by Desiree Holt
She heard him in the bathroom, moving around. When he returned, he was carrying a small tote bag and a bowl of water, a large bath towel and a washcloth draped over one arm. He’d removed his shirt and once again she was breathless at the sight of his hard, muscular chest and the thick pelt of black hair covering it.
He took the champagne flute from her hand, finished the amber liquid at the bottom of it and set it on the nightstand. He set the water-filled bowl down next to it.
“Let’s get comfortable, shall we, darlin’?”
Her breath hitched a little as she eyed everything in his hands, realizing she was about to cross into yet another area of sexual play and activity that up until now she’d only read about. Not that she hadn’t imagined someone doing it to her. And now it was going to happen. Besides, Ben’s smile was so sinfully seductive at that moment she would have done anything for him. With him.
“Tell me what to do.”
Ben knelt on the floor in front of her, turning her sideways so her hips were on the edge of the bed. He placed one pillow under her head and another, covered with the big towel, beneath her. Balancing the bowl on the bed next to her, he draped her legs over his thighs.
“Ready?”
“Yes.” Then she caught the look on his face, as if he could devour her with one bite, and she felt more feminine than she had in years. “Absolutely.”
He soaked the washcloth in the warm water then used it to wet her curls. From his little tote, he extracted a long plastic tube filled with scented gel. He squeezed some of it into the palm of his hand, the aroma of crushed roses drifting into the air.
“Carrying out the theme?” she asked, as if talking would help her maintain a semblance of calm.
“I aim to please,” he told her. “Like it?”
“Yes. Roses are my favorite.”
“Well, see there? I lucked out on the first try.”
He rubbed the gel onto the curls on her mound, working it into a rich lather, then squeezed out more and massaged it into her labia and down to her ass. Just the touch of his fingers was making her hot again and she was sure cream was gathering in her pussy once more. When Ben circled her opening with his fingertip and smiled, she knew she was right. Heat crawled up her entire body.
Ben laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone blush all over before.”
Grace lifted her hands and moved to cross them over her chest, but Ben shook his head.
“Don’t. I like it. It matches the flowers. Okay, here we go.”
The razor, pink to complement the roses—and wouldn’t she have given anything to see him buying it—glided with smooth strokes across her mound. After each pass, Ben swirled it in the water to clear it and went back to work.
The process was almost hypnotic. Glide, swirl, swish then repeat all over again. When he nudged her thighs, opened her knees to give him greater access. With a gentle touch, he spread her labia wide and very, very carefully stroked the razor over the curls there.
She forced herself not to twitch as he reached the more sensitive areas. He soothed her by kissing the insides of her knees and blowing across the newly naked skin and making soft murmuring sounds to her.
“Almost done,” he said, swishing the razor again. “I’m going to bend your legs way back toward your chest, so pretend you’re a circus acrobat, okay, Gracie?”
It actually made her laugh and took the edge off her nervousness.
“Go ahead. My Pilates keeps me limber.”
“Grab on to your knees so you don’t lose your balance,” he told her, placing her hands where he wanted them.
“Tell me this is sexy, okay?”
He trailed his finger the length of her slit. “You have no idea how sexy this is.”
When he had her positioned the way he wanted her, he spread a generous amount of the gel on the entire area around her anus. He held her firmly so she wouldn’t jump at the first touch of the razor in that sensitive area. Grace tried not to tense as she visualized what he was doing, but it was had to relax, as aroused as she was.
At last, he was finished, wiping away the last traces of the gel with the warm cloth, and set everything aside.
“I only took a quick shower after the events tonight,” he told her, “and I want to make sure we get that sweet little puss clean so I can eat my fill.”
As he helped her off the bed, Grace shivered, just thinking of his tongue lapping at her, probing her, his mouth sucking on her tender flesh the way he had the night before.
Ben disposed of the shaving equipment and stripped off the rest of his clothes. He paused a moment to sweep his gaze over her naked body, heat flashing in his eyes. Then he lifted her, cradling her gently in his arms and carried her into the bathroom.
“Just don’t move,” he told her, setting her on her feet in the shower and spreading her legs wide. “Stay right there.”
The warm spray of the water surrounded her as he turned on the shower. Then, with it misting around them, he knelt before her, opened the lips of her pussy and began to lick her with slow strokes of his tongue. Her knees wobbled and Grace clutched at his shoulders to support herself, knowing in the back of her mind that she was losing her balance in more ways than one. And would probably never recover it.
* * * *
Bringing Grace to climax in the shower had nearly finished Ben off. He wanted this to last, to take forever, but he was so hard, so ready it took every ounce of his self-control. He traced a pattern on the soft skin of the woman next to him with lazy strokes of his fingers. God, how he loved the feel of her body. Her soft breasts with their rosy nipples and darker areolae surrounding them. The pounding of her pulse in the hollow of her throat, the place he loved to tease with the tip of his tongue.
“Your body is incredible,” he told her, anger rising when she turned away as if she didn’t believe him.
“It’s definitely on the downhill slide,” she told him, punctuating her words with a deprecating laugh.
