Hard Bargains Read online

  Fuck decorum. ‘I want you. Put that condom on, Leo, I’m begging you.’

  He was laughing again and she really did think she was going to bite him, except that he was moving, plucking the packet up from where he’d dropped it on the bedspread and tearing it open … He was gloved in nearly no time, though it felt like for ever. Then he moved, pressing back down on top of her, and Sage felt anticipation sizzle through her. His hands were all over her body, gentle and knowing as he searched out all of her sensitive places and taught them to sing.

  She was panting now, breathless and desperate. ‘Please!’ And before she’d even finished the word, he was there, giving her exactly what she’d been begging for. The tip of his cock probed only momentarily at the slick, welcoming juncture of her thighs. Then he slid home, trusting in the preparation he’d given her to smooth the way.

  It was enough and more than enough. Her body spread open at his thrust, and she felt herself fit around him like a sheath on a blade, stretched so completely that she was sure she couldn’t have taken a single hair’s width more. His cock pulsed inside her, proving her wrong, and she moaned and clenched around him, her nails on his back begging him wordlessly to move.

  When he did, it was like music. He thrust carefully against her, his advances slow and steady, pelvis grinding with the perfect delicious pressure against her clit with each movement. Every slow stroke was like a wave on the shore, and she gasped as she felt her tide rising. She’d never been fucked like this, slow, controlled and deliberate, each rocking motion building upon the last as the pleasure inside her seemed to grow and grow without ever bursting forth. It was the perfect form of torture, maybe worse than the teasing finger against her clit had been.

  It felt as if the air had been sucked from the room, and she was once again lost and drowning in sensation. The things he could do with his body and hers were criminal! And her only consolation was that he was feeling the strain. His eyes were unfocused, the corners crinkled, and a sheen of sweat coated his body and hers. She rocked up to meet him, practically lifting herself off the bed, and felt herself edge closer and closer to death-by-pleasure. Then he gave a low cry and his pace doubled, his face transforming with a look of intensity and delight.

  Sage only had a moment to admire the way he looked in the throes of passion. Their slow dance had shifted, and her body was more than ready for the change of pace. Her hips bucked eagerly to meet his as she felt herself rise and rise … and then a bomb went off inside her skull. She cried out and then her body froze, breath caught, as every orgasm she’d ever had came back to her all at once. Her entire body convulsed with pleasure and her pussy spasmed hard against Leo’s thick cock, dragging a long, low growl from his throat.

  Then he was shaking, too, his body growing tense above her as he buried himself one last time and came deep inside her.

  He left for a moment, but she stayed sprawled where she was, very content with the idea of never moving again. Ever. When he came back, he had a warm, damp cloth in his hand, and he smiled at her as he gently cleaned her up, then lay down beside her and pulled her against his hard body, cradling her in his arms.

  ‘Holy shit,’ she murmured, still dazed.

  He chuckled and kissed the back of her neck. ‘So have I earned visitation rights?’ he teased. ‘Will you be coming back to see me?’

  Sage laughed breathlessly and pressed back against him. ‘If you’re lucky,’ she told him, ‘I might even remember to bring my new puppy.’

  Strangers in the Night

  Ashley Lister

  ‘Strangers,’ Will declared. ‘That’s the only condition.’

  He spoke as he poured two shots of bourbon. His hand shook ever so slightly and Emma couldn’t work out if that tremor came from his apprehension or his enthusiasm. She suspected it was likely both because her own insides were already churning and twisting with those wilfully contrary responses: she was very enthusiastic about what the evening had in store but she was also extremely apprehensive. The shake in Will’s hand was only subtle but it was enough to splash droplets of the smoky golden liquid onto the glossy surface of the hotel’s bedside cabinet.

  ‘Strangers,’ Emma repeated.

  She took one of the shot glasses and sniffed the bitter contents. It was a quality whisky and she associated the smell with scents of daring, risk and satisfaction. As her nostrils drank in the rich aroma of the alcohol she could feel the heat at the top of her thighs grow syrupy with burgeoning desire. Her chest expanded, as though her body was swelling with arousal. This evening had all the promise of being the start of a perfect weekend away. All she needed to make it absolutely perfect was to locate a convenient and willing stranger. Or two. Or three.

  Will swallowed his shot in one. He slammed the empty glass down hard on the cabinet.

  ‘Say it back to me,’ he insisted. ‘Just so we’re clear on the rules.’

  She held the drink in front of her lips and nodded.

  ‘We go our separate ways tonight,’ Emma said slowly. ‘And we’re allowed to go with whoever we want.’

  Will nodded. He was pouring himself another shot and staring expectantly at her untouched glass. He waggled the neck of the bottle, silently hurrying her, but Emma refused to be rushed.

  The evening was an hour away and, for now, she had time alone with her handsome husband and she wanted to savour every moment. She could see their reflections in one of the hotel room’s many mirrors. Will, with his pale angular face, dark hair and his penchant for dramatic clothing, looked like he was auditioning for the role of a vampire. She, blonde, busty and bronzed, looked like she had stepped from a Californian beach. Together, she knew they did not look like a real couple and Emma supposed that was one of the things that made it easier for them to play with other partners.

