadn’t laughed.

  When she didn’t answer, he took her hand and pulled it under the table, rested it on the bulge in his jeans.

  Oh my God. It’s huge.

  As her fingers tightened automatically around him, his lashes fluttered closed and he groaned. When his eyes opened, they were filled with need.

  She squeezed again, and a look almost of pain crossed his face. Was she being too rough?

  “All for you, baby. If you want it. We’re together for the next six months. Why not enjoy the time?”

  She needed to be out of here. Before he went all sensible on her and changed his mind. “Let’s go.”

  She jumped to her feet. Where was the nearest place she could get him alone and cement the deal? She grabbed his hand as they left the shop. He probably wasn’t into hand-holding except for show, but he didn’t tug free, and she dragged him purposefully along. This was her neighborhood; they were heading back past the park, and if she wasn’t mistaken there was a very suitable alley only a minute away.

  She slowed and glanced around. The street was empty, and she tugged him into the alley right-angled to the road. Then she pushed him up against the wall, stood up on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him down to her, and kissed him.

  Because she really could not wait a moment longer.

  He went still against her. Had she shocked him? Been too forward? Maybe he liked to make the moves. He hadn’t in her fantasies; he’d been quite willing to let her take the lead. Perhaps she should keep reminding herself that they were fantasies, with no basis in reality.

  She tried to pull back, but his arms went around her, and at last he returned the kiss. His mouth opened, his tongue thrusting inside, sliding along hers, filling her with the hot, spicy taste of him. The kiss deepened, taking on an edge of desperation as his thigh slid between hers, pushing up against her core, and her sex flooded with heat.

  One hand palmed her breast and the nipple hardened and it felt so damn good.

  She needed some sort of release, so she rubbed her hips against the hardness of his erection. He reached behind her, cupped her ass and lifted her, pressing her back against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist so his cock pressed against her sex.

  His fingers tightened on her ass, and he moved her against him, rotating her against his hardness so everything tingled, coalescing in her belly, the pleasure swelling, growing, overwhelming her until it burst in a shower of lights against her closed lids, spreading out through her body. Her head went back, and he swallowed her scream with his lips, his tongue pushing inside.

  A shout and laughter from behind them brought the kiss to an abrupt halt. He released her lips, but stood, forehead pressed against hers, his breathing loud in her ears.

  “Let’s go home,” she said.

  “Good idea.”

  It was after midnight when they got back to the house. Josh made a quick detour to his car and grabbed the box of condoms from the glove compartment. As they walked through the gates, she hesitated. A light still shone from the kitchen window. Were they waiting up for her, to check if she got home safely?

  Christ, what were they, teenagers?

  But at that moment, the light went out. “Hallelujah,” she muttered and almost high-fived. She didn’t want to see anyone right now. She had an idea she looked like she’d just had an orgasm while shoved up against a wall in an alley. That might help their story if they encountered Harry, but she found she didn’t want to act right now.

  This thing with Josh was only temporary. And that was good. Because what did they have in common? Nothing. They’d drive each other crazy in no time. All the same, she didn’t want it rammed down her throat. Tonight had been magical, and no way was anyone spoiling it for her.

  It occurred to her she was living in fantasyland. Again. But surely she was allowed a little time there.

  “Shh,” she whispered as she slid her key into the front door and pushed it open. The house was in darkness. She headed to the kitchen first, Josh close behind her. She didn�
�t bother turning on the light; she knew where everything was, where everyone slept.

  Unfortunately, Josh didn’t. He swore as he tripped over the sleeping form of Jace, her three-legged terrier. The dog yipped and scurried under the table, and Lexi reached across and switched on the light. She went to the refrigerator and got a couple of plastic bottles of water. This was going to be thirsty work. As she was closing the door, Josh’s arms went around her, pulling her back against him. His palms slid up her waist to cup her breasts, and one of the bottles slid from her hand, crashing to the floor.

  She ignored it because Josh’s fingers had found her nipples through the thin material of her T-shirt, and he was rubbing them, tugging them, rolling them between his finger and thumb, and it felt so good. One hand pushed beneath her shirt, splayed across her belly then hooked around her waist to turn her in his arms. In one really impressive move—especially considering he’d had no practice over the last five years—he lifted her up and placed her on the big wooden table.

