by Leah Brooke
Surprised, Kelsey turned her head, lifting her gaze to his. “You feel that way, too?”
He ran his hands over her hair as if enthralled with the texture. “Yes. That’s why I recognize it in you. I know you won’t believe me if I tell you how beautiful you are, so I won’t bother to tell you, but when the time is right, I’ll show you just how I see you.”
Finding it harder and harder to remain still, Kelsey turned her head, looking up over her shoulder to find him watching her. “How do you propose to do that?”
“Don’t worry about that.” He moved her hair aside, his touch gentle as if he savored every moment. “One of the things I admire most about you, one of the things that excites me more than any woman’s ever excited me before, is your courage.” His gaze slid to hers, sharpening, holding hers as he turned her in his arms.
“When you have the courage to let me show you the woman inside you, to free the woman who’s dying to get free…well, I think that woman’s going to turn my world upside down.”
Sliding his hands down her arms, he linked her fingers with his and raised her hands, linking them behind his head.
“And that scares me to death.”
Gripping her wrists in one of his hands, he ran the tips of his fingers down her arm, sending ribbons of electricity to her nipples. “But, I’m here. I’m willing to take the risk because I think the rewards will be worth it. I hope you have the courage to do the same.”
Kelsey stiffened and tried to pull her hands free, but Gabriel tightened his grip, holding her in place. It was the first time he’d ever used his strength to control her, and the thrill of being overpowered shocked her. Knowing that he meant her no harm and that he would release her if she got scared only intensified the sensation. “Gabriel, I’m not the kind of woman who does things like this.” It came out in a breathless rush of passion as another rush of moisture escaped to coat her inner thighs.
He smiled faintly, his eyes full of tenderness. “I know, but you’re exactly the kind of woman who should. These hands are mine, Kelsey. You gave them to me and I want them to stay where they are.”
Kelsey tried to pretend the spike in her arousal had nothing to do with having her arms raised, and the ensuing sense of defenselessness, but she knew the truth.
“I don’t like being vulnerable.”
“But you’re wondering why it feels so good?”
How the hell did he know that?
Not bothering to answer him, Kelsey turned away, the sense that her life was about to change making her a little uneasy, but the excitement and need for him overrode it. “What did you mean—I’m the kind of woman who should?”
Gabriel’s warm breath touched her cheek just seconds before his lips did. “You have a sadness in your eyes that tears at people, and a vulnerability that makes me want to wrap you in cotton—”
She tried to pull away, but he didn’t let her put more than an inch between them before yanking her back. “I don’t want to be wrapped in cotton, damn you. I can take care of myself and—”
Gabriel scraped his teeth over her shoulder, a clear threat that had her sucking in a breath. “—and an attitude that makes me want to fuck your ass until you come so hard you scream with the kind of pleasure a woman like you needs to feel.”
He moved before she could do more than gasp, turning her and pressing her back against the wall, her hands firmly clasped in one of his over her head. “You make me crazy to have you. Pleasure you. Possess you.”
“Gabriel.” Arching, she pressed her breasts against his chest, moving against him and thrilling at the friction on her nipples through the thin fabric. “I want to. I want you. I can’t believe I’m saying this. I want to…see what it could feel like. I just don’t want anything more than pleasure.”
She needed to show him that she could be as sophisticated as the women he was used to. She promised herself that she wouldn’t be clingy, and would do her best to not encumber him with her need for more.
His lips hovered over hers. “We’ll see. That’s one of the things we’ll explore. God help me, I can’t resist you. You’re going to rip my heart out. I know it, but I just can’t resist you.”
No one had ever spoken to her that way before.
No one had ever made her feel so desired.
He had a way about him that made her believe there could be more between them, and gave her hope for forever.
It became harder and harder to remember that his seductive words were part of the kind of games he played, a game she was too inexperienced to understand.
She wanted his lips on hers. She wanted his mouth to take hers, as a man would kiss a woman he desired above all else.
Swallowing heavily, she let her eyes flutter closed, so immeasurably touched she couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, she found herself engulfed in a warm sea of emotion that shifted everything inside her. Gulping, she opened her eyes, her breath coming out in short, panicked pants. “Gabriel.” Her breathless whimper was met with a sharp intake of breath as his hands tightened on her upper arms.
Lifting his head, he stared down at her, his eyes hooded and searching.
“We’re not going to play at this. I can’t, and I can’t go into this half-hearted. It’s all or nothing, Kelsey.” Even though his voice didn’t rise above a whisper, the harshness and hunger in it told her how deeply he meant it.
Amazed at the fresh rush of moisture that coated her inner thighs and the sharp pull to her emotions, she found herself lifting to her toes to get closer. The heat of his body seemed to wrap around her, like warm hands that drew her against him, warm arms that enveloped her in a sense of rightness and inevitability that dispelled the cold numbness deep inside her.
She couldn’t—wouldn’t—allow her emotions to ruin this chance to be with him. She couldn’t deny herself the promise of pleasure that gleamed in Gabriel’s confident gaze. Shivering when he drew her closer, she licked her tingling lips, inwardly cursing the fact that she’d never be able to hide how she felt about him if she allowed him to kiss her. “What do you mean by that?”
