She woke alone and naked in the hay with just a blanket carefully tucked around her. She should have felt used, empty and a little cheap. But instead she felt liberated. And extremely sated. Her body was still vibrating with pleasure, even an hour after her final intense release. She'd never experienced sex like that before. It had been primal, almost animalistic the way he had just taken her at the end. It gave her gooseflesh just thinking about it. She felt claimed somehow. Like her body would never quite belong entirely to just her ever again.
She knew she was being ridiculous. She was usually a very practical woman. She was just having an emotional reaction to so much excellent sex after an extended dry spell. It was natural to imagine a connection that wasn't really there. Instead of beating herself up for it she was going to enjoy it. She had felt something for a man. Something deep. And for her, this was progress. If she could feel something for him, perhaps there was someone else out there who could make her come alive. Someone other than a very talented prostitute.
Sitting up, she looked around and noticed that her skirt, shirt, wig, mask and bra were draped over the bale of hay in the corner. Wow. She must have passed out not to notice him gathering up her clothing. No sign of her panties though. She stood up and felt a twinge of discomfort between her legs. It was a good pain. It reminded her of how deeply he had filled her and how much she had loved being on the receiving end of all that unrestrained passion.
She got dressed, smiling to herself as she thought of the way she'd teased and tormented him. How was she going to go back to one night stands with random strangers after this? She was ruined. As for her original fixation, she hadn't thought of Jake since she'd seen Nick's rugged face. It was good to be free of that obsession. Before this afternoon, she had thought watching a man masturbate would be the height of eroticism. Now that fantasy seemed quite tame compared to the x-rated thoughts that were running through her head. Mostly centered on what she would do to that cowboy if she had the chance again.
It felt a little odd to be walking around without panties, but this new sensual Kayla ignored her discomfort. She could walk around with her bush flying in the breeze if she felt like it. At least until she could get to a mall and buy some new panties.
Leaving the stall, she stopped and looked around at the setting of her recent debauchery. It looked so normal. The stable door was now open. In the bright light streaming in she saw that all the items he'd thrown on the floor earlier when he'd sat her on the table were now neatly piled up next to the saddle.
She gave a cursory look for her panties, but they weren't anywhere to be found. She couldn't help but notice that the riding crop was also gone. Too bad. She would have enjoyed that particular souvenir in her private time. Probably for the best. She didn't really want to explain that particular item to the border guards when she went back to Vancouver that afternoon.
Walking out to her car, she winced as she got behind the wheel and her bruised bottom came into contact with the seat. She was going to be reminded of that particular part of her fantasy for days. But it made her smile, remembering how he had been too excited to finish punishing her.
Fishing her keys out of her pocket, she unlocked the glove box and grabbed her wallet, passport, cell phone and sunglasses. As she was setting these items on the passenger seat, she noticed a white envelope lying there, completely camouflaged by the pale leather seats.
Frowning, she slid the envelope open with her keys and looked inside, expecting a receipt of some sort. Instead she was shocked to find her cashier's check for ten thousand dollars nestled inside.
Kayla looked around, expecting her cowboy to appear and explain. But he didn't. She was completely alone. She thought about driving around the property searching for him, but wasn't sure what his circumstances were. What if he actually did work here and she got him in trouble for fraternizing at work? He'd obviously played some kind of devious joke on her, but that didn't warrant getting him fired.
Instead, she looked through her wallet until she found Miss Bright's card. She punched in the number on her cell phone and waited impatiently for the woman to pick up. It rang many times before she heard Miss Bright's clipped voice on the other end.
Kayla interrupted before she could finish saying hello. "What exactly is going on?"
"Kayla? What do you mean? You sound distressed. I thought everything went so well. Nick has already reported in and it sounds like your fantasy has been successfully fulfilled. Did something not meet your expectations?"
Kayla thought about that question for a moment. In truth, her expectations had been exceeded, but that wasn't why she was calling. "Miss Bright. Everything was wonderful. So, why is my own check sitting in my hands right now? Am I to understand that you've issued your second refund? Without my input? I find that very unlikely."
