Мечтательница

http://book.derlab.ru/?book/book/15172

Excerpts: (Scroll down for an adult one)

    
Something gripped her shoulder hard, and a hand kept patting at her face.

“Lady, wake up,” a man’s deep voice commanded.

Aurora frowned and shrugged, trying to shake off the hand. She needed sleep. She was exhausted and it wasn’t time to get up yet.

“How did you get here?” The deep voice kept speaking. Why wouldn’t he be quiet? Couldn’t he see she was asleep? Likely it was a new footman, some lad from the country who had no idea of protocol. His accent was thick and strange, as if he were a foreigner. But what on earth would a manservant be doing in her bedroom? Such outrageous behavior was unforgivable, no matter how ignorant the new footman might be.

Her eyes flew open and she bolted upright. Her head spun at the sudden movement and her body ached all over, every joint screaming. She gasped in pain and stared at the man bending over her.

His hair was brown, cut unfashionably short, and he wore some sort of short-sleeved tunic with a jacket over it and a pair of dark blue leggings. No moustache or beard hid his jaw and chin, but the unshaven stubble of several days shadowed them. Dark brows knit together over blue eyes that gazed at her with inappropriate intimacy.

“How did you get here? What happened to you?” His rough, informal address shocked her, and yet the timbre of his voice sent warm ripples of excitement through her. She suddenly felt wide awake, much more alert than she had in years.

“Who are you?” she countered. “And what are you doing in my bed chamber? I shall have you dismissed.”

The man glanced around. “I don’t think this is your bedroom.”

Aurora followed his gaze and realized she was in the south tower. Suddenly memories began to seep back into her consciousness. A siren call that had guided her feet to this place almost against her will. The spinning wheel haloed and glowing, drawing her to it, beckoning her to touch it. Her parents’ admonitions throughout her life about staying away from any kind of needle, pin, knife or any other pointed object had flown from her mind as she reached out to touch the shining spindle that drew her like a moth to flame. She remembered the sharp prick on her finger, a roaring sound that filled her ears, and then utter darkness.

She rubbed her forehead. “What happened to me? Why am I lying on the floor?”

“I don’t know. Did you hike up to this castle?” He stared at her gown. “Maybe you were doing a movie shoot, or…uh, wandered away from a medieval fair?”

“What are you talking about? Your words make no sense.”

“Never mind. Just relax. I’ll get you back to where you came from.” The man slid a satchel from his shoulder, opened it and took out a clear glass bottle from inside. He unscrewed the blue cap and handed it to her. “Have a drink.”

Aurora was surprised at the lightness of the water bottle. It wasn’t glass at all but some strange, slick material she’d never encountered before. Perhaps he was a wizard trying to get her to swallow a magic potion. But his eyes were kind, and she was too thirsty to care. She took the bottle and drank deeply before handing it back to him.

“Thank you, kind sir.” She addressed him formally since she couldn’t tell his class. She’d never seen any man dressed in such strange attire, and even his demeanor was different from the courtiers, noblemen, guards and menservants she’d known in her life. What country had this bright-eyed stranger come from and what gave him the temerity to address the Princess of Schlaushagen with such informality?

Aurora started to rise, but her legs buckled beneath her. The man shot out an arm and caught her. “Slow down there. You may have a head injury. Why don’t you just sit for a few minutes and then I’ll help you stand.”

“Tonight is my betrothal ball. I must finish getting ready. Help me rise at once and return to my rooms.”

“Your rooms in the castle?” His dark brows shot up.

“Yes, that is correct. What other? I will forgive your oafishness as you clearly do not know who I am. You are addressing the Princess Aurora. My father is King Hubert.”

“Oh.” The man nodded, but a pitying look filled his eyes and Aurora knew he did not believe her. Did he think she was some ladies’ maid dressed in her mistress’s ball gown?

The man stuck out his hand. “I’m Joel Thorne from Gwyn City in Linderwylde. Pleased to meet you.”

She stared at his hand, uncomprehending. What did he expect her to do with it?

After a moment, he dropped his hand. “Okay then. Maybe we should talk a little bit before I take you downstairs. Those tower steps are steep anyway.” Joel Thorne sat back on his heels. “I think I’d better warn you there’s no one besides us in the castle. The place looks like it’s been deserted for hundreds of years.”

The whirling inside Aurora’s head grew stronger. Her stomach heaved, and for a moment she was certain she would vomit the water she’d just drunk. “What are you saying?”

“This place is abandoned. Whoever you’re expecting to find down there is long gone.”

*

Joel grunted and then breathed normally again, long and deep. Aurora let out a sigh of relief. But he was closer now. She could feel his warm breath tickling her nape, making the tiny hairs there stand up in awareness. At first, she was frightened to move, and then, slowly, she realized she liked his breath on her neck; she liked his nearness, the warmth radiating from his body to hers. Sharing a bed was not so bad. Except that it made her wonder what would happen if he came any closer, if he touched her…

He wouldn’t. He’d said so, and she had the feeling he regarded her as more of a precocious child than a woman capable of adult feelings. Her body heated. Adult sensations. Joel’s kisses on her mouth, on her breasts, Joel’s clever, knowing hands all over her body, fanning the flame she could feel burning here between her legs.

