Amanda loved Christmas. The piped music in the shopping centre reminded her - it was the most wonderful time of the year. She never needed an excuse to shop and she enjoyed buying things for others even more than buying for herself. It was great to be out of the house too and being productive. Since her two girls had started school and with her husband often working away, she had found herself with far too much time at her disposal.

Time she had started to spend on the darker side of the internet; exploring her sexual fantasies and indulging in hot-blooded conversations with strangers. The devil had certainly found work for her idle hands to do.

The pleasure she had given herself out-weighed the guilt but it was there nonetheless, so today she had decided to put it all behind her. Today was for her family, not her faceless suitors or her own self-gratification (though of course shopping gave her immense joy).

Presents for him, for the girls and a couple of little bits for her, filled the bags hanging from her arms as she strode happily from shop to shop. With darkness setting in and the cold wind beginning to bite, she discovered a tiny toy shop that was completely new to her. Though she'd already bought more than enough, the opportunity to wander into a good, old-fashioned, festive toy shop was too much to resist.

The door creaked open, accompanied by a light ringing of a small brass bell fixed above it. Amanda was instantly transported to a Christmas wonderland of dolls' houses, games and soft toys. The smell of nordic spruce and the sounds of music boxes took her back to the Christmases of her childhood. The tinsel and lights gave a comforting, hypnotic quality to the store, far removed from the commercialised chain stores, she felt at peace just by being there.

As she wandered through the maze of aisles and displays, she couldn't believe how empty the store was - she seemed to have it entirely to herself - surprising so close to Christmas. Eventually she came to her favourites - the teddy bears: a floor to ceiling pile of them in all shapes and sizes. Next to the pile was a display stand, on which were three stuffed bears; one large, one about half the size and another somewhere in between. Apart from the difference in size, they were entirely identical: plump, plush, expressionless approximations of bears. Amanda put her bags on the floor, removed her gloves and held her hand out to stroke the soft arm of the largest bear. She then passed the hand over the middle one and picked up the smallest.

"You can tell a lot from the choice of bear someone makes," a voice said from behind her.

Amanda turned on her heels to see a man - tall, slight but firmly built and standing half an inch inside a distance she would usually accept as comfortable. His eyes were fixed on hers; intense but in no way threatening. His voice was soft, steady without being monotonous and with a mesmeric quality she found immediately trusting.

She smiled coyly at him, brushing some her stray blonde hair from her face - hoping the reddening of her cheeks would be thought a result of the winter weather pinching rather than an involuntary result of her instant attraction to him. "Does it tell you that I like teddy bears?"

He returned the smile and gently taking the bear from her hand, told her "It says much more than that - yours, for instance, tells me you often fantasise about anonymous sex in public places."

Her jaw dropped, in surprise though rather than shock - after a couple of seconds she stammered, "How on earth do you come to that conclusion from me just simply picking up a bear?"

He placed the bear back on the display, "When we see three bears like this, we instantly assign roles for them: Daddy bear, Mummy bear and Baby bear.

Those who select Daddy bear usually come from a background of poor male role models, leading to a desperate need for approval from men - pliant and submissive, they usually end up in destructive relationships with morally-weak men. You first went to the Daddy bear but then moved away - maybe signifying a change in your intentions: a new freedom, a confidence and willingness to explore."

She looked at the inanimate bears, as expressionless as they always were. Her head was racing - she couldn't fault him so far. Even though her natural reaction was to deny everything, she felt compelled to listen on. What was it - some kind of side-show cold reading? Then she wondered with horror, was this one of her online lovers who she had shared her dark fantasies with? Had he tracked her down? No, she'd been far too careful - hadn't she?

"You passed the mother bear altogether. Women don't usually select her but completely ignoring her could be the sign of resentment of your own mother. Such feelings tied with the reaction to daddy bear could be as result to your mother having affairs during your childhood - coupled with the realisation that you're becoming just like her. She also signifies home, ignoring it shows your desires lie away from your normal life."

He moved in closer, pushing baby bear to her breast, her heartbeat quickening. "Then you chose this - the unconscious desire to breed. The need for something more than a Sunday morning fuck from a man who already believes his work's done."

Fuck. Just the mere mention of the word from his lips brought a rush between her now burning thighs. Her heart was pounding. His chest met hers and she felt him push her slowly back into the pile of bears. She felt herself sinking into the bears - falling, carried by them as his lips met her neck. Somewhere, Amanda's unconvincing whispers of "Please don't. Stop" turned into a far more credible "Please, don't stop."

Her sensibilities vanished as she could feel herself being undressed. His urgent, confident need for her willing body leaving her voluntarily defenceless. Her breath short - anyone could find them there. The danger of being caught heightening every sense - amplifying every touch and caress. Her now bare legs open around him, she looked him straight in the eyes as his rigid cock entered her. Her slit opening for him, her walls clamping around him in waves.

Each hard thrust pushing her back into the bears, some falling as she writhed in ecstacy. Her nails digging into his broad, firm shoulders as he powered hard into her unprotected cunt. Her legs wrapped tight around his waist, heels kicking his butt urging him deeper and harder - her face defiant and demanding.

She could feel herself tipping over the edge. His breath becoming deeper, his body tensing - building to the point when they would both release.

The sound of the bell ringing again snapped Amanda back to reality. There she was standing in front of the display, shopping bags around her feet. She shook her head and laughed to herself, daydreams like that were just too vivid.

She gathered the three bears in her arms and went to the counter: one each for her girls and one for her. As the rotund sales assistant packed them into bags, Amanda smiled as she thought of the enjoyment she'd have between now and Christmas Day deciding which bear she'd keep for herself.