  ‘Go on,’ Will encouraged.

  ‘We can go with men or women,’ she reiterated carefully. ‘Or we can go with both, if we want. But the only rule is that the people we’re going with have to be strangers.’ She put the shot glass to her lips and braced herself for the impact of the drink. Emma tilted her head back sharply and swallowed the drink in one.

  The whisky was of a good enough quality to burn her throat.

  The taste was deliciously compelling.

  Will poured two more shots and then pushed the cork back into the bottle. He pulled her into a tight embrace. They were locked in a passionate kiss where his lips pressed powerfully against hers and his tongue plundered her mouth in a greedy and lustful exploration. She could taste whisky and him and her arousal grew so intense it throbbed between them as though it had assumed its own physical presence.

  ‘We’ve got cameras on our phones for photographic evidence.’ He spoke quickly once he had broken the kiss. ‘And we’re agreed that the one who gets the highest tally this evening will be the one who picks our holiday destination for July.’

  Emma nodded agreement.

  It was not the first time they had made this bet. Nor was it the first time they had included the incentive of allowing the winner to select their holiday destination. For the past five years, since the first anniversary of their open marriage, they had been adding distractions and diversions to all their extramarital activities. The challenge of choosing their holiday destination was becoming an annual event. This time, given that she and Will had such differing ideas about what made for a perfect holiday, Emma was determined to win. He loved snowboarding and skiing whilst she yearned for nothing more than a sun-kissed beach. Maddeningly, for five years she had not had a proper chance to work on her tan.

  With her resolve hardened, Emma reached for the shot glass at the same time as Will picked up his. They downed their drinks in unison and studied each other with knowing smiles.

  ‘Strangers,’ they said together.

  * * *

  An hour later she was sitting by the side of the rooftop pool, watching early-evening swimmers work up an appetite for their dinner. She had already abandoned the restaurant. S
he had seen three of her communication company’s former clients in there and, although she could have happily bedded any of them, they didn’t count as strangers.

  The hotel was part of a beachfront spa resort, boasting many amenities and catering exclusively to adults. Whenever they needed a weekend break – and, given her demanding office job and Will’s exhausting work with his model agency, that need to escape came often – the spa resort provided the ideal getaway.

  Twilight was now shifting to the black of night. The canopy of stars above was growing softly brighter. Beyond the splashing of a swimmer in the pool Emma could hear the faraway lilt of song lyrics. She didn’t know where the music was coming from but she suspected it was trailing up from the ground-floor bar.

  She knew that Will would be sitting there, flirting with any female who went to get a drink. Given his track record as a serial flirt, she suspected he would be doing quite well. He had a boyishly handsome face and a very easy way about him. When he flashed his affable grin and applied his most seductive charm, she knew that he could usually bend any woman he desired to do as he asked. On reflection, she supposed that was one of the things she had always found so appealing about him.

  ‘Emma?’

  She glanced up at the sound of her name being called and was surprised to see a swimmer walking toward her. He was tall and muscular and broad and his tight white Speedos left little to her imagination. She could see the fat shape of the length encased in there. In her mind’s eye, she was already unpeeling the swimming trunks to expose his flesh to the wanton need of her mouth. She wondered how long it would take her to suck the climax from his shaft and she guessed it would be a mere matter of moments. The prospect was so vivid she could almost taste him on her tongue. Dragging her gaze away from his crotch, she glanced at his face.

  Her smile broadened with recognition.

  ‘Alex?’

  ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked.

  ‘I was going to ask you the same thing.’

  She gestured for him to join her at her poolside table and glanced around to see if there was a waiter nearby. Alex was one of her colleagues from the office. When she had seen him managing his sales team she had always been impressed by the meticulous way he presented himself in a suit. She had often wondered if the physique contained inside the tailored cut of his Ralph Lauren or his Hugo Boss would be the impressive rugby player’s build she had always fantasised about. Now she could see those fantasies had not properly done him justice. Judging from the substantial bulge at the front of his Speedos, she wondered how much more satisfying the real Alex might be than her fantasy image of him.

  He sat down on the recliner beside her. Instead of staring out at the pool he placed himself on the edge of the seat and faced her. He was so close she could smell the tart tang of chlorine from his earlier swim. Beneath that fragrance she could taste the musky tang of his fresh perspiration. It was a scent that made her hungry for him.

  Whilst Emma was entertaining lurid thoughts about what they could do together, Alex was telling her that the spa resort was a convenient getaway for him when he was visiting his family in a nearby town. She maintained a smile of earnest interest and nodded polite agreement during the appropriate pauses in the conversation. All the time her thoughts were toying with the idea of taking Alex’s shaft into her mouth and sucking on him.

  Her phone beeped twice.

  It was the sound that notified her she had received a picture.

  Smiling apologetically at Alex, and brushing the idea of licking his shaft from her thoughts, she glanced at the picture that had been sent.

  It was a selfie from Will. He had a woman’s pierced nipple between his lips. The nipple was a dark pink and looked hard with excitement.