Miss Bright gave a very unladylike snort on the other end of the phone. "No, I can honestly say that I would not issue a refund in this particular case. Nick, however, said that he felt his performance was not as client-based as it should have been. It did not meet our professional standards."
"He said that?"
"Not exactly. His words were more like, 'I acted like I was out on my first date after five years in prison.' You should take that as a compliment. Nick has never, ever been compromised like this before. He's usually a very cool customer."
That did not sound like her cowboy at all. "Did he say anything else?" Why did she suddenly feel like she was back on the farm, looking for an inkling of interest from Jake. The question was beneath her, but she held her breath waiting for an answer anyway.
"Just that he apologized if you were disappointed."
Disappointed? Was he kidding? How could she be disappointed. She was getting wet again just thinking of him. "That's really not necessary. In fact, I'd like to schedule another appointment, just as soon as I get back from Chicago in two weeks."
"Miss Foreman. Surely you read your contract. Fulfilling a woman's fantasy is an isolated event. We do not entertain repeat performances."
Kayla rolled her eyes. "But this would be a completely different fantasy. So it wouldn't be a repeat performance."
Miss Bright responded, sounding almost exactly like a robot. "Irrelevant. Any subsequent fantasies will not be considered." She softened her tone and continued. "I'm sorry, but we do this for the benefit of the client. Fantasies can become an addiction, just like anything else. The first one is so sublime that the client can easily find themselves forever trying to match that experience with greater and greater perversity. Believe me, it's not in your best interest to travel that road."
"This is about money, isn't it? What if I doubled the price?"
"Well, considering you paid exactly nothing for this experience, you do not make a very enticing offer."
"No. I meant twenty thousand."
"We're flattered that you feel our service is worth such a sum, but the answer is still negative. And even if I did make an exception, I don't think Nick would be willing to take money from you anyway. Not that he needs it. He's been retired for years. Obviously, he was not ready to come back." She sighed, sounding somewhat human for the first time in this conversation.
"Retired? You mean he doesn't do this on a regular basis?"
"No, none of them do. He just happened to be in town, and I thought he'd make an excellent match for you. But obviously I was wrong." It was obvious from her tone that she was quite disturbed at this possibility.
"You weren't wrong. He was exactly what I needed."
"I'm glad to hear that. Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Evidently not," Kayla said, a little more snidely than was absolutely polite.
Miss Bright ignored her tone. "Then I will conclude this conversation by wishing you well and reminding you that most of our references are through our clients. So, if you know a woman, like yourself, who would benefit from our service, please do not hesitate to put her in contact with me."
Kayla didn't really have any close female friends outside work, but if she did, she couldn't imagine sending them to Miss Bright. Delta of Venus Inc., provided a quality product, but if there was even the slimmest possibility of an acquaintance of hers being set up with Nick, she would surely go mad imagining them together.
She closed the conversation with Miss Bright by promising to let her know how the digital recording of her fantasy turned out, and then threw the phone down on the dashboard.
That was it then. Her fantasy was fulfilled, but by an ex-prostitute, not a current one. She didn't know why that changed things, but it did. With the money back in her hands, it felt more like she'd been on a really hot date with a man she was falling for rather than just a financial transaction. Was she crazy to think she could have a relationship with someone she'd met through a fantasy fulfillment agency?
But it didn't matter. She had no way of getting hold of him even if she could overcome their unconventional first date. She needed to forget about him and focus on finding someone more suitable. Someone she liked and desired who wasn't a current or former prostitute. Why did that suddenly seem like such an impossible and unappealing task?
One week later…
Kayla sighed inwardly as yet another suit entered the hotel elevator. She didn't even look at them anymore. They just blended together. Same dark clothing, slicked back hair, and covetous expressions on their faces. But this was the price she paid for trying to be more approachable.
In an attempt to find someone to take her mind off Nick, Kayla had come to this conference in Chicago with a plan. She was going to get over her dislike of the corporate drones, and give them a chance. Since she usually dressed like a stylish librarian in neutral, conservative clothing and understated makeup, her current low-cut, emerald green silk blouse and slick red lips made her feel a bit like a five dollar hooker.