Lifting his head, he stared down at her, his gaze moving over her face before meeting hers. “I’m saying that I want you to trust me. I can’t have you stopping and starting for no reason. If you’re scared, tell me. If you’re mad, tell me. Talk to me. I’m going to take you outside your comfort zone, and I don’t want your fears getting in the way of experiencing the pleasure I want to give you.”
Gripping her upper arms, he lifted her to her toes, his hands clenching as if fighting the urge to yank her against him. “You can end this any time you want, but don’t do it on a whim. I can’t do this half-assed, Kelsey. I’ll go as slow as you need, but I care too much about you to play games. I know you and I can have something special, something incredible, but I need to know that you trust me to take care of you, to give you what you need, and not take any more than you’re willing to give. I’m trusting you to commit to this as much as I do.”
Releasing her, he blew out a breath and ran his hands over her hair, the tortured look in his eyes making it impossible to take this lightly. “I want nothing more than to make you happy—to let loose that passion that you’re dying to explore—and to show you that you have no reason to fear me. But if you can’t, or aren’t willing to try, I’m walking away before you put me through an emotional shredder.”
Kelsey blinked in surprise, staring after him as he strode away. “How the hell am I supposed to know if I can do this? I don’t want to get hurt, but I feel like I’m flying blind here.”
Gabriel smiled. “You worry too much, and worry about accepting my lifestyle. This isn’t just about me. I want to learn what you like, too. What you need. What pleases you.” Running a fingertip down her cheek, he held her gaze. “We have this week to explore each other, Kelsey. Please, stop worrying so much. Just relax and enjoy. Your safe word is red. If I do something you don’t like, use it, and I’ll stop. If you need help, say yellow, and I
’ll slow down and help you through it.”
Turning her, he pressed a hand at the small of her back. “That’s enough for tonight. It’s late and you’ve had a long day. Come on. Let’s go to bed.”
Blinking again, Kelsey stared up at him, her body humming with a need that demanded to be satisfied. “You’re going to leave me like this?”
Gabriel’s dark brow went up. “Like what, darling? Aroused? If you need to come, I’ll be happy to oblige, but I won’t touch any part of you that you haven’t given to me.”
Clenching her jaw, she tried to tamp down an arousal that had become so strong she shook with it. Her clit felt huge, and the tingling made it difficult to even walk.
Sleeping would be impossible.
”Never mind.” She’d just go to the bathroom and take care of it herself.”
She whirled away, heading for the bedroom, coming to an abrupt halt when Gabriel caught her arm, pulling her back against his chest.
“What?”
His smile sent a chill down her spine. “Even though you haven’t given me that clit yet, those hands are mine, as well as those fingers. You can’t use them to masturbate.”
Furious that he’d outmaneuvered her, she lifted her chin to glare at him. “Are you trying to piss me off?”
“No, I’m just trying to get you to take this seriously. I always took you for a woman of her word. You never play games and you mean what you say. That’s what I want from you now.”
“I never go back on my word.”
A muscle worked in his jaw, need darkening and narrowing his eyes. “All or nothing, Kelsey. Decide right here. Right now.”
Kelsey rubbed her thighs together against the overwhelming ache that had her pussy leaking even more moisture. Damn, he turned her on. “No expectations, right?”
She wanted to make it clear that she wouldn’t expect more after the week was over.
Gabriel inclined his head, his expression closed and distant. “If that’s the way you want it. For now.”
She thought she saw a glimmer of hurt in his eyes and figured she must have imagined it. Lifting her chin, she met his gaze squarely. “That’s the way it has to be.”
His eyes narrowed. “Anything else that you want to negotiate?”
Glancing at his lips, she licked her own, fighting the clawing need to have his mouth on hers. Scared at how intimate one of his kisses could be, Kelsey nodded, swallowing heavily. “And no kissing, right?”
Gabriel didn’t seem at all surprised, smiling as he ran his fingers through her hair. “I wondered if you’d stand firm on that. If you mean, no kissing on the mouth, I’ll agree to that for now. I reserve the right to kiss you elsewhere, though.”
Bending low until their lips nearly touched, he sighed. “Whenever you change your mind, let me know. I can’t wait to have that mouth under mine.” Lifting his head, he raised a brow again, the gesture so sexy, she wanted to jump him. “Anything else?”
Smiling despite her nerves, and feeling a little more confident, Kelsey grinned and tossed her hair back. “Nope. A week of pleasure is just what I need.”
A week to immerse herself in Gabriel’s lovemaking and bask in his attention.
He nodded once in satisfaction. “Good. We understand each other. This week is about discovery and pleasure. Let’s go to bed.” Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he started for the bedroom. “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s only one bed. You’ll sleep with me, of course.”
Kelsey had noticed that the room held only one bed as soon as they’d arrived, and the knowledge that she would be sleeping with him had been hovering in her mind all day.
“I’ve never actually slept with anyone before.”
Gabriel’s smile lit his features. “One of many firsts together. I’ll cherish it. By the way, darling, you’ll sleep naked.”
