Brave

by Natalie Gayle

  She nodded. “I wore the shirt for you. I’m not sure how I’d be, wearing it in front of others just yet.”

  “I can understand that and I appreciate the effort you went to for me. I’m not sure how I’d feel about other men ogling your breasts either, and they sure will notice them in this shirt.” This time I ran my hands from the plains of her chest right down over her breasts and gripped her waist and tugged her closer into me.

  “Would it freak you out if I said I really want to take you over to my bed and snuggle up over there?”

  She dropped a feather light kiss on my lips. “I think I can cope with that.”

  “Well, that’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”

  I led her over to the bed and urged her to sit. She kicked off the ballet flats she wore and I toed off my runners. Then when my eyes met hers, I could tell she was feeling self-conscious but I didn’t think it was from her scars so much as not knowing what to do next. Eden might be in her early twenties but she didn’t have a lot of experience. I needed to remember that.

  “Okay, so I’m just going to come out and tell you what I’m planning here. Then you can let me know if you’re on-board with it.”

  She nodded and I could see the relief on her face.

  “So I’m going to strip out of these clothes and lay down in my boxers. I’d like you to join me. It’s totally up to you what level of nakedness you choose though.”

  I turned from her and stripped off my shirt. Before I’d picked Eden up, I’d showered and put on jeans and a T-shirt rather than training clothes. Then I dropped my hands to the button and fly. Shit I was so hard under these jeans. I hope that wouldn’t be too much of a problem for her, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it at the moment.

  “I need to warn you before I turn around that I’m aroused.” I looked over my shoulder and I was very pleasantly surprised to see Eden stripping off her jeans as well.

  “It was kind of hard to miss, Xander. You were pressed up against me just before. Besides, you’re not on your own in the arousal stakes.”

  So I went from being very pleasantly surprised to being outright stunned. Eden admitting she was aroused was a huge step for her I was sure.

  I climbed onto the bed and plumped up the pillows to use more as a backrest. Eden followed wearing the sexiest little pair of ice blue satin boy shorts I’d ever seen with the navy top. Her delectable backside was high in the air as she moved up the bed on all fours. That sight was almost too much for me right then. I needed to be inside her. I needed to feel how much she wanted and needed me.

  When she reached me, she turned and snuggled into me, placing her head on my chest. That was fast becoming a spot that Eden seemed to prefer and I couldn’t agree more. I brushed the hair back from her face. “I love having you snuggled up to me.”

  I dropped my lips to her forehead and planted a couple of light kisses there.

  Her hand rested on my chest and she started tracing the tattoo on the right side of my chest. I let her fingers wander as I stroked the hair back from her head.

  “You’ve got a lot of these. Do they have any special meaning?”

  “Some do. Most are martial arts related; tattoos I’ve collected or earned along the way to mark some particular point in my career or an achievement. A few I just have because I like them. You don’t have any?”

  She shook her head no. “I was a little young and I was going to be a fashion and bikini model. It was best not to have reasons why magazines couldn’t hire you. Plus they didn’t go down well on the catwalk back when I was starting out. Then the fire happened and well, I guess I just haven’t thought anymore on it.”

  Then a glimpse of an idea came to me. “Are you adverse to the idea of tattoos?”

  Her fingers kept lightly tracing the outline of the design on my chest. “No, but they have to be good. Yours are incredible, but unfortunately so many look like a total mess and very amateurish. They kind of all blend together and just look so hotch potch.”

  I glanced down my body, trying to decide if any of mine fit into that category.

  “I wasn’t talking about yours. You’ve got quite a few, but they’re more like art and really well done. You can actually see what each of them is about, and the lines and shading are crystal clear.” Eden had raised her head and looked at the ones on my right side more critically before returning her head to my chest.

  “Well, I’m glad you approve. One of my students is a tattoo artist. He’s done most of this work. Not so much fun getting them changed or removed, I hear.” Her fingers kept trailing and she traced the one on my floating rib and the muscles in my side rippled at her touch.