  The second bottle of water dropped from her hand and bounced on the floor as he moved between the V of her thighs. One hand curled around her neck as he lowered his head and kissed her. She lost herself in the feel and taste of him, moaning low in her throat.

  “Really? On the table, Lexi? And in front of Prudence.”

  She went still as she heard Jean’s voice from the doorway. Josh withdrew his tongue, raised his head, and stared down at her. “Ever fancied loft living? I have this lovely, empty loft. Nobody. No dogs. No chickens…”

  She gave him a rueful smile. “Doesn’t sound like my sort of place.”

  He sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair, but stepped back. “No, it doesn’t. Our room. Will we get a bit of privacy there?”

  She liked the way he said our room. “Of course.”

  She jumped off the table and picked up the bottles of water from the floor. Prudence eyed her disapprovingly from her basket. Lexi ignored the chicken, but gave Jean a narrow-eyed glare as she slipped past her.

  Jean grinned. “You forgot your condoms. You might need them. Well, maybe not all of them.”

  “Shut up,” Lexi growled, heat washing over her as Josh grabbed the box from the table.

  They made it up to the second floor and were pausing for a kiss on the landing when a door opposite opened. Tom stood there, an expression of distinct disapproval on his face. He slammed the door.

  “Christ,” Josh muttered. He took her hand and hustled her up the final flight of stairs and into her bedroom. He closed the door behind them, then studied it with a frown on his face. “No lock?”

  She shook her head.

  He looked around, crossed the room and dragged a chair back to the door, then pushed it under the door handle. “It won’t take a full frontal attack, but it might keep us safe for a while.” He tossed the box of condoms on the bed and then looked at her. “Now strip. Who knows how long we’ve got.”

  He was already pulling his T-shirt over his head, and she stood taking in the beauty of his naked chest. He tossed the shirt on the floor, noticed she hadn’t moved, and raised an eyebrow. “Well?”

  She kicked off her sneakers, pulled off her T-shirt, unzipped her jeans and dragged them down over her legs, kicked them off as well, and was in her underwear within thirty seconds. She didn’t quite have the nerve to go any further. She’d never been naked in front of a man. Actually, not in front of anyone. At least, not since communal showers at boarding school.

  She glanced up, suddenly shy. He’d stopped moving and was staring at her, his eyes dark.

  “You’re beautiful.” His voice was low, husky.

  She opened her mouth to say, “No, I’m not,” but the words stuck in her throat. Maybe she was. Right now, he made her feel beautiful. Anyway, his hand was moving to his waist and rational thoughts abandoned her. He flicked open the button on his jeans, and her mouth went dry. He lowered the zipper, and her breath caught in her throat.

  She had the distinct impression that he was doing a striptease for her and was entirely aware of the effect he was having. He hooked his fingers in the top of his pants and dragged them down over his hips, kicking off his boots as he went.

  His shaft sprang free, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Her dry mouth flooded with saliva, and she swallowed. She stepped forward without thinking, her hand reaching out, and she trailed a fingertip down from the middle of his broad chest, over the satin skin, following the trail of silky hair from his navel until she finally reached her destination and wrapped her fist around his cock.

  A low groan escaped him, and she squeezed.

  He placed his hand on top of hers. “Later,” he said. “Later you can play as much as you want. Right now, I need to get inside you, fast.”

  She liked that, loved it in fact, and she allowed him to pry her fingers free, because the same sense of urgency was racing through her.

  “Turn around.”

  He was ever so bossy, and she nearly balked at the order, then caught a glimpse of the hunger in his eyes and decided this once she might take his lead.

  He was so big, and hard, and fierce, nothing soft about him at all, and a shiver of something close to primordial fear ran through her as she turned around.

  He flipped open the catch on her bra and slid the straps down. Then his big hands were on her breasts, touching her skin, his rough palms abrading her sensitive nipples. He stepped up closer behind her so she could feel the heat of him, his shaft scalding hot against her skin. One hand cupped her breast; the other slid down over her stomach and slipped beneath the lace of her panties.

