As she slowly drew her hands out and placed them at her sides, he felt a staggering pleasure out of all proportion to the simple event. Perhaps the California-girl wholesomeness pouring off Nicole stoked something untapped inside him or maybe her cheeky defiance offered an even rarer challenge. Or maybe he just needed to get laid. Regardless of the reasons, at the moment she was compliant and his for the taking. “Roll over and spread your legs.”
After a small, defensive pause that didn’t surprise him, she did what he asked. “Thank you.” His chin rose. “You look delicious.”
“You do too. The waves are moving.” Her smile was warm and alive. “A lot.”
“He’s definitely on board.” His amber gaze glittered for a moment, wicked and edgy, then he slowly inhaled, reminding himself that this didn’t have to be complicated. So she pushed all his buttons. Chill. A rush is a rush. “We’re going to have to make room for my ink.” And he arranged her legs to his satisfaction—knees drawn up and apart. “You’re being very dutiful.” He ran his palms up her smooth inner thighs, slid his thumbs up her slick, swollen cleft, and smiled as she shivered. “You must want something.”
At the soft mockery in his voice, her gaze came up and met his. “I want the same thing you want.” He was standing beside the bed, his prize dick at full stretch, twitching gently against his flat stomach. “Come closer.”
“Not yet.” He picked up a wet washcloth he’d carried in. “Open yourself for me,” he instructed. “We’ll start with your clit.”
She smiled, feeling less defenseless with the evidence of his arousal pulsing in time to his heartbeat. “I need a more polite tone of voice.”
“I know what you need, and it’s not that.” He lifted his brows. “So—anytime.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t be rude.”
He laughed softly. “Jesus, are we having fucking tea?”
“What if I resist? I could. Until you’re nicer.”
He closed his eyes for a second. “That’s not going to happen—me getting nicer. If your other bed partners let you get away with this bullshit that’s their problem. I’m not the altruistic type. So—I repeat… anytime.”
She breathed out her displeasure. “Give me the damned washcloth. I’ll do it myself.”
“If I wanted you to do it yourself, I would have said so. Now show me your sticky clit. That’s a fucking order.”
She felt the blood in her face rise. “This is preposterous,” she muttered, dropping her legs and rolling away.
With blurring speed his fingers closed on her shoulder and, flipping her over, he shoved her back on the bed and swept his hand downward over her breasts and rib cage until his palm came to rest firmly on her stomach. “What’s preposterous is your constant defiance,” he said, meeting the fury in her gaze with mild annoyance. “What the hell? You want to come, I want to come. I don’t see the problem.”
“Let me go!”
He splayed his fingers wider, exerted more pressure, and angled his head as if trying to decide if this was just a game. “You like this don’t you? It’s turning you on.”
She looked up to his face, her brows drawn in anger, but her skin felt hot, her heart was pumping madly in her chest and it took her a few seconds to reply. “No.”
“You don’t mean that,” he said. “Even if you think you do,” he added softly. “So here’s me playing God. And you playing the game my way. Show me your clit or I’ll tie you up, clean you up, then see that you don’t come for thirty days. I’ll have sex with you but I’ll be the only one who climaxes. Clear?”
She was speechless for a moment, confused, rebellious—oh fuck—stunned by tiny, tingling spasms pulsing through her body in embarrassing arousal.
“You don’t have a choice,” he murmured, helping her out, giving her leave to accept the inevitable, not mentioning the telltale carnal flush rising up her throat.
Aware of her limited options, his smile promising he’d make even submission worthwhile, she shut her eyes and silently complied, reaching down to touch her pink folds, sliding her index and middle fingers in slightly deeper, opening her slick flesh enough to expose her clit, mortified to feel it so engorged that there was no question she was interested in whatever he considered worthwhile. At what price?—her mutinous voice of reason snorted. Suddenly overcome by panic, not sure she could deal with Rafe’s total autonomy, she forced aside the impetuous, gimme, gimme fever gripping her senses, opened her eyes, and stared at him stonily. “Don’t.”