Daring Time

She glanced up at him in surprise even as her hand continued to discover the fascinating sensation of dense muscle gloved in smooth skin. Ryan watched her hand fixedly as she slid it down his arm and palmed a bulging bicep.

"You've been successfully seducing me ever since I first saw you in that mirror."

"But I wasn't really doing anything, then," Hope whispered distractedly. Most of her attention was focused on the manner in which Ryan's small brown nipples pulled into erection the more she touched him. She experimentally flicked her fingernail over the stiffened flesh.

She glanced up into his face to gauge his reaction when he made a hissing sound. The rigid set of his features made her lightly scrape his nipple again.

"So you want to do more? Is that it, witch?" he asked gruffly.

Hope nodded eagerly.

"You might consider taking off your clothes for a start then."

"Oh. Of course." She rolled on top of him, making him grunt in surprise, and clambered off the bed. "I suppose you want me to take off my clothing here ... not in the bathroom?"

"That's right." Her eyes widened when he put his hands behind his head and stretched on the bed, as though he were getting comfortable for some sort of spectacle. She saw the long ridge of his erection pressing against the cotton material of his pants and realized her undressing before him was the spectacle. The knowledge made her hands tremble a little in nervous excitement as she unbuttoned her shirtwaist and then reached around to do the same to her skirt. Once she'd removed both garments and placed them neatly over the bottom railing of the bed she drew down her petticoat.

She found it increasingly difficult to meet Ryan's stare as more and more garments were added to the pile of clothing.

"Hope."

She glanced over at him through lowered lashes, all too aware of how hot her cheeks were. He leaned up on one elbow, his expression tense as he stared at her breasts encased in an ivory, lace-trimmed, strapless corset. His hot stare lowered over her, making her skin feel prickly wherever it touched. She'd just removed her pantaloons. She had to resist a strong urge to cover herself when his gaze fixed between her naked thighs.

"That will do. Leave the rest on."

"But. .. I'm still wearing a corset and my garter," she mumbled as she came toward him awkwardly.

"A lot of guys fantasize about having a woman undress for them and seeing that she's wearing stuff like a garter belt and hose, Hope."

"Are you one of them?" Hope asked in dawning amazement. What else would a woman wear beneath her clothing?

He dragged his eyes up to her face. "I like it all right. But something about the fact that it's not a getup in your case—not contrived to be sexy, but just the way you dress all the time ... I don't know. It's more of a turn-on than I'd ever thought it'd be. Come here."

He reached for her and she came onto the bed. He settled her in his lap and drew up his knees. Hope straddled him in a sitting position, her back comfortably supported by his hard thighs.

"Ryan," Hope whispered when he ran both hands over her corset-encased breasts. She moaned softly when his fingers trailed down her lace garters and down over her pale hose. A shudder of excitement went through her body.

"These are silk," he said, amazement flavoring his tone.

" Yes. What else would they be ?"

"Nylon. It's a synthetic fabric. That's usually what hose are made of in this day and age."

He opened his big hand and caressed the length of her leg. She clearly felt the column of his penis surge beneath her bottom.

"So soft," he murmured. He looked up at her face. "You're unbelievably beautiful."

Her lower lip dropped at the stark compliment.

"You're unbelievably beautiful as well. And ... and I'm the one who is supposed to be seducing you, Ryan," she reminded him with difficulty. Most of her attention was on his long finger as it moved over the top of her breasts where they swelled over her corset. His light touch made her nipples prickle and pinch against the tight material.

He blinked and took a deep breath before he dropped his hand to the bed. "The seduction was complete long ago, but if you want to touch me, go ahead, honey."

She smiled happily and once again began her exploration of his magnificent body. He didn't speak but just watched her as she delved her fingers through his crisp chest hair and ran her hands along the tantalizing slant that ran from his narrow waist up to his wide chest. She felt his skin roughen when she lightly scratched him with her fingernails just inches below his armpit. That physical reaction along with the feeling of his erection throbbing against her bare bottom informed her that he liked having his skin lightly scraped.

She once again focused her attention on his nipples, using both her fingertips and fingernails to stimulate him. She grew so excited by how stiff they became that she leaned down to feel how the hard little button felt pressed against her tongue.

"Hope."