  “You’re ticklish!” she said in what seemed like astonishment. “I would have thought you’d be used to being touched.”

  I chuckled. “Gem, there’s a really big difference between how your fingers are teasing me and what I cop in training or a fight. I’ve never once mistaken a hit for a tickle. But you can keep touching me anyway you want. It feels great.”

  She started messing around with changing the pressure of her fingers, sometimes the lightest touch and then a heavier caress. I didn’t care. I just loved the feeling of relaxing with her draped over me, touching me.

  “So have you thought about getting a tattoo or two?” I wondered.

  “Umm, a little. I could never decide what to get or where? I kind of spend my life covered up so it would be for me, I guess.”

  “That’s what the best tats are—something for you.”

  “Hmm, something to think about I guess.”

  “I’ll hold your hand when you’re ready if you want.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Then she started to wriggle a little against me. Her hand roved down over my stomach and came back up. Her hand was soft, but firm and it was doing all kinds of things to my exhausted body. She swiped down over my abdomen again and her hips pressed into the side of my body a little harder and her foot dragged up my shin.

  Suddenly I felt a lot less exhausted and a whole lot more turned on, if that was possible. I trailed the fingers of the arm I had around her, up and over her hip in big slow circles. She immediately shuddered in my arms and her breath caught in a little gasp of what I took for pleasure.

  “As much as I like this new shirt, Eden, I’d prefer it off. You okay with that?”

  She said nothing just pushed off me and sat up. Our eyes connected and there was hardly a hint of hesitation as she pulled the shirt over her head. Oh yeah, so that told me quite a bit. Eden was a little shy. She just needed a little suggestion from me. Her body was telling me one thing and her mind was just playing a little catch up.

  When she moved the shirt out of the way. I got the full effect and I now knew what she’d been up to at the shopping mall this afternoon. Oh I was a lucky bastard tonight.

  “Wow baby, you look gorgeous in that bra. I thought the boy shorts were hot but together with that bra…” I trailed off, needing to get my hands and mouth on her breasts that were covered by the mate to those boy shorts. There was nothing super amazing about either the bra or the panties, but on her body—knockout punch! Sleek, classy, and oh so sexy.

  “I have to ask this because I’m a guy…but did you ever do any lingerie shoots?”

  She dropped her chin shyly and my heart squeezed tight. “Just one. Mum wouldn’t let me do anything like that until I turned eighteen. But a shoot came up and it wasn’t really sexy stuff, just some basic pieces for a cotton brand, so she let me.” She explained softly. Oh shit! I hope, I hadn’t sent her spiralling back into the past and what she’d lost, but every guy had a fantasy about having a lingerie model for a girlfriend, didn’t they?

  “Well I have no doubt you’re even hotter now.” I reached out to cup her breasts. “I’m sure these beauties couldn’t have looked this good five years ago.”

  “I don’t know, but as long as you’re happy I guess…” she trailed off, sounding a little unsure.

  “Happy! I
’m ecstatic to have my hands on these.” I dragged a hand away and gave her a playful little bump on the nose with my index finger. “Now I can’t even describe how I’d feel if you moved over here and let me put my mouth on them as well.”

  She giggled a little, nodded then to my surprise moved over the top of me. Then Eden dropped her lips to mine for a very brief kiss, before she sat back on my hips.

  “Now this is the kind of mount position I’m really happy to be on the bottom of Gem. We haven’t started any grappling yet, but I’m all good to start your education right now.” I rested my hands on her firm thighs and squeezed my fingers a little and she grinned at me again.

  “Ha, ha.” I got the feeling she was enjoying being on top of me. I wasn’t about to let her know I could probably come up with a hundred different ways to have her on her back and under me in the blink of an eye. It was easy to tell that Eden was enjoying being a woman and testing her sexuality. Everything was as good as new to her and I intended to make it all the best I could.

  “Any chance I can get a close up of that bra? I’m sure I can hear your breasts screaming to have my mouth on them.” I’d issued the invitation; now I’d wait and see what she did.

