Happy Birthday to Me Read online

  He lifted his head and looked into her eyes, and her heart lodged in her throat. What was it about this man that she would share that train of thought with him? He was, after all, a stranger. A stranger she was paying to have sex with. However, as she looked into his eyes, she knew that all reason and good sense had already gone flying out the window. After today, she would never see him again. What did it matter if she wanted to share such personal thoughts with him?

  “Oh, baby,” he murmured, leaning toward her, his hand already reaching for her breast. “You have no idea what you just did to me.”

  Tina looked down at his twitching shaft in her palm. “I think I do.” Reaching for her purse, she grabbed one of her specially purchased condoms. “I think its time for my lesson now, don’t you?”

  He took the packet from her fingers and unfurled the condom over his erection. Tina wondered how birth control had suddenly got sexy.

  “You could make that action into an art form, you know,” she told him.

  Sam smirked and took her hand in his to pull her over to straddle him. “I think I need more practice.”

  “You say all the right things,” she said as the tip of his cock nudged her entrance. This all seemed so perfect. So perfect and so right. She felt like Cinderella, knowing that her pleasure was going to be short lived and never to be repeated. Nevertheless, just like Cinderella, she knew that the next few hours were quite possibly going to be the best in her life.

  Gently, she lowered herself onto him and without question knew it was right where she belonged. If she had known that his cock would have felt this good, she would have passed on the appetizer and moved straight to the main course.

  “Tina, you are one hot lady, you know that?”

  She smiled, still holding his hand. “You make me hot. Hot and horny.” Horny was right, she told herself, beginning to move her hips. Already she could feel her clit swelling and rubbing against him as her own wetness eased his way. She had started this with every intention of taking her time on him, but now that she could feel him swelling harder within her, slow was not an option. With each thrust she made, she could sense her arousal all over her body. Her thighs clenched in anticipation, her breasts felt heavy, and her pussy seemed to be slicker than it had ever been before. How was it possible that this man had caused these amazing reactions within her body?

  He sat up and caught one of her nipples between his teeth. The man was a mind reader. He knew just how to please her without her even asking. But of course, that could have something to do with the fact that he was a professional. This sort of thing must come easily to a guy like him. But as she sensed her orgasm simmer deep within her, she cast aside all thoughts of bought-and-paid-for sex, and told herself that this was her moment, her fantasy, and her cowboy.

  “You’re getting closer, aren’t you?” Sam asked her as her thrusts became quicker.

  “Uh huh,” she panted.

  “Good. Now, I want you to really let go. Ride me like you told me you would. Hard and fast. No one can hear you, baby. It’s just me and you.”

  As soon as Sam uttered those words, her body went into overdrive. Her whole being flooded with renewed vigor and sexual energy. It was as if the very sound of his voice had opened up every tiny nerve ending in her body. Every little whisper of air, every caress that he gave her, seemed to react and offer her the most exquisite sensations. Yes, this was what she had come here for. Hot, frantic, fantasy sex, and that was exactly what she was getting.

  Looking into Sam’s face, she could sense that he was holding on for her. She quickened her pace, and with each thrust, she grew closer and closer to the edge, closer and closer to him. She gave a final gasp of delight, and her muscles clenched around his cock as if her life depended on it.

  “I’m with you, Tina. Just let it go,” he urged her.

  She did. She let go and looked deep into his eyes as she enjoyed the most sensational orgasm of her life. Every inch of her body hummed with delight as both she and Sam shuddered with the power of their experience. It was almost as if she had spent her life in a daze up until this moment. With Sam’s cock plunged deep within her and his arms now wrapped tightly around her body, she began to wish that she had never embarked upon this fantasy. This was all so good, and soon it would be over. Never again could she ever hope to gain the fulfillment that she had right now. Never again could she come close to what she and Sam had experienced. Gasping out the last of her orgasm, she rested her head upon his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she wished the day would never end.

  Chapter Six

  Sam opened his eyes at some point in the early evening. He knew it was late due to the slight chill settling in, but he didn’t care what time it was. Once he and Tina were dressed again, he intended to ask her up to the house, and then he would take things from there. After that amazing sex session, they’d both drifted to sleep, only to wake an hour later and enjoy each other all over again. It was after that second time that they had curled up in the hay and drifted off into sleep. He tried to move without waking her, but her limbs were so tightly entwined with his it was an impossible task.

  “Hey there,” Sam whispered. “I’m guessing that it’s pretty late now. Hope you didn’t have some place you needed to be.”

  Tina sat up as if a bolt of lightening had struck her. “What’s the time? Have I gone over? I’m so sorry.”

