Beck let out a calming breath. He wasn’t going to push her to give more than she wanted to…but he didn’t want to let her go with a peck and a wave, either.
“Of course it’s more complicated,” he agreed. “Since you’re not ready for sex, there are plenty of other things I can teach you, pleasures I can give you. Just say the word. And if not…” He shrugged. “We’ll sit by the pool, enjoy the day, and talk.”
“Thanks for understanding,” she murmured, then suddenly couldn’t meet his stare again. A fresh flash of red surged up her face. “Would you show me your bedroom?”
Her question made his body ping electric.
“I’d love to.” He rushed to help her to her feet.
She cast a nervous glance around his messy kitchen. “Do you want help with the dishes first?”
“Fuck the dishes.” He seized her mouth with his and curled his arms around her frame, cupping her ass and lifting her against his body. “Hold on to me.”
Heavenly didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms and legs around him. He plunged his tongue into her mouth and marched to the stairs, taking them two at a time, then all but sprinted down the hall to his bedroom.
Beside his bed, he slowly lowered her to her feet, dragging every inch of her against him, then studied her flushed face. Already, her eyes were dilated, her lips swollen, her nipples pebbled. He regretted not getting his hands—or mouth—on her breasts last Friday. He was determined to make up for lost time.
Beck skated his fingers up her waist, tracing the edge of her underwire bra, before he cupped the pert globe in his hand. Staring into her eyes, he thumbed the tight little tip back and forth in slow strokes. “What do you want, little girl?”
“So many things…” she admitted with a groan, then gave him a self-deprecating smile. “Late last night, after my shift, I laid in my bed and I replayed our lunch over in my head. And for the first time ever, I was able to give myself an orgasm.”
“Good. You should know your body and what makes you hum.” He pinched her nipple through her dress lightly, relishing the hitch in her breath. “What part of our lunch did you think about while you got yourself off?”
“The ways you touched me. I put my fingers everywhere you did and thought of all the things you’d said. And…” She sighed, her smile widening. “It was nice. But not as amazing as when you gave me pleasure.”
Good to know. “You have other fantasies? Things you thought about when you touched yourself in the past?”
“For a long time, when I tried to, um…”
“Masturbate?” he supplied helpfully.
Right on cue, her face managed to turn even redder. “Yeah. When I did, my thoughts were mostly a curiosity. I wanted to know how my body worked. I wanted to understand the physiology. And I wanted to figure out why, if I was a woman, I wasn’t interested in any of the men—or women—around me. It was almost like I didn’t understand myself well enough to have fantasies. Then, you took me to the gallery.” She sighed. “And everything changed.”
This woman was the most interesting bundle of contradictions. It took her forever to tell him her troubles, but she readily shared her feelings and fantasies. There must be some reason. Whatever it was, her dichotomy intrigued him. Made him harder. Made him more desperate for her.
“I’m not surprised.” He’d sensed what she was the moment he’d met her. Having her validate that, even unconsciously, renewed his hope. She wasn’t ready for rubber paddles and whips—might never be—but she was ready for him to take control.
It was so on.
“You’re not? I’m shocked.”
“Still not surprised.” He traced the V of her neckline, fingertip grazing the tempting swell of her breast. A wide, wicked smile crossed his face. “Show me.”
“What?”
“Show me how you made yourself come.”
Heat flared in her eyes. “I-I don’t know if I can—”
“You can.” He dragged his tongue over her collarbone, then whispered in her ear. “Strip off your clothes, lie back on the bed, and show me what you’ve learned.”
“A-are you going to watch?”
“Absolutely.” As soon as the word was out, her breathing turned uneven and she bit her lip self-consciously. He skimmed his lips along her jaw. “I want to be the first to see you naked.”
Heavenly hesitated, then stepped out of her sandals, eased one of her straps off her shoulders, then looked at him for approval.
“Keep going.” He flicked the other strap down and kissed the cap. “You’re safe with me. Don’t stop.”
She gave him a jerky nod, then turned her back to him, gathering her hair and holding it up. “I-I can’t reach the zipper.”
His cock lurched approvingly as he sucked in a shuddering breath. Holy shit. She was undressing—for him. He would see her totally bare. That thought dive-bombed his brain and buzzed his libido.
Slowly, he reached for the tab and dragged it down her back, the quiet hiss achingly sexual as he exposed inch after inch of her milky, untouched skin.
Beck’s hand shook. His control felt dangerously close to snapping, but he gritted his teeth, chained down his beast, and told himself to find his fucking patience as he pulled her zipper as low as he could.
The ivory lace skimming the small of her back and wrapping around her hips taunted him. He slipped his finger just under the band. “Next time, leave your panties at home. You don’t need them with me.”
Heavenly jerked a glance over her shoulder. “Wear a dress without underwear?”
Her shock made him smile. “That would please me.”
“I don’t know if I’m that…daring. I’ll try.”
He didn’t love her
