by Eden Summers
Bryan slid a hand into her loose hair and cupped the back of her head. “I was worried about dumping this on you. That’s all. I didn’t want you to anticipate what was coming, and not telling you made me feel like a guilty little bitch.”
She studied him, unsure what to believe. “Are you bullshitting me?”
“When have I ever done that?” He smirked, making it ten times harder for her to trust her intuition.
“Are you sure everything is okay between us?” That was all that mattered. She didn’t care about anything else.
“We’re exactly where I want us to be at this point in time.” He entwined their hands and tugged her from the stool. He led her through the mingling crowd, weaving through the condensing throng without effort. “The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I get you all to myself.”
Leo and T.J. quickly rearranged furniture, creating space. Ottomans were shoved toward the wall. Sofas were turned and swiveled. Everything was strategically placed to face the large bed in the center of the room, the cream satin sheets gleaming under the overhead lights.
Bryan stopped at the side of the mattress and kissed her knuckles. “You’re not going to fuck this up. However this turns out, it’s because of me, okay?”
She nodded.
“Okay?” he growled, his drawn brows demanding a vocal response.
“Okay, you big brute.”
With a subtle glide, his expression transformed from tight concern to gentle appreciation. Maybe even pride. “And don’t you forget it.”
“I already have.” She knew him better now, better than anyone who believed this man was harsh and heartless. Past his sterile exterior, he was the exact opposite.
“All right, everyone.” He scoped the audience of half-dressed patrons. “This is only going to be a taste of what’s to come. On the actual demonstration night, I plan to discuss a range of different techniques. We’ll go over the benefits of edging, and how consistency or surprise can affect women in different ways. But tonight, it’s all about reading signs.”
He crooked a finger at her, encouraging her onto the bed. “Lie down close to me. You need to stay in reach.”
She stood immobile, her heart galloping into her throat. This would bring her exhibitionism to a whole new level—from amateur to professor.
“Don’t worry.” He held out a hand. “I promise to look after you.” His grin was sly and cocky, the opposite of reassuring.
He didn’t make sense. One moment he seemed restless and skittish. The next he exuded his ingrained confident sexuality without flaw.
“You’re going to have a lot of explaining to do later. You know that, right?”
He inclined his head. “I know, sweetheart.”
She slid her palm into his and allowed him to help her onto the raised bed. He guided her to lie close to the side of the mattress, the tiny overhead lights beaming down, bathing her in a glow before the shadowed audience.
“Gorgeous.” Appreciation ebbed off him. “I think you’re going to have more than a few admirers after this.”
Her cheeks heated, from his words and the crowd’s whispers of affirmation.
“Your blush does things to me, sweetheart.”
“Me, too,” another man muttered.
She chuckled and shook her head. “Just get started, would you?”
“You all heard the lady. We need to get this show on the road.” He pivoted to the crowd of thirty-odd people, all of them silent with expectation. “Your job tonight is to study this flawless woman. I want you to be able to pinpoint those barely recognizable signs to learn just how subtle a partner can be during sex.”
Their scrutiny bore down on her, tickling her skin and heightening her awareness. She breathed in their interest, letting it coat her in tingling carnality. But something else made the pressure between her thighs intensify. Something she’d grown to crave each day from this addictive man.
“See that?” His short, sharp glance captured everything. “Her breathing has increased, and I haven’t even touched her yet. Can anyone tell me why she’s already aroused?”
“Alcohol?” someone asked.
“Nope,” Shay called. “She didn’t even finish her first drink.”
“She’s in a sex club. Of course she’s aroused,” a man drawled.
“Wrong.” Bryan verbally slapped away the comment. “She isn’t new to the scene. It’s not like watching you fool around is going to send her into a panting mess. Try again.”
“The anticipation?” a feminine voice asked.
“Maybe, but I wouldn’t bet my house on it.” He held Pamela’s gaze, deciphering every move she made. Every breath. Every thought. “Anyone else have a suggestion?”
Silence followed, not a whisper of an answer coming forward.
His focus held her in a trance, her breaths becoming gasps.
“Your eyes,” she admitted. “Your confidence.”
“I hoped you’d say that.” He gifted her with a subtle grin. “Most women are attracted to knowledge. Problem is, every woman is different, which means nobody can become complacent. There’s always a learning curve with a new partner, no matter how good you think you are. The trick to becoming an expert is to read who you’re with. Never stop searching for signals.”
He took a step toward the end of the bed, aligning himself with her feet. “You have to acknowledge what isn’t being said, because your partner may lie for numerous reasons. Maybe they lack confidence. Or don’t trust you enough. Maybe they’re shy. Or don’t want to hurt your feelings.”
His hand reached out, the approach a slow, tormenting tease. She could feel his touch before the lone fingertip grazed her ankle, the slight brush scorching in its wake.
“Nothing is more rewarding than a sexually satisfied woman.” He spoke softly, the trail of fire ascending along her calf. “Take your time exploring their body. Make her think it’s a game, when all along, you’re creeping further and further under her skin. Learning her secrets.”
She tried not to move, not to flinch. Staying quiet became difficult. The further that lone fingertip trailed, the more her body reacted without her permission, jolting and glitching like a Richter scale in an apocalyptic earthquake.
“How do y’all think I’m doing so far?”
“Her breathing is still getting faster,” Cassie offered.
“Yes. But what else?” His caress crept higher, over her knee, along the inside of her thigh. “Has anyone noticed her muscle spasms? They’re flowing along her leg, preceding my touch, anticipating my next move.”
“She’s tilted in your direction, too,” T.J. added. “Not much, but a little.”
“Those are the tiny signs you need to look for. Anything deliberate could be a lie, for the reasons I’ve mentioned. These almost imperceptible changes are the things that mean the most. Especially those beautiful eyes dilating.”
She was ready to ditch the imperceptible signs and drag him to the bed by his hair. How could a lone finger torment her like this?
No. It wasn’t the solitary stroke. She couldn’t forget that. It was his stare. His voice. His infallible expertise. The list increased with every blink.
His aftershave. His dress sense. His erotic selflessness.
There wasn’t one thing about this man that didn’t turn her on.
Not one thing that didn’t encourage her to want to grind her thighs together.
She cleared the gravel from her throat and swallowed to soothe the burn.
He paused in his moment of sexual prowess, giving way to sweet sincerity. “How are you doing?”
“Fine, thanks.” Her betraying voice broke.
People chuckled, some snorted, while Bryan grinned down at her, his admiration a living, breathing thing.
The fire reignited at mid-thigh, sliding to her garter.
She licked her lips, overheating, hyperventilating.
Everyone watched them, their fascination rushing through her. There was no condemnation from the
group, only awe and enjoyment. Every single person had pinpoint focus on her gratification.
He slid a finger under her garter and pulled tight to release it with a snap.
“Ouch,” she hissed.
“Now, that right there is a blindingly brilliant display of something I’ve done wrong. And I’m not talking about the verbal cue. Yes, she also flinched, which is another obvious sign, but if she was shy and tried to suppress her reactions, we’d still be able to rely on the rigidity of her posture and the way she tilted her legs away.”
“She pulled back into the mattress, too,” a woman offered.
“Exactly.” Bryan slid his finger along her garter, soothing the sting beneath. “Even if she did gasp or whimper or moan, her body is pulling away. This is when you check your ego at the door and acknowledge your partner didn’t enjoy what you dished out.”
Pamela froze, not realizing the signals she was sending. Her cheeks tingled. Her chest and belly, too.
“Now,” he continued, “once you fuck up, you need to make amends. Mistakes are common. All you need to do is work them to your advantage.”
He added another finger to the soothing slide along her garter. Gradually, those searching digits skimmed higher and higher, gliding inward to the sensitive spot where her inner thigh met the crotch of her panties. She jolted, overwrought with twirling knots inside her pussy.
“All better?” he teased.
“You’re a horrible man.” She glared, earning herself another laugh from the crowd.
His touch delved under the elastic and hovered in place, not advancing to his prize. Back and forth he rubbed right beneath her panty line, turning the erogenous zone into an orgasm trigger set to detonate. He was going to make her come without penetration.
Again.
“I want to keep hearing observations. Call them out. Tell me what you see, because from my point of view, she’s a kaleidoscope of signals.”
She whimpered and sank her teeth into her lower lip.
He was there. Right there. Less than an inch from her pulsing pussy. Yet, he seemed a mile away. The confidence in his focus told her the height of her bliss would come when he allowed it.
“Her back arched,” a man called.
“She thrust her breasts.”
“Her eyes rolled.”
Breathing became difficult as overlapping observations filled the room.
“She’s panting.”
“Clutching the sheet.”
“She keeps swallowing.”
Bryan encroached, those fingertips nudging closer and closer until finally he slid through her arousal, the smooth glide exquisite. Almost perfection. Just not quite enough.
She needed a little more. The slightest penetration. A swipe across her clit.
“Her hips are lifted toward you.”
“She’s shaking.”
“She closed her eyes.”
Oh, God.
He stopped. The heavenly glide ceased. Those wonderful fingers escaped her panties.
She blinked up at him, collapsing into the mattress as frustrated tears blurred her vision. This was torture. Pure, hysteria-rich suffering.
“Not yet, sweetheart.” His own suffering bled through his words. “There’s one more thing I want to do before I have you all to myself.”
“Please, Bryan.” She clenched her thighs together. “This is killing me.”
“I know.”
He reached out a hand and she grasped his offering, allowing him to guide her into a seated position.
“I’m giving you all one last chance to analyze her.” He sat on the edge of the mattress and patted his thighs. “Come here.”
She frowned, frantically trying to figure out what came next.
“It’s okay. This won’t take long.” He grabbed her wrist and led her to sit on his lap, facing the crowd.
Her limbs trembled with need. A sheen of sweat coated her skin. It took all her self-control not to turn and bury her face in his neck. One more whispered plea and she knew he’d give her what she needed. He’d end both their torment.
He parted her thighs with his hands, encouraging her legs to drape over his, exposing the soaked crotch of her panties.
She vibrated, thrummed. She’d been infused with hyper-sensitivity. Even the subtle scratch of his suit material made her whimper.
“I want you to watch her closely.” His voice became low, brutal in its command. “I need you to focus and make sure you read all those signs.”
Her breath hitched, the anticipation killing her. Her heart threatened to explode, the pulsing muscles on fire behind her ribcage.
“Are you ready, sweetheart?”
She nodded as he guided her loose hair away from her shoulder to place his lips at her ear.
“This time the test comes in words,” he whispered. “Let’s see what reactions I can inspire.”
She nodded, ready and oh, so willing to hear his dirty talk.
“You sure you’re ready?”
“Yes,” she gasped. She was ready for this to be over so she could jump him, smash her lips to his, and drag his body beneath hers.
“Okay.”
She heard his swallow and felt the tease of his beard against her cheek.
“Ella…” His voice was barely audible, leaving everyone clueless to their conversation. “I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while. But I didn’t know how you’d react.”
She nodded, the frantic bob of her head trying to encourage a speedier outcome.
“Ella…” He stopped, sighed, those hands on her thighs becoming sweaty. “I love you.”
Arousal vanished. Noise, too.
There was nothing.
No thoughts. No comprehension. Only a slow repeat of his gentle declaration through her mind.
“That doesn’t look good.” Distant words fractured her daze.
“Whatever you said wiped away the lust.”
“You blew it, Brute. She’s not horny anymore.”
Those three words had been a dream she never thought she’d experience. They were too important to him. Too special. Three words fractured her, making everything unstable—her heart, her mind, her emotions.
Strong hands gripped her waist, lifting her, turning her limp body to sit sideways on his lap.
“Ella?” His blue eyes blinked through apprehension, his vulnerability unmasked for everyone to see. “I should’ve kept my mouth shut, shouldn’t I?”
“No.” She shook her head. Her tongue tangled with all the things she needed to say. All the things he needed to hear. “Not at all.”
“What happened?” a woman yelled. “What’s going on?”
His nostrils flared, the harshness returning to his features. “I should’ve done this somewhere else.”
“Why didn’t you?” The questioned tumbled from her mouth. “Why now? Why here?”
She didn’t understand. It would’ve been so much easier for him to share this moment in private. Alone. Without a mass of scrutiny.
“I can read your body like it’s my own, sweetheart. But when it comes to reading your emotions, I’m clueless. I needed their help to gauge your reaction.” He released a caustic laugh. “I guess it didn’t work in my favor.”
“Of course it did. I’m just shocked. That’s all.”
“You’re about to cry.”
“No.” She swiped at the lone tear that broke free. “I’m not.”
He raised a brow, silently calling bullshit.
“Well, I am, but it’s because I’m happy. I never thought I’d hear those words from you.”
He stiffened. “Because I’m a heartless asshole?”
“Bryan, I know that declaration means the world to you. And I…”
“You didn’t realize you mean more than the world to me?”
Her chest heated, warmth and relief flooding her in equal doses. “I wasn’t sure.”
“Be sure, Ella,” he whispered. “There’s nothing more important to me than you. No matte
r how you feel in return.”
His fingers glided along her jaw, holding her in place as he leaned in for a chaste kiss. The brush of lips lasted a second before he pulled away.
No. She wanted more. Needed everything.
She stood, changing her position to straddle his lap.
“That poor excuse for a kiss isn’t going to satisfy.” She poked him in the chest, earning a snicker. “Not after you’ve teased me to mindlessness.”
“Welcome to my life. That’s what it’s like living with you every damn day.”
She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder, running her arms around his waist while his wove around her back.
His feelings mimicked her own. Her adoration and affection were reciprocated. The brutal man she’d once thought heartless was more tender and loving than anyone could imagine.
“Are we still supposed to be watching?” someone asked, the silence of growing confusion changing the once heated atmosphere.
Neither of them responded. They didn’t move, didn’t speak as they continued to pretend the world didn’t exist.
For her, nothing existed.
Only him.
Only her.
“Bryan?” she whispered.
He placed a delicate butterfly kiss to her neck. “Yeah, sweetheart?”
“I love you more.”
Every muscle beneath her tightened. His arms tensed around her back.
“Oh, shit,” someone muttered from the crowd. “What the fuck is going on?”
“I’m confused. Is this part of the demonstration?” a woman asked.
“I don’t think so.” Leo’s voice carried over the growing speculation. “That’s it, folks. This is the end of the show. Let’s give them some privacy, okay?”
Shuffling feet moved around the bed. Murmured words brushed her ears. But she didn’t let him go. She didn’t flinch in her unwavering hold as the room returned to its usual broadcast of dirty talk and indulgence.
“Nobody has said that to me before.” His hold tightened, squeezing her like a lifeline. “I never knew what it would feel like.”
“What does it feel like?”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head against hers. “I guess it feels like I’m not alone anymore.”
“You’re not. You never will be.” She’d make him see. One day at a time. No matter how long it took. “Take me home, Bryan. I don’t want to be here right now.”