* * * *
Kelsey fisted her hand on the pillow beneath her head, resisting the urge to shift to a more comfortable position. There was no comfortable position. Lying naked on her side, with the warmth of Gabriel’s body at her back, she couldn’t settle, more aware of her body than she’d ever been before.
Gabriel’s hand moved up and down her arm, his gentle caress both soothing and arousing. “Relax, Kelsey. I’m not going to attack you.”
His husky, low tone increased the level of intimacy in the dark bedroom, strengthening the bond between them she fought so hard to ignore.
“How the hell am I supposed to relax with your cock pressing against my back? How long can you stay hard anyway?”
Chuckling, he pressed his cock against her bottom and bent to nuzzle her neck, sending more delicious waves through her. “Say the words, Kelsey. Say that your body is mine while we’re here, and I’ll make you come. I want the words from you.”
She sucked in a breath at his erotic demand, rubbing her thighs together at the incredible ache that made her pussy clench incessantly. “That’s blackmail.”
“Absolutely.”
Running the tips of his fingers down her arm, and perilously close to her breast, Gabriel brushed his lips over her shoulder. “There’s no point in denying yourself. Or me.”
She smiled at that. “Do you always have an answer for everything?”
His tongue moved slowly over her shoulder, sending prickling heat to every erogenous zone. “You know what you want, but you don’t want to say the words. I need the words, Kelsey. I won’t take what you don’t give. Say it, Kelsey. Tell me that even though you’re not willing to give me anything else yet, your body’s mine.”
She turned to look up at him over her shoulder, squinting for a glimpse of his features in the dark room. “Just for the time we’re here, right? No expectations.”
After a short pause, Gabriel nodded, something she felt as his hair brushed over her shoulder. “Just for the time we have here, but for every minute of the time we have here.”
“And when we go home?”
Gabriel kissed her shoulder again. “When we get home, we’ll…renegotiate.”
Smiling in the darkness, Kelsey nodded. “After we see if I can even do this. Will you let me know when I mess up?”
Gabriel scraped his teeth over her shoulder. “You’ll know.”
Kelsey took a deep breath and let it out in a rush, excitement bubbling through her veins. “Then yes. I’m all yours.”
Pushing against her shoulder, he rolled her to her back, his breath warm against her lips. “Good girl.”
Kelsey shivered, moving her leg against his, her body tight with anticipation. Excited at the hard feel of his body and the controlled strength in his movements, she pressed against him. “I’m not good, and I’m not a girl.”
Gabriel ran a hand down her body, from her neck to her belly, setting off ribbons of tingling delight that seemed to spread everywhere. “You won’t always like what I do, and you will absolutely not be comfortable with everything I do to you. But, you will submit to it. You will let me explore your boundaries.”
Moaning as his hand slid higher again, she twisted restlessly in an attempt to get him to touch her breast, but he deftly avoided her. “Are you planning to do anything kinky?”
With a small chuckle, he teased her navel. “Of course.” Reaching over her, he turned on the light on the nightstand beside her.
“Hey!” Blinking against the light, she struggled to focus on his features.
Gabriel bent over her, his black hair a dark curtain that blocked out most of the light. “Bondage, spanking, anal, and you’ll wear nipple and clit clips, and you’ll spend a lot of your time naked.”
Kelsey stilled, alarmed at the rush of pure, white-hot lust that slammed into her.
Staring into her eyes, Gabriel lifted a brow. “Scared? Or aroused?”
Kelsey rubbed her thighs together at the fresh rush of moisture, her pussy clenching. Her clit throbbed and tingled, feeling swollen and unbelievably sensitive. To her amazement, her puckered opening began to tingle with awareness at the word an
al. “I’ve never done any of those things before. I’ve never heard anyone talk that way before. What if I don’t like what you do to me?”
“It’s a time of discovery for both of us. Trust, remember? Now spread those thighs.”
“Excuse me?” The hint of steely demand in his tone nearly made her come on the spot.
“You heard me.”
He shoved the covers aside with an impatient brush of his hand, exposing her to his gaze.
“Have I mentioned that there will be consequences for disobeying me?” The threat in his voice couldn’t be mistaken, especially when accompanied by the cool intent in his eyes.
It excited her, his sharpened attention sending a feminine thrill through her.
Now that she could see him, Kelsey couldn’t prevent her gaze from sliding over him, her mouth going dry at her first look at his naked body. Sucking in a breath, she lifted her gaze to his, trembling in helpless anticipation. “You weren’t serious about that spanking stuff, were you?”
God, he was gorgeous. Dark, hard, and so incredibly male.
“Of course.” He smiled, a smile of wicked intent. “I’m looking forward to having you over my knee. I’ll give you a quick orgasm tonight so we can get to sleep. I’ll wait until tomorrow to fully inspect you.”
“Inspect me?” Each provocative thing that came out of his mouth took her deeper into the new world he’d opened up to her.
The desire for him continued to sharpen, creating an arousal so intense, she could think of nothing but relief.
Smiling, he ran a finger down her center. “Of course. You’re mine now. Before this week is out, I’ll know every inch of your body. I’ll know more about your body and responses than you know yourself. I think you’re going to be very surprised at the passion inside you. You’re shaking with it now.”
