Six Naughty Nights: Love in Reverse, Book 2 (27 page)

She glanced back at him then. “No, I haven’t.” Her eyes twinkled.

He smiled and reached out to take her hand. The memory of the night before and how awkward things had been after they’d had sex in the living room still lingered in his head.

The sex had been fantastic. The best ever, possibly. Esther was hotter than lava, and she’d thrown herself into the role-play with joyful abandon. She’d blown him away, but afterward he’d been very aware of something going on in her head.

Not that it had surprised him. Because his brain had been buzzing too. He could have kicked himself for the way he’d demanded she never look at another man. Why had he forced her to make such a declaration? It was unfair and selfish, even though afterward they’d both kidded themselves it had all been part of the role-play. It hadn’t, and he knew it. He didn’t want any other man touching her. When he’d watched Felix flirting with her, it had taken an immense amount of self-control not to lean over and punch his brother’s lights out.

And how unfair was that when they were only supposed to be having a fling? He sighed, tightening his hand on hers. This was getting horribly complicated. As he’d told her afterward, they had to be careful not to over-think things. They were having sex. Period. He mustn’t think any deeper than that.

He drew up outside his house, applied the handbrake and switched off the engine. Then he turned to her. “Are you okay? Are you sure you want to go ahead with this tonight?” He wouldn’t be shocked if she said no. His heart begged her to say yes, though. She wore a simple blue cotton dress that came halfway down her thighs, and he was pretty sure she wasn’t wearing anything underneath it. His fingers itched to slide down her body and test out his theory.

To his relief, she grinned and said, “You betcha. I’ve been waiting for this all day. Come on.” And she scrambled out of the car and positively skipped toward the front door.

Lips twisting wryly, he followed her. His erection sprang to life even as he walked up the path.
Down boy
, he thought with amused irritation. He should wait and see what she had planned first. Maybe it was something he wouldn’t like.

That made him smile. He couldn’t imagine Esther coming up with anything in the bedroom that he wouldn’t enjoy doing to her, or having done to him.

He unlocked the front door and let them inside. He’d left a lamp on in the corner, and it filled the living room with a warm glow.

“Glass of wine?” he asked, throwing his keys on the table by the door.

Her eyes were dark and full of promise, but she just smiled and said, “Sure.”

His heart rate beginning to speed up, he walked through to the kitchen, poured them both a glass of wine and brought them back to the living room. She sat on the sofa, and he sat beside her, turning slightly toward her so their knees touched. He gave her one of the glasses.

“What shall we drink to?” she whispered.

He tipped his head, studying her as he swallowed the first cool mouthful of wine. “To sexual anticipation.” He held his glass toward her.

She giggled and touched hers carefully against his with a ring of crystal. “To sexual anticipation.”

“Which I’ve been feeling all day,” he added truthfully.

She sipped the wine, her eyes dancing over the rim. “Been on tenterhooks, have we?”

“Just a bit.” That did not come close to describing how he’d spent all day picturing various sexual scenarios.

“Good.” She rubbed her knee against his, and he almost groaned. He was so hard now he’d be lucky if the stitching didn’t give way on his shorts. She winked. “I suppose I can finally reveal what was on my card.”

“It would be a good idea, before I die of curiosity.”

She laughed. “It’s really not that big a deal. Well, it won’t be to you, I’m sure.” She fished the card out of her bag. “This one was quite short. All it says is, ‘Tonight, treat yourself to a sexual position you’ve never indulged in before. Something you’ve always wanted to try.’”

He raised his eyebrows. “Oh. Nice.”

“Very nice.”

“So what have you decided on?”

She nibbled her bottom lip and deep red seeped into her cheekbones.

Affection swept over him, and he picked up her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “Hey, don’t be embarrassed. How can you be embarrassed after what we’ve done?”

“I know, it’s silly.” Her green eyes met his, cool and clear, and for a moment he could see all the vulnerability and wariness inside her through those glassy windows.
 