  Emma’s stomach muscles tightened with arousal. She could feel the greedy need for satisfaction clutching at her loins, urging her to do something to sate her excitement. The yearning ached like a hungry throb at the centre of her sex.

  She sat up abruptly. ‘Am I OK to grab a picture of us two?’ she asked.

  Alex shrugged. ‘Sure.’

  She snapped her phone into the jaws of the small selfie-stick she kept in her purse and placed herself on the recliner beside him. The selfie-stick allowed her to get a full bodyshot of herself and Alex. Her grin broadened as her free hand rested casually on the thick bulge contained inside his Speedos. As her fingers encircled his shape the thickness began to grow warm and stiff. She was aware of an electric tension developing in the air between Alex and herself. It would be easy enough, she thought, to direct the conversation so that he invited her to visit his hotel room.

  She snapped three swift pictures and sent the best one to Will. Enjoying being so close to him, she remained sitting on the recliner beside Alex with her fingers still holding the shape of his stiffening shaft.

  Alex maintained a polite banter but she could see he was trying hard not to be flustered by the fact that his colleague had unexpectedly grabbed at his crotch. Despite the unusual situation, Emma was pleased to note that he conducted himself with consummate professionalism. She was even more pleased to see that the stiffness in his Speedos reached a substantial and very impressive size.

  Her mobile phone beeped to indicate she had received a text message.

  Isn’t that Alex from your office? He’s not a stranger, is he?

  She scowled because Will was correct. She had already dismissed the idea of sleeping with three former clients because they weren’t strangers. She supposed the only reason she had overlooked the matter in Alex’s case was because she had been fancying him for a while.

  My bad. She texted the message back to Will using her free hand. I’ll say goodnight to Alex now.

  She cursed quietly to herself as she pressed send and then flashed an apologetic smile in Alex’s direction.

  ‘What a nuisance,’ she muttered. She squeezed the thickness of his erection and finally let her fingers fall away from him. ‘That text was a reminder,’ she said with forced sadness. ‘I’ve got an appointment this evening. If not for that I would love to have spent some more time with you.’ She stressed the final six words, making sure he understood exactly what she meant.

  Disappointment made his face fall.

  Worse, she could see the shape of his erection wilting.

  ‘Is there no way you can get out of your appointment?’

  She pressed her lips together into a bitter smile and shook her head. ‘Not this time,’ she said. ‘But I’m sure we can pick this up at a future date.’

  He nodded reluctant agreement. She was relieved to see that he made no attempt to follow when she stood up and walked back into the hotel. Instead, he plunged back into the pool and she suspected he was finding an alternative way of expending the excess energy he had been planning to use with her.

  Her bitter smile remained as she stepped into the lift and headed down to the basement gym. Whilst Will invariably had a lot of luck at the bar, Emma found it was easier to pick up guys who were invested in some form of physical exercise.

  The women at the bar were looking to be admired and Will played on that need.

  The guys she found at the pool and in the gym were equally invested in their appearance and Emma had discovered they liked it when someone noticed the effort they had put into shaping their bodies.

  It made them easy conquests.

  She headed toward the weight room and tried not to be too impressed by the sight of her own slender figure reflected in the million-and-one mirrors that covered the walls. She didn’t work out as often as she needed but that hadn’t hampered her figure. In a pair of powder-blue heels, and with a figure-hugging mini-dress displaying her ample bosom and well-rounded backside, she strutted confidently through the racks of lifting equipment and unoccupied treadmills. Her blonde curls bounced on her shoulders. The gym’s bright lights caught each of the gold highlights in her hair.

  Emma headed for the solitary figure on a lat machine.

 
The gym was deserted apart from him and she figured he would be easily won by her charms. He sat with his legs spread and his broad chest growing broader each time he pulled the machine’s handles. His cheeks had a healthy redness.

  If she was honest with herself, the thing that had initially caught her interest was the fact that the man reminded her of little Benny Davidson, the first boy she had ever kissed, twenty years ago, back when she was a schoolgirl aged eight.

  After the tug that came from that fleeting moment of nostalgia, she was struck by the man’s muscular thighs. The shorts he wore were tight around his groin and he was obviously built. He had been perspiring into a white T-shirt and there were damp, dark circles beneath the arms. A long line of masculine wetness trailed between his bulging pectorals and it seemed to point toward his loins.

  She shivered with growing need for him.

  ‘That looks like a very invigorating form of exercise,’ she said as she stepped in front of him. She parted her legs so that he had a chance to see her thighs. They weren’t as muscular as his but Emma knew that her legs were one of her most appealing features. Their allure was particularly striking when combined with a decent pair of heels and something short and revealing.

  ‘Invigorating?’ The man on the lat machine paused and licked a film of sweat from his upper lip. ‘Yes,’ he agreed. ‘It’s a very invigorating form of exercise.’

  She fixed her gaze on his and said deliberately, ‘I’d imagine that exercise helps increase your stamina.’

  ‘You don’t have to imagine,’ he grunted. He did another lat pull before adding, ‘I can give you a demonstration of my stamina.’