For the most part, her plan had worked. She definitely drew more attention than ever before. At previous conferences, she had spent at least part of her evenings fending off horny executives who thought she must be easy prey because she was one of the few young, unattached, and somewhat attractive female participants. She had quickly relieved them of their delusions with her sharp tongue and cool demeanor.
Dressing a little more provocatively and leaving her hair down had not been a good idea. It was like dragging a juicy pork-chop through a pack of famished wolves. It didn't seem to matter to these men that she wasn't enthused about their interest. The fact that many of them were married was equally irrelevant. Conferences for them were like a giant frat party rather than the networking and education platform the organizers had intended.
Leaning back against the wall of the elevator, she ignored the last batch of men exiting and their lecherous glances. She was on her way up to her room on the 40th floor to change. Hopefully, she would feel more comfortable and less like prey in her conservative armor.
She just needed to accept that her plan had been a bust. It was the last night of a four day conference and no one appealed to her, despite her best efforts to be more open-minded. She was simply bent towards men with a bit of a rugged edge to them. She couldn't seem to help herself. She had a type and Nick had embodied it.
She was beginning to fear that she was on a fruitless quest to find a man to compete with her cowboy. It was just like the Jake obsession, except much worse. Unlike her childhood crush, Nick seemed to return her interest. Yes, it was his job to reciprocate emotions, but there was no way he could fake that kind of passion. She was convinced there was something real between them. The way he had shouted her real name as he'd climaxed had convinced her. But she had no idea how to find him.
Right now she was stuck in Chicago for the next five days. Her boss had requested her assistance in developing some training materials that were being piloted at the branch here. It was a great opportunity for Kayla, but she longed to get back to Vancouver. She'd decided that she was going to return to the scene of the crime and try and find Nick. He obviously had some kind of relationship with the owners of that stud-farm, and that was a good place to start. She felt like a crazed stalker for even entertaining the notion of trying to track him down, but she really needed to resolve this. If she did find him and he seemed less than thrilled, she would just ask for her panties back. But at least she would know if she'd imagined their connection.
Relieved to be alone, except for one last man facing away from her, she watched the numbers flash by above his head. Bored, she took her first good look at him. He was tall and well-built, which was appealing, but he was also wearing a ridiculously expensive, pin-striped suit and shiny black Gucci loafers. Just another corporate robot.
His sandy hair was cut military short in a style that wasn't corporate-chic at all though. No shiny product marred its softness. She felt herself growing curious about him. She couldn't even smell any offensive aftershave wafting towards her. Just a hint of soap and clean skin. Usually being in elevator with a man in a suit was like being trapped in a cologne factory, so she usually took the stairs. Today, she was wearing four-inch pumps and forty floors was a lot. She'd learned recently that she liked a bit of punishment, but not that kind of torture.
She was just moving forward to get a better look at him when he reached towards the elevator control panel and hit the stop button. The elevator obeyed with a lurch, and Kayla grabbed the hand-rail to keep herself from stumbling.
The man in the suit turned towards her and gave her a familiar naughty grin. Kayla's heart lurched. It was him. Her cowboy. But he didn't look like her cowboy at all. He was still gorgeous, but the stubble, messy hair, and thread-bare clothing were gone. This guy looked like a complete corporate shark. And yet she still found him wildly attractive.
She looked at him in shock for a moment, so thrilled to see him again that she thought about just grabbing him and kissing him and forgetting completely about the elevator maintenance staff that were probably already alerted. Then reality set in. Had he followed her somehow? Was he some kind of deranged stalker? Was she now trapped with someone dangerous?
"Nick? What are you doing here? And why have you stopped the elevator. They're going to throw us out." She said, reaching out toward the panel to hit the release button.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, until she was pressed up against his side. "I need a few minutes with you to explain. Just give me that and I'll get us moving again."
She frowned at him and removed her hand and body from his grip. "Two minutes and then we need to get out of here."
"Would you believe me if I said I belonged here?" He asked cheekily as he reached into his pocket, brought out a card and handed it to her.
She took the card from him and moved away to look at it. It said his name was Nicholas Finnegan, and he was the CFO and Founder of Anin Industries. She looked up at him questioningly. "I don't get it. Why would you be working at a stud-farm? Or as a prostitute, for that matter?"