“It’s not silly,” he said. “It’s endearing. Just something else about you that drives me crazy.”

She smiled shyly and lowered her eyes to their hands, rubbing her thumb across his knuckles.

“So give me a clue,” he said. “I’ll try to guess.” What position would she be unlikely to have done? He didn’t want to think about her previous partners and what they might have got up to, but they’d got through a fair few themselves in Fiji.

She remained quiet for a moment. And then she raised her eyes to his. “It’s a number.”

He stared at her. Then amusement flooded him. “You little minx.”

She blushed again and pushed him. “Don’t embarrass me.”

He put his arm around her, careful not to spill his wine, pulled her to him and nuzzled her ear. “Hey, I’m thrilled. I can’t think of anything more enjoyable than engaging in a sixty-nine with the hottest girl in New Zealand.”

She shivered as he touched his lips to her throat. “Really?”

“Really,” he murmured, kissing around her jaw to her lips. He touched his nose to hers. “Can’t you tell?” He moved their linked hands onto his lap, and her eyes widened as her hand rested on his erection.

“Ooh.” She licked her lips and whispered, “I can’t wait to get that in my mouth.”

He gave a short laugh. Placing their glasses on the table, he pulled her onto his lap. “You are the sexiest girl who ever lived, you know that?” He slid his hand into her hair and pulled her lips to his.

She opened her mouth willingly, and her tongue tangled with his in a sizzling hot embrace. For the first time that night, he laid his hands on her body, and he wasn’t surprised to find her soft and yielding beneath his touch, absent of any form of underwear. He murmured his approval as he stroked up from her waist to her full breasts and cupped one in his hand. It sat heavy in his palm, the nipple tantalisingly soft between his fingers. He squeezed it gently, and groaned when she arched into his touch with a sigh.

“Bed?” he murmured, kissing down to her throat.

She pushed back, breathless and flushed. “No, not yet.” He must have look disappointed, because she chuckled. “Shower first. I…um…did some research, and they suggest it’s a good idea before oral sex to make sure everything’s…um…well, you know.”

“Rubbish,” he said, nibbling her ear. “I love the taste of you hot and sweaty.”

“Oh, stop it.” She levered herself off his lap. “Come on. We’ve got all evening—there’s no need to rush things.”

He sighed, but couldn’t find it in himself to protest overmuch when the notion of Esther wet and slippery in his hands was on offer. Accepting her hand, he followed her along the corridor to the bathroom and began to unbutton his shirt while she switched on the shower.

She soon stopped him, however, placing a hand over his on his shirt. “That’s my job,” she said.

“Absolutely.” He wasn’t going to object when it involved the removal of clothes.

She smirked and slowly popped the buttons through the holes until she reached the bottom. He put his hands on her hips and watched her reaction when she pushed his shirt to the side and smoothed her hands up over his ribcage to his shoulders. “You have such a fantastic body.” Admiration was written all over her face.

“Thank you,” he said, genuinely touched by her praise.

“I mean it, Toby. You’re a fine specimen of a man.” She ran light fingers over his pecs and the muscles in his abdomen, then brushed his nipples. “You’re like a model you’d see in GQ or a Levi ad. You have the build of a rugby player—better than Dan Carter.”

“The ultimate compliment. Now stop or I’ll blush.”

“I just don’t understand, that’s all.” She swallowed, uncertainty crossing her features. She lowered her eyes to his chest, tracing fingers around his ribs. “You’re like a god, Apollo or Hercules. The Greeks would have made statues of you. What do you want with me? I’m ordinary and dull and have a baby tummy. What could you possibly find interesting about me?”

He stared at her, shocked by her statement. Was she searching for compliments? But the hesitation remained behind her eyes. She truly believed what she’d said.

Okay
, he thought. He’d played her game long enough. Yes, they were only having sex, and no, they weren’t going to get involved. But it was time to tell her the truth, and show her how he truly felt about her.

