snapshot—of her. Mystery dragged in a steadying breath and thought the situation through once more. “I don’t think so.”
“Good. Now take off everything but your panties.”
Mystery didn’t make a striptease out of his command. After all, she wanted to make love with him, not give him a lap dance.
After she kicked off her shoes, she found unbuttoning her pants, lowering the zipper, and peeling the denim down her hips a little unnerving. He watched her with that intent, almost unblinking stare, as if nothing in the world could break his concentration. After she’d overheard a woman in a pub just last week complain that a guy she’d picked up had actually been texting his boss while pumping inside her, Mystery found Axel’s single-mindedness so sexy.
The jeans fell past her knees, and she stepped out of them. She trembled all over, and he could have no illusions that she was cold, not with these warm temperatures. She felt almost naked, and his stare raked every inch of her. Had he noticed that her panties were sheer? That she’d waxed bare?
He scooted to the edge of the sofa and leaned forward, his face less than a foot from her pussy. “Come closer.”
Her knees nearly knocked together as she inched toward him. He kept gesturing her in his direction, and she shuffled nearer until he curled a hand around her thigh to stay her.
Axel didn’t speak right away. He hadn’t done anything more than kiss and look at her, so his thumb sliding across the thin, transparent fabric over the pad of her pussy made her gasp.
“Wet,” he remarked. “I like that.”
He lifted his thumb, and since he’d pressed the panties to her flesh, Mystery couldn’t miss the way the soaking cloth clung. “I am.”
“My doing?”
“Totally.”
His smile widened. “I like that even more.”
And when he raised his thumb to his mouth and licked it, she felt absolutely faint. Oh, holy crap . . .
“Sweet. I’ll enjoy spreading you wide and getting my mouth on your cunt. Will you trust me enough to spread your pretty legs and tie them down so you’re nice and helpless?”
His words ripped an almost visceral arousal through her. For a shocking moment, she couldn’t speak. She wanted this man so much. In the past, sex had been mostly about curiosity or combating boredom or because she hoped she’d find someone who flipped her switch more than Axel.
Now she knew better.
“I-Is that what you want?”
He gripped her hips and tugged her closer, then lapped his tongue directly against the filmy mesh shielding her pussy.
“To start. Will you be a good girl and let me?”
* * *
“YES.” She couldn’t seem to say the word fast enough.
Axel didn’t bother to hold in his satisfied smile. He had more than a few reasons to be suspicious of not-Elise. She’d singled him out in a bar that obviously wasn’t her type of joint with seduction on her mind. He didn’t worry for his safety, his “fortune,” or any blackmail opportunities. The vibe she gave off was more eager than nefarious.
Originally, he’d taken her up on her offer because she was a beautiful woman with all the right curves who looked in desperate need of corrupting. And she’d be an interesting riddle to solve. Axel knew himself too well. If he’d let her go without exploring who she was and what she wanted, it would bug him to no end.
Time to see what the hell she was up to. Then he’d find out what she knew about submission and exactly how much of herself she was willing to give him.
“Turn around.” He motioned with his fingers.
She complied right away, stopping after a one-eighty turn and presenting him a view of her backside, covered only by the tiniest triangle of fabric at the small of her back. If her ass wasn’t the most luscious he’d ever seen in his entire fucking life, it was in the top two. High, firm, round . . . Lust dropped another dose of desire into his already saturated system. The dainty bow perched on each hip only accentuated her tiny waist above the womanly flare of her hips. He already knew her natural breasts would be damn close to a perfect handful—a shock since he was a man with big hands.
The woman flipped a nervous stare over her shoulder. “Axel?”
“You’re beautiful,” he assured her. He wanted her off-base enough to spill the truth about her name and why she’d sought him, but he didn’t want her self-conscious. “Back that pretty ass up and bring it to me.”
Once he touched and kissed it . . . Hell, once he paddled and fucked it, he’d be a happy man.
She shuffled back to him, and he wanted to drown in that untapped sexuality she dripped. Her body looked ripe for satisfaction but everything about her told him she hadn’t really ever found it. For some reason, he loved the thought of being the man to give her all she craved.
But he also couldn’t shut off the analytical side of his brain. Why did she look familiar? She was in her mid-twenties, give or take a couple of years. Her British accent was almost flawless, but every once in a while, she’d slip up with an ah sound in place of an o vowel—a distinctly American quality. Her skin was unlike a fair English rose’s. The olive of her complexion suited the pretty oval of her face and the smooth satin covering her body, all the way down to that perfect ass. She wore too much makeup, and he’d like it gone so he could really see her. And he’d bet her hair wasn’t any shade of red, but something darker, glossier. Brunettes turned him on, always had.
Most every guy he knew would ask him why the fuck he bothered questioning a beauty so willing to go to bed with him. Axel didn’t like unanswered questions. His gut told him to keep digging.