She let her mind go, fantasizing about more of those kisses, imagining his hand caressing her thigh, sliding inward to stroke the little nub of delight. Would he bring her to full pleasure that way? Oh yes, certainly in this fantasy. She wanted his cock too, but since she had no idea how that would feel, she’d stick with his hand.

At her shoulder, Joel stirred again, as if he was too hot or uncomfortable. His breath pushed out, ruffling her hair, and without warning he shifted against her. Shocked, she expected him to jump away again immediately, but instead, he let out a grunt of apparent satisfaction and hooked one arm over her.

Aurora was afraid to breathe, especially when his thighs curved against hers, fitting his whole body around her shape.
When one got over the shock, she decided after several moments, it was really quite a nice, enveloping hug. She couldn’t even take offense since he was obviously asleep and unaware whom he was cuddling. Or even that he was cuddling. Well, she would take the comfort and the oddly sweet, stolen excitement of his touch. It was real, physical, and so much better than fantasy.

She smiled into the pillow and closed her eyes. And since his hand lay so close, she wrapped her fingers around his. Now she could sleep.

She’d almost drifted off when he moved closer, pressing against her. Her eyes sprang open. Shocked all over again, she felt the hardness of his erection pushing against her bottom, insinuating itself between her cheeks. His hand slid free of her fingers and down inside the quilt, finding the curve of her waist and hip and thigh. The warm breath on her neck hitched as his hand caressed and tangled in her chemise, drawing it up until he found skin to stroke instead. He gave a faint, inarticulate murmur of satisfaction.

Paralyzed by sensation, by the idea that her fantasy was beginning in reality, Aurora didn’t even try to stop him. She didn’t want to. She loved the feel of his hand on her thigh, moving up over her hip. It burned where it touched and spread tingles through her whole body. He moved against her back with lazy sensuality, rubbing his erect cock against the soft flesh of her bottom through her loose jogging shorts and his. Her whole body burning now, she wondered what that, his cock would feel like, skin to skin. His thigh moved on hers, at once smooth and rough with its short, coarse hairs, and she loved that too.

But he was asleep. This wasn’t fair to him. It seemed to Aurora that she had never wanted anything more in her life than this man’s caresses right now, but he’d already made it plain he didn’t want to involve himself with her. After all, there was the unspeakable Vee woman who wanted to marry him and get him elected as president.

She found it hard to care about that as his fingers caressed the flesh of her waist and stomach, slowly pushing the waistband of the shorts ever lower. She wore nothing beneath them. He stroked the tingles into a thousand tiny fires that all seemed to meet between her legs, and despite all the moisture pooling there so rapidly, none of it quenched the flame.

When his hand swept upward beneath the camisole and over her breast, she gasped. It felt so good cupping and exploring, her one anxiety was that he’d stop. Instead, his fingertips rubbed over her nipple and pinched. Aurora moaned, then bit her lip because she didn’t want to waken him. Or no, she did want to waken him and ensure he knew he was making love to her. Was he awake? Impossible to tell. His breath was loud and ragged in her ear. His roaming hand left her breast to sweep down her stomach, gliding over her navel and down between her parted legs. The shorts were halfway off her hips now, and Aurora quickly pushed them all the way down her legs, baring herself to him. Unhindered, his fingers slid through her folds and unerringly found her slick, swollen nub.

She cried out at his touch, but her voice was lost in his groan. Abruptly, he rose up on his elbow, pinning her thigh under his and looming over her. Before she could even make out if his eyes were open, his mouth took hers, and she was lost in fire and need and wonder.
http://www.marietreanor.com/AwakeningBeauty.htm

(c) http://www.deidreknight.com/red_blooded.html

Join five women connected only by their growing friendship and the road that runs like a lifeline between their cottages in a run-down Florida development called Happiness Key.

Tracy Deloche finally gets a chance to swap business for a romantic evening with Marsh Egan, but dinner goes cold when she spots her ex-husband prowling outside her cottage. CJ is supposed to be in prison and out of her life for good. Exactly what is this modern-day pirate seeking and what will it mean for Tracy's future?

Janya Kapur envies every pregnant woman she sees, but Rishi, her husband, is suddenly reluctant to talk about children. Is he disappointed in her inability to conceive? Their marriage was a contract between strangers. Can they ever hope for anything more?

Waitress Wanda Gray loses her job after new owners turn the Dancing Shrimp into a tapas bar. Wise neighbor Alice Brooks's suggestion that Wanda start her own business seems like a brilliant solution, until Wanda starts Pie War I with the owners of the local bakery.

When the empty cottage at Happiness Key is rented by single mother Dana Turner, everything seems perfect. With Alice volunteering to watch Dana's daughter while she works and Wanda's offer of a job, this spit of Florida Gulf Coast land should be a fortunate harbor for a mother and daughter who have moved far too often. Except for Dana's shocking secret.

As the women of Happiness Key struggle to discover the truth in time to help their new neighbor, their only weapon is friendship. But will friendship be enough?

http://www.samhainpublishing.com/romance/a-little-harmless-lie