Chapter Thirty-Two

He held the clip at the back of her hair and squeezed the sides together, releasing her hair so it fell in dark brown curls. He placed the clip on the shelf and slid his hands into the strands, loosening them around her shoulders.

“First,” he said, sliding his fingers through the curls, “I love your hair. I don’t know what conditioner you use, but it’s so soft and silky, it feels like ribbons in my fingers.” He moved closer and nuzzled, not missing her answering shiver. “And it smells of strawberries and summer. It makes my mouth water.”

He moved back and cupped her face. Were there tears glistening in her eyes? He studied them for a moment, losing himself in the dark green depths, noting how they carried gold flecks near to the pupils. She blinked a couple of times. Yes, they were definitely shining. She probably didn’t get many compliments—she had no father to praise her up, not even a brother to tease her and look out for her.

He didn’t mention it, though. Instead he brushed her cheeks with his thumbs and smiled. “I love the freckles on your cheeks and nose. There aren’t many, just a scattering, but they’re gorgeous.” He kissed them and ran the tip of his tongue lightly across her skin, and she giggled. “Stand still,” he reprimanded her. “I haven’t finished with you yet.”

She rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“Yes, I do. I want to. Now shush.” He was enjoying himself and liked the way she blushed shyly every time he said something nice.

He traced his thumbs over her eyebrows. “I love your eyes. They’re very expressive. Now don’t get me wrong—I love your ass and your tits are magnificent, but if pushed I might have to say your eyes are your best feature.”

Her mouth fell open in amused shock and she smacked his arm. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Yeah, yeah. You love it.” He moved his hands to her shoulders and slid them down her arms to take her hands. “Now this may sound weird, but you have very pretty hands.”

“Pretty?”

“Yes. You’d be surprised how many women have unattractive hands. Wrinkled, or with bitten fingernails, or podgy fingers. But yours are elegant. Long fingers, pale smooth skin, nails just long enough to be feminine, but not horrible talons. I can’t stand those.”

She raised an eyebrow. “But women in porn movies always have long, painted false nails. I thought men liked them.”

“Other men might. I don’t. I’d much rather have these closing around me.” He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them, smiling as the blush reappeared in her cheeks.

“Now,” he continued. “On to your body.”

“Oh dear.”

“Yes. This may take us a while. There’s a lot to comment on.” He stepped back, holding her hands, and studied her feet. “I’ll start by saying I don’t particularly have a foot fetish. I’m not one of those guys who gets off on sucking toes. However.” He moved her so she leaned her butt against the basin, then knelt and lifted one of her feet onto his lap. “Your feet are divine.”

“Jeez, Toby. Major hyperbole alert.”

“I’m not exaggerating. You know what you said about the Greeks carving statues—well your feet could have come from the Venus de Milo.”

“The one without any arms?”

He sent her a wry look. “I’m trying to pay you a compliment.” He ran a finger along her instep, then smoothed up over the top. Her unblemished skin held a light tan. Her nails were short and tidy, painted a pretty red. He bent his head and kissed them. “I’ve never been turned on by feet before, but there’s something about these that sends my thermostat shooting up.”

She giggled, and for the first time her shoulders relaxed and her frown lines disappeared. “Okay, how else am I beautiful?”

“Oh, where to start,” he sighed, thrilled that she was enjoying herself. “What about your calves?” He cupped her heel and then slid his hand up her leg to the back of her knee. “They’re just right—toned without being muscular, and so soft…” He ran his fingers up her shinbone. “How the hell do you get your skin so silky?”

“Waxing and
lots
of cream.” She closed her eyes as he drew circles on the sensitive skin behind her knee. “Oh.”

“You like that?” He slid his other hand up to the back of the opposite knee and did the same, brushing the skin with gentle strokes.

She tipped her head back, and her mouth fell open. She moistened her lips with her tongue. “Mm.”