“If we hadn’t had consequences back then and we were back here for a study session, what would you have done?”
She tugged his hand and led him toward the couch. The furniture had changed, but the arrangement was the same, like stepping back in time, the vortex sucking him through the portal. When they reached the couch, she guided him to sit. Though he wasn’t used to being directed to do anything, in this situation, he was more than happy to oblige. The woman had definite intent in her eyes, and he loved a woman on a mission.
“You always sat in this corner with your knee hiked up,” she said, her voice timid in the dark. “And I couldn’t help but . . . look. And when some moment would pass between us, you’d grab one of the throw pillows and put it over your lap to prop your book up. I knew why you did that. You weren’t always quick enough, so I saw your reaction to me.”
He chuckled, remembering the embarrassment of his defiant hormones. “I was a seventeen-year-old virgin. The thing had a hair trigger around you.”
She looked down at him, her teeth dragging over her bottom lip. As if on cue, Kade could feel his cock hardening. “One of my fantasies back then was to take the pillow away and ask if I could touch you. I’d heard my friends talking about the things they did with their boyfriends. I wanted to know how that would be with you.”
His breath left him for a moment. If she’d asked that back then, he probably would’ve proven that death by spontaneous combustion existed. Boom. Done. Here lies Kaden Fowler.
She lowered herself to the ground, settling herself between his spread knees. Her gaze tracked down to his erection. “Can I touch you, Kade?”
He groaned at the soft plea in her words and pulled his belt all the way out. “Show me exactly what you wanted to do.”
She wet her lips and hell if his dick didn’t flex toward her at the sight. She reached out with pink painted fingernails flashing in the moonlight and tugged down his unfastened pants to his thighs along with his boxer briefs. The cool air of the cabin swirled over him, sending goose bumps along his skin. After getting his pants down past his knees, she took him in her hand, and the softness of her touch nearly pulled another groan from him.
She glanced up at him, all big eyes and long lashes. “Tell me how you like it. I wouldn’t have known then, but I’m not much better off now.”
Kade ran a hand over her head. Usually, he made a point to be with experienced women. They knew what they were doing and were more comfortable with his brand of sexuality. Plus, nothing was hotter than a woman who absolutely owned her desires without apology. But he couldn’t help but be endeared by Tess’s unsure approach. It called to the dominant in him, made him want to tutor her all over again but in things far more base than Shakespeare. He threaded his fingers into her hair, the strands like silk around his knuckles, and guided her forward. “Take my cock in your mouth, beautiful. And keep your eyes on me, I want to watch you as you suck me.”
She shuddered in his grip, her eyes going a little wide at first then dreamy as she obeyed his command and lowered her head. Her gaze stayed on his as her glossed lips parted and slid over the crown. His toes flexed in his shoes at the feel of her tongue tentatively flicking along the bottom side of his shaft.
“Fuck,” he muttered, his teenage ghost possessing him for a moment and stealing his normally unshakeable restraint. He grasped the base of his cock, taming the urge to rush, and guided her down further. “That’s right. You can’t do anything wrong, baby. That feels amazing.”
Apparently buoyed by the encouragement, she grew more bold with her tongue and hands. Before long, she was working him over with steady determination and enthusiasm, bathing him in slow, decadent heat and making his eyes want to roll back in his head. But he wasn’t going to look away from her and break the connection.
Her gaze stayed fixed on his even though he could tell it was a struggle to maintain the intense eye contact. He could see the insecurity there, the exposed vulnerability. The man she’d trusted had hurt her more deeply than she was letting on. There was a kicked puppy vibe that hadn’t been there when he’d known her before. She’d always had cracks in the veneer. Even by high school, she’d lived a harder life than anyone should be expected to. But this was different. It was almost as if she was just waiting for him to tell her that she was bad at this, that it wasn’t doing anything for him. It’d been the same when he’d offered her the job—the knee jerk lack of confidence. She couldn’t see her own strength. It made him want to gather her into his arms and rewind all those years they’d been apart. Change the course.
But before his mind could run away with him, Tessa’s hand slid beneath him, cupping his balls, and her lips kissed the fingers he still had around the base of his cock as she took him deep. Sparkling threads of pleasure raced up his spine. He tilted his head back with an expelled breath, finally breaking the eye contact. “Jesus, baby, you’re better at this than you think. Touch me wherever you want.”
She seemed to appreciate the compliment and used her free hand to follow the slick path back up as she moved toward the tip again. He peeked down through hooded lids as she licked at the head with long strokes. The move nearly undid him because in that moment, he got the real sense that she wasn’t just doing this to make him feel good. She was thoroughly enjoying the exploration.
“You’re like a kid with a new toy,” he teased. “Trying to see how many noises you can get me to make?”
She gave him a pleased little grin. “Three groans and a few sighs so far, if I’m not mistaken. I like that I can do that to you.”
“Mmm, someone likes her own slice of power,” he said, knowing the dominant in him should probably mind but only getting more turned on by the thought. He’d always preferred submissives who were naturally sweet and yielding. But the idea of Tessa trying to wrest a bit of the power and challenging him made his blood race and his cock harder. Maybe he wouldn’t mind that kicked puppy showing some teeth.
She kept her hand on him, stroking slow and steady, but looked up at him. “You made me lose it the other night. I want to do the same for you.”
“Think you can make me come, Tess?” he challenged, fingering one of her blonde locks. “I’m pretty good at holding out these days, especially when I put my mind to it.”
A little break in confidence flickered over her face but then she tilted her head. “What do I get if I can make you?”
“Besides a dose of protein?” he teased.
She sniffed.
His mouth curved. More challenge and fire trying to break through her surface. He so wanted to see what happened if it did. “You get to give the next command. Whatever you’d like me to do to you, I’ll be game.”
“And if you win?” she asked.
“Another date. In public.”
Wariness moved over her expression, but she nodded. Agreement made. “Can you move closer to the edge of the couch? I need your pants further down.”
“Whatever you need,” he said, in a tone that he hoped conveyed utter confidence even though he wasn’t so sure. Tessa’s continued stroking already had his blood burning, and he couldn’t remember ever seeing anything quite as sexy at his feet than a naked Tessa McAllen.