Chapter 8
“THAT WAS PLAIN FUN.” Elle gazed up at Trey. It had taken them a while, but they were finally breathing normally again.
“Can’t say I’ve ever had more fun in my life.” Levering himself up on his forearms, he glanced down at her green velour jacket, which had remained zipped throughout. “But you must be ready to get rid of extra wardrobe items. I sure am.”
“I suppose. I got a little sweaty under this thing, but the immediacy of it all was darned exciting.” That was putting it mildly. She’d never done it when the guy had his pants on, or mostly on. “Thanks for indulging me.”
“My pleasure. Literally. It turns me on that you couldn’t wait. I also like that you got so graphic.” His cock, still firm and tucked securely within her, twitched. “I’m still liking it, in fact. Keep talking.”
She laughed. “It’s a function of the moment. I don’t normally use that kind of language.”
“I figured not.”
“So I didn’t shock you?”
“Nope.”
“You...you make me want to say those things.”
“I do? Don’t get me wrong. I love that you feel so uninhibited with me, but why?”
She had to think about that. “Maybe because our connection is so basic. And maybe because we didn’t find out a lot about each other before we had sex.”
“Huh.”
“If I’d known more about your background, I would have wondered if I should use those words. Am I making any sense?”
An emotion flickered in his dark eyes. “Guess so. You’re saying that we’re all about the sex. No complications.”
Well, yes, she was saying that, but she wished he looked a little happier about it. Because they craved each other with such intensity, she’d begun to believe this hot, temporary fling was working for both of them. “Is that a problem for you?”
His expression lightened immediately. “Hell, no. Only a fool would have a problem with incredible sex.” Breaking eye contact, he drew down the zipper on her sweatshirt. “And the night is young.”
“Technically, it’s not.” The cool air felt lovely on her overheated br**sts. Under his gaze, her n**ples tightened.
“I know, but we’re just getting started.” He grazed the tip of each nipple with his palm, and that whisper of a connection made her womb throb.
He glanced up. His voice was low and rough with awareness. “I felt that.”
“I can’t help it. When you touch me, I...” She moaned as he spread his fingers over her moist skin and pressed gently. A spasm shook her.
“Stay here.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I will.” She couldn’t move if the place caught on fire. She was too turned on.
Easing away from her, he left the bed. In moments he was back, and the lamplight gleamed on his nak*d body, which was as sweaty as hers. “This time, by God, we’re going to take it slow.”
She gazed at his erect c*ck and smiled. “You sure about that, cowboy?”
“I’m positive about that, lady. For starters, I want you to sit up, scoot back a ways and take your jacket off.”
“Sounds as if you have a plan.”
“I do.”
Her body hummed with anticipation as she followed his instructions. She wondered if he’d called her lady on purpose, echoing her use of cowboy. Labels weren’t as intimate as first names. Maybe he was going to be okay with keeping this arrangement casual, after all.
“Spread your legs.”
“This is getting more interesting by the second.”
“That’s the idea.” Throwing back the covers, he climbed in. He sat facing her, his legs apart, too. “Come a little closer. Prop your thighs on mine.”
“Have you been reading The Kama Sutra?”
“I paged through it once in the library. Come a few inches forward so we can reach each other. I want you within kissing distance.”
As she adjusted her position, she held on to his muscled arms for balance. She glanced at the tattoo. Maybe she wouldn’t ask him, after all. Personal details were best left unexplained if she wanted to maintain a no-strings liaison with him.
“Perfect.” Cupping her face, he leaned in for a kiss.
She decided to cup something a little lower. She might be within kissing distance, but that put him within fondling distance. She took a notion to make use of her close proximity to his family jewels.
Leaning back, he grasped her wrists and lifted her hands to his shoulders. “Not yet.”
“What, there are rules to this game?”
“Yeah, kind of. Let’s see how long we can stay like this, touching each other, caressing each other, but not coming.”
“So the winner is the last one to cross the finish line?”
“That’s right. If you hold off as long as you can, it’s supposed to make your cli**x a whole lot more powerful.”
She laughed. “More powerful than I’ve already had with you? Are you trying to kill me?”
“I’m trying to make this last a while. Each time we’ve gotten together, we’ve been so frantic for each other that we’ve gone straight for the easy cli**x. Let’s slow it down a little. Play around. Get creative.”
“Exactly. That’s what I was trying to do.”
“But we need to start at the top and work our way down. If you start there, we’ll be done before you know it.”
“Oh. Okay. I’m down with that.” She gazed at him and realized that she’d never slid her fingers through his dark hair. Its wavy thickness invited a woman’s touch.
He wore his hair on the longish side, although not quite collar-length. The style fit his musician persona. Other than grabbing his head in a fit of passion, she hadn’t spent much time fooling around with his hair.
Reaching up, she used both hands to comb it back from his temples. “Like this?”
He closed his eyes and sighed. “Like that.”
“You have wonderful hair.” She let the silky strands slip through her fingers. “You should take off your hat when you play guitar.”
He kept his eyes closed, as if soaking up her touch. “I like wearing the hat when I play.”
“Why?” Moving her hands to his forehead, she traced the path of each eyebrow. His brows were thick, too, and he had long eyelashes. She hadn’t noticed that detail until now.
“Protection, I guess.”
She didn’t have to ask what he meant. Even though she’d never performed for anyone, other than in school plays when she was a little kid, she understood that it had to be somewhat scary unless you were an exhibitionist. Trey wasn’t an exhibitionist, which made him vulnerable up there in front of an audience.
Yet he continued to write songs and play them for others. Something in him demanded expression, so he bowed to that demand but kept his hat on. His reason for doing that tugged at her heart.