“Damn it, Grace,” he swore. “I’ve been around the block more times than a taxi and I know what’s good and what’s not. So, quit doing this to yourself and let me enjoy being with you.”
He’d have to figure out a way to break her of the habit of downplaying herself. Didn’t she have any idea how tempting she was? When he’d eaten her out in the shower, he’d had to use every bit of control to keep from climaxing and embarrassing himself. God, she was so sweet and juicy and fresh as a newly picked peach. He’d taken all the roses from the vase on the night table earlier, when he’d carried her back to bed. Now he scattered the petals over her, crushing their fragrance into her skin.
He reached for the baby powder he’d had sense enough to buy today, carefully soothed the newly shaven skin of her pussy then finally, finally, pulled on a condom and allowed himself to sink into her. He filled her tight, hot channel, her muscles clasping him in a tight squeeze and his pubic hair rubbing against her naked mound. He forced himself not to move, wanting only to stay where he was, reveling in the sheer lust that consumed him.
Tonight had been a test, not for Grace but for himself. To see if what he’d felt last night was an aberration or if he still got harder than a railroad spike the minute he saw her. If he still wanted to lose himself in her body forever. Well, he’d certainly found out and he had no idea what the hell to do about it.
In another week, he’d be gone. He was pretty damn sure Grace wasn’t a woman to traipse after a man on the circuit, nor did he want to put her out there where others might lust after her. Maybe if he didn’t feel so used up, he could try to look past the end of this event, but he’d lived too hard and too fast for someone like Grace. He was damn lucky to have this time with her at all.
Helping her discover her sexuality was an incredible turn-on. She was such a curious mixture of shyness and eagerness, of wariness and curiosity. But each time he got past one of her fences, she exploded with the force of dynamite. The sight of her naked pussy was one he’d carry with hi
m forever. If he could just hold on to her until the rodeo moved on, coax her into trying more things, open herself up more to him, at least he’d have memories to wrap around himself when he hit the road. And hopefully, he’d leave Grace with some hot ones of her own.
He rolled his hips a tiny bit, feeling her inner muscles grip him harder, and he bent his head to capture one of her plump nipples in his mouth. He loved the taste and feel of it, soft yet hard at the same time, the pebbled surface slightly rough against his tongue. He pressed it against the roof of his mouth, rubbing it back and forth before taking a long pull at it. The simple sensations sent pleasure spiking through him and he dug deep to hang onto his control.
She was rocking her hips against him now, her pussy pulling at him. Even through the thin latex of the condom he felt the flexing of every muscle, the liquid heat surrounding his cock. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman turned him on this much. After she’d left this morning, he’d gone back to bed, but, instead of sleeping, he’d let images of her travel through his mind. Along with visions of every erotic thing he wanted to do to her.
Slow. He’d have to take it slow. Get her to commit one day at a time. And already he knew what he was planning for tomorrow night.
“Now, Ben.”
Her voice, heavy with desire, jolted him out of his reverie.
“I want you now,” she repeated, gripping his shoulders and winding her legs around his waist, locking him against her.
Damn good thing, because he couldn’t hang on to it any longer. Streaks of lightning shot up his spine, his balls tightened and with a roar he thrust one final time and exploded inside her. She convulsed with him, shivering and shaking, chanting his name, meeting him thrust for thrust. The harder he pushed, the more she pushed in return, digging her heels into the small of his back as if she’d never allow them to be separated.
Wet flesh met wet flesh and ragged breaths cut the still air in the room.
Soon, the shudders became shivers and the shivers became twitches then their bodies were still, glued together. His blood roared in his ears as his heart threatened to pound out of his chest.
Each time Grace thought she’d reached the absolute pinnacle of sensation, Ben found a way to drive her higher. All her ‘safety locks’, the things that had kept her together for twenty years, seemed to be opening and letting loose a woman she didn’t even know. As she lay exhausted in his arms, she wondered how soon the balloon would drop. When he would decide he’d had enough of being a teacher and wanted a woman more experienced. More…knowledgeable. More…something.
Ben shifted his body and reached one hand up to brush the damp strands of hair from her face.
“I think it’s time for some rules,” he told her, his voice still raspy.
“Rules?” She frowned. “What kind of rules?”
“The rodeo isn’t over for another week, Grace. I want to see more of you while I’m here.” He rubbed his neck. “I don’t think either of us is looking for anything beyond that, right?”
His words startled her. She was so busy living in the moment, she hadn’t even thought that far ahead.
“We can get to the how and when later,” he went on, “but for however long we do this, Rule Number One is you do not say one negative thing about yourself. You’re such a smart, beautiful, sexy woman.” He brushed a kiss across her lips. “Say it, Gracie. Repeat those words.”
“But—”
“Repeat them,” he insisted.
She bit her lip then forced out the words. “I am a smart, beautiful, sexy woman.”
“See?” He licked the soft skin beneath her chin and down the line of her neck. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“No.” She couldn’t help the sigh that escaped her. “At least, not too hard.”
“Rule Two,” he continued. “We are going to enjoy each other. Every way possible. You have such untapped sexuality, Grace. It would be a shame not to explore it.”
“E-Every way possible?” Her voice was unsteady, her eyes searching his.
