Happy Birthday to Me Read online

  Happy Birthday to Me

  By

  Megan Rose

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Happy Birthday to Me

  Copyright© 2010 Megan Rose

  ISBN: 978-1-60088-557-0

  Cover Artist: Kendra Egert

  Editor: Leanne Salter

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  Cobblestone Press, LLC

  www.cobblestone-press.com

  Dedication

  To Helena and Michael. With love.

  Chapter One

  Clementine Holloway, known to her friends as Tina, stared hard at the half-naked cowboy who stood in front of her. In fact, she’d been staring for a good ten minutes, which, she conceded, was very rude. Nevertheless, a body such as his deserved—no, demanded—a woman to lust over it.

  His blue eyes sparkled, hinting he could perhaps be a little bit naughty with her. She liked such a trait in a man. It wasn’t as though she was kinky, but it was nice to know that if she wanted to be, she could. His brown hair held flecks of sunlight, suggesting he spent time outdoors.

  Hmm, back to those kinky thoughts. His shoulders looked firm and his arms strong. Without a doubt, he could hold her weight. She grinned. Moving her gaze lower, she noted how smooth his bare chest looked. The urge to run her hand down his luscious abs was far too strong to resist. And as for his ass… Well.

  She crossed her legs.

  His smile was appealing, yet held in check. She sensed something lurking beneath his surface, apart from the obvious, she thought, casting her gaze in the direction of his crotch. There was something in the line of his jaw that suggested he could be firm. Yes, very firm. And in all the right places, too. She squeezed her thighs together.

  Sexy Cowboy And Girl Out Riding, was a game Tina thought about frequently. She would be out riding one day when her horse became spooked by a car backfiring. He would be out in the fields, half-naked since the day would be so warm, sweat glistening over his muscular body. He would hear her scream of distress and come running. With great skill, he would take the reins of the horse and calm the animal. Then, while she gasped for breath, he would pull her down from the horse and hold her in his arms. He would smell of hay, sunshine, and raw desire. Before she knew it, they’d be on the grass together, tugging at clothing and frantic with lust.

  Just by looking at the cowboy before her, she knew the sex would be incredible. This man possessed a body built for pleasure. Her pleasure. Already, she could imagine him kissing her, his lips and tongue working at the tender spot below her ear. She shivered. What a fantastic birthday present he would make. She could imagine herself unwrapping him in two week’s time. She knew he would be the kind of lover to pay her body full attention, and she let her mind wander to thoughts of him kissing other parts of her body too. She could almost feel his mouth working at her pussy. He would stay there until she had come, and she instinctively knew he would make her come again.

  It was amazing what a woman could tell from simply looking at someone. She could well imagine that he was a demanding lover, impatient to see her naked under his azure gaze. His hands would be a little rough, and the thought fueled her anticipation. How would it feel to have him undo the buttons on her silk shirt? To have his warm skin against her own soft flesh? Her nipples hardened, and she squirmed in her seat.

  Her own sexy cowboy leaning against a white picket fence, with those deep blue denims highlighting each firm leg muscle he possessed. And every other muscle too. Her gaze fell again to his groin. There was something so mesmerizing about the bulge that he had nestled there, it seemed almost impossible for her to keep her eyes averted. Oh yes, he would be an outstanding lover. He was heaven. He was a dream. Strike that. He was a fantasy come true. Moreover, he was standing right in her line of vision. Well, to be precise, she was at her desk and he was on the front cover of her Men of the Outdoors monthly. She couldn’t wait to turn to page twenty-seven where “Round-’em-up Joe” could be found in all his morning glory.

  She sucked softly on her pen, drawing it in and out of her mouth, an action that was not lost on her friend and business partner, Annie Jackson, who cried, “What in the name of good god are you doing to that pen?”

  Removing the pen and her face warming, Tina turned her attention to the set of negatives on her desk, her hair falling over her face to hide her growing embarrassment. “Er…just looking over these shots for the calendar,” she lied, covering the magazine with a set of prints.

  Annie perched herself on the edge Tina’s the desk. “I know it’s that time of the month again. You can’t hide it from me. Don’t you ever get tired of drooling at them?”

  Tina grinned. “No chance. I’m getting my fill before I turn to page twenty-seven. Sometimes the anticipation is the best part.”

  “You know that’s not true. You can’t wait to get inside…the pages.” Annie giggled.

  “Perhaps that’s right on most occasions. But this one is different. There’s something about him that just wants me to keep on dreaming about our fantasy encounter in the great outdoors. He may still have his denims on, but for me, that’s the best part. He isn’t naked, but he’s still available. He’s teasing me. He’s ready, but he wants me to wait. He’s there for me, but...”

  “Okay, okay. I get it. You’ve got the hots for him. But please wait until after you’ve finished the Garvin presentation before you turn to page twenty-seven. I’d love you to be focused on your work rather than drooling all over it. There are some things in life that our clients just don’t appreciate.”

  Tina took a playful swipe at her. “Get off my desk if you don’t have any constructive remarks to make.” She lifted the set of prints and turned her attention to the magazine cover. “I’ll finish the presentation. Don’t worry about that. Joe will wait. He’s devoted to me.”

