Secret Fantasy

“And what would that be?”

She met his gaze, hoping her heart and her desire were there for him to see. “Our fantasies can coexist and I know just how to convince you. By the time I’m finished, you’ll no longer be uncertain.” She heard the certainty in her tone and realized her bravery and boldness came much easier now. Outwardly, anyway. “And Doug?”

He swallowed hard, his throat moving upward with the force of the movement. “Yes?”

“You won’t be unsatisfied either.” Before she could blush or tremble or exhibit anything else that would betray her nervousness, she turned and left him alone in the pool.

Alone, unsatisfied and wanting her. But if she had her way, they wouldn’t be apart for much longer.

DOUG WATCHED her sassy retreat. He wondered if she realized her outward bravado hadn’t fooled him a bit. She was learning boldness as she went along. The closer they became, the more sure of herself she grew. He was glad to know he had a hand in something good in her life.

He took her sandals in one hand and lifted them out of the water. Her laughter when he’d pulled her in still rung bright and cheerful in his ear. She’d been a good sport and they’d had fun. He’d laughed at first, and was aroused the entire time.

Doug hefted himself out of the pool and made his way back to his room. He spent the day reading the paper on the terrace and generally making himself scarce while he digested his situation. His life. His feelings.

Feelings for Juliette. There was no denying her impact. Like a comet, she’d hurtled into his life and, if he never saw her again, he’d never forget the view or its effect on him. Without a doubt, she redeemed him, something he hadn’t realized he’d needed. But he’d been a one-track, career-minded nearly lost soul before meeting her. He hadn’t thought of anyone’s feelings when it came to a story. Except his father’s, Doug thought wryly.

And the irony wasn’t lost on him. Ted Houston had a bigger heart than anyone Doug had ever met. It had taken Juliette to make Doug realize he wanted to be like his old man in more ways than being a journalist.

Juliette. She’d enabled him to forget all the trouble in his life, even if just for brief moments in time. She’d allowed him to feel more than guilt, pain and concern over his father’s health and his own personal agenda. More than mere arousal, although the stimulation was carnal and strong and wouldn’t abate anytime soon.

And she’d obviously made it her mission to seduce him. She believed if they slept together, he wouldn’t be doing so at her expense, but at her pleasure.

His heartbeat tripled and his pulse kicked into high gear. She was as persuasive as she was beautiful. In the pool, he hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her, despite his self-imposed promise. And for the first time since laying eyes on Juliette Stanton, he didn’t care one bit. Why? He slammed his hand against the bed in his room. Why? Could it be because he was falling in love with his Runaway Bride?

Doug jerked back, reeling as if he’d been hit over the head with a sledgehammer, though a sledgehammer would probably be more subtle. His past relationships had fallen so far short of love, he figured he wouldn’t know the emotion if it bit him. But here he was contemplating the possibility. A complication he’d never anticipated, but should have.

He couldn’t pin down the moment she’d become a part of his life. He’d been subconsciously studying her each time he’d seen a picture of Juliette and Stuart Barnes, or Juliette and her father, the senator. He’d admired her even then.

He’d been blindsided in Secret Fantasy’s lobby a few short days ago. And he’d been putting her feelings, emotions and needs before his own from the minute they’d been introduced. He rubbed a hand over his eyes. So was he falling in love? He had no idea, but he couldn’t deny his feelings were strong.

And he hadn’t a clue how to handle the emotions or what they meant for his personal or professional future.

A knock sounded at his terrace door. As if he’d summoned her, he turned to see Juliette. She stood by the closed screen, appearing fresh in her lemon-yellow, loose flowing skirt, camisole and blouse. She was obviously nervous, twisting her hands together, then clenching and unclenching her fists. She couldn’t hide her emotions and he loved…Doug coughed. He loved that about her.

He waved her inside. She walked in and slid the screen door shut behind her. “Hi.”

“Hi, yourself.” He rose from the bed, wondering if her timing had been heaven-sent. To force him to face his feelings before he could go into denial.

“Doug? What’s wrong? You’re looking at me like you’ve never seen me before.”

An apt description. She could read his thoughts too well. He needed to push those emotions to the back of his mind and concentrate on what Doug, the reporter, needed.

As if. There was no way he could maintain that promise to keep his distance any longer—because that promise had been made a lifetime ago. Before his earth-shattering revelation. And with each passing second, his certainty grew. He’d fallen in love with Juliette Stanton.

Had he been blindsided? Definitely, but he could list the reasons he’d fallen with ease. She was everything he’d never experienced in a woman and everything he desired. Fresh, unjaded, despite past hurt, and as open and honest as she could be under the circumstances. She knew how to reach out to him when he was in pain and just being around her eased his distress.

He remembered the time his father had attempted to encapsulate his relationship with Doug’s mother. Always a man good with language, sensible words had failed him. “Your mother has the screws that fit the holes in my head,” Ted Houston had said. Doug had merely stared at his father, baffled by the description he’d thought was crazy when he heard it. One he’d never truly understood, not even after going through several unsuccessful affairs of his own.

More snippets of that father-son conversation came back to him now. “She listens to me, son, and that’s rare in a woman, believe me. So if you find one that listens and understands, that’s more than half the battle.” Ted had laughed. “The other half doesn’t need mentioning. Your hormones’ll make their opinions known but your head and your heart will lead you in the right direction.”

His father was right. Doug’s hormones didn’t need mentioning. But he’d been following his heart from the minute he’d laid eyes on Juliette in the lobby, letting her set the pace, allowing her to ask the thought-provoking questions, putting her needs before his own. His head had taken over last night, forcing him out of her cottage and away from her bed before he did something they both might regret later.

He thought of his father’s words and how they related to Juliette. As he’d told her this morning, she’d listened to everything he said. Without passing judgment, she’d been there and she’d cared. He exhaled a slow groan. The tables had turned. Though he still needed information, still wanted to be able to look himself in the mirror, he already knew with certainty he could and would put Juliette first.

Because he loved her.

He extended his hand and led her inside. “Welcome. It’s not as big as the cottages, but it’ll do.”