He nodded. “Whatever we both enjoy. But I want you to let me introduce you to pleasures you haven’t even dreamed of. I’ve never wanted to do this with a woman before. To teach you what you’ve been missing.”
“And if I say it’s too much?”
“Then we won’t go there. But Rule Three is, you’re going to at least give me a chance.”
She nibbled on her lower lip, swamped by conflicting feelings of erotic arousal and fear of the unknown. She could hardly believe she’d been so uninhibited with Ben these past two nights. Okay, so he wasn’t tired of being the instructor yet. But she wondered just how much farther she could let him push her. Or if she could handle many more nights with him, even as her body craved it. And what would happen if she wanted to stop.
“How about it, darlin’?” He brushed the tips of his fingers across her nipples. “Sound okay to you?”
She blew out a long breath. “How about… Can we take it one night at a time? And see where it goes? I mean, when the rodeo leaves, you’ll be gone, too, right?”
He nodded. “I made no secret of that.” He studied her face. “But I don’t get the impression you’re looking for anything beyond that, either.”
She gave a breathy little laugh. “I was hardly even looking for this. So…one night at a time, okay?”
“If that’s what you want.”
He made tiny circles on her stomach with the palm of his hand, sliding his fingers ever closer to her mound. A fluttering of muscles in her pussy told her just how easily he could drive her up that erotic roller coaster.
“I’ve never…” She stopped and bit her lip. She seemed to be saying that a lot.
“Done anything like this?” he finished for her. “Grace, don’t you think I know that? That’s what’s so delicious. I get to be your first for so many things.”
“What kind of things?” Her pulse beat so hard she was sure he could see it.
“One of these nights, Gracie darlin’, when you’re ready, I’m going to fuck that gorgeous ass of yours.”
She jerked at his words, caught in a mixture of trepidation and anticipation. “My… My…”
He grinned at her as she struggled to even say the words.
“Shake you up a little? We’ll take it real, real slow. But trust me, Grace. That ass will be mine.” He bit her neck gently again. “Do you have a vibrator, Grace? I’ll bet you do. Bring it with you tomorrow night. You know what I imagined this afternoon? Handcuffing you to this bed and teasing you with a vibrator until you screamed with pleasure.”
She rolled toward him, a cauldron of emotions bubbling up inside her. But with it also came a blaze of heat. Oh, yes. It might not be tomorrow night, but she knew it would happen. She’d do these things with him. For him.
“Okay.” She blurted out the word, sliding her gaze away from his.
“Okay?” He cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. “Rules and all?”
She swallowed then nodded. “Rules and all.”
He lifted his hand and threaded his fingers through her tousled hair. “Let’s seal it with a kiss. And a lot more.”
As they fell asleep, he realized they never had gotten to the strawberries and marshmallows.
Chapter Seven
Grace was thankful for the amount of work waiting for her on her desk. It meant she could focus her brain on numbers, not on the pleasurable aches in her body, or the limited amount of asleep she’d had. Ben had taken her home at six-thirty, kissed her senseless before letting her out of the car and driven off with a reminder he’d be looking for her at the same spot tonight.
They’d had one minor disagreement—okay, argument—on the way to her house. He’d tried his best to convince her to move into the hotel with him for the rest of the rodeo, but the thought made her uneasy. She knew herself, knew she needed an escape, a way out if it all became too much for her. Everything was happening so fast she couldn’t keep up with it. And she still wasn�
��t sure she was capable of seeing him again. He made her feel different. Vulnerable. Things she couldn’t even explain.
She’d raced from the truck when he pulled into her driveway, waving goodbye as she shoved open her front door and fell inside. She’d done it again. Given herself to this man in ways more intense and erotic than she could ever have imagined. And the degree of pleasure she received from it actually frightened her. She wanted to wrap her safe life around herself and hide from her new and intense feelings.
Absently, she rubbed the boot pin on her collar. She knew it was her imagination, but the little piece of jewelry seemed hot to her touch, almost vibrant. The words of the woman who’d sold it to her kept drifting into her mind. ‘This pin will unlock those doors you hide behind.’
Grace dropped her hand as if it truly was on fire. What foolish nonsense, to think a pin could have any kind of influence on a person’s life. And how idiotic of her to even pay attention to the woman’s stupid prattling. She’d been taken with the pin, so she’d splurged on it. That was all.
Of course, she mused, it did bring her together with her lover, but would she have met Ben, anyway? Let herself experience two totally hedonistic nights?
Heat surged through her body as she remembered everything they’d done during the past two nights. She wiped her suddenly sweating palms on her skirt and tried to quell the mixture of desire and anxiety bubbling inside her. Too much, she told herself. She wasn’t used to all this intense sexual activity and she suddenly felt overwhelmed by it all.
She’d agreed to see Ben again tonight, but panic was wrestling with desire. She needed to back off a little. She’d leave him a message when she knew he’d be out of the room. It would make him mad, but she couldn’t let him persuade her to change her mind.
The buzzing of the office intercom pierced her mental battle with herself. She depressed the button.
“Yes, Joyce.”
“Mr. Sanderson is on line two. He asked to speak with you. Are you in or out?”
