Anne Rainey - Touching Lace (9 page)

little lopsided tilt to his sensual lips gave her body an inner jolt, which went clear to her toes. Nick was so clever in his movements, too, and Lacey had the feeling he would be the most adept man when it came to foreplay. As his mouth skimmed below her ear, touching a particularly sensitive spot, she became aware of one other thing. She really didn’t want to think too much about how he’d come by such expertise.
Enjoy and learn
, she reminded herself. This was only the first in many such moments. Once Nick was through with her, Lacey would have the confidence to get any man she wanted.

Which was exactly why they were doing this.

If that were the case then why was she so easily imagining Nick making love to her, as opposed to what he would really be doing, which was teaching her? Helping her get over some insecurities. Lovemaking didn’t have anything to do with it.

That was a given.

Her thoughts scattered to the farthest corners of the earth as Nick’s fingers found their way beneath her shorts. “Damn, I can’t believe I’m touching lace.”

“I’m wearing cotton,” she mumbled.

“Mmm, yes you are.”

Then his fingers moved past her panties as he stroked the curls of her mound. It was such a forbidden thing for Lacey, making out in her place of business. She always left her

Touching Lace

feminine side outside the gym. Here she was a personal trainer. She helped men and women alike learn to live a healthy lifestyle. Only now, all she saw was Nick. All she felt was his overheated skin, his breath against her neck. All she smelled was the potent mixture of sweat and man and desire. She was more aroused than she’d ever been, and he hadn’t done a single thing but touch.

“Nick, please,” Lacey found herself pleading.

Nick leaned over her until he was staring directly into her half-closed eyes and growled, “Please what, baby?” He skimmed his thumb over her clitoris and asked teasingly, “Please do this?”

She wanted to speak, really she did, but his touch was electric. Lacey was a marionette, and only Nick had the power to make her come alive.

Then his finger dipped between her nether lips and she lost control. She pushed into his hand, seeking more, wanting him so deep he could never find his way free again.

“You like that, don’t you?” he whispered against her lips as he kissed her. “Would you like two fingers even more?”

Lacey nodded, beyond caring where she was, beyond caring about her own name even.

“No. Tell me you want two fingers inside this hot little cunt. Give it to me, baby.” “Yes, Nick, two. And please don’t stop.”

’His smile fluttered against her cheek. She felt his triumph. It radiated off him in masculine waves. Any other time and she’d be tossing out a sarcastic, witty reply to such arrogance. Not this time. All she wanted was Nick and the things only he could make her feel.

Intense, hot, eager. She’d never been like that with a man. Yet, a few touches, a few strokes from Nick and she was on fire, ready to hand him her body on a silver platter. It was frightening and exciting at once.

He stroked her inner flesh, all the while flicking back and forth over her clit. With no warning, her body rocketed out of control. Nick was right there, drinking in her moans of

Anne Rainey

pleasure. With his mouth against hers, he masked her wild sounds and gave her the climax of a lifetime.

A few heavy breaths later, Nick slowly pulled his wet fingers from between her legs. He brought them to his mouth and slid both between his lips. He kept his gaze locked with hers as he fed off her juices, swallowing every drop.

“Remember the time, right after you and Dick broke up, we were sitting on your living room couch and you were laughing over the way Dick used to want to turn the lights off every time you two made love?”

Where had that come from? She could barely breathe, her body was still vibrating, and he wanted to talk about past lovers?

“Uh, yeah, I remember. But his name was Richard, not Dick.”

“Whatever. Anyway, you were sprawled out on the couch, your foot in my lap. I was massaging it, and all I could think was how soft your pussy must be under those tight gray shorts you wore.” He looked down her body as if reliving that day all over again then ground out, “God, I wanted so badly to reach down and finger-fuck you. You have no clue how hard it was to control myself, baby. No idea.”

Lacey was floored. Could it be true? Did Nick find her sexy? How could she not have known? Lacey lifted up to a sitting position and watched as Nick’s intense gaze tracked her every move, as if worried she might slip away if he so much as blinked. She looked him over from head to toe, enthralled all over again by what a perfect body he had. He was so hard, so big and so…hers. But it wasn’t just that. Lacey knew Nick inside and out and he was the best sort of man. He ranked right up there with her brothers, which was saying something. Only she didn’t feel the least bit sisterly with Nick. Then again, if she knew him so well, why hadn’t she known he was attracted to her? That he’d wanted her?

“Why didn’t you ever say anything? Why, Nick?” The question had been on the tip of her tongue each time he’d shared another tidbit with her. He reclined on the floor, flat on his back, his head resting on his folded arms. Lacey couldn’t look away. His deep

Touching Lace

brown eyes mesmerized her. Had he always had that mysterious intensity and she just hadn’t noticed?

“Because you would’ve freaked.”

Lacey shook her head, vehemently denying it. “No, I wouldn’t.” Nick reached a hand up and cupped her cheek. “Be honest with yourself, Lace. You

never saw me as anything more than a friend. If I started telling you how sexy you were, that I wanted to get naked with you and do the freaky horizontal, you would have gone running for the hills.”

“The freaky horizontal?” Lacey choked out around a laugh.

Nick’s face split into a grin. “Or the freaky vertical, I’m cool with that, too.” Lacey laughed full-out. “Lord, help me. What have I gotten myself into?”

Anne Rainey

Chapter Five

After her orgasmic afternoon delight, they’d separated to the locker rooms and taken showers. They were now in his driveway and Lacey was nervously chatting about a client who hadn’t lost any weight. Nick half-listened as he stared at his front porch.

Lacey had been to his home before, lots of times, but only as a friend. Never as his lover. Everything took on new meaning now.

His house could have been right out of a home decorating magazine. Nestled in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, it was incredibly homey. He could easily visualize a couple of rowdy kids playing h-o-r-s-e. He was all set for a family; he only needed the wife to get things started. Not just any wife would do. He wanted Lacey.

“Nick, I just have one more question.”

“Shoot, baby.” He was so far gone at this point he’d tell her anything to get her inside the house and away from prying eyes. Nick loved his neighbors, but they could be damn nosy at times.

Lacey squinted at him suspiciously. “This thing between us, is it just sex lessons?” Lacey seemed to be holding her breath, as if terrified he was going to say it was

much more. He studiously ignored the part of his soul that was afraid she’d never see him as anything more than a means to an end. If he were completely honest with himself, of all the things Nick thought she’d ask, this was nowhere on the list.

“You’re thinking it death. It’ll all work out, I promise.” he hedged. She visibly relaxed, but Nick could practically see her walls going back up. What

had she been hoping he’d say? He mentally stored the question away for later. Right now, he wanted to kick off his newest venture as Lacey’s sex instructor.

“Come on, baby, quit stalling.” He opened his door and left the car, pleased when she did the same. He started to make his way around the hood to take her hand when

Touching Lace

Lacey stopped him. “I just thought of something. I don’t have anything with me. We should have stopped at my apartment first.”

He knew she was nervous, otherwise she would’ve remembered her stash of clothes and toiletries. She’d stayed over before. Once when she’d had too much to drink, which for Lacey was all of two beers. Also, a couple of times when a movie they watched ran late and he wouldn’t let her leave—for safety reasons, he’d told her. The truth was, he liked having her in his home. Nick enjoyed waking up and finding her all curled up in his

bed, looking adorable as hell. So much so that he hadn’t minded sleeping on the couch. In two long strides, he was in front of her, taking her hand and murmuring,