He handed her another card. This one was very familiar. It was the same one that had been slipped under her door at the London conference last month. "Let's just say I have a vested interest in both."
She stared at him incredulously. "You mean you own both?"
"Well, I have the majority of shares in Delta of Venus, so I don't technically own it outright. But the farm is mine." He looked at her hopefully.
"I can't believe this." She shook her head and handed the cards back to him. "You set the whole thing up then? What if my fantasy had been something weird, like I wanted to dress you up as a baby or something?"
"I guess I'd be shopping for some really big diapers then."
"You're serious? You wanted to sleep with me that badly?" A small, pleased grin stole across her face.
"Well, yeah. Of course. Eventually. But more than anything I wanted to get to know you. Unfortunately, you weren't exactly the most approachable. I'd seen you burn a lot of guys, and I didn't want to be one of them. I thought if I could meet you under different circumstances, I might stand a better chance of not being totally rejected."
"I don't get this. We haven't even spoken before we met at the stable, have we?"
"Nope. Not a word. I know this is going to sound kinda creepy, but I actually noticed you last year at another conference."
She reached around him with a glare and hit the elevator release button. It started moving again, but very slowly. "A year. You've been watching me for a year? Do I need to call the police or something? You haven't been sitting outside my home with binoculars, have you?"
He grinned sheepishly. "Of course not. It started off very innocently, I swear. I watched how you were really kind to all the waiters and bar staff. Then, I was at that presentation on staff motivation you gave and you were so professional and confident, and yet a little bit of humor kept sneaking into everything you said. What can I say? I was intrigued."
They reached the fortieth floor and the elevator doors slid open. Kayla wasn't sure what to do. She thought of how happy she'd been to see him and how much trouble he'd gone through to gain her attention. Why was she angry with him exactly? Hadn't she contemplated stalking him just as soon as she got back home? Pretty hypocritical to criticize his methods when she was fully prepared to infiltrate his work environment to hunt him down.
He'd deceived her, for sure, but if he'd approached her in his current corporate mode of dress, would she have blown him off? Probably. She seemed to have some kind of weird prejudice against men in suits. Maybe it was her humble upbringing, but somehow she had developed an aversion to them. She didn't want to believe she was that superficial, but apparently she was.
She looked at him now, standing there looking irresistible, with his powerful arms holding the elevator open. He was waiting impatiently for her to decide if she was ready to take her fantasy cowboy and make him part of her real world. Suddenly it seemed very obvious what she wanted. Just him. Her cowboy who could exist comfortably in both her worlds. They had a lot to discuss, but it could wait. Now she needed to get him out of that suit.
For once, she did something very impulsive. Grabbing him by his very proper tie she backed him into the elevator. She hit the stop button as she passed the control panel and pushed him against the back wall. Reaching up on tip-toes, she kissed him. Really kissed him with all the pent-up longing of the past week.
Nick responded with a groan and kissed her back hungrily. He turned them so she was backed up into the corner and angled her chin up so he could kiss her neck. After a minute of this he came to his senses. Pausing, he moved back and looked into her eyes. "Kayla, I'm so sorry. I should have told you everything at the stable, but I totally lost my nerve. Tell me you'll give us a chance. That I didn't totally blow it. Because I want to be way more than a fantasy to you."
Kayla smiled gently at him and ran her hand over his very short hair. "You're already way more than that. You have been since I heard you talking to that horse." She gave him a stern look. "But I do think you need a little punishment for your behavior. Too bad that riding crop has gone missing."
He grinned and trailed one finger down her cleavage. "Well, actually, it's in my room. I've been carrying it around for a week."
She laughed and playfully swatted his firm buns with one open palm. "I knew you had it."
"Yup. I've got it, and you can give it to me later. But right now I have an elevator fantasy I'd like to fulfill." He sunk to his knees in front of her and began kissing his way up her smooth thighs.
Kayla eased her legs apart and bit her lip, waiting for the exquisite pleasure only her cowboy could give her.
When the elevator maintenance crew arrived, they discreetly waited until the moaning stopped before prying open the doors. Apparently, they were very familiar with Nick's particular elevator fantasy.