Virtuous(60)

“Could we keep going?” I told him I wouldn’t have sex with him unless we’re married, and I meant that. That’s been my rule for eight long years, a rule I’ve hidden behind because I never expected to get close enough to any man to actually consider marrying one. But now… Now, everything is different, and he’s the reason.

“Help me out here. How far are we talking?”

“A little further?”

“I can do that.” He arranges me so I’m lying flat on my back and settles between my legs, leaning over me to give my other breast some attention.

I grasp a handful of his hair, needing to hold on to something as he sets off another frantic wave of desire. Then his hand is on my leg, moving from my knee to my inner thigh, opening me. I hold my breath, waiting to see what he’ll do next.

“Breathe, sweetheart. Try to relax. I promise I’ll never hurt you. Not in a million years.”

I do what I’m told, drawing in greedy breaths as his hand creeps closer to my core. I don’t know whether I want to pull him closer or push him away. While his hand tortures me with the slow slide, his lips pull and tug on my nipple, splitting my focus squarely in half. I suspect that’s his intention, to scramble my brain so completely there’s no possibility of going to the bad place. There’s only pleasure and desire.

“Doing okay?” he asks gruffly as his tongue swirls around my nipple.

“Mmm.”

“Words, Nat. Give me the words.”

“Yes! I’m okay. Flynn…”

“What, honey?”

“Touch me. Please touch me.” I’ve never been so desperate for anything in my life as I am for his touch.

His hand is warm and large as he does exactly what I want, pressing his fingers against the place that throbs for him, with only the thin silk of my panties between us. He knows exactly where I need him most, and I cry out from the pleasure that scorches me.

Lifting my hips, I silently ask for more, but he distracts me with another deep pull on my nipple. The combination has me climbing toward some sort of summit, something dark and mysterious and altogether out of reach until right now. He doesn’t do anything more than press rhythmically against me as he continues to torment my nipple. The pleasure builds and grows until I feel like I’m going to explode from within. “Flynn…”

“It’s okay, baby,” he whispers. “Let it happen.” He doesn’t stop until I’m crying out from the overwhelming pleasure that detonates from between my legs and travels through my body like a lightning strike. “God, that was amazing. You’re so beautiful. I can’t wait to be inside you when that happens.”

I cling to him, breathing hard as he brings me down with gentle strokes of his fingers. His words permeate the fog that has invaded my brain, and for the first time since I was attacked, the thought of allowing a man inside me doesn’t make me cringe with horror or disgust. It makes me burn with longing, especially as I feel him hard and throbbing against my leg.

“Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me what you’re thinking.” His voice is rough against my ear, making me shiver.

“I think you’ve wiped my brain clear of all thoughts that don’t involve you.”

“Excellent,” he says, chuckling. “Then my work here is finished.”

I push my pelvis against the hard thrust of his erection. “Not everyone got to finish.” Running my hand down the muscular contours of his chest, I summon the courage to take what I want. “Could I… Would it be okay…”

“Natalie,” he says through gritted teeth, “Christ, do whatever you want to me. Touch me anywhere. Any time you want.”

“Any time?” I ask, smiling up at him.

He responds with a savage kiss, seeming to pour every ounce of pent-up desire into one blistering kiss. I’m so distracted that, for a second, I nearly forget what caused him to kiss me this way. Then the insistent press of his erection against my leg reminds me of what I wanted to do. Without breaking the kiss, I slide my hand down over the front of his well-worn jeans where I find him long, hard and thick.

Groaning, he comes up for air wearing an agonized expression I’ve never seen before. He covers my hand with his and shows me how to touch him, his eyes rolling back in his head when I follow his lead. I’ve never willingly touched a man there before, and it’s a revelation to watch such a strong man become powerless because of me.