  “Sure he is, Tina. You know, I bet a million dollars that the guy isn’t even a real cowboy. He’s just a model that they got to pose on the front.”

  “If he is just a model, then I’m in the wrong job. Photographer I may be, but fruit and vegetables just aren’t my thing anymore. I need to move on to more delicious items, such as Joe here.

  “We take photographs of food, and we do it well. In the three years we’ve been working, Gourmet Visions has fast become the successful business we wanted. Cookery magazines and restaurants are banging our doors down. Be satisfied with the job you have right here in New York. Cowboys are a fantasy and should stay right out in the Old West and at the back of your mind, not on the top of your desk.”

  “Ooh, on top of my desk. Now you’re talking. I hadn’t given that scenario much thought before now.” Tina chuckled, briefly allowing herself to view the mental image.

  “Please focus,” cried her friend in exasperation.

  “With Joe half naked in front of me here, that’s kind of hard to do.”

  Annie swiped the magazine away.

  “Hey! Give me back my cowboy.”

  “Not until you’ve finished that presentation. Then you can go home and get ready for your blind date. Cindy says James is perfect. He’s a fellow photographer, divorced, no kids, and a second home in Colorado. Now don’t you feel even a little bit temped?” Annie paused, and Tina sensed her friend expected some sort of enthusiasm.

  “Yea for divorced men,” she declared, reaching for some nearby Post-it notes and wavin
g them like yellow pom-poms.

  “There’s no cause for sarcasm, Tina. I’ve known Cindy for five years. She has excellent taste in men, and if she has vouched for James, I know you’ll have fun tonight. Please give him a chance. He may not be a cowboy, but you have similar interests, and that’s always a good base for any kind of relationship.”

  Tina smiled. She didn’t have the heart to tell Annie she didn’t want a relationship. She wanted dirty sex with a gorgeous man of the outdoors. Was that asking for too much?

  Annie checked her watch and jumped off the desk. “I’m late for lunch. Now, call me tonight and let me know how the date went. Unless, of course, you’ll be too busy with James to call. In which case, I can wait till tomorrow for all the juicy details.”

  Tina watched as Annie grabbed her purse and left through the glass office doors. Deep down, she knew her friend was right. However, she also knew there was no stopping her fantasy. Photographers, lawyers, bankers—she had experienced more than her share of well-educated, good-looking boyfriends. But when push came to shove, she wanted to get down and dirty with a man who had a Stetson on his head and some good strong rope in his hands. The sexy cowboy on the magazine cover had been the final straw. She had an itch, and it needed to be scratched.

  She smiled, feeling very smug with herself. Hmm, back to those kinky thoughts again. She knew she needed to find a way to satisfy her cowboy fantasy. Maybe her date for tonight possessed a fantasy or two of his own. Perhaps he too wasn’t the relationship type. Tina smiled and placed her pen back in between her lips. Yes, maybe tonight’s blind date wouldn’t be such a waste of time after all.

  * * * * *

  Tina smiled as the waiter moved away from the table, finally leaving her alone with her dinner companion. Studying James over the freshly poured glass of wine she now raised to her lips, she wondered how she could possibly endure his company for at least another hour. Granted, he was an attractive man, and well educated from what she could ascertain from their conversation. But sexy cowboy, capable of sweeping the condiments aside and taking her right there on the dining table, he was not.

  Tina crossed her legs, wishing the ache between them would go away. Though James might not possess the right here, right now qualities she sought in her blind date, she did wonder if there might be at least the prospect for sexual release at the end of dinner.

  Scanning his shirt-clad torso, she studied her date with a newfound interest. The cowboy fantasy might not be on the cards, but who said sex was off the menu? She imagined dragging her companion outside and down a darkened alley. In her fantasy, he wanted her as much as she yearned for him, and neither party wanted to wait for the comfort of a bedroom. She wanted it hard and fast, up against the bricks of a cold wall, her ass banging and her pussy throbbing with the very masculine James more than willing to accommodate her wishes.

  “Cindy tells me that you might have scored a contract with a Californian vineyard. That must be very exciting for you.”

  Good Lord. He was speaking. There she was, in the middle of a fantasy orgasm, and he’d been carrying on with the date. Men. You just couldn’t depend on them.

  “Yes, it’s a possibility. My partner met with the owners when they visited New York last month. If all goes well, one of us will be going out there in a few weeks to show them the kind of work we’ll be producing. There are still a lot of negotiations to be done though.”

  “You must be very talented.”

  There was an opening if ever she’d heard one. “Oh, I am, James. If you want to see just how talented I am, why don’t we pay the bill right now?” She uncrossed her legs and teased her foot against James’ calf. At last, it looked as though her date was going to have some potential. She batted her eyelashes at him in a brazen manner she had seen work well in the movies and hoped to God that it looked just as good on her. However, the uncomfortable silence that ensued told her the invitation had not been well received.

  “Tina, you’re a beautiful woman but…”

  She knew she didn’t want to hear it, but human curiosity being what it was tempted her into it. “But what, James?”