Finally, the woman reached him, and he dragged his knuckles across the firm globes of her backside. Arousal gripped his chest, tightened his groin. He cupped her butt in his hands, thumbs brushing from the insides of her thighs and up her soft crease.
Maybe he should fuck her now and ask questions later.
She jumped, seemingly rattled by his soft caress.
“Easy . . .” he murmured, then leaned in and placed his lips on her right cheek, nipping it lightly with his teeth.
Her little gasp went straight to his dick. He did it again. This time, he watched her squirm, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, as if trying to create a little friction in her pussy to ease the ache.
Axel gripped her hips. “Don’t be a bad girl. Stand still. Spread your legs.”
She gave him a whimper that told him she clearly understood giving in meant the end of any possible relief, but she still did it.
With his hands on her hips, well . . . that touchable ass just begged for his fingers and palms. How could he turn that down?
Axel plucked at the bow over her left hip. The barely there wisp of black cloth fell, revealing one hip completely, along with more of her succulent butt. As he caressed the skin he’d just exposed with one hand, he tugged on the bow over her other hip. Instantly, her thong fell into a heap between her feet. His first view of her bare ass made him suck in an oh-holy-fuck breath.
Rounder than he’d originally thought, her cheeks protruded, juicy and ripe and ready for his plucking. No doubt about it, he intended to bend her over the nearest piece of furniture and have his wicked way with her before the night ended.
He adjusted his stiff cock in his jeans. His hormones seemed to be having a temper tantrum that he wasn’t balls deep inside her yet. He’d fix that right quick—as soon as they got a few other things out of the way.
“Face me,” he demanded.
She turned and looked down at him. Her blue eyes seemed almost too brilliant . . . not quite real. Another glance at her face told him that red definitely wasn’t her natural color. When the color of the drapes had been altered, he could usually tell what nature had given her by checking the carpet. Axel stared at her bare pussy for the first time. Plump, a deep flushed rosy that pouted for his attention, like the side of a ripe peach. He could see every pore and every goose bump because she’d removed all hint o
f the carpet here. And she hadn’t simply shaved. No stubble to impede the flow of his tongue or reveal the coloring nature had given her. But Axel didn’t worry. The night was young. He’d figure her out.
He dragged a finger from her navel down to her cleft. Her entire body jolted. She shuddered. Moisture coated his finger. Her clit was already hard.
Why would a woman as gorgeous as this one be so hungry for sex? Certainly, she could get any heterosexual man to fuck her just by crooking her finger. For that matter, he’d found over the years that women tended to be more responsive with men they knew, trusted, cared for. Was that why she hadn’t found anyone to satisfy her? But then, why choose him? She didn’t know the first fucking thing about him beyond his name and address. Hell, he’d had more intimate verbal exchanges with his insurance agent, and yet not-Elise seemed incredibly eager to slide between his sheets. She just got more intriguing, and Axel wanted to solve her. But with every second, his hunger rose. He definitely had to fuck her and relieve some of this crazy tension she’d built inside him first.
He stood, steadying her against him with a firm grip on her hips. He looked down at her, and that pleading look in her eyes went straight to his cock. He could imagine her on her knees, at his mercy, begging him with that stare. Everything about her revved his libido, but that expression . . . Shit.
“Let’s go,” he demanded.
“To your bedroom?” She sounded breathless.
“Yeah.”
He took her hand and led her out of the TV room, down the hall, stopping only when they’d reached the side of his sleigh bed. He hadn’t made it this morning, and his beige sheets were tangled up with his chocolate comforter. Not-Elise didn’t seem to give a shit about his décor or his lack of tidiness.
Instead, she inched in front of him and fingered the hem of his T-shirt, her fingertips brushing his abdomen. God, she really did have some of the most delectable breasts. He’d been so busy looking at her ass that he’d missed out on something special. Wow.
“Please,” she asked softly, tugging up on his tee.
At once, he had two thoughts. First, she’d learned already that demanding would get her nowhere with him. And second, that if he didn’t get naked with her soon, he’d fucking explode.
Axel grabbed the hem and yanked the black cotton from his chest, tossing it across the room. He took hold of her wrists and fastened them onto his pecs. He wanted her touch, needed to feel her skin, her desire.
The beauty curled her fingers into his flesh, urgent, seeking. Her mouth fell open. Her face filled with something like wonder, and Axel couldn’t figure out for the life of him why something so basic should seem so new to her. No freaking way she could be a virgin.
He tucked a finger under her chin. “I need you to be honest with me. You’ll do that, yes?”
She flinched, then tried to cover it with a faint smile. “I’ll do my best.”
Not a perfect reply, and certainly not the one he wanted, but she didn’t understand the rules—yet.
“Good. That’s all I ask. Tell me the last time you had sex.”
She recoiled. “Why?”
“You look pretty damn nervous.”
“It’s been a few months,” she admitted. “And it’s always nerve-racking getting naked for a new lover.”