  He smiled and reached for his underwear. “Hey, I’m not complaining. It’s kind of nice.”

  He was a little taken aback by how quickly she jumped up and began to search for her discarded clothing.

  “I have to go now. I have a plane to catch in the morning and…well…” she drifted off as she held up her bra. “Well, I did only pay for five hours. I can’t afford to pay more.”

  Sam laughed. “I’m not asking for money, and the lesson can wait till you’re back next time.”

  Tina pulled on her skirt. “There won’t be a next time. We can stop the game now. My time is up. It’s not necessary to carry this on.”

  He frowned. What on earth was she talking about? “Game? What game?”

  He watched as she hurriedly pushed her feet into her shoes, and he couldn’t help but think how distant she had become.

  “This whole I’ve come here for riding lessons really does work. It was a great way to kick start my fantasy. But we both know why I came here today. And now I need to leave.”

  Anger grew inside of him as she picked up her purse. What the hell was she talking about? “The reason you came here...?” The face that turned to him now wasn’t the one he had been looking at all afternoon. It was the face of a cold, hard woman.

  “Look, Sam, this whole Fantasy Realms business that you run with your mom, it’s a great idea. Somewhat disturbing, but otherwise great. But I can’t afford to do this again. Financially or otherwise. I came here for sex, and I got it. It was a great scenario, and you made the day really special, but…just don’t continue it. Please.”

  Was she really a fruitcake after all? What was Fantasy Realms? And why did she think he ran it with his mom? “You came to the ranch for sex? You came all the way to this ranch for sex?”

  She glared at him, impatience clear on her face. “I came from New York. Is that what you wanted to hear? Does it make you feel good to know that there are desperate women like me all over this country, willing to go to any lengths to fulfill their sexual fantasies? Look, you’ve been great, let’s not spoil the day. If I’ve kept you from any other business then I’ll readily pay what you’re owed, but right now, I’ve got to go.”

  He watched as she pulled on her jacket and opened the barn door, fully realizing what she had just admitted to. She thought he was some kind of gigolo. She thought she had paid for sex with him. She thought he worked for Fantasy Realms, whoever they were. An icy fear crept down his spine. She hadn’t wanted him, she hadn’t been attracted to him, it had all been a cold-hearted business transaction that he had somehow become involved in. The whole afternoon
had been one big lie. She probably traveled all over the country screwing guys for fun. But when it boiled down to it, there was only one thing that he could think of—Tina had thought he was a whore. He had given himself body and soul to this beautiful, amazing woman, and she thought she’d paid for their afternoon together.

  Standing in the doorway, watching her car roar down to the road, the only thing he could think of was getting a hot shower and washing himself as clean as he could.

  * * * * *

  Once the ranch was out of sight, Tina pulled over to the side of the road. Rushing out of the car, she just managed to make it to the grass and throw up before her sobs wracked her body. What had she done? How on earth could she have been so blind or so stupid? She had been searching for hot sex, not some all-consuming passion, and now look where it had got her. Be careful what you wish for. She had wished for fantasy sex and instead had given away something much more precious than her body.

  For her, the afternoon had been one of utter surrender, a complete giving over of herself to another human being. She knew now that sex in her past paled in comparison to what she had experienced with Sam.

  Her whole being had been awakened to a new way of sensing, a new way of experiencing life. She had done things today that she had never even dreamed were possible. She had experienced Sam. Sam the fantasy. Sam the cowboy, who probably did that sort of thing at least five times a week and more during the holidays when he had to get extra staff in. Sam who probably wasn’t even named Sam.

  She bet he and his pals had a real good laugh at women like her. Women who were stupid enough to think they could sleep with a man like him and just go back to their normal life without ever looking back. She’d spend the rest of her life looking back now. She had taken on the fantasy, and it had beaten her. Maybe she should start attending “Sluts Anonymous meetings.

  Stumbling back toward the car, Tina didn’t care if she never came to the California countryside again. Or if she never saw another cowboy for as long as she lived. The fantasy had won in the end. She had given in to temptation, and she was spoiled forever. It wasn’t a cowboy that she lusted after now, she thought bitterly. It was Sam. She knew, as she drove toward her hotel, that she’d spend the rest of her life looking for a man like him. And she knew that she’d never find one. Because, after all, there was only one Sam Farlowe, and he was just a fantasy.

  * * * * *

  One month later

  Tina stared hard again at her telephone and wondered when her life had started to go so disastrously wrong. Had it been when she spent her days drooling over bought-and-paid-for sex with a stranger? Had it been when she discovered Fantasy Realms on the Internet? Had it been when she fell for Sam, her fantasy cowboy? Or had it been when she received a phone call from the agency, explaining that her money was being refunded due to illness on the part of the escort who had been booked for that day.

