“You okay?” He asked between kisses, taking a step away to slide the card through the reader. The door beeped and fell away from Lena's back.
“Last chance?” She asked, probably an octave higher than she meant.
“No.” Eric leaned forward until she met his eyes. “You can leave at any time.”
Her eyes dilated, breaths coming even quicker as he held her against his chest. He released her slowly, not wanting her to step away, but at the same time, wanting her to take the next step on her own. He held open the door for her to pass, and she stepped backward, keeping her eyes on him as she entered the room.
Pressing her back against the wall, she bit her lip as she scanned the room then looked back to him. He brushed his finger against her trapped lip as he walked by, dropping his bag onto the desk, then turning to pull the blankets down into a neat pile at the foot of the bed.
He turned and sat against the bed corner. “Come here.”
She paused as long as it took for her chest to rise and fall once, then pushed off the wall, and edged toward him.
When she was within reach, he pulled her between his legs, his hand moving down her lower back and resting on her hip. Now in the privacy of the hotel room, her body was stiffer, but she submitted as he pulled her head closer and claimed her mouth. Tender at first, brushing his lips against hers until a flick of his tongue persuaded her lips to part. Her hands settled on his shoulders, and he took the unbridled opportunity to begin his exploration, inching up her shirt. The soft flesh of her back cool against his heated palms.
Her body stiffened again as the material cleared her waist, glancing around the room as if she expected an army to pop out of the walls. Eric rose and pushed her backward, she stumbled with the first steps, but he held her to his body until her back pressed against the wall. Leaving her shirt dangling, half disheveled, he pulled her wrists from where they’d nestled at the back of his neck and pinned them over her head.
“Want me to stop?”
She shook her head, but he waited for her verbal response. “Please, don’t stop.”
Tucking both of her wrists into one palm, he used his free hand to pull the neck of her shirt down, just enough to expose the top of her breast so he could kiss and nip at her delicate skin. She gasped and wriggled as two fingers slid into the front of her pants.
He smiled against her neck, the throbbing in his cock amplified by her every jerk and quiver. But it was going to wait—a torturous long wait as he explored every inch of her body, and every caveat of her desires.
He stepped away, and she shivered, her slack body sinking against the wall. “I could spend most of the night kissing and licking your skin.
She glanced around again, this time, he realized that she was eyeing the lights.
“Yes, the lights are staying on. I’m going to enjoy looking at every bit of you while I make you squirm.”
Her eyebrows tightened, just a hint.
“You’re beautiful, doll,” he whispered, pulling up her shirt, while pushing his leg between hers to keep her distracted. As he dropped her shirt to the floor, he buried his face in her neck, and squeezed her soft sides, pulling her hips into him.
Her eyes widened, and fingers clamped on his biceps as he tried to pull away. What was it that she was so uncomfortable with him seeing? She relaxed, ever so slightly, when he kept his gaze on her face. He moved slowly, first pushing the bra strap off her right shoulder, no reaction. Then her left. Her shoulder tightened, and she pulled into the wall as his fingers moved over a series of raised welts. Scars paled with age, but once deep enough to leave noticeable marks.
Although her breath came in quick gasps, her body was so tight that her chest barely moved.
“This is what you’re so afraid of me seeing?”
Her head jerked up and down in minute motions, while her hands balled into fists and dropped to her sides. Eric put his hand on the side of her face, pushing her hair back.
“Lena. I just want a yes or no. Audible. Is this what you were afraid of?” She nodded again, and he wrapped his arms around her, gathering her to his chest.
“Sweetie, everyone has their own kinks and their own coping mechanisms. I doubt you want to talk about it right now, but when you do I’ll listen.”
“What if I never do?”
He kissed her forehead. “Is there anything I need to know before we do this?”
“I don’t have STIs if that’s what you mean.”
“Good to know, neither do I.” He wasn’t even sure if she was intentionally changing the subject or if that was really the only answer she could come up with at the moment. “I need you to tell me if I do something that you can’t handle for any reason.”
“I’m good.”
“Then, try not to look terrified,” he pulled her forward by the waist of her jeans, then snapped the button free. One arm around her waist and one at the back of her neck he locked lips with her again, and without breaking the kiss he pulled her away from the wall and unclasped her bra, pulling it away and tossing it aside to join her shirt. She squeezed her eyes closed, then all movement stopped as she opened her eyes, and his forehead was resting against hers.
“Stop thinking. There’s nothing you need to hide.”
With a nod, she swallowed hard. “I don’t want to stop. I just….”
He kissed her neck, and her head dropped to the side to grant him access. “That’s it,” he mumbled, taking one of her breasts and rubbing his thumb across until her nipple rose in a hard bead. Then, he pulled off his own shirt, needing to feel her bare skin on his own. He took a step away from the wall, keeping her pressed against his chest, but his movements threw off her steps again as he pushed her backward towards the bathroom door.
“We’re starting the night in here?” her voice wavered as she looked up at him with a pinched brow.
He flipped on the light, and she seemed to try to bury herself into his chest. A large mirror covered the wall behind the sink, and another hung on the bathroom door, leaving nowhere to hide. Her unfastened pants slid down around her legs with a single tug, and he slid his thumbs into the waistband of her underwear, taking them down together.