  A pulse throbbed between her thighs, and she shifted impatiently, waiting for him to touch her where she needed him most. She was so sensitive, so swollen, all she’d require was one touch and she’d come. She pushed her hips against his hand, but perversely he withdrew. Hooking his fingers in the lace at her hips he pushed her panties down, lowering himself to kneel behind her. She stepped out of them as his lips caressed the skin of her ass, and the breath left her in a whoosh.

  Oh God, he’s kissing my bottom.

  Had he ever done that in her fantasies?

  No way. She’d have remembered. His lips were hard, his tongue soft and wet as he traced patterns on her skin. He bit down and she let out a squeak, then wished she’d stayed silent as he rose to his feet. She wanted him back.

  He turned her gently, pushed her the last few inches to the bed, and she toppled backward onto the mattress. He came down after her fast, kissing her hard, and his hands were everywhere—on her breasts, her belly, between her thighs. A knee shoved between her legs, and he shifted to kneel between them.

  She was vaguely aware of him grabbing a condom, the sound of the foil tearing, the long seconds as he rolled it on. Then he was back. The tip of his cock nudged at her, seeking entrance. He positioned himself with one hand, balancing on the other as he stared down into her face.

  “Ready?”

  Was she? There was something so carnal in his expression. The softer emotions had been banished, his face was a mask of need, and a thrill ran through her.

  She nodded.

  He shoved into her hard, filling her, stretching her so she tingled everywhere, her muscles gripping onto him as though to keep him inside her. He pulled out, the drag against her exquisite, then in again, sliding easier this time as her tense muscles relaxed.

  As he pumped into her hard and fast, everything faded from her consciousness except the feel of his big body on her, inside her, so different than how she had imagined. So much more. Filling her mind as well as her body.

  He reached between them, and his fingers found her clit, and everything tightened until she was a quivering mass of need. He pinched her and she exploded around him, and still he was moving, driving her higher and higher. The pleasure would pause, then he’d touch her again, and she’d explode.

  He held her still with his hands on her shoulders as she writhed beneath him, then he came, h
is head going back, and a groan escaped him. Finally, he pulled free of her with a shudder, dropped down beside her, dragging her with him, so she lay with her back against his chest.

  For a minute she felt bereft, and then he nuzzled the spot where her shoulder met her neck, and stroked soft circles on the skin of her back. Her heartbeat slowed and she slept.

  Chapter Eleven

  Josh had never spent the whole night in bed with a woman.

  It had been one of the unwritten rules in his how-not-to-get-too-close code of conduct and one of the things his last girlfriend—who’d dumped him shortly before he’d married Lexi—had complained about the most.

  But he’d fallen straight asleep, drugged by the soft sound of Lexi’s breathing and the rhythm of her heart beneath his palm. Anyway, his situation was somewhat changed. After all, what was he supposed to do—get out of this lovely bed with a beautiful warm woman in it and go lie on the floor, just to prove a point?

  Maybe he was getting soft.

  But he had no reason to panic. Lexi had made it clear she wasn’t looking for a real husband, and when their six months were up, they would say good-bye amicably and go their separate ways. And even if she was looking, it wouldn’t be for someone like him. Someone incapable of giving her what she needed. Who couldn’t even give affection to a goddamned dog without getting twitchy.

  No, she’d go for someone nice. Someone like that vet from last night. No one had ever accused Josh of being nice.

  Except Evie.

  He pushed the thought aside, because thinking about Evie was guaranteed to ruin his mood.

  So a first for him. Waking up with a woman.

  Except he was alone.

  He sat upright and glanced around. From the pale light filtering through the curtains, it was still early.

  Where the hell was she?

  The pillow beside him was dented, but she was nowhere in sight. The bathroom door was closed, but he didn’t think she was in there. He was developing a Lexi-sense and knew when she was nearby. Besides, the chair he’d pushed under the door handle had been moved.

  His body felt good and ready for more. He hoped wherever she was, she would get back here fast.