Her answer made sense, but Axel still wanted to press her for details. She insisted she had sexual experience, but her jumpiness seemed like more than typical nerves. All these incongruities just kept mounting in his head . . .
He tried being brutally honest with her. “I seriously don’t think I’ve ever met a woman who intrigued me as much as you. And you’ve got the most beautiful body I’ve ever touched.”
She wrinkled her nose in disagreement.
“You do,” he insisted. “And the most kissable mouth. Give it to me.”
Without hesitation, she tilted her face up to him, her expression wide open in offering. Her desire to give to him was absolute, so pure it reached inside his chest and tugged.
He’d spent so long helping Sweet Pea, Club Dominion’s submissive receptionist, scaling the walls of her defenses so he could tear them down. No matter how much she wanted to submit her all so she’d be ready for the day she met her One, he always hit her hard emotional limit well before her physical one. It frustrated him. It frustrated her. He often wondered if he couldn’t reach her because they were friends—lovers on those rare occasions she needed to be held—but they weren’t in love.
Never had Sweet Pea offered him the sort of complete, unvarnished sincerity this woman presented right now. She might be lying to him about her name and why she’d come to his favorite beer dive. But her expression gave him a glimpse inside the gates to her soul.
Why?
Her thumb flicked across his nipple as she explored every bulge and ridge of his torso. She caressed his shoulders, skated her fingertips down his ribs, bisected his abs with one nail, and flirted dangerously close with the screaming head of his cock, trying to make its way out of his jeans.
His every muscle went taut as she continued with her casual touches. The innocent way she attempted to learn his body, as if being with him was a wonder and the moment they shared felt reverent to her. He’d agreed to a one-night stand . . . but she wasn’t treating it as a throwaway at all. On some level being with this woman whose name he didn’t actually know felt important, which made no sense at all.
He grabbed her wrist before desire overwhelmed his better sense and he threw her onto the bed and fucked her senseless. They’d get there soon; he’d make sure of it.
Axel lifted her hand to his neck. As if she’d read his mind, she curled her slender fingers around him, caressed her way over his shoulder and eased closer, that lush mouth falling just under his. She parted her rosy lips, and her lids slid shut. At once, she managed to look both eager and beautiful. When she rose up on her tiptoes, his patience ended.
Gripping her shoulders, Axel swooped down and claimed her mouth. He took more than a brush of lips, wouldn’t be satisfied with a simple caress. No, he lifted one hand to cup her jaw and apply just enough pressure to force her mouth open for him. He delved deep, fascinated by her taste—complex and addicting. Just being this near her made his head swim, his blood tingle. Some instinct kicked him in the gut, telling him this moment was significant and he’d better drink it in.
He could analyze that to death and probably would—later. Right now, the most fascinating, willing woman stood naked in his bedroom, melting against him. Jesus, she had the softest skin, too. Her proposition had been one hell of a turn-on, but the minute he’d touched her, she’d downshifted and put herself in his hands.
As he slanted his mouth the other way for deeper penetration, her flavor assailed him again. She groaned into their kiss as his tongue tangled with hers. At the sound, his knees went the way of his head—suddenly unstable, floating, not quite functioning.
He groped for the nearby bed, then toppled her onto it. He didn’t bother lying beside her. Fuck that. He settled her against him, then rolled her directly under him, spreading her legs with a shove of his thighs. She didn’t give him a single iota of fight.
The few seconds his lips had been away from hers seemed like a torturous decade, and he sent his mouth crashing onto hers again. She yielded in welcome, which both soothed and baited the hungry beast inside him. What was it about this woman that lit his body on fire? That had his libido doing a happy dance?
As if he could only find the answer inside her, Axel thrust his way into her mouth again and gripped her hips, arching the length of his weeping cock against her bare pussy, cursing the denim keeping them apart. Some distant part of his brain calculated how long it would take him to rip open his fly and find a condom. Before he could compute the answer, his beauty arched into him, pressing her hard nipples to his chest, rubbing her sex against his own as if desperate for relief. And the freaking little whimpers she made in her throat short-circuited his brain. His restraint died a qu
ick death.
“If you don’t want me inside you in the next sixty seconds, say so now.”
She panted, her eyes wide and clinging. “Can you make it less than thirty?”
Oh, fuck. “I’ll go for ten.”
He stumbled to his feet, shoving his jeans and underwear off, then kicking them aside. In his nightstand, he fumbled for a condom and wondered why the hell he was as excited as a teenager with his first girlfriend. The urgency ripped fire through him like an aphrodisiac, sizzling his skin.
Axel had no doubt this woman was about to rock his world—and he wasn’t even sure why.
He tore open the foil and rolled the condom down his length. His gorgeous supplicant wasn’t helping when she sat up and ran her fingers down his abdomen, his thighs, then his buttocks as she leaned in, kissing and nipping at his hips, his thighs. When she laved his balls with a low little moan, he fucking lost his mind.
Axel pushed her to her back and spread her legs. “You want to play dirty?”