Janelle Denison - Seductive Fantasy

He was big, solidly male and gorgeous in a way that made her feel extremely self-conscious of her own ordinary features. For the sake of comfort during her long ten-hour trip to Florida, and admittedly, out of routine, she’d twisted her hair into a French braid to keep it neat and tidy, and had worn a comfortable loose skirt and blouse to travel in. Never in her entire life had she been more aware of her appearance…and how frumpy she must look.

“That’s better.” A charming grin lifted the corners of his mouth. “At least now I’m assured that you’re not going to pass out on me.”

No, but she was feeling a bit light-headed from all this attention. She struggled to find her voice. “I’ll be fine…just as soon as we land.”

“Which can’t be soon enough for you, I take it?”

She shook her head and laughed, the sound strained with nerves and the kind of tantalizing awareness she wasn’t used to feeling. “No. The sooner the better.”

His hair, she noticed, was cut into a neat, executive-type style that accentuated his handsome, chiseled features. The thick strands were an inky black, and a perfect complement to her own ebony mane. So far, he had the makings of her own personal fantasy man.

A staggering excitement rushed through her blood at the thought, though she couldn’t be certain that he was the one. He could be just as he presented—a gentleman assisting a woman in distress. And most likely he was exactly that.

He tipped his head, regarding her curiously. “Are you afraid of flying?”

“Sort of,” she admitted. “My parents died in a small plane just like this one.”

“Aah,” he said in understanding, giving her hand a gentle, compassionate squeeze that tugged at something equally elemental within her. “I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago.” She rested her head against the back of her seat, keeping her gaze averted from the window. “I was only ten at the time, but being closed in and flying over the ocean brings back memories of how they passed away.”

“Understandably so,” he murmured.

Realizing he still held her hand between his, and sure he’d rather let her go but was being polite, she attempted to withdraw from his grasp. He held her captive, his hold firm, his fascination with her undeniably genuine. Pressing her splayed fingers against a taut, denim-covered thigh, he lightly trapped her hand beneath the press of his palm.

As if she was going anywhere!

Absently, he stroked the skin between her thumb and forefinger, the caress so intimate and sensual it made her quiver deep inside. “Maybe I can help keep you distracted for the remainder of the flight.”

Oh, she was most definitely distracted…and mesmerized. His sole focus was on her, which was beguiling in itself.

“I suppose we should start with introductions,” he said, another lazy, sexy smile making an appearance. “I’m Jackson Witt. And you are?”

Completely smitten. Alex supposed that’s what happened when a woman was the focal point of a gorgeous man’s attention. She’d dated a handful of men, one long enough in college to constitute a relationship, but none had ever made her feel so entranced and infatuated at first glance.

She noticed the suddenly intense way he was staring at her, as if he was waiting for some kind of reaction. Well, she was definitely affected by him, except there was no way for him to see the internal flurry of rippling heat and sultry desire he evoked.

She called up a reciprocating smile that she found came easily to her lips. “It’s nice to meet you, Jackson,” she said, and was taken aback by the visible relief that passed across his expression. It was gone so quickly, she had to wonder if she’d imagined the odd emotion. “I’m Alexis Baylor, but everyone calls me Alex.”

“Why?” he asked abruptly.

She shook her head in confusion. “Why what?”

“Why does everyone call you Alex when Alexis is such a beautiful name?”

She ducked her head, contemplating his comment. Honestly, she’d never felt much like an Alexis, a name which to her implied elegance and grace.

Slanting him a glance, she shrugged, having long ago grown used to the boyish nickname. “My uncle, who raised me after my parents passed away, always called me Alex, and I suppose it became a habit.”

He grinned with sinful intent, his blue eyes sparkling mischievously. “One I intend to break…Alexis.”

The way her name rolled off his tongue was like a silky, sensual caress to her senses. Adding to that pleasant mental stimulation was the featherlight stroke of his fingers between hers, where she’d suddenly become ultrasensitive. While his touch was innocent, her entire body hummed with a luxurious warmth, one that was provocative as well as enjoyable.

“So, where are you from?” he asked.

She knew he was trying to make idle conversation, and she appreciated the diversion. “San Diego.”

A dark brow winged upward. “Considering how uncomfortable you seem in a plane, how did you manage to get to Miami? By train?”

She laughed, and this time the sound was light and carefree, lacking the tension that had engulfed her earlier. “I flew, of course. It’s the smaller commuter planes I have a problem with, not big, sturdy jetliners. And where are you from?”

“Atlanta.”

She toyed with the end of her braid, which curled over her shoulder and rested just above her breast. “And I take it you’re going to Seductive Fantasy, too?”

He nodded, his gaze shifting from the play of her fingers to her mouth, then her eyes, his perusal slow and lazy. “Yes.”

So, he either had a fantasy or was someone’s fantasy—or maybe both. “For a fantasy?” she asked, hoping the obvious question would unearth deeper information about the man.

His eyes darkened, turning a smokey shade of blue. “Most definitely for a fantasy,” he murmured.

She shivered at the sudden intensity cloaking him. Unable to help herself, even though she knew she was venturing into private territory, she asked, “What is your fantasy?” Was that her voice that sounded so breathless?

Beneath her trapped hand, his muscles bunched, belying his relaxed expression. He sent her a chastising look, tempered with flirtatious charm. “Why, Ms. Baylor, shame on you. I believe that information is confidential, as is your fantasy. Unless you care to share yours first?” he invited.

Her skin flushed, at being so bold as to ask about something so intimate, as well as at the thought of divulging her own deepest desires. Not only did she not really know this man and his personal intentions on Seductive Fantasy, but she wanted her request to play out on its own accord, without planting any preconceived notions in another man’s head. Though with him admitting that he had his own fantasy to explore at the island resort, she didn’t hold out much optimism that they’d be paired as a couple.

She let out a regretful sigh. “No, I’d rather not share my fantasy, and I apologize for asking about yours.”

“No apology necessary,” he said sincerely. “I suppose the nature of this vacation retreat does stir one’s imagination. I have to confess that I’m equally curious to know what you’re looking for on Seductive Fantasy.”

Unadulterated passion. Uninhibited desire. A father for my baby. She kept those secrets tucked away. “Let’s just say I’m trying to cram a lifetime of missed opportunities into one short week.”

He turned the hand resting on his thigh over and traced a long, tapered finger against her palm, tickling her skin and arousing her to a fever pitch at the same time. “Well, I hope all your fantasies come true, Alexis.”

She stared into his compelling eyes, hopelessly lost in the sea of sensuality she saw shimmering in the depths. She licked her suddenly dry lips. “I hope so, too,” she replied huskily.