Mike was gone and Jackson was alone, he contemplated the situation and what had so unexpectedly fallen into his lap. Before he called Fantasies, Inc., he needed to figure out what kind of revenge he wanted against Alexis—not that he’d give Merrilee Schaeffer-Weston any insight to his real fantasy. The other woman would ban him from her resort if she knew his true intentions, and rightly so. No, it was imperative that Merrilee believed his motivations for requesting a fantasy were sincere.
He only had a few days to put his plans into motion. Once his fantasy was set up, Jackson decided he would give his attorneys permission to go forward with the lawsuit, the day before Alexis was due to leave on her vacation to Seductive Fantasy. Alexis would be aware of the impending lawsuit as well as the name of Extreme Software, but most likely wouldn’t have the time to uncover specifics, such as who Jackson was, until he divulged the truth at the end of his fantasy. In a week’s time, when he returned, he could follow through with court dates and appearances. And every time she’d see him during the trial he’d accumulate another personal victory, because she’d have to face him day after day.
He glanced at the picture Mike had taken and remembered what his friend had said: she hasn’t had a steady boyfriend in the past five years. He didn’t know the reasons, and in the scheme of things it didn’t really matter.
He’d just chosen his private, personal fantasy.
He wanted plain and single Alexis to fall hard and fast and deeply for him. No woman could resist an out-and-out romantic pursuit. And in the end, once he knew he’d ensnared her emotions, he’d walk away with the knowledge that he’d stolen something integral from her.
Her heart.
2
DON’T LOOK OUT the window and you’ll be just fine.
Alexis Baylor chanted that litany over in her mind as the small seaplane started its ascent from Miami for the fifteen minute flight to Seductive Fantasy off the Florida Keys. Keeping her eyes closed since boarding the compact aircraft, Alex now forced herself to take deep, even breaths to ease her anxiety as the plane scaled higher and higher. Her entire body felt the building velocity, and the buzzing sound of the engine seemed to rattle her bones. Despite her best efforts to remain calm, her stomach insisted on gauging even the most subtle dips they encountered during their upward climb.
Relax, relax, relax…
Her muscles remained tense; her heart beat triple-time. Alex never believed she harbored a fear of flying. In fact, her flight from San Diego to Miami had gone smoothly and remarkably well, without any incidences or panic attacks. Sitting in first class and being surrounded by luxurious leather seats while listening to a soft jazz station on the supplied headset, she’d been lulled by the comfort and security of being in a big, sturdy jetliner. But the moment she’d stepped aboard the Fantasies, Inc. commuter plane, an acute case of apprehension and claustrophobia had seized her, along with a flood of painful childhood memories that had a more profound effect on her than she’d realized.
Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…
Thankfully, the plane reached elevation and leveled out. Gradually, so did Alex’s erratic pulse, but she knew better than to open her eyes and look out the window beside her. She had no desire to see the vast blue ocean below, or think about the awful last moments her parents must have spent together before their own private Cessna airplane had plummeted, taking them to their watery grave off the coast of San Diego.
She settled back into her seat as comfortably as her rigid body would allow, determined to keep her mind on other, more delightful matters for the duration of the flight…like the fantasy she’d bought and paid for and would soon experience. Yet even that exciting diversion was encumbered with troubling thoughts when she recalled how she’d nearly cancelled this trip at the very last minute.
Yesterday afternoon, to be exact. Right after her company had been served with an unexpected and disturbing complaint alleging copyright infringement and seeking an injunction against Gametek. The plaintiff, Extreme Software, claimed that it owned the proprietary code she’d used in her game and was filing a lawsuit to keep Gametek from marketing Zantoid. A hearing had been set for the week after she returned from her vacation. Her lawyers assured her it wasn’t necessary for her to attend the proceeding, but she intended to go nonetheless and see for herself the parties who were suing her company—and trying to cash in on her success.
But until that court date, Dennis Merrick, the VP of her company, assured her that nothing would be gained by her calling off the trip she’d booked six months prior. He’d insisted she go, relax, and have a good time, and promised to handle the lawyers, investigations, and any legalities that might arise in her absence. As always, he made it more than clear that she could always count on him.
A wry smile touched the corner of her mouth. If Dennis knew the nature of the vacation she’d been saving toward for the past two years, ever since she’d read a magazine article about Fantasies, Inc., she was certain he wouldn’t have been so supportive of her decision to leave. In fact, he would have been downright appalled. But his opinion made no difference. She knew what she wanted and nothing could change that. She wanted to be swept off her feet and seduced by a sexy man, no strings attached, and return home pregnant with the child she’d desired for years. A baby who would love her unconditionally and give her the sense of family she’d never really had.
Dennis would have gladly volunteered to fulfill her fantasy. Except she didn’t want the complication of mixing their business relationship with something more intimate. There was also the important fact that she didn’t connect with him on a physical and emotional level.
She’d known for years that Dennis harbored feelings toward her, but she’d always been careful not to lead him on or give him the wrong impression. She adored him as a friend, trusted him as an employee and respected him as a man. Dennis, for all his loyalty and obvious affection toward her, didn’t make her feel breathless with excitement. No man ever had. Then again, she wasn’t the type of sensual, sophisticated woman who inspired a man’s intense, sexual interest. And since she’d recently come to the conclusion that she’d probably never experience the kind of passionate, impetuous, devoted relationship her own parents had shared, this fantasy would be her last chance to embrace all those lush, uninhibited, thrilling pleasures she’d been denied before she settled into motherhood. Alone and on her own.
In the meantime, with an attractive, enticing stranger picked out for her sole enjoyment and gratification, she’d wholeheartedly indulge in the feeling of being desired and desirable. She planned to drench every one of her five senses in the luxury of being romantically pursued.
Alex released a calm breath and shifted in her seat. Because of the personal, intimate nature of Alex’s request, Ms. Weston had assured her that she’d do her best to make sure that her fantasy man would possess the same physical characteristics as she—black hair and blue eyes—so that there would be a much greater chance of conceiving a baby with her same traits.
Obviously, there was no promise that she’d leave with a child—only Mother Nature, not a paid fantasy, could guarantee that. But in five more days she’d be at her most fertile, and she planned to make the most of that opportunity.
Without warning, the plane hit an air pocket, and the cabin shook from the unexpected turbulence, jarring Alex out of the tranquility that had settled over her. She sucked in a sharp breath and her hand automatically shot out to grip the armrest between her seat and another passenger’s. Instead of cushioned upholstery she came into contact with the firm, sinewy muscle of a man’s arm. Hair roughened and incredibly warm and inviting, his skin disturbed her more than