  Tina sat through the phone call, not quite listening, not quite believing. She’d replaced the receiver a few minutes ago, still in a state of shock and horror. Well, that was certainly an unforgettable birthday, she mused, deciding to spend her next birthday hidden in her apartment, away from men and all they entailed.

  She really had gone out and had sex with a cowboy. A total, honest-to-goodness stranger off the street. A man who either thought she was crazy or a slut, or quite possibly both. Right now, all she wanted to do was curl up and die. Unfortunately, Sally, the company receptionist, had just buzzed in her ten o’clock appointment, so she’d have to delay slitting her wrists until after lunch. Wondering if the word harlot was emblazoned on her forehead, she bit her lip and stood as the door opened.

  “Good morning Mr… Sam? My God, what are—what are you doing here?” How she wished the floor would open up and swallow her. Unfortunately, the only thing she could do was slump into her chair.

  There he stood before her, a sex god if ever she’d seen one. He’d even brought his hat along with him. “Bet you didn’t expect to see me again.”

  Her mouth dropped open, but she quickly closed it.

  “Well, I can see that you’re thrilled to see me.” His voice was cold and sarcastic. “I’m here to say my peace, and I hope you’ll have the good grace to listen to me. I’m here for my own peace of mind. That day in the barn… I wanted you so bad, Tina. I wanted you like I’ve never wanted any woman. I gave you everything I had that afternoon, and you thought I was some gigolo.”

  Tina rose from her seat to defend herself, but he came around the desk, and she hurriedly sat back down.

  “I found your business card in the barn. I guess it fell out of your purse. I’ve been holding onto it all this time, not sure that I should follow through with this. But here I am.” He began to shuffle uncomfortably. “You said something to me before you left. I’ve come to see what you meant by it.”

  A tightness welled in her chest as she looked at the hurt in Sam’s eyes. “I said a lot of stupid things that day, Sam, and I can… I can only apologize for my behavior. I’ve never done anything like that before, and it’s my intention never to do anything like it again. If there’s some way I can help you, then I’ll be glad to answer any questions you have.”

  Sam twisted his hat between his hands. “You said that you couldn’t afford to do that sort of thing again. Financially or otherwise. Tell me what you meant by otherwise, and then I’ll go.”

  He had come all that way to ask her this? One simple answer was all he needed. She had already faced complete humiliation in front of this man. Could things get any worse for her if she decided to tell the truth?

  As if he were reading her thoughts, he spoke up. “I want the truth, Tina. Even if it hurts you or me, I want the truth.”

  She turned her face away and stared down at the desk in front of her. “I went to the country to fulfil a stupid fantasy. I wanted to have sex with a cowboy. In a barn. But…the reality of my situation was that I found something else. Something—someone—that was better than any fantasy. I found you, Sam. When I left you that night, I was destroyed, humiliated, and stupid. I’d just given myself to a man whom I assumed had sex with women to earn a living. I felt a fool, because I’d risked…I’d risked my heart. That’s not something I’ve ever done before, and I don’t intend on doing it again.” She took a deep breath. “So now you know.” She raised her eyes and looked at him. “Now you know what a dumb city girl I am, and you can have a great laugh over me down on your ranch. I wouldn’t blame you.”

  Sam knelt down beside her chair. “I was kind of hoping you’d say something like that. About your heart, I mean, not me laughing at you. I’d never do that. I came here today wanting you to tell me exactly what you just did.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, when you left, you took a little piece of me with you, baby. I was kind of hoping you’d bring it back home with you.”

  “Home?”

  “Sure, home. ’Course, we could still go down to the barn on some nights, but my bed is awful big and comfortable. You’d get used to it.”

  Tina laughed and threw her arms around his neck. “I guess I could manage a bed, as long as my favorite cowboy was in it.”

  “I guess that could be arranged. But there’s just one thing I need from you.”

  Tina’s eyes widened in surprise as Sam’s hand moved toward the buttons on her blouse.

  “I have a real hot fantasy about doing it in a New York office. Think you can help?”

  Tina grinned. “I‘m sure I can.”

  The End

  Author Bio

  Author Megan Rose writes paranormal and contemporary romance and has been published since 2006. She’s fascinated with vampires and created her own breed of them known as The Fellorians. Her passions in life are her family, her beautiful cat, Jola, and the Manchester City Football Club. You can find her at www.freewebs.com/meganrose33

 

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