She'd done it! She'd kissed him. And she wasn't stressed or traumatized. He hadn't pounced on her or …
"You can do better than that, Princess," Lan challenged.
"Yeah, you aren't going to make him crazy with that little kiss." Cooper was watching, too, over her shoulder. He'd gotten to his knees behind her. She could feel him almost touching her. What would it be like to have his hands on her hips? Or her breasts, teasing her nipples as she kissed Lan?
Her whole body flushed with heat at the thought.
Alea leaned toward Lan again, determined to make him-and the others-a little crazy. She could do it. She'd survived a damn plane crash. She could survive being touched and touching in return.
Lan's eyes drifted down to her breasts. He liked them. There was no mistaking the way his cock got hard because he was only wearing his boxer briefs and the fire illuminated his thick length. Yeah, she was already getting to him.
Alea brushed her lips against his again. But this time, instead of backing away, she pressed in, allowing her hands to cup his face. She loved the rough feel of his whiskers against her palm as she inhaled his scent, tested the firm softness of his mouth, acquainted herself with her body being so close to his.
This was nice. So nice. She was getting warm and relaxed.
"Use your tongue, Lea." Dane's command guided her from somewhere near the fire.
Her tongue. Heat surged through her belly … and arrowed lower. No denying that she wanted to know how he tasted.
Alea ran her tongue across his bottom lip and felt his whole body shiver as his lips parted. Then she curled her tongue around his shyly and drank in his flavor for a heady second. Oh, she felt lightheaded, but as she eased away, she realized that she had power over him. Dane was right. She wasn't out of control. Quite the opposite.
"Hey, it's my turn," Cooper said. "I want a good-night kiss, too."
"Go on or he'll whine all night long," Lan whispered against her lips.
Good-night kisses. If she started allowing them, would they want them every night? Would they want more? The thought made her shiver.
She turned to Cooper. He held himself just a bit apart, giving her space, the same way Lan had. She moved closer to him and cupped his face, too. His hair was so short, but when she ran her hand across it, she was surprised at how soft it felt. She bumped her nose against his before finding his lips.
As they touched, a little spark sizzled over her lips. As she opened her mouth and his followed suit, their breaths meshed, their tongues tangled. Coop wasn't quite as good at being passive and patient as Lan. He surged in, wrapping a hand around her shoulder, as he tilted his head and went deeper. Alea stiffened for a moment, then relaxed. A big zing followed. He was potent. And she couldn't deny that it was nice to be close to them.
She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth and loved the groan that came from deep in his chest. Then she nipped at him again before pulling away with a teasing grin.
Alea stood up, perfectly satisfied with this little experiment so far. But she had one more man to go. Dane.
Gulping down nerves, she walked to the fire, her feet sinking deliciously into the sand. It was funny how much more aware she was of everything now. The night suddenly wasn't cold, but rasped a nice cool breeze over her skin.
Dane watched her, his gaze warm as she halted beside him. "Is it my turn, baby?"
She nodded, putting a hand on his chest. He was perfectly ripped, every muscle gloriously hard. His face had no give. And somehow, without a word, he demanded that she try her best, give as much as she could. For some reason, she found herself wanting to please him.
"Go ahead." He spread his arms wide, giving her full access.
Alea had a suspicion that he wouldn't give her this much leash often. She'd better enjoy exploring and setting the pace while she could.
Searching up into Dane's blue eyes and finding a gentle understanding under his hunger, she leaned against him and kissed him, not waiting this time. She drew her tongue along his plump bottom lip, and he remained still beneath her, letting her control everything. How far would he allow her to go?
She pressed harder, but his lips stayed closed.
"Open your mouth," she whispered.
He obliged when she kissed him again, giving her access. She hoped she was doing it right. She rubbed her tongue against his, curling and sliding. He played along, but he was largely still beneath her.
Alea stopped and backed away.
"What is it, Princess?" Dane asked.
"I want you to kiss me back."
"I moved with you."