One thing he had done was teach her how to please a man, something she was about to demonstrate to Ryan. Even more, possibly for the first time ever, she wanted to give pleasure. And Ryan was the target of all those persistent impulses.
Her heart was pattering way too fast and none too steadily. What if she couldn’t please him? Almost as soon as the thought speared her mind, she felt strong fear dig in.
“Look,” Ryan began, obviously reading uncertainty in her hesitation. He ran his thumb over her cheek. “We don’t have to do this.”
Oh, hell no. He wasn’t getting away that easily.
“I need to do this,” she explained, her focus centered on the hard bulge pressed against her.
“‘Need’?” he repeated, his voice reflecting concern. “You don’t need to do anything. Let me take care of you.”
He lifted his hand and ran the tips of his fingers over her cheek. The tender gesture made tears spring to her eyes. Talk about a mood killer. Crying a bucket of tears onto a man’s erection wasn’t exactly sexy.
“I...want to do this.” She stressed the second word, making herself sound powerful and confident. And it was the truth. “Kiss me,” she begged, loving that he knew exactly what she liked best. Hard and soft. Tender and hungry. In his arms her senses came alive and she adored every second.
“My pleasure.”
As his mouth settled over hers, she crushed her lips to his. This man turned her on and she wanted him to know it. A deep, sexy rumble of pleasure sounded from his throat. He curved his fingers over her waist and rode the bumps of her ribs to her breast. As his palm covered her, she whimpered with joy.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured against her neck, his teeth raking across her throat. “I can’t get enough of you.”
Zoe gripped his hair and gave a sharp yelp as he tweaked her nipple through her clothing. She saw his half smile as he lowered his mouth to her breast. As her blood pounded in her ears, she almost missed his appreciative groan when her nipple tightened against his tongue.
A curse slipped from her lips. The sensation of his mouth on her breast was blunted by the fabric that separated them.
“This isn’t working,” she protested, tugging at his hair.
He lifted his head and gave her a wicked smile. “Could’ve fooled me.”
“We’re both wearing too many clothes.”
“I know.” But he didn’t seem immediately inclined to tear her clothes off.
His mouth drifted across her chest to her other breast and her thoughts turned to ash as a jolt of pure lust blasted through her. He hooked his fