Jacquie D’Alessandro - Touch Me

“Earlier tonight you pleasured me. If you’ll recall from your reading of the Ladies’ Guide , Today’s Modern Woman should strive to return pleasure when pleasure is given. Therefore, I wish to return the favor and pleasure you.”

She settled her hands on his abdomen and he sucked in a quick breath. Even through his linen shirt her touch set his skin ablaze.

“I don’t believe you’ll find that a difficult task.”

“Perhaps not, but you’ll allow me?”

“My darling Genevieve, you have my permission to take any liberties with my body that you so choose. Far be it for me to contradict the desires of Today’s Modern Woman. Especially when they so precisely match my own.”

“ Any liberties?”

“Yes.” God, yes.

“Excellent.” Even the darkness couldn’t completely hide the slow smile that curved her lips, speeding up his already pounding heart. She lightly grasped his wrists and settled his hands at his side. “All you need to do is remain still…and enjoy.”

“Enjoying won’t present any problem, but remaining still…” His words tapered off when she began slowly pulling his shirt from his breeches. “That is going to prove a challenge.”

“I thought you harbored a weakness for challenges.”

“I do, however, there are challenges, and then there are-” This time his words ended on a quick intake of breath as her hands slid beneath the linen to lightly stroke his torso.

“There are what?” she murmured, leaning forward to press her lips to his throat.

“There are…” His muscles jumped beneath her fingers.

“Yes?”

He huffed out a laugh. “I’ve no idea. What was the question?”

Her fingers lightly circled the skin just above the waistband of his breeches. “You’re very easily distracted, Simon.”

“No, I’m not. At least, not usually.” Actually, never. She slipped a single fingertip just beneath his waistband and trailed it across his pelvis. “The problem is that you’re, ah, very distracting.”

“How like a man to blame someone else.”

“I’ll accept blame where needed. However, it’s hardly my fault that you’re so incredibly…” He pulled in another quick breath when her fingers coasted over his nipples.

“So incredibly what?”

“Um…distracting. I think. What were we talking about?”

She laughed softly, and slipped her hands from beneath his shirt, which he didn’t like, but it at least restored a bit of his ability to concentrate. “Raise your arms,” she said.

“Clearly Today’s Modern Woman likes to give orders.”

“Yes, we do. Those who obey are rewarded handsomely.”

“And those who don’t?”

She gently bit his earlobe and he could have sworn his eyes glazed over. “Are dealt with very harshly.”

“I’m certain that’s supposed to be meant as some sort of threat, yet you manage to make harshly sound extremely enticing.”

“Good. I want you enticed.”

“Be assured that I am.”

She brushed her pelvis against his erection. “Yes, I can see-and feel-that you are.”

“Entirely your fault, I’m afraid. I’ve been in an almost constant state of arousal since the first time I saw you. It’s become rather a problem.”

“How interesting that where you see a problem, I see only…opportunity. Don’t worry, Simon. I’ve every intention of taking care of that problem for you.”

“I can’t think of a single instance in my entire life when I’ve heard better news.”

“Now raise your arms.”

He obeyed and with a bit of help from him, she pulled his shirt over his head then glided her hands over his chest. “Put your hands behind your back.”

Her sultry tone quickened his pulse and again he obeyed. She bent down then moved to stand behind him. He felt something soft and cool slip over his wrists. Realization hit him and he sucked in a quick breath. “You’re tying me?”

“You did say any liberties, Simon. I thought since you’d mentioned that particular section in the Ladies’ Guide, you’d be intrigued. Are you reneging?”

Her voice was a heated purr next to his ear that shot fiery vibrations to his every cell. He recalled the fantasy she’d inspired the first time he’d seen her, wet and nearly naked in her bedchamber, his imaginings fueled by the words in the Ladies’ Guide.

“Not reneging,” he assured her.

“Good.” She finished with the ribbon and he gave his hands an experimental tug. Snug, but not tight. Certainly escapable for a man of his experience. Yet he had absolutely no desire to free himself.

She moved to stand in front of him. “For someone who spends most of his time sitting behind a desk poring over ledgers, you are very nicely made,” she murmured.

He opened his mouth to reply, but his words turned into a groan when she pressed her lips to the center of his chest then dragged her open mouth to his nipple. “To what do you attribute your excellent fitness?” she asked, interspersing each word with nipping kisses to his chest, all while her hands gently stroked his skin.

“Horses,” he managed to say. “Ride horses.”

Her tongue drew a lazy circle around his nipple. “So you like to ride.”

“Yes. Actually, I used to think it was one of my favorite things-until I felt your, ahhhh , tongue on me.”

“You like my tongue on you?”

“ Like is an extremely lukewarm word to describe it.”

“Good. Because I liked your tongue on me.”

“Excellent. In case you harbored any doubts, my tongue can’t wait to be on you again.”

“That’s good to know. And quite obvious.” One hand came forward to stroke the length of his erection.

Simon sucked in a harsh breath, one that locked in his throat when he felt her opening his breeches. Her hands slipped beneath the buckskin and his smalls, slowly dragging both over his hips then down his legs, and he was eternally grateful he’d removed his boots and stockings earlier so few obstacles impeded her disrobing him. He stepped out of the garments and nudged them aside with his bare foot. Then he waited, utterly still, naked except for the satin ribbon binding his hands, and harder than he’d ever been in his entire life. His every muscle tensed in an agony of anticipation.

“Oh, my,” she murmured. “This is indeed a problem. An enormous problem.”

Bloody hell, she had no idea. And if she didn’t touch him soon, he was going to-

The first stroke of her fingers over his erection erased every thought from his mind and he released his pent-up breath on a long hiss of pleasure. She wrapped her fingers around him and gently squeezed and he gritted his teeth against the overwhelming urge to thrust into her hand. “You cannot imagine how good that feels.”

“On the contrary, thanks to the way you touched me at the spring, I know precisely how good it feels.”

She stroked him slowly, her fingers relentless, caressing his length then circling the head. He strained against his bindings, and unable to help himself, he rolled his hips, pressing himself into her palm.

She leaned forward and nipped at his bottom lip. “You’re supposed to remain still.”

He wanted to assure her he was trying, but she robbed him of his ability to speak when she eased one hand between his legs to cup him. With a growl of approval he widened his stance and dropped his head back. And tried his damnedest not to move.

Bloody hell, her hands were pure magic, conjuring sensations that threatened to bring him to his knees. Just when he thought he couldn’t take another stroke, she released him and trailed her fingers over his abdomen.

He dragged in a shuddering breath and fought for control. “I’m a heartbeat away from unraveling.”