body making the mattress dip.
Pushing her hair back, he nuzzled the sensitive skin beneath her ear. The kiss was barely a whisper, but the sizzle of awareness shot through her, giving her a much-needed burst of courage.
Stay in the moment, Juno. Just stay in the moment.
She reached for his shirt, yanked it free of his trousers with clumsy haste. As he teased her neck with light butterfly kisses her palm explored the hot, muscled flesh, discovering the ridges of his six pack and the thin trail of hair bisecting his belly button. But then his fingers slipped under the straps of her dress, easing the bodice down and exposing the lace at her cleavage. She shuddered, her hands trembling to a halt on his belly.
She didn’t think she could do this.
He moved back. Lifting her fingers, he kissed the knuckles. ‘Okay, enough of that now.’ His voice rasped, the strain clear. ‘You look scared to death. What’s wrong?’
She swallowed, the tiny bit of courage deserting her. Could he see? Could he already tell how useless she was at this?
‘Can we turn the lights off?’ she whispered. She didn’t want him to see her naked. Her breasts were small, her hips narrow and boyish.
He cupped her cheek, a tenderness in his eyes she hadn’t expected. ‘No, we can’t. I haven’t waited two long weeks to make love to you in the dark.’
She opened her mouth to object, but he pressed a finger to her lips.
‘Let’s compromise.’
He left the bed to turn off the main light switch, leaving only the pearly glow from the bedside lamp. Even so, panic consumed her as he returned.
This whole scenario had the potential to be a total disaster. Why hadn’t she thought it through?
She shut her eyes and braced herself, expecting him to continue undressing her. But he took her hand and flattened the palm against the front of his shirt.
‘How about you set the pace?’ he said.
Her eyes flew open. ‘You don’t mind?’ she whispered, pathetically grateful for the unexpected respite.
‘Why would I mind?’ he said, the tilt of his lips full of sexual promise. ‘You’re going to be doing all the work.’
She gave a small smile back, the pressure in her chest releasing a tiny bit. Maybe this wouldn’t be a total disaster.
Her hands trembled as she slipped the small buttons of his shirt out of their buttonholes. With each new glimpse of the tanned, lightly haired torso, she wrestled back a tiny bit of control, another whisper of courage. And slowly but steadily, the well of desire sprang back to life.
He smelled delicious, clean soap and spicy aftershave and the musky scent of man. She opened the sides of his shirt, nudged the starched cotton off broad shoulders. As her courage grew she indulged herself. She investigated the flat brown nipples nestled in the dark curls of hair, heard his muffled grunt as she learned the contours and textures of his heavily muscled chest, the ridged definition of his abdomen. But as the exploration inched lower her fingers slowed and eventually stopped dead on the waistband of his trousers. She couldn’t take her eyes off the bulge, which had got a great deal more prominent.
The breath backed up in her lungs. She’d thought she could handle him, could handle what was going to happen between them. But was she really ready to handle that ?
His hand covered hers. ‘Juno, is this your first time?’
She looked up to find him watching her. Embarrassment scorched her cheeks at the perceptiveness in his gaze. ‘Of course not. I’m twenty-two years old,’ she said, wanting to sound indignant.
‘But you’ve little experience. Am I right?’
Mortification engulfed her. She grappled to pull up the straps of her dress. She had to get away, get out of here, before she made an even bigger mess of things. But as she tried to sit up he grasped her wrist.
‘What’s this now? Where are you off to?’ he asked, sounding both amused and confused.
She tugged on her arm, refusing to look at him.
Pushing her hair back, he nuzzled the sensitive skin beneath her ear. The kiss was barely a whisper, but the sizzle of awareness shot through her, giving her a much-needed burst of courage.
Stay in the moment, Juno. Just stay in the moment.
She reached for his shirt, yanked it free of his trousers with clumsy haste. As he teased her neck with light butterfly kisses her palm explored the hot, muscled flesh, discovering the ridges of his six pack and the thin trail of hair bisecting his belly button. But then his fingers slipped under the straps of her dress, easing the bodice down and exposing the lace at her cleavage. She shuddered, her hands trembling to a halt on his belly.
She didn’t think she could do this.
He moved back. Lifting her fingers, he kissed the knuckles. ‘Okay, enough of that now.’ His voice rasped, the strain clear. ‘You look scared to death. What’s wrong?’
She swallowed, the tiny bit of courage deserting her. Could he see? Could he already tell how useless she was at this?
‘Can we turn the lights off?’ she whispered. She didn’t want him to see her naked. Her breasts were small, her hips narrow and boyish.
He cupped her cheek, a tenderness in his eyes she hadn’t expected. ‘No, we can’t. I haven’t waited two long weeks to make love to you in the dark.’
She opened her mouth to object, but he pressed a finger to her lips.
‘Let’s compromise.’
He left the bed to turn off the main light switch, leaving only the pearly glow from the bedside lamp. Even so, panic consumed her as he returned.
This whole scenario had the potential to be a total disaster. Why hadn’t she thought it through?
She shut her eyes and braced herself, expecting him to continue undressing her. But he took her hand and flattened the palm against the front of his shirt.
‘How about you set the pace?’ he said.
Her eyes flew open. ‘You don’t mind?’ she whispered, pathetically grateful for the unexpected respite.
‘Why would I mind?’ he said, the tilt of his lips full of sexual promise. ‘You’re going to be doing all the work.’
She gave a small smile back, the pressure in her chest releasing a tiny bit. Maybe this wouldn’t be a total disaster.
Her hands trembled as she slipped the small buttons of his shirt out of their buttonholes. With each new glimpse of the tanned, lightly haired torso, she wrestled back a tiny bit of control, another whisper of courage. And slowly but steadily, the well of desire sprang back to life.
He smelled delicious, clean soap and spicy aftershave and the musky scent of man. She opened the sides of his shirt, nudged the starched cotton off broad shoulders. As her courage grew she indulged herself. She investigated the flat brown nipples nestled in the dark curls of hair, heard his muffled grunt as she learned the contours and textures of his heavily muscled chest, the ridged definition of his abdomen. But as the exploration inched lower her fingers slowed and eventually stopped dead on the waistband of his trousers. She couldn’t take her eyes off the bulge, which had got a great deal more prominent.
The breath backed up in her lungs. She’d thought she could handle him, could handle what was going to happen between them. But was she really ready to handle that ?
His hand covered hers. ‘Juno, is this your first time?’
She looked up to find him watching her. Embarrassment scorched her cheeks at the perceptiveness in his gaze. ‘Of course not. I’m twenty-two years old,’ she said, wanting to sound indignant.
‘But you’ve little experience. Am I right?’
Mortification engulfed her. She grappled to pull up the straps of her dress. She had to get away, get out of here, before she made an even bigger mess of things. But as she tried to sit up he grasped her wrist.
‘What’s this now? Where are you off to?’ he asked, sounding both amused and confused.
She tugged on her arm, refusing to look at him.
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