Sensual Shorts (A Collection of Romance Quickies)

By Elise Marion

Indulge in 4 contemporary romance quickies, each with a separate love story and happy ending. From summer love on a tropical island, to rivalry to romance in the workplace, these stories are just the right length for quick, light reads and are guaranteed to leave give you your romance quick fix.
Stories include:
Life After Death – The loss of their son in a tragic accident left Jameson and Victoria Blake’s marriage in tatters. Together they were never able to move past it, and they parted ways after a painful divorce. But in the wilds of the rainforest, the realization that love has never died between them will rise to the surface.

Gold Digger – A hardworking man, Derek Brown has always dreamt of owning his own business someday. Now that his goal is nearly within his reach, the last thing he needs are complications. Yet, one very beautiful distraction named Chantel Green will prove too hard to resist. On the surface, she seems like a shallow gold digger, milking her rich boyfriends for cash and material things. Yet, when he delves deeper, Derek will discover than Chantel is not at all what she seems.

Satisfaction - Audrey Hammond can’t think of anything worse than being trapped in her office with co-worker Shane Watson on New Year’s Eve. Aside from the fact that he’s beaten her out of more lucrative advertising accounts than she can count, he’s a smooth-talking smart ass who always seems to know how to get under her skin.
Yet, when a broken elevator at an office party leaves the two stuck together with no chance of escape, Audrey may find that Shane is not at all the person she thought he was—and maybe, she’ll find herself falling for the last guy on Earth she’d have ever thought she wanted.

The CEO’s Wife – Blair’s sexy CEO husband has been acting strange lately, and their love life has been lackluster. Can she solve the mystery concerning her husband’s secrets? Will her last-ditch effort to save her marriage pay off?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elise Marion
• Release date: Sep 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310889875

Elise Marion

Elise Marion is a lover books and has a special place in her heart for sweet and sensual romance. Writing about love across all walks of life is her passion, as is reaching people through the written word. The Army wife and stay-at-home mother of two spends most of her time taking care of her children. Her second job includes writing stories about characters that people can fall in love with. When the Texas native isn't caring for her family or writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, singing loudly, or cooking up something new in the kitchen.

Book preview

Sensual Shorts:

A Collection of Romance Quickies

Smashwords Edition

By Elise Marion

Sensual Shorts

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2015 by Elise Marion

Cover Design by PJ Friel

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please respect the work of this author by not copying or reproducing their work.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, or people living or dead is coincidental.

The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark of products or people used in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication use of these trademarks is not associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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Life After Death

The loss of their son in a tragic accident left Jameson and Victoria Blake’s marriage in tatters. Together they were never able to move past it, and they parted ways after a painful divorce. But in the wilds of the rainforest, the realization that love has never died between them will rise to the surface.

(Previously published as part of the Hot Summer Nights anthology, volume 1)

Chapter One

Jameson Blake stepped out onto the wooden deck, filling his lungs with warm, salty air. Just outside his own private bungalow, he could hear nothing except the roaring of ocean waves and gulls calling out overhead. The sun was just beginning to rise in the distance, casting orange and pink rays over the turquoise water. White foam made perfect peaks on the surface, like dollops of whipped cream, and a soft breeze tugged at the tendrils of golden-blond hair framing his face.

He liked the seclusion of his little bungalow over the water; it sat apart from the Elysium Resort’s main building, which housed most of the guestrooms, along with the hotel’s four restaurants and spa. The amenities of the resort itself were nice, but Jameson preferred isolation. It was how he’d lived his life since his divorce. Being surrounded by people made him feel exposed, as if they could see his shame, guilt, and sadness. He could see it. Every time he looked in the mirror, he found himself confronted with the face of a man who’d destroyed a family.

Taking a deep breath, he raised his arms and dove from the side of the deck, his body disappearing beneath the waves with barely a splash. He concentrated on his breathing and his movements, cutting through the waves with precise strokes. If he concentrated hard enough on the outward sensations, then his inner demons couldn’t plague him; the voice that constantly reminded him of what he’d done could not overcome him. If he let it, he’d probably be tempted to stop swimming and just sink to the bottom of the ocean. It wasn’t like anyone would miss him. Connor was gone … his baby boy, lost forever. Victoria had left him a year ago, and he hadn’t seen or heard from her since the day they’d parted ways on the courthouse steps. He doubted she gave a damn if he lived or died.

Not that he could blame her.

He supposed Travis and Sean—the guys he’d come on this trip with—would miss him. When they finally dragged themselves out of bed and came stumbling over from their own cabins, they would expect to find him there.

