Megan crinkled her eyebrows, momentarily confused. His steamy gaze seemed to suggest it wasn’t a casual question.
“Do you want me to touch you…give you some relief?” he asked quietly when he noticed her bewilderment.
Her eyes widened. She was struck mute, but she managed a nod.
He lay down on his side next to her and brought her into his arms.
His kiss scorched her.
* * * *
Desire had built in him on and off during the day, only to spring up instantly and powerfully at Megan’s honesty. He’d keep his promise to himself to refrain from intercourse until she was confident of what she wanted, but surely it wouldn’t hurt to give her relief? If she was experiencing even a fraction of his need, it would be cruel not to grant her that, at least.
He held her and made love to her mouth for long, languorous minutes, stroking the fire within her higher and higher. It was the sweetest kind of torture to go slow with her, to be so deliberate and careful. He caressed her neck, back, and hips, exploring her curves, mapping out her pleasing contours.
“You fit just right in my palm,” he murmured next to her well-kissed lips as he molded one of her bottom cheeks to his palm. He plucked at her lower lip, then spread small kisses over her cheeks, nose, and eyelids.
Megan was exploring his body as eagerly as he was exploring hers, making it harder and harder to keep himself on a leash. She spread her hands over his ribcage and discovered him inch by inch. She reached under his T-shirt. He groaned when she caressed bare skin. Her sensitive fingers made an eager study of him, making him hurt in the best sort of way. She smoothed her forefinger down the thin trail of hair that ran over his belly and followed it beneath the waist of his low-riding jeans. Christian paused in what he was doing, on the knife’s edge of anticipation, when Megan’s exquisite fingers whisked less than half an inch away from his erection.
“You’re playing with fire,” he warned.
“Isn’t that good?”
“No. It’s tremendous. But I’m sort of struggling for control here,” he admitted gruffly. “I love it when you touch me. I give you an unrestricted license to do it whenever the mood strikes you in the future. But right now, for the next few minutes, just let me love you, okay?”
“All right.”
He clenched his teeth in agony at the sensation of her pulling her fingers out of the waistband of his jeans. He saw the trust in her beautiful eyes. Never much of one to pray, he suddenly beseeched a higher power for the strength to be deserving of what he saw in her gaze.
He worked her top over her breasts. Megan helped him by leaning forward and shrugging out of it. He stared down at her in wonder and longing, taking a moment to relish how her firm breasts felt encased in smooth silk before he reached behind her and unsnapped her bra with a flick of his fingers. He unhooked the straps of the bra from her arms before he tossed away the flimsy lingerie. His hand stroked the delicate skin along her side as he inspected her with his eyes. His nostrils flared when he saw her delicate pink nipples tighten. Megan moved restlessly against him.
Christian glanced up at her. “Are you embarrassed?”
Megan shook her head.
“Then what’s wrong?”
“When you look at me, it feels like a touch.”
Christian bent down and loved the mouth that kept uttering words that pierced his heart. While he kissed her, he filled his hands with her breasts. He memorized their exquisite softness, their gratifying weight, and the way her sensitive nipples pebbled beneath his fingertip at the lightest whisper of a caress.
He lifted his head.
“You’re so sweet,” he rasped as they both watched his fingers whisk over her pink, hardened crests.
Her head moved restlessly on the pillow. She moaned softly. “Your fingertips are calloused,” she whispered.
Christian glanced up regretfully. “It’s from years of playing the guitar.” His fingers stilled. “Do they feel scratchy?”
Megan’s head rose abruptly when he stopped stroking her. “No, they feel heavenly. Gentle, but rough, too. Please. Don’t stop.”
“Whatever you say, honey.”
Christian alternated between kissing her mouth deliberately and watching as he played with her flushed breasts. Her cheeks grew vividly pink. Her green eyes shone with desire. When he saw her features tensing with arousal, he couldn’t resist teasing her a little. He plumped her breast, as if he were readying it for his mouth and stared at the taut peak that awaited him so temptingly.
Megan stilled and her eyelids rose to watch him with tense expectation.
“What do you want me to do, Megan?” he coaxed warmly.