“Maybe unspoken rules,” she said.
“I wouldn’t want anything to come between us as artists.” He frowned. “Or as friends.”
He started to untie her as she lay staring at him, at a loss for what to say. All he’d done was decorate her with some rope, and she was about to explode with arousal. What kind of magic was this? The same magic she’d seen at the kinky, joyous reception. She was grateful he’d helped her experience it for herself.
Still, she felt mortified when he undid the soaked knot looped between her thighs. He didn’t comment; he was in businesslike mode now. As he undid the belt at her waist and pulled the remaining knots apart, he showed her the marks left behind. Even though the rope was gone, the marks still decorated her body. When he freed her hands from her sides, the first thing she did was trace the marks herself. Then she reached to touch his strong, wide shoulders.
“Thank you,” she said.
“No, thank you,” he replied, helping her up. He lifted the coverlet from the floor and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Sit on the bed a minute while I get this rope organized. Let the whole experience soak in.”
He’d probably used the word “soak” for a reason. If he was angry she’d permeated his rope with her rampant pussy juices, he didn’t mention it, just doubled the jute over and around until it was wrapped in the same neat bundle he’d had when he arrived.
She waited, huddled in the blanket, as he jammed the rope in his pocket and put his shirt back on. When he sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulder, her heart melted again.
“How are you feeling?” he asked. “Everything okay?”
“Yes. Everything’s great. That was fun. I know a bit more about…” She fussed with the blanket, unable to meet his eyes. “About why people like kinky stuff so much.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He pulled her closer, enveloping her in a hug. “I’m going to hold you a minute more, okay? Because we just did a trusting thing.”
A trusting thing. He was killing her with his wonderful words. He held her against him, all wrapped up in a blanket. It wasn’t as sexy as being wrapped in rope, but it did much more of a number on her heart. She found a way to press her pelvis against the front of his jeans—she couldn’t help it. Yes, he’d apparently enjoyed their rope adventure too. Ethan with a hard-on, and she was sending him away because they played in a quartet together.
“I’m so glad you had fun. I thought you would.” He released her with one last lopsided grin. “See you in the morning, Rube,” he said, standing up to go.
“See you in the morning.”
She closed the door behind him and rested her forehead against the glossy wood. Why was she such a coward? She could have let him keep touching her. She should have stayed in his rope, under his control, to see where things went. She should have trusted him.
Shit, the rope was wonderful, but she wanted to do more than rope with him.
She needed to do more.
She threw on her clothes in record time and left, just remembering to grab her key. She knocked on the door next to hers, waiting for Ethan to answer. Waiting. Waiting. Was he done with her for the night? She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the lock click. His face appeared. Beautiful, quiet, mysterious Ethan.
“I want more,” she said simply. “I have to have more.”
4.
Ethan took her hand and pulled her into his room. As soon as the door was closed, he trapped her against it and pressed his lips to hers. His fingers threaded in her hair, then moved down to grasp her neck, not hard enough to choke her, but hard enough to make her press her hips forward with a moan.
“Ethan,” she gasped between kisses.
“Thank God you came to me.”
“I had to.”
He broke away and led her to his bed. Through the roaring lust in her brain—and pussy—she noticed the rope he’d so carefully bundled earlier was spread out in a tangle on top of the sheets. She turned to him, squeezing his hand.
“What were you doing with that rope, Ethan?”
He pulled her onto the bed, shoving the rope aside. “I was smelling it.” Oh wow, he’d just come out and admitted it. “I was about to get naked with it. You smell really good.”
“You are kinky, aren’t you?”
He laughed. “I think we’ve established that. But let’s talk about you. You’re here. You’re kissing me.”
“I told you, I need more.”
“What about the quartet?”
She lifted her chin and met the challenge in his gaze. “I don’t care right now.” She reached for him, shivering as he pulled her closer. “I’m trying to care, but I can’t. Ethan…”