This is okay. This is nice, even. I can do this.
Ryder pulls back a fraction, and before I can miss his lips, they’re back on mine at a slightly different angle, and with a fraction more intensity. I respond instinctively, getting a taste of him and wanting a bit more.
His hand brushes my cheek and that heat in my core rushes downward with an insistent flutter. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that this kiss is triggering some physical sensations. I mean, I had an involuntary orgasm just from riding on Logan’s back, so my libido is apparently set with hair trigger sensitivity, but I would never in a million years have expected to feel something from a kiss with Ryder.
But I am definitely feeling something.
He pulls away and I’m both sorely disappointed and greatly relieved, afraid that my body might decide to embarrass me again. At least if it happens – and please god, don’t let it happen – I’m among friends, and they already know all of my embarrassing secrets.
I can relax a bit, knowing that everything is out in the open and they still accept me for who I am.
“I’m next,” Logan says, getting up and coming over in front of me, holding out his hand for me to stand and join him. “If that’s okay with you, Bianca?”
Ryder slides out of the way as I nod and stand. Another one, and so soon? Ryder’s kiss definitely has me wanting more, but my nerves rise again since it was Logan whose back I was on when “it” happened. But that embarrassing incident aside, I don’t feel anything beyond friendship for Logan, so I should be fine.
“A guy should never force himself on you, B.”
I nod. “I know.”
Logan looks into my eyes, his face serious. “And if we ever make you uncomfortable, all you need to do is say so.”
“I trust you.” Whether I trust my own body – that’s the real question.
“Good.” He puts a hand on each of my shoulders and gives me a gentle squeeze. “Here’s something better to remember as you go to sleep tonight.”
A couple of his brothers laugh at Logan’s conceit and I smile as he leans in. He’s cocky, but judging from his kiss, I’d say he has reason to be. I may be completely inexperienced, but knowing a good kiss from bad must be intuitive, because it’s obvious Logan knows what he’s doing.
His lips press softly to mine at first, then with a degree of pressure. It’s like a caress, then an exploration. His facial hair tickles my skin in the best possible way. He concludes with a gentle suck on my lower lip that leaves me breathless and a bit dizzy.
Cade is next, stepping into his brother’s spot, adding to my feeling of lightheadedness. I’ve fantasized about this before. I’ve imagined what his lips would feel like on mine.
Nervous excitement flares inside me as he bends his head to mine. None of this is how I envisioned it, of course. I never thought he’d be kissing me with his brothers all around us, and doing it only to help me gain experience.
I’m so in my own head, that the kiss is over almost before I even realize it’s started. It was quicker than Ryder or Logan’s – at least I think it was. Maybe Cade felt weird kissing me since he thinks of me like a sister, because it seemed brotherly and tentative, especially compared to the other two men.
It was nice, but it didn’t spark anything inside me. With my out-of-control libido, maybe that’s for the best.
Finally, Knox comes over. He’s the tallest; I’m not even sure how I’m going to reach him.
“Are you good, Bianca?” I nod. “Is it okay if I kiss you?” I nod again.
He was already close, but he moves in even closer, his body almost touching mine. There’s nothing tentative about his kiss. He’s not at all forceful, but he meets my lips with an enticing pressure, sampling me, and then giving me time to respond.
I’m fascinated by how different the brothers’ styles are. Something about Knox – maybe his height and the nearness of him – instantly makes me feel safe and protected.
When he pulls away, he looks down at me. He usually looks serious, and he does now too, but his expression is edged with something I can’t quite identify.
“You kissed me back,” he says, matter-of-factly.
My face heats. Was I not supposed to?
“I’m only pointing it out because any decent man will look for that reaction. Returning someone’s kiss is a sign you want more, and if you didn’t participate in the kiss, I would immediately take it as a signal to stop.”
I appreciate Knox wanting to make sure that I understand that my date was out of line in the way he forced himself on me tonight, but I’m embarrassed by Knox pointing out that I wanted more from his kiss.