Pursued(63)

“You okay, baby?” Merrick asked, obviously sensing her frustration.

“Yes…no.” Elise let out a little moan of dissatisfaction. “I just…I can’t quite…this isn’t enough somehow.”

Merrick’s answer was immediate and mirrored her own thoughts. “You need to come.”

“How…how could you possibly know that?” Elise demanded, feeling her cheeks get hot. “How—?”

“Told you, I can smell it on you. You’re hot but you’ve hit a wall. You need to go up and over—let yourself soar.”

“All right, fine. But how?” Elise demanded, feeling frustrated.

“Easy. Touch yourself.” He sounded so matter of fact about it, as though it was no big deal. But it was a big deal to Elise—a very big deal. Letting the sexual part of herself out enough to actively pursue pleasure was frightening and foreign. She didn’t know if she could do it.

Elise bit her lip. “I…I’ve never…”

“Never?” he demanded, frowning.

“If I have, I don’t remember it,” Elise said defensively. Drawing away from him, she moved back to her side of the bed and crossed her legs tightly. “I just…I try not to think about things like this. So I never…never need to, you know…do that.”

Merrick’s response surprised her. “Let me help you.”

“Help me what?”

“Come.” He looked up at her and now she was certain he could see her through the black lace of the blindfold. “Let me help you come.”

“How…how would you do that?” Elise could feel her breath coming short and she squeezed her thighs tightly together, as though to hide her need.

“Remember what I told you on our ride back to the Mother Ship? That I wanted to taste you?” His deep voice was filled with desire—desire for her, Elise realized. Desire to spread her legs and taste and suck and lick her naked pussy. The idea was both titillating and terrifying—and completely too much.

“I…oh. Oh, no!” She pressed her thighs together even tighter. “I couldn’t let you do that. I just couldn’t.”

“All right then.” He sighed. “I figured that might be going too far but I had to ask. You smell so damn good I couldn’t help it.”

“I…oh. Well, thank you.” She nodded uncertainly. “Look, maybe we should just forget it. I’m feeling much better now and—”

“Is the hunger gone? Completely gone?” Merrick asked.

Elise opened her mouth to lie…and then remembered he could feel what she felt. “No,” she admitted at last in a small voice. “No…but it is much better.”

“And it’s gonna get much fucking worse again if you don’t let yourself come,” Merrick said firmly. “Look, Sylvan said it might get sexual so this shouldn’t be a surprise. If you don’t want my help, you’re going to have to manage it yourself—I'm betting it’s the only way to back the hunger off for any length of time.”

“Fine.” Elise lifted her chin. “I…I’ll manage.” After all, how hard could it be?

Scooting backwards so that she was sitting with her back against the headboard, she got settled and took a deep breath. She gave another quick look at Merrick, wondering if he was watching her beneath the blindfold. He just lay there quietly, saying nothing, obviously waiting for her to work it out herself. Which I am perfectly capable of doing, Elise told herself sternly.

Casting another quick, furtive glance at Merrick, she slipped one hand between her thighs and began to rub her sensitive mound. At first it seemed things were going well but then Elise began to feel nervous. Had she ever done this before? She had told Merrick she hadn’t, but now she wondered. This all seemed familiar. Familiar and dangerous. But then, anything sexual felt dangerous and always had. Ever since…

She put it in the vault quickly and tried to continue but now she seemed to have lost momentum. The sensations were good but not quite right somehow. It was almost as though her pussy was too sensitive. As though she needed to come so badly her most delicate parts had become too swollen and needful to help her get where she needed to go. Damn it! Clenching her jaw, she made a little noise of frustration.

“You’re doing it wrong.” Merrick’s deep voice startled her. He’d been quiet for so long and Elise had been concentrating so intently, she’d almost forgotten he was there.

“You’re watching me,” she accused him.

“I’m listening to you. You’ve got no rhythm.”