nbsp; “Holy shit,” she muttered, eliciting a dark laugh from him before he licked around the throbbing peak.
“I have a question,” she managed to ask.
He stroked her cheek with one hand, his touch so gentle and caring he took her breath away. “Ask away.”
“Do I?”
“Do you what?” Ian asked, surprised by the hesitancy in her tone.
She swallowed, the muscles in her neck moving up and down, making Ian want to growl and mark her there. Something about this woman called to his deepest protective instincts. For all her bravado and independence, there was an innocence inside her that provided a counterbalance to his more jaded personality. From the minute he’d mentioned her giving him control in bed, her blue eyes had dilated and darkened with a need that matched the desire pulsing inside his veins. He’d known she would be the perfect counterpoint to his subtle need for control.
Looking at her now, dark curls wild around her face and shoulders, lips damp from his kisses, eyes wide with wonder, instinct told him he was right.
“You can ask me anything,” he assured her.
“Do I taste as good as you thought?”
That one question nearly brought him to his knees. He swept her into his arms and headed for the bedroom, depositing her squarely in the middle of his king-sized, four-poster bed.
He came down over her, his arms bracketing her surprised face, and pressed a hard, hot kiss over her lips. “You.” He kissed her again, more thoroughly this time. “Taste.” He delved deeper, sweeping his tongue throughout her luscious, hot mouth. “So fucking good.”
She moaned and wrapped herself around his neck, holding him close. And though normally he’d push back and take charge, her arms around him felt too good to worry about maintaining control and distance. He kissed her back, all the while maneuvering his fingers beneath her skirt and panties, pushing the garments down her hips and thighs, until she edged away so she could get rid of the damned annoying barrier herself.
Then he was facing heaven. Her almost-bare pussy, damp with her arousal, beckoned. He leaned in closer, breathing in her heated, feminine scent.
His cock hardened, and desire raced through him. He’d never been so impacted by a woman before.
“I need—” He bit back whatever he’d been about to say, unwilling to lay his feelings out for anyone.
Her lips turned upward, her expression one of pure acceptance.
She arched her lower body, her meaning clear. “Then take.”
She humbled him, and he allowed himself the luxury of stroking the delicate folds with his fingertips before lowering his head for his first taste. One long, leisurely lap of his tongue around her swollen flesh. And with one stroke, he couldn’t stop himself from taking more. With deliberate precision, he licked and soothed her all over. From her bare outer lips to her inner ones coated with desire, he made it his mission to tease and arouse.
She moaned and shifted beneath him until he held her down with his hands and continued to take her higher. He thrust one finger into her wet sheath and curled it forward.
“Ian!” She groaned his name at the same time he pressed hard against just the right spot to send her into ecstasy.
Her body trembled, and he continued the assault, pressing his tongue down hard on her clit. She cried out, her orgasm sweeping through her. She arched into it, rolling her hips against his mouth as she came.
His cock throbbed against his suit, the constriction of his clothing driving him insane. Especially since she didn’t hold back the sounds of her pleasure as he brought her over the edge—and kept her there as long as possible, continuing to lick and caress her as she settled back down.
He released his grip and raised his head. A look down told him his thumbs had left dark imprints on her pale thighs, and damned if a part of him didn’t take pride in the knowledge that he’d marked her.
He rose and stood at the side of the bed, making quick work of his tie, tossing it onto the mattress along with a condom he took from the nightstand drawer. His jacket and shirt hit the floor next, followed by his pants and boxer briefs. He gripped his erection, pumping his cock, wondering how the hell he’d ever take her slowly. He breathed in slowly, controlling a need for this woman that ran so deep he feared it might never go away.
No way in hell could he let her know it though. He might want to slide into her, watch her eyes glaze over with desire, and make long, slow love to her while she screamed his name, her fingertips scratching his back, her arms holding him tight. But he wouldn’t do it. Couldn’t. Not when he knew the cost of that kind of trust.
He eyed the tie on the bed, knowing what he intended to do and determined that she’d enjoy every minute. And so would he.
* * *
From her position on the bed, Riley took in Ian’s oh-so-fine masculine form and let out a breathy sigh, not caring if her approval went to his head. He’d just given her the best orgasm of her life and her first with a guy who took his time to make sure she got what she needed before worrying about himself. That alone would make him a keeper, at least in her eyes, but she knew better than to put any stock in those kinds of hopes and dreams.
Great sex with Ian? That she wanted more of.
He stood at the side of the bed watching, eyes dilated with need. For her. He gripped his solid erection and slid his hand up and down, pumping himself from base to head, as if getting ready.