After he swam out far enough, he turned back, his muscles burning now as he pushed himself beyond his normal limit. Every morning he went a little farther, pushing his body as far as it would allow him. It was how he outran the depressing thoughts. By keeping his body engaged, his mind could find some semblance of peace … even if it was only temporary.

At first, when Travis and Sean had invited him on a guys-only vacation to the exotic Dasia Island, he’d turned them down. Since Connor’s death and the divorce, he’d buried himself in work to avoid being alone in his one-bedroom apartment. Victoria had gotten their house in the settlement, and while he was sitting alone in this cold, stark Atlanta condo, he would think about driving there. He would fantasize about sitting out in his car, just watching for a glimpse of her. He knew it was pitiful, and maybe even a bit unhealthy, so he resisted.

When those thoughts consumed him— notions of marching up the front steps of that house and banging on the door, demanding that she let him in and begging her to take him back—Jameson got physical. He ran, he lifted weights, he swam. He hiked, he biked, or he joined Travis and Sean on the basketball court. Anything to keep from standing still for too long. When he became inactive for too long, the pain overtook him, the anger consumed him, and the guilt drowned him.

Even now, as he toweled off before re-entering the bungalow, it was happening. Before he could lose himself to it completely, he rifled through one of his duffle bags until he found a pair of sneakers. He switched his wet shorts out for a pair of dry ones and slid into the sneakers. Their first day on the island, he and the guys had taken a rainforest tour with a guide, who had led them down pathways edged in lush trees and foliage. They’d been warned that it was best to use a guide when venturing into the thick, overgrown rainforest, but Jameson had always been adventurous. The tour had been nice, but he itched to explore on his own, and a run down the twisting trails provided the perfect excuse. Taking a few seconds to quickly slather sunblock over his face and bare torso, Jameson left the hut, tucking his phone into his back pocket as an afterthought.

The sun was halfway up now, and in the distance sea met sky in a melding of turquoise and baby blue. The beach was mostly deserted, the resort slowly coming to life as employees beginning the first shift filed into the main hotel through side entrances.

Jameson took off at a run, kicking up sand as he left his bungalow over the water and crossed toward the paths leading deep into the overgrowth. Eventually, he was swallowed up by the trees, the canopy of leaves overhead so thick they blotted out the sun. The shade was cooling, and the scent of the soft earth beneath him mingled with the smell of open air and blooming flowers. Bursts of orange and pink dotted the greenery around him in an exotic display. However, he barely saw any of it as he followed the path he remembered taking with the guide. It twisted and turned for approximately a mile before the path became a bridge, which traversed a large, open canyon about a quarter of a mile deep. A winding river flowed through it, and he knew that in a few hours the boat tours would begin. Then, the guides would steer their canoes full of tourists through the canyon and further down the river. The bridge felt sturdy, so Jameson kept running, his sneakers slapping over the wooden slats.

The boat ride was something Victoria would have liked. The thought came upon him so suddenly, Jameson barely had time to try to fight it off. Once it had latched on, he couldn’t shake it. He couldn’t stop thinking about how this trip was something he should be doing with her. They’d always talked about exotic getaways, and Jameson had just gotten to the point in his marketing career where he could afford to make the dream come true for her. Newly promoted, he was taking on bigger clients and accounts, and had more income now than he knew what to do with.

Not that she couldn’t have done it for herself; her self-designed fashion line was a huge hit in Atlanta, and just before the divorce she’d contracted with several high-end stores in places like New York and Los Angeles to sell her pieces. It seemed like everything they’d ever wanted had come true—success, love, a family. Connor was supposed to have been the first in a string of babies they’d planned to have. Victoria had been excited at the prospect of being able to stay home with their children, since her design studio was in the basement of their home.

A family trip to Dasia Island would have been so perfect. Connor would have loved the rainforest tours and days at the beach. Victoria would have adored the romance of this place—the legends the guide had told them during their tour, the boat rides, the moonlit beach, the exotic foods.

So fast, he thought. It all happened so fast.

One day he had everything, and the next, the flip of an SUV had taken it all away.

Chapter 2

Are you thinking about him again?

Victoria Blake started as her best friend, Chantel, appeared between the sliding glass doors leading out to the private deck of their hotel suite. The enclosure housed a hot tub, padded wicker furniture, and lanterns glowing on the top of a low stone wall, separating them from the beach stretching away from the Elysium Resort. Through the foliage surrounding the stone wall, they could see the secluded bungalows, which stood on high, wooden rails, elevating them above the water. Each bungalow had a deck that jutted out over the ocean. A person renting one of the little huts could step out onto their front porch and dive right into the ocean if they wanted. Some of them even had rented boats bobbing beside their decks. They were charming with their thatched roofs and rugged appeal.

However, it wasn’t the huts themselves that drew Victoria’s eye.