  Her hips ground into mine and I bit back a groan. Her pussy was right over my dick and it was torture, but this was all Eden’s show for the moment.

  Just as I’d hoped, she leant forward and brought her left breast tantalisingly close to my mouth. I licked my tongue across my lips in anticipation of having her nipple between them very soon.

  Then the little tease, waved it across in front of me again. This time I didn’t hesitate. I caught both of her breasts in my hands and dipped my thumbs under the silky cups to find her hard nipples. She shuddered over me and I held my breath as her hips ground down again.

  “Time to stop teasing me, Gem. Let me take away the ache you’re feeling.” I didn’t give her a chance to say anything. I pulled the cup down and rose my head to draw her into my mouth. She had the softest, sweetest skin and she tasted incredible. I couldn’t describe the taste but I was sure it would be what sunshine tasted like, if that was possible.

  I sucked lightly and flicked my tongue over the hard pebble a few more times and she started to moan a little in a low sexy tone. I seemed to feel the moan all the way through me, right down to my insanely hard erection. I wondered then if she’d be loud when I finally plunged my dick inside her.

  “Gem, as pretty as this bra is, it has to go.”

  All I got back in return was another throaty moan as I sucked a little more on her nipple then blew across it.

  I could work with that; moans of pleasure were just fine with me.

  My hands travelled around to her back and flicked the clasp open. The cups popped forward and I reluctantly released my mouth from her nipple. I eased the straps down her arms, which had begun to tremble a little from supporting her body, and I hoped, the pleasure she was feeling.

  In one slick move that was second nature to me I pulled her in tight to my body and rolled her under me.

  Last time we were together like this, I’d made her a promise. Now it was time to make good on that.

  Chapter 18

  Eden

  A little squeal of surprise squeezed out of my throat and my eyes flew open. A split second ago I’d been having a lovely time riding Xander’s hips as he sucked my nipples. It was so good. Now, I found myself flat on my back beneath him and he had a very knowing grin on his face.

  “That was just one of the many escapes for a mount position. In case you’re wondering.” His eyes danced with humour and I couldn’t help but join him with a little giggle of my own.

  “I don’t think I even put up a fight, did I? So what am I supposed to do now?”

  “Well, if it was anyone else but you, I would suggest and show you several easy ways to get out of that submissive position, I’ve put you in. But given it’s me, and I’ve got you right where I want you, how about you just lay back and relax. I think it’s my turn to go exploring.” He had a wickedly hot look in his eyes and I knew exactly what he had planned. The thought of him exploring my pussy all but ensured I had no intention of stopping him. My body was screaming for his and this was the next step.

  I’d decided to take Grace’s advice. Xander didn’t seem to care one iota about my scars, so why should they prevent me from enjoying everything he was hinting at doing to me? I wanted to be defined as a woman, not by my scars.

  He leaned in further and gave me a heart stopping kiss. I didn’t think I would ever get used to the feel of his plump full lips and velvety tongue stroking at my mouth or anywhere else on my body. How could it be so good?

  Xander then trailed a line of hot teasing kisses from my mouth, over my jaw and down my neck to my chest, where he once again found my nipples for a little bit.

  My breath was coming in hot pants and my core felt like it was wound so tight. I needed relief. I needed to come.

  “Xan, please…” I begged, my fingers closing in his hair.

  His mouth dropped a little lower to my abdomen and he ran his tongue around my belly button and I couldn’t help but buck my hips up to slam into his chest, but he held me firm.

  From there his fingers trailed along the edge of my panties, teasing and playing along the line of elastic. His mouth was just above the line of elastic and instead of feeling shy or anxious I needed him to keep going lower.

  “Please...” I pleaded again.

  “Okay Gem, I’m not going to leave you hanging here, like last time. It damn near killed me as well. I won’t do that to you twice.” I breathed a sigh of relief and sucked in my stomach as he slid his thumbs under the elastic and ran them from the centre to my hips. A fiery line of sensation prickled in his wake.

