“I’m ready.” She took a step toward her and braced herself. “Go ahead.”
One corner of his mouth twitched. “You don’t have to sound so grim about it, Olivia. I promise to be gentle.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she muttered.
“Afraid you’ll like it?” He was already rubbing some new kind of lotion or soap between his palms as he moved toward her. Liv braced herself, waiting for him to go directly for her breasts, or maybe stab a hand between her legs as Mitch would have done. Her ex had believed in going for the gusto and most of the other guys she’d been with had had the same philosophy. She had no reason to expect that Baird would be any different.
Except he was.
“Here,” he murmured, turning her around so that her back was to him. Then he was massaging the faintly sweet-smelling lotion-soap into her shoulders, using firm, strong strokes that stripped away the tension gathered in her muscles and pulled an appreciative moan from her lips.
“That’s right, Lilenta,” he whispered in her ear as he continued to knead her shoulders and upper arms. “Just let it all go and relax.”
Liv found she couldn’t help doing just that. So far Baird was restricting himself to her arms, shoulders, and back and she could feel the tensions melting out of her with each warm, firm move of his big hands. And, though he still hadn’t touched her in a sexual way, she could feel her nipples getting hard at his gentle, intimate touch. “God, you really know how to seduce a girl,” she murmured as he stroked beneath the surface of the water, including her lower back in his ministrations.
She heard his low, rumbling laugh behind her. “Doin’ my best, Lilenta. Do you like the fragrance I picked out for you?”
“It’s very nice,” Liv admitted as his hands slid over the curves of her hips. “Not very strong though.”
“It’s not supposed to be. It’s to enhance your natural scent, not cover it up,” Baird explained. His hands stopped their movement and were still on her waist. “Are you ready for me to wash your front now?”
Liv took a deep breath. She knew what he was asking—the gentle massaging wash he’d been giving her was about to turn sexual and he wanted to know if she could handle it. It’s all right, she told herself nervously. He promised not to bond me to him no matter what I said or did. I’ll be okay. “Yes,” she whispered deciding there was no point in putting it off. “Yes, I…I’m ready.”
Baird got some more of the sweet-smelling lotion on his hands and then he was right up behind her, even closer than before. Liv felt something hot and hard brush against the back of her thigh and jumped in surprise.
“Sorry,” Baird murmured in her ear as he began to wash the top part of her chest. “Can’t help it. You affect me.”
You affect me too, she almost said but bit the words back at the last moment. Just because she was surrendering physically didn’t mean she had to surrender emotionally as well. In fact, she would do well to remember that no matter what he had promised, she was still doing this against her will. If it wasn’t for the stupid contract she’d signed…
But any thought of holding out on him, emotionally if not physically, was driven out of her head when he cupped her breasts. Liv had to bite back a moan as he caressed her flesh, kneading gently and then plucking at her already hard nipples. Baird growled approvingly in her ear when she arched her back, thrusting her chest out, giving him better access. And then his hands were traveling lower.
Liv moaned breathlessly as he massaged her inner thighs before cupping the tender vee of her sex. “You’re hot, Lilenta,” he murmured in her ear. “Even under the water I can feel it. Do you like my hands on you here?”
“You…you know I do,” Liv gasped, unable to lie. God, was he trying to drive her crazy?
“I’m going to open you now,” he told her in that soft, growling voice. “Going to wash you inside, Olivia. Inside your pussy. Are you ready for that?”
“I…I think so.”
“Good,” he said and then his long fingers were parting her pussy lips, opening her to let the heated water of the pool rush over her unprotected sex. Liv gasped and bucked back against him as he slid his fingers over her sensitive flesh, washing her, touching her, making her his.
God, too much…too good… She was panting now, so hot for him she could barely breathe and the warm water of the pool suddenly seemed almost suffocating. With each breath she drew in his scent—that hot masculine spice that made her dizzy with need. “Baird, please!” she moaned, wondering if he could feel how hot and wet she was, even under the water.