Of course not, she answered as Chantel came across the deck, the hem of her short, black silk robe fluttering around her gorgeous legs. He’s the last person on my mind.

It was a lie, and they both knew it. Not a day went by that she didn’t think of her ex-husband. But she was too embarrassed to admit that her fascination with the bungalows had nothing to do with her ex. Victoria had always been an early riser, and in the last three days since they’d arrived in Dasia, she’d been enthralled by watching the sun rise. Using the one-cup coffee maker in their room, she brewed herself a mug every morning, and curled up on the deck to watch the burst of color and light across the sky in wonder. It was the only time she had to herself. Once Chantel was awake, she’d want to go shopping, out to lunch, or to the spa.

It was difficult for her, being around so many people and indulging in fun activities. In the eighteen months since her son had been taken from her, Victoria had hardly left the house. She’d worked, ate, and slept within the walls of the home she’d shared with Jameson and Connor, and she’d simply existed. She’d avoided all her friends except Chantel, and that was only because her best friend wouldn’t accept being ignored. Besides that, the two had been friends since high school, and Chantel had been Victoria’s source of comfort through the whole ordeal … which was why when she’d suggested the trip, Victoria couldn’t tell her no.

"I’m serious, Vickie, you have got to get out of this house. I mean, at least take a few steps past the mailbox," Chantel had insisted while handing her a stack of brochures from a travel agent.

I don’t have time for a vacation, she’d argued, glasses on and head bent over her sewing machine.

She was working on a line of ready-to-wear evening gowns for a high-end retailer in New York. It was the sort of account Victoria could have only dreamed of back when she’d been a design student. Now, the accomplishment didn’t feel as good as she’d thought it would. Nothing felt the same without her husband and son.

Work will be waiting for you when you get back, Chantel had countered.

Yeah, and I’ll have even more piled on top of it.

So what? God knows you spend enough time inside this house to make up for it. Come on, girl, think about it—exotic food, sandy beaches … fine, half-naked men.

I don’t care about men, she’d countered with a shrug. I’m not ready for a relationship.

Who said anything about a relationship? Chantel had snorted. What you need is an island fling. Someone to help you get your groove back and dust the cobwebs out of your—

Chantel! I’m not the ‘fling’ type.

True. What you need is something a bit more permanent. You always were the more grounded one.

That’s for damn sure.

How the two had managed to remain friends since high school remained an unsolved mystery. Chantel was daring, adventurous, and loud. Vickie had never so much as returned a library book one day past the due date. Married straight out of college and a virgin on her wedding night, she’d been the ultimate good girl. Victoria liked to think she brought balance to their bizarre friendship. If Chantel wasn’t getting over a disastrous breakup, she was maxing out her credit cards or wrecking an expensive car. Her life as a party planner put her in touch with a lot of wealthy men, and she was always in the market for her next rich boyfriend. Chantel liked to be wined, dined, and draped in expensive things, and she wasn’t shy about letting the men she encountered know it.

I’m going to pretend that was a compliment, Chantel had said, one hand on her hip.

"That was a compliment. I could never do some of the things you do. Never been brave enough."

Be brave now. This time, when Chantel had spoken, her voice became laced with sympathy. I know things have been hard. I can’t even imagine how horrible losing a child must feel, but at some point you have to let yourself live again. Forget the fling, okay? Let’s call it a birthday trip for you, and we can do whatever you want. Hell, if you want to spend the whole week crying on the beach, we can do that. Just … think about it, okay?

Victoria eventually relented, and Chantel had immediately made all the plans. She couldn’t say she regretted coming; the Elysium Resort was luxurious, and Dasia Island a paradise. Chantel spent most of her time trying to nab a new, rich boyfriend—as usual—while Victoria spent quiet mornings on the deck, and enjoyed the summer sun on the beach. They’d shopped and taken the rainforest tour the day before.

Chantel slid a slender arm around Victoria’s shoulders and turned her back toward their suite. Come on, we don’t want to miss our spa appointment. I’m ready for an island man with big, strong hands to rub me with lotion.

Laughing, she followed her friend back inside. Chantel always knew how to make her laugh. She put a smile on her face as she found the room service menu.

You want to have breakfast out on the patio? It’s such a nice morning! she called out to Chantel, who had disappeared into her room, undoubtedly searching her several suitcases for something to wear.

Sounds good! her muffled voice answered.

Victoria quickly called down to Okeanos, the resort’s main restaurant. Their omelets and fresh-squeezed orange juice were to die for. Passing through the living room decorated in shades of chocolate brown, white, red, and orange, Victoria disappeared into her own room, which connected to Chantel’s by a massive bathroom—complete with garden tub, fluffy white robes, and vibrant, island flowers in