  Then he sat back on his knees, before rising to stand at the end of the bed. He leaned over and hooked his fingers back into the sides of my panties and smoothly lowered them down over my thighs. I watched the heat flare in his eyes as he uncovered my most private parts.

  Funnily, I now realised I was much more comfortable having him see my pussy than my scars. Should I feel nervous, embarrassed, or shy? Because I felt none of those feelings, just very needy. I just wanted him to end the ache only he’d been able to create.

  “All good, Eden? Because I really want to taste you now.” His voice was low and rumbly and his eyelids looked heavy. Every cell in my body seemed to be tingling and resonating with want.

  “All good,” I whispered.

  “Open for me, Gem.”

  He placed his hands on my thighs and eased them apart as he lowered himself back between my legs and stroked his fingers down over my lower lips. I shivered at his touch and I struggled to keep my lower body still for him.

  “So soft,” he whispered.

  He did it again, but this time he placed a light kiss on the top of my mound.

  “I love this tiny little landing strip of hair here. It’s like a map.”

  I giggled a little as I answered, “Something tells me you would have found the way all on your own.”

  He placed another kiss and gave me a devilish wink.

  “That’s a very safe bet. I’ve got a great sense of direction. Particularly when the destination is somewhere I absolutely want to go.”

  He dipped his head again and this time he used his tongue to trace the line that his fingers had travelled just before. No man had ever had his mouth on me down there before, but it felt so right with Xander. I felt as if I was his to pleasure and be pleasured.

  Then he nuzzled in tighter to my pussy and started to tongue my clit.

  “Oh God…that feels so incredible.” My mind was shorting out and every nerve in my body seemed to be zinging with electricity.

  Slowly and gently he licked, then sucked for a few seconds then went back to licking. If I thought the ache was bad before, I had no idea. Now it was the best sort of excruciating need.

  He slid a finger inside me and started to stroke me slowly.
My hips pushed upward but he held me firm, while his tongue kept up its teasing little dance. It was all too much and not enough at the same time.

  My breath was coming in short, uneven pants and every muscle in my body was as tense as a tightrope. I was so close and he knew it. His tongue had slowed and he was holding me at the pinnacle, letting the sensation build even more until finally he decided to suck on my clit and flick it with his tongue all at once.

  It was the most incredible sensation I had ever experienced and then I was flying—cast free and falling through huge waves of pleasure.

  I gripped hunks of the sheets and my body jerked. My hips slammed into his face uncontrollably and I called his name in a voice that I didn’t recognise as mine.

  On and on he kept at me, coaxing every last ounce of pleasure from the release, until finally I could take no more and pushed at his head.

  “I can’t take any more,” I begged in a ragged tone.

  I fell back on the bed and sucked in a couple of huge lungfuls of air. He planted a final kiss on my mound and my hips flew off the bed in response.

  “Someone’s sensitive.” There was no missing the amusement in his voice as he moved up to lie beside me again. “I wonder where else you’re sensitive. Maybe here?” He tweaked a nipple and it had exactly the same effect, nearly launching me off the bed.

  “Xander!” I shrieked.

  “Mmm…?” he asked knowingly as he nuzzled his face into my neck. I could smell my arousal all over him and I didn’t feel the least bit self-conscious. It didn’t seem to be bothering him.

  “That was…” How do you explain something like that? Words could never quite convey the feeling. “I don’t know what—but hell it was good.”

  “Glad you enjoyed it. I sure enjoyed making you come apart like that for me.”

  I rolled over onto my side so I could look at him and snuggle closer.

  He seemed to sense what I wanted and pulled me in tight to him. There was no mistaking how aroused he still was. I placed my hand on his hip and stroked it up and down his side. I loved the feeling of all the solid muscle beneath my fingers. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I’d be cuddled up to a man as hot and sexy as Xander Todd. I had no idea what I’d done to deserve it, but I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth, nor was I going to give it up easily.