“What’s going on, Julie?” His eyes darkened and he loosened his hold. “You’re acting as if you’re scared of me.”
“Scared? No way!” How could Eric think that? When she was with him, she felt safe and uninhibited. There was no other place she’d rather be than in his arms.
“I’ll be gentle,” he promised. “Nothing like last time.”
Her heart ached when she saw the regret in his eyes. She didn’t want him to hide or temper his responses. She wanted Eric to bare everything to her. “Last time was perfect,” she said as she brushed her lips against his. “It was everything I dreamed about.”
He didn’t return the kiss. “Then why are you hesitating?”
“It’s just that…” She didn’t want to highlight her shortcomings, but she knew she would have to confess her fears to avoid any misunderstandings. “Once my clothes are off, it’s just me. No slinky outfits. No sexy aliases.”
Shock flickered in his eyes. “You think I’m attracted to your aliases?”
“Yes.” It wasn’t easy to say the word. She felt extremely vulnerable and her face grew hot.
He stared into her eyes. She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. Eric cupped her jaw and grazed his thumb over her kiss-swollen lips. “Why would you think that?”
“You didn’t really start to notice me until I used the aliases,” she said in a mumble.
“That’s not true,” he said as he pressed his thumb gently against her bottom lip. “I noticed you the second I walked into that office. But I had promised myself that I wouldn’t make a move on you.”
“And what changed?” she asked. “The aliases, that’s what.”
“No.” He dragged his thumb down on her lip. “You made a move on me. I didn’t expect that.”
“Oh…” She exhaled slowly as she remembered how she had seduced him with her good-girl charms. No extra makeup or change of clothes. She had drawn him close and took the initiative. Within seconds she’d had him right where she wanted him.
“And when you did, you weren’t using an alias. You were a mix of sweet and sexy. Naughty. Nurturing.” His gaze softened as he remembered. “It knocked me off balance.”
“It did?” Julie wanted to hear that. She needed to know that she wasn’t the only one who was caught in this web.
“You were brazen. Daring.” He dipped his thumb into her mouth. She closed her lips around him and sucked. A feral gleam leaped in his eyes. “I want you like that again,” he confessed hoarsely.
“I want it, too,” she admitted as she let go of his thumb. “But this time, I want you naked.”
“Then get me naked,” he said with a sly grin.
Julie leaned into Eric and placed a kiss on his throat as she let her hands roam his chest. She explored every line and angle as he kicked off his shoes. When she reached his jeans hanging low on his hips, she was so eager for him that she wanted to yank them off. Instead, she carefully dragged the zipper over his erection.
Eric’s hands bumped against hers. His movements were rushed and clumsy as he unzipped his jeans, and pushed the faded denim and his boxer briefs down his legs.
“Patience,” she replied as she brushed her lips against his chest, flicking her tongue against his nipple.
She caressed the compact muscles of his ass before trailing her hands along his pelvic bone. She slowly wrapped her fingers over his hard cock.
Eric slipped his hands into her hair and tilted her head up to meet his kiss.
As she caressed him with one hand, his fingers clenched her hair as a groan tore from his throat. He gave a warning bite to her lower lip until she loosened her hold. She stroked him until he couldn’t get enough of this pleasure, this torture.