To Tempt A Tiger(51)

“It’s beautiful,” he said, before kissing her right on the tattoo.

She shivered and her muscles clenched.

“Why this, and why here?”

“Because of Zoe. I got it right after I found out I was pregnant, before I even told you. It was going to be my second surprise.”

He looked up at her as he stroked his thumb back and forth over the heart. “It’s perfect. I’m very sorry it’s taken me four years to see it.”

“I can think of a few things you might consider doing while you’re down there that could make up for that.”

He grinned, a deliciously wicked expression that set her pulse pounding. Then he turned his full attention back to the little tattoo. “You still have the other two? I’ve been wondering all week.”

“You’ll have to see for yourself.”

“Can’t wait.” He flicked out his tongue, a quick lick along her inner thigh, then pushed her legs farther apart and settled between them.

She had to bite her hand to keep from screaming when he settled his mouth over her heat and licked into her. Her clit was so sensitive, so ready for his tongue, she was trembling and close to orgasm within moments. She panted and groaned and tried desperately to hold back so she could enjoy the feel of his mouth on her for just a little longer, but her body worked against her. She tightened and tightened and then broke apart with a rush of pleasure.

He continued to lick her gently, but she was so sensitive after the orgasm, her body jerked and twitched with sensations that were a little too close to pain.

She gripped his hair and sat up, forcing his mouth away from her. “Too much,” she said. “Need just a little time to recover.”

He kissed the inside of her knee and said, “Fair enough. I have a lot of other places I want to explore.” He brushed his hand over her curls. “I’ll just make my way back here.”

She couldn’t bring herself to argue.

“Now, let’s see about those other tattoos.”

He flipped her onto her stomach so fast she gasped, then giggled. She closed her eyes to savor the feel of his big hands stroking down her back to her bottom. He traced a finger over the sugar skull she had on her left ass cheek and hip, and she trembled in response. God, everything he did sent her close to the edge. He kissed the intricate artwork, then nibbled his way up, pausing at her lower back to lick the little dimple she had above her bottom, before dragging his lips along her spine. She arched, her hips lifting of their own accord.

With one hand still on her ass, he nuzzled her second tattoo on the back of her shoulder. This one was a small, single-color Celtic cross.

“I remember the first time I saw this one,” he murmured against her shoulder. “On the ground watching you start your climb. I kept getting distracted from my gear checks, trying to catch sight of this whenever your tank top moved enough to show it. My belayer actually had to punch me in the arm to get my attention. I was so distracted by you, I thought for sure I’d miss a hand or toe hold and drop.” He licked her shoulder blade. “The fall would have been worth it.”

“You could have just asked for a better view,” she said, lifting up to look at him over her shoulder. “I was hoping to give you a closer look at both my tattoos.”

“Then I really would have fallen to my death.”

“I would have waited until we finished the climb.”

“Yeah, but if you’d offered before we started, I wouldn’t have.”

She laughed quietly, then sighed and moved her head to one side as he nibbled the skin between her shoulder and neck. He made her feel so desirable, so feminine. How had she managed without this for four years?

He kissed his way to the other side of her neck, pausing at her nape to nuzzle a spot that was particularly sensitive. She shivered. When he started kissing down her spine again, she had to bury her face in the pillow to keep from groaning too loudly, and when his lips moved across her butt, she bit the pillow, hard.

“I love how sensitive you are,” he murmured.

His breath was hot against her skin.

He traced the elaborate, multi-colored design on her butt again, his fingers running over the flower vines that twined round the skull and across her hip. “How’d you manage to get this without having an orgasm in the tattoo parlor?”

Her laugh turned into a muffled gasp. “The pain offset the pleasure,” she said when she could manage to speak. “A lot.”

“Probably for the best. I’d hate to be jealous of a random, anonymous tattoo artist.”

“Not anonymous.”

“Oh?”

The growl in his voice made her grin as she looked over her shoulder at him again, her hair dropping across one eye. “She’s the only one I ever use. Very skilled.” She pushed the mass of her hair out of the way so she could see his expression better.