“Step out.”
On shaky legs, she did as he ordered, crossing her arms over her chest and keeping her eyes on the floor. He tipped her chin up to take her sweet mouth, and with a bit of prompting, her tongue finally reacted, twisting and pressing in turn, until he sucked it and pulled away. She had let go of her inhibitions if only for a second, but considering his plans it likely wouldn’t last.
He gathered her hair behind her shoulders, then pinned her wrists at the small of her back, pulling her forward until her chest jutted up. Laying a string of kisses across her collarbone, he moved toward her shoulder and scarred arm. “Relax, loner. I’ve got you.”
With a shaky breath, she relaxed again, giving him the promise of her growing trust. He squeezed her butt cheek, grounding her firmly against his still-covered erection.
“Are you going to stay half dressed?”
“Quiet.”
She pressed her lips together in a visual protest, but didn’t say anymore, so he moved his lips to one of her tight nipples. Her legs shuddered under her with a single suck, and as he stifled a chuckle, her face and chest flushed a brighter shade of pink.
Eric moaned rocking his hips against her. “You’re too much, little Loner. Gorgeous,” he moaned into her hair, “responsive, delicious.”
With a final suckle to her neck, he left her breathless, and half balancing against the counter so he could shed the rest of his clothing.
“You okay?”
She nodded, her eyes half hooded, but sparkling green with need.
He wrapped her up against him again, his cock pressing against the warmth of her stomach. Then he took a step back and turned on the shower, letting it warm to an acceptable temperature.
“Hygiene conscious, eh?”
“I told you to be quiet,” he said with
a nip to her lip, and then one on the side of her neck. He lifted Lena into the tub first, sliding in behind her. She immediately turned to face him. Definitely uncomfortable when she couldn’t see him, but he couldn’t press every issue right now.
His hands moved across her skin, slickened by the water. He pulled the bar of soap off the rack over the toilet and massaged it against her skin, starting with her neck and shoulders, kissing each bit of clean skin as the water washed away the soap. She tensed again when he approached the scars, but seemed to let the emotions slide away quicker this time.
“How long has it been since you cut?” he asked, keeping his voice calm and steady as if it was an everyday conversation.
“Eight months.”
He moved to her breasts and she braced herself against the side of the tub while he teased each nipple into hard nubs.
“Does anyone else know?”
She opened her eyes, blinked a few times before answering. “Miah and my ex.”
Moving down her stomach, he reached around to get her back, pulling her hips toward him as he worked.
“They gave you a hard time about it?”
She made a throaty moan, obviously struggling to compose an answer as he drove her senses in a different direction. “Um, Miah freaked at first. When it started, but doesn’t really talk about it anymore. Landon… I don’t think he ever figured out how to cope with it.”
He ran his finger through her folds, forgoing the soap on her sensitive regions.
She sighed, “It helps. I can’t explain how, but everything spirals out of control. I can’t take it. It pulls me back. Calms me down.”
“Endorphins,” he replied, wrapping her in his arms again. “When you cut, it releases endorphins and that makes you feel better.”
She blinked up at him, eyes moist from more than just the shower, and he smiled, sliding the soap into her hand.
“Your turn, my little Loner.”
Lena
My little Loner, he’d said. Lena looked down at the soap in her hand and reluctantly moved away from his strong, warm chest. She began with his chest and shoulders, running her fingers through his fine hair, and across the skin that stretched across his muscles. He wasn’t extremely muscular, but the lines of definition were there. Soft enough on the surface, with hints of strength buried beneath. Perfectly fitting for his personality.
As she worked the soap down over his hips, her mind was still lost on what she’d just told him. She’d never explained it to anyone that easily. Hell, she’d never showered with anyone either, so in a way, she thought, it was fitting.
He pulled her out of her shell so easily that it sent fireworks of excitement through her nerves, while the clouds of fear drew on her insecurities.
By the time she reached his groin and half-stiffened member, she shot back to reality and looked up at him. He raised his eyebrows and nodded, but she didn’t move.
Surely, he didn’t need her to do that. Or maybe she was stuck in her prudish and sheltered mindset. She wanted—she didn’t want. Her body froze.
“It’s not going to bite,” he said, obviously amused at her hesitance. He rocked forward so it rubbed against her lower stomach. She jerked back a bit, and watched as he ran his own hand over it, stroking up and down as the water ran over him.
Landon was the only guy she’d been with—at least in any way that counted—but even their sex never really felt intimate. When he tried, it just made her feel uncomfortable, and her only concern was getting it over with.
Two years of getting it over with because that was easier.
Time to woman up, Lena, she told herself, sliding her fingers down his stomach, before grasping his cock and stroking it in a motion imitating his movements.
He made the most intoxicating sound she’d ever heard, squeezing his fingers into her butt.
“I should get you to bed,” he groaned and flipped off the shower.
After stepping out of the tub, he wrapped a towel around her first, then put another around his waist. Finally, pulling down a third towel, he wrapped it around her hair, squeezing out the extra water. Rubbing gently from her scalp through her hair until it was no longer soaked. Then, he tossed the towel over the bar, before turning his attention back to her body.