  “I just got out of a marriage. I’m taking life slowly right now.”

  Tina smiled. “Slowly is my favourite way. Nice and slow,” she said, continuing to rub his leg. Slipping off her shoe, she allowed her foot to work its way teasingly up to his groin as she slipped her forefinger into her mouth in a seductive move.

  James coughed. “I’m celibate. The marriage breakup hit me hard. I need to re-evaluate my life. With that in mind, I’m taking a year off from having sex. Of any kind,” he quickly added.

  Tina pulled her finger out of her mouth and stared hard at him. Could she be any more humiliated?

  “So, with that in mind you should perhaps remove your foot...”

  Tina bit her lip. “I can’t.”

  James frowned. “Are you so much of a sexual predator?” he ground out between clenched teeth.

  “No, I’m not. My stocking is stuck on your zipper,” she whispered.

  James’s cheeks reddened. “Err…I see.” He looked around before placing both hands under the table and attempted to free her foot, but despite much pulling, her stocking remained stuck. “You’ll have to wiggle it from your end,” he told her.

  Gripping either side of her chair, she lowered herself a little further in her seat and began to twist her foot.

  “Ahh…oohhh…”

  “Am I hurting you?” she asked, concerned by the strange sounds coming from him.

  James blushed a deeper shade of red. “No. I’m fine,” he whispered tightly. “Just hurry up and get it out, would you?”

  “What do you think I’m doing? I want it out as much as you do.”

  “Ah hem.”

  Tina looked up to see their waiter standing at the side of their table. “The management regrets to inform you that we do not allow any form of sexual activity on the premises. We have your bill and would be grateful if you would pay and leave.”

  “But I can’t get it out,” whimpered Tina.

  “Madam, I must inform you that if you do get it out, we will have no choice but to call the police.”

  Tina’s mouth dropped open. Though a man in uniform would have been a welcome addition to her evening, she was certain she didn’t want to be on the wrong end of the law tonight. “Not that, you idiot. My foot. I can’t get my foot out,” she told him.

  “Pull harder,” whispered James.

  Tina braced herself against the chair and made one last effort to release her foot. A tearing sound came, followed by a triumphant cry of, “That’s it,” as she fell back against the chair.

  “Thank God,” James said on a sigh of relief.

  Ducking under the table, Tina reached for her shoe.

  “Oh, James,” she called from her new vantage point. “You’ve got a huge...”

  “Madam, I demand you get up right now,” the waiter said, his voice harsh.

  Tina emerged, her black stiletto in hand and feeling somewhat disheveled. “I was about to tell him he had a huge hole in his pants.”

  Smoothing down her dress, she replaced her shoe and smiled sweetly across the table at her date. “Now, shall we go Dutch on the bill?” she asked.

  * * * * *

  “Hey, your tickets have arrived,” called Annie as she walked into Tina’s office.

  Tina closed her laptop and tried not to look too guilty. “They have? Excellent.”

  Annie frowned. “What are you up to?”

  “Nothing. Only confirming my hotel reservations.” She was such a bad liar. “What time is the flight?”

  Annie frowned again, and Tina sensed her friend wasn’t convinced. She placed the tickets on her desk. “Ten in the morning, which isn’t too bad. If we can pull this deal off with the vineyard, it will be a huge boost for the business. But are you sure you don’t mind being in California on your birthday?”

  Tina smiled. “It’s no problem. After all, I’v
e nothing special planned for the day. I’ll get this contract all finished up and we can eat cake when I get back.”

  Annie appeared satisfied. “Well, if you’re sure. Why not get away early and start your packing? There’s only a few days before the trip, and if I know you, you’ll have lots of laundry to do.”

  Tina smiled. “Thanks. You’re a pal.” She stood to get her coat from the stand in the corner, but as she turned to do so, Annie had already lifted the lid on her laptop.

  “Ah-ha! Just as I suspected,” cried her friend in triumph. “You are up to something.”

  Tina cringed, watching her friend read the screen.

  “Clementine Holloway. You’re hiring an escort? ‘Take an erotic escape from the single life. Take a chance on being the woman you want to be, to have the man you need to have.’” Annie’s mouth dropped open. “What is this? Studs R Us?”

  Tina returned to her desk, horrified that Annie had discovered her secret. “No, it’s not. They’re called Fantasy Realms, and they cater to the discerning woman.”

  “More like the horny woman,” commented Annie, continuing to read the screen. “‘Looking for a rodeo ride of your life? Then A Roll In The Hay is the package for you. And what a package.’” Annie sat down at the desk, presumably so she could gain a better view of the package. “‘This scenario offers a fun-filled time with one of our very own cowboys. Want him in chaps, hat, or just his boots, this cowboy will reel you in, tie you down, and leave you hungry for more. This is one fantasy you’ll be returning to again and again.’”

  There was then a pause in Annie’s reading while she clicked on a sexy sample of the cowboys. “Hmm…well, truth be told, I don’t approve of your actions,” she told Tina, wetting her lips and clicking on the zoom button. “But I should support your choices…as your friend.”

  Tina sat down next to her. “I’ve ordered the surprise scenario. Just in case you were curious.”