Leaning forward, she placed a soft kiss on his lips. When she started to pull away, he captured her head in both hands and brought her mouth back to his. “More,” he whispered.
She settled into the kiss, stroking his tongue with hers, shifting her angle, finding a better fit, melding her mouth with his, surrendering to the tactile joy of his supple lips. He groaned and thrust his tongue deep.
Without warning her core contracted. She pulled back, gasping. “Stop for a minute.”
His dark eyes blazed with fire. “But I like kissing you.”
“And I like kissing you, too. A little too much.” She took a shaky breath. “I almost came just now.”
The heat in his gaze intensified. “Good to know.”
“It seems I’m not very talented at this game.”
His eyes glittered. “Maybe we should change the rules and see how often I can make you come.”
“That’s no challenge.” Her breathing slowed. “I think I understand the problem. I’m conditioned to come when you and I are nak*d together.”
“Then I should be conditioned that way, too.”
“No, because you’re a guy. You’re conditioned to have an erection whenever we’re nak*d together.” She gestured toward his cock. “Exhibit A.”
“Can’t argue that conclusion.”
“But guys, at least the considerate ones, start training themselves to hold off their cli**xes, because women tend to take longer. Am I right?”
“Right, except in your case, that’s not true. You’re a powder keg from the get-go.”
“Well, yes and no. I used to take longer. Something about you really flips my switch.”
He looked pleased with that information. “So you’re saying that with another guy...”
“I would be awesome at this game. But now that you’ve set up this challenge, I’m determined to meet it.”
He frowned. “I’m not sure this is such a good idea, after all. I didn’t have the whole picture before, and I like having you conditioned to come whenever you’re nak*d with me.”
“But you said my orgasm would be more powerful if I can hold off.”
“The book said that. But if you’re happy with your orgasms as they are, then let’s forget this program. The book could be wrong, you know.”
He was adorable, and she couldn’t remember ever joking around with a man in bed this way. “I am happy with my orgasms, but maybe I could be even happier. Come on, Trey. You set up some expectations. No fair abandoning the idea. It might work if I can resist your sexual magnetism.”
He laughed. “You are sure good for my ego. I suppose we can have fun trying. So we’re back to the original plan?”
“However you wanted to work it is fine with me.”
“Then I can kiss you?”
“Sure. I’m ready now.” She paused. “What happens after the kissing, so I’m mentally prepared?”
“Caressing above the waist.”
“Okay.” Her br**sts tingled just thinking about that.
“Then caressing below the waist.” His tone was casual, but his expression grew more intense.
“I have the advantage there.” Moisture gathered between her thighs. “You’re more accessible than I am.”
“That’s a matter of opinion.” He surveyed her spread thighs. “You look damned accessible to me.”
“No peeking allowed. I’m susceptible to those hot glances.”
“Don’t think it’s only you with an issue. I just found out you’re already wet down there. Now I’m harder than ever.”
Her breath caught. She was ready to tackle him and forget this nonsense, but he’d aroused her competitive instinct as well as her sexual urges. “That’s fair. Ready to start?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“On three. One, two, three, kiss.”
He swooped in. She should have known he’d play dirty. His tongue blatantly mimicked the act they were temporarily avoiding. She gave it right back to him, sucking on his probing tongue and moaning suggestively.
Her reward was listening to his increasingly labored breathing. Or was that her breathing? After a while she couldn’t decide who was gasping louder.
She responded to that kiss as usual, which meant she felt the urge to surrender to that great feeling hovering within reach. She fought that urge, which was extremely unfamiliar, but interesting.
He was the one who broke off their kiss, which she scored as a point for her side. When she looked into his heavy-lidded eyes, she could see a battle going on. Chest heaving, he ran his hands over her shoulders in a light massage.
Poor baby. He seemed to be having trouble getting enough air in his lungs. She stroked his shoulders in return, but she used a firm touch. He had muscles that begged for a girl to dig in and appreciate all that manliness.
In spite of having to control her response to him, she liked this routine. She hadn’t spent enough time running her hands over his sculpted body, and she was making up for it now. He quivered under her touch.
She glanced into his eyes and saw molten need there. “How’re you doing, cowboy?”
A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Just fine. How ’bout you?”
“Fine, just...” Or not. He’d begun to fondle her br**sts, and that...that could be trouble. His touch was all the more erotic because of the small calluses on the tips of his fingers. This man could also make a guitar sing with his talented caress, and knowing that excited her even more.
He watched her as he rolled her n**ples between his thumb and forefinger. “Your eyes are getting dark.”
She didn’t doubt it. Her n**ples seemed connected to her womb with a taut string, and when he squeezed them gently, it was as if he plucked that string. She began to vibrate.
He had the upper hand now. She would go down in flames unless—unless he was sensitive there, too. Placing both hands over his pecs, she began a slow massage. His heartbeat thudded against her right palm, and when she squeezed his n**ples as he’d squeezed hers, the rhythm of his heart picked up.
His hands stilled and his jaw tightened. He closed his eyes and blew out a breath. “That’s...good.”
“Glad you like it.” She continued to stroke his chest and play with his n**ples. “You have an incredible body. I love doing this.”
He remained motionless, as if she’d mesmerized him with her touch, and perhaps with her voice, too. The idea fascinated her, so she kept talking. “Your skin is like velvet under my fingers, like warm velvet that’s been lying in the sun.”
His breathing became uneven.
“I’d love to lie nak*d with you in a sunny meadow and see your skin gleaming in the light, your muscles rippling as you slide into me, your—”
“I want you.” His hoarse voice betrayed how much. Tension radiated from him and his whole body trembled with the force of it. “I can’t take this. I thought I could, but your voice...” He opened his eyes.