“How’d you know?” she asked, her voice low and grumbly. “About the cutting.”
“My sister started doing it in High School.” After rubbing her arms dry, he moved down her body, over her back and legs until every drop was soaked up. “Our parents flipped when they found out, and that made it worse. After counseling, she learned some other coping mechanisms, but when she got really stressed, she said it was the only thing that helped.” He draped the towel over her shoulders and let her pull it around herself as he set to work on himself.
“To bed.” He nodded.
Lena stepped away, still clutching the towel around her, but he grabbed it so she couldn’t move until she released it.
Her nerves hummed through her body as she walked through the cool hotel room. In the mirror across the room, she could see him following right behind her, with his eyes trained on her. As she stood at the foot of the bed, his hands caught her hips, pulling her back against his erection. Concentrating on his reflection, she bit back her reaction, but she hated having him behind her.
“Lie down,” he whispered. “On your back, your arms straight out.”
She paused, but he tugged on her clenched fists until she released and took a deep breath.
“I’ll turn up the heat a bit, but you’ll be plenty warm soon enough.” Then, he popped her on the butt and told her to move.
As she laid back, feeling completely exposed, he walked across the room, first to the window to adjust the temperature, then back to the dresser, returning with his mysterious satchel. He cleared off one side table and placed the bag on top within his reach.
His muscles flexed under his skin as he climbed onto the bed between her legs. Placing one hand on her hip, he moved up her body leaving a trail of kisses until he reached her exposed breasts. He moved her hands up so that they were stretched out perpendicular to her body. “Don’t move, beautiful,” he whispered, sitting back on his knees as his eyes flickered over her bare flesh.
“Those aren't exactly comforting words, you know.”
“Nor were they meant to be.”
This time, Lena cocked her own eyebrow at him, earning another wink. He stretched out over her, supporting himself on his elbows. “What do you feel right now?”
Am I really supposed to answer that? She blinked, but he didn’t seem to be joking. “I don’t know.”
He pressed his lips together. “Well, then, I’ll just sit here and stare at you until you figure it out.”
She fidgeted and looked across the room toward the window. What the hell answer did he want? She didn’t want him inside her head any more than he already was.
“I said, don’t move.” He pulled her chin back, so she had to look up at him. “That’s one. ‘I don’t know’ is a copout. You use it when you don’t want to dig deep enough to come up with a real answer.”
Lena clenched her jaw.
“What do you feel right now?” he repeated.
“Exposed.”
He dipped his forehead to touch hers, “Thank you.”
She scowled back, but he didn’t lose the pleased look. He shifted his weight to one arm and traced his fingers down her side. “I need you to be honest, Lena. Rule number one, I want honest answers and sometimes they’ll make you uncomfortable, but I’ll give you honest answers, too.”
Lena nodded, “So, what’s rule number two?”
He sat back on his knees, and she tensed, resisting the urge to pull him back to her.
“Rule number two, when I say don’t move,” he grabbed her right foot, which she hadn’t realized she was wiggling, “don’t move.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“I never said that anything I’d ask you to do would be easy. You’
re fidgeting because you’re not used to giving up control to someone else,” he pulled up one of her knees so that it sat upbent beside him, leaving his thumb on the backside of her knee, he rubbed the delicate skin. Then, his fingers moved up the back of her thigh until the tingles made her want to crawl across the bed.
She flipped her hands over and grabbed the blanket.
“Ahh,” he warned, nodding to her hands. “Palms up. That’s two.”
“Why—”
“Shh. Three.”
She bit the inside of her lip, and as if just to make her life miserable, a stinging itch came on her nose. She bit harder into her lip until she squeaked. Closing her eyes, her toes dug into the bed.
“What’s the problem?”
She hummed, afraid to talk.
“I ask questions, Loner, and you answer.”
“My nose itches.”
His face tensed, then his knee rubbed between her legs as he moved up her body again until his face was hovering over hers. “Is that so?”
He brushed the tip of his nose against hers, and she couldn’t take it anymore. She squirmed under him and rubbed her hand over her face until the itch was sated. Peeking around her hand, she saw his face, still tense, but obviously holding back a smile.
“You’re not mad?”
“Fortunately for you, you’re too adorable to make me mad. Now if you’re done fidgeting, get back in position.”
“Yes, Sir.” She meant it sarcastically, but it brought a glint of hunger to Eric’s eyes.
He pressed his palm into her crotch, the base of his hand rubbing against her clit. She moaned and arched her back at the sudden sensation. One finger slid into her folds, confirming what she already knew—she was already wet.
Eric smiled and trailed his wet finger up her stomach. “Stop fretting, Sweetie.”
“That’s easy for you to say.”
He moved to lay beside her, pinning one of her legs between his own until she was left completely exposed. She started to move in her other leg, but he tapped her knee.
“Leave it where I put it, and keep your eyes on me. Don’t look away, and don’t close them. Understand?” He rubbed his thumb over her tense brow and kissed her in the center of her forehead.
Bound and Unbroken Page 6
