Bride by Design 2: Manchala on the Mind

Things with Colin are never quite
as
straightforward
as they seem
.

As they prepare to visit Manchala, Lisa wonders who he really is, and fights
off
their growing attraction.

Chapter One

I woke up early, excited and nervous.

Today I'd see Colin again; I didn't know what he had planned for today, but he was definitely up to something. The last time we'd talked, I'd realized that he never did anything without an ulterior motive. Everything benefited him in some way or another.

I was beginning to understand why he was never linked with one woman for too long a time. They probably realized his cold, scheming ways and left him for someone real. I remembered his eyes, cool and appraising, his thin smile that made me hunger for his touch.

It would be a long week. I groaned internally - there was no way Colin was seducing me. Nothing would happen between us in the
Caribbean
. With any luck, it would be purely business, Alex's debt would be paid off, and I'd walk away with a nifty new job.

Too bad he was gorgeous. Too bad I was dying to kiss those light pink lips, too bad his touch electrified my skin.

The week would be an exercise in self-restraint and I wasn't going to let my desire show through in any way.

I reached over to the bedside table, opened the drawer and pulled out my
favorite toy
. Since he wasn't going to be giving me another orgasm, I'd
do it myself. If I was spent and happy with my toy, I might have a better shot a
t
holding myself back from jumping into his arms and…

I pulled the covers high and wriggled out of my pajama bottoms
and panties
. The thought of jumping into Colin's arms and wrapping my legs around him was already making me wet and I switched on the long
vibrator
and held it against my lips, the gentle vibrations increasing my arousal.

I imagined Colin and me lying on a secluded beach in Manchala, the sun shining down on us, the sand warm beneath our bodies. Waves crashed gently a few meters away, and
palm trees rocked in the wind. Wearing only a pair of bathing trunks, Colin was tanned and muscular, his chest wide and hard.

I imagined him leaning over me, and untying the top of my bikini, pulling it down to expose my naked breasts. I arched my body at the thought, easing the toy between my swollen lips
, pressing down and filling myself.

I imagined how hard my nipples would be, displayed to him like small tropical fruit. And he'd lean down and suck on them, eating them like little berries, grabbing my breasts and pressing down. He'd move his hands lower and slide off the bikini bottom, tossing it nearby and pressing those beautiful lips down on my clit. He'd suck and lick, making me swollen and desperate, as he pushed my thighs apart.

I touched my clit
, twirling my fingers in circles,
as I
imagined Colin taking off his trunks to display his large erection, the head angry and purple.
He'd lie over me, his chest pressing down against my soft breasts, his erection rubbing against my drenched lips as teased me, making me want him.

I wrapped my legs around him, feeling the soft sand on my back as the waves crashed near us. He position
ed
the head at my entrance, and I moaned in anticipation, begging him to enter me. He obliged, sliding in gently, parting my lips, drawing back, and then slamming into me.

I cried out in surprise and pain and pleasure, and he drew out and thrust in again. I felt his cock inside me, throbbing against my walls, as I clenched my muscles against him. We started to move rhythmically, I ground my hips against him and called out his name as his fingers teased my nipples. I arched my back as he kept banging into me and then finally I came, my orgasm crashing down like the waves on the beach.

My fingers were still on my clit, the vibrator pulsing and throbbing, as I came out of my fantasy and recovered from my climax. I smiled - the fantasy Colin was pretty good
. He'd have to hold me till next week.

The real life Colin was a col
d manipulator, I told myself, as
I headed to the shower. And I was meeting him within a few minutes.

Chapter
Two

I slid into the limo. Colin had been waiting for me downstairs, I wasn't about to let him up and look at my pigsty of a place.

My orgasm had left me happy and relaxed, and I smiled at hi
m warmly, ignoring the fact that his jade eyes sent strange ripples down my spine. 

"You're in
a good mood," he said cynically, looking at me as though he knew why I was so happy.

I lau
ghed and refused to be ruffled, confident there was no way he'd know what was on my mind.

I leaned forwards and said, "Why can't a girl be happy? Thanks for paying off Alex's debts."

There was genuine gratitude in my voice
and Colin was caught unawares.

"Huh," he said gruffly, "You're welcome and it's not a favor. I just paid you to support me next week."

"Of course." I smiled. He could play the business card all he liked, but I could tell there was a soft spot under that gruff exterior.

I
was able to
tell
my relationship with Alex touched his heart, and I wondered if it was because he'd been an only child.  I had Google'd him last night, but there was a surprising lack of information about his past. The reporters loved to talk about his girls and money, but something was holding them back from delving into his pre-tycoon life.
Not that it was any of my business either.

"So where are we going?" I asked innocently.

He looked at me - his eyes were
narrow
and appraising and his voice was hollow. "People will expect my wife to look a certain way. So we're going to fix that today."

The words stung. "Oh - so you're saying I'm not good-looking enough to be your wife?"

He smiled
- the beautiful smile that turned my insides to mush and made it hard to be mad at him
. "I wouldn't know about that. I'm attracted to you, so I
can't objectively tell
how pretty you are. But I do know you don't look like the kind of women I'm normally with…"

"Because they're so glamorous and tall and skinny?"

My voice was dripping with sarcasm, but Colin didn't take the bait.

"Maybe they are," he said, "But I think we should change some things about the way you look."

I bristled. "I'm not a building for you to fix up!"

He smiled and said coldly, "No, I wouldn't need to have such a long conversation with a building."

I stared at him, trying to ignore my attraction and understand if I felt horror at his callousness or embarrassment at his need to "improve" me.
"What exactly are we doing?"

"First I'm taking you to a hairdresser. A couple of girls mentioned they went to him and I looked him up."

"My hair is fine."

"Maybe it is, maybe it's not. Jared's the expert, and he'll tell us."

"Fine."

I sat in silence, angry at the jabs about my appearance and the implications that I needed to do something more. I couldn't afford to spend thousands on my skin and hair each month! And even if I could, I wasn't too horrible looking. Maybe too plain for Colin, but - I remembered his comment about not being able to tell how I pretty I was. I wondered if he meant it? It was certainly soothing, but he probably threw that in to keep me from having a real fit. Not that I have fits - his exes might be drama queens, but I've learnt to keep my emotions in check. Mostly.

We finally arrived at the salon. A "closed" sign was hanging on the door, and we walked right through.

"Welcome, welcome."

A tall man, obviously Jared shook hands with Colin and air-kissed my cheeks. "So you must be Lisa, and we're operating on you today?"

He winked, his charm disarming and
unaffected. There was a petite blonde girl standing in the background, probably his assistant.