A Few Good Fantasies by Michele Bardsley Read Free Book Online Page A

novel. People didn’t fall in love in a day and stay madly in love for the rest of their lives. Passion burned bright and quick before it flickered out.
    Well, hell. Lissa stood up and plucked the dress off the couch. Maybe a relationship was too much to hope for, but fun—well, that she could have without worrying about things like compatibility.
     
    L ISSA WALKED BAREFOOT on the beach dressed as a tavern wench. The knee-length skirt showed off her legs. The red sash cinched her waist; she’d knotted it on the side so that the ends would flow off her hip.
    The white shirt puffed at the shoulders, leaving her arms bare. With help from her strapless push-up bra, the low-cut blouse gave new meaning to the word ‘cleavage.’ Bangles clinked on her wrists. On her left ankle she’d put a bell-filled bracelet. She’d taken her time getting ready, soaking in a lavender-scented bath and patting her entire body with a sparkly, scented powder. She kept her make-up light and left her brown hair long and straight.
    Rows of bamboo torches offered the only light on the dark beach. Stars glittered like diamonds in the night sky. As Lissa walked toward the water, a warm breeze teased the edge of her skirt and tossed her hair. The low waves licked at her toes and she curled them into the sand, enjoying the sensation of the soft grit tickling her feet.
    She scanned the ocean, enjoying its dark, shining beauty. In the distance, she spotted a large row boat headed toward the shore. Loud singing floated toward her:
    “Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate’s life for me!”
    Her heart turned over in her chest and adrenaline hummed up her spine. The boat hit the shore and men tumbled out of the craft, laughing and singing.
    “We come for ye, wenches!” cried one.
    The pirates swarmed the beach, brandishing swords and whooping loudly. Women giggled and screamed as they ran every which way.  
    One pirate swaggered toward her. He wore a red handkerchief over his hair and a red mask that covered half his face. His teeth bared in a lascivious grin. Wow. His loose shirt offered tantalizing glimpses of muscled flesh. As he passed by a torch, the flickering light revealed a chiseled profile.
    “Lissa! I’ll show ye a good time!” he crowed in a gravelly voice.
    Her heart tripled its frantic beat. Oh, God. This was him. The pirate who wanted her! She sucked in a steadying breath. Time to put up or shut up, girl.
    His arms opened wide. “Are ye gonna embrace me, ye bonny lass?”
    She’d written enough pirate dialogue to know how to respond. “I wouldn’t let a scurvy dog like you anywhere near my goods,” she said saucily, as she tossed her hair over her shoulder.
    His eyes flashed with surprise. He paused in the dark space between two torches, so his expression was hidden, but obviously he was calculating the distance between them.
    He shot toward her.
    Lissa turned and ran. Adrenaline spiked in her belly as he gave chase. She worked-out three days a week; she had the stamina needed to make her pirate work for his bounty. Even so, she didn’t want to run too hard or too long.
    She didn’t need to worry. In mere moments, she felt him close behind her. She heard his boots dig into the sand and his breath draw in as he lunged for her. His arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her snug against him.
    “Hey!” she yelled, flailing her arms and legs.
    He laughed. “Scurvy dog, am I?”
    Panic clawed at her even though she knew this was just a game. What had she been thinking? She didn’t know this man. How could she trust him? Was she really going to let a stranger to whisk her away? Was she this desperate to find a human connection, to get a few moments of pleasure?
    “Sshh, now, lass. I won’t hurt ye.”
    Whoa. Her pirate had sensed her distress. She gulped in air and tried to calm down. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.
    “This is your game,” the pirate whispered in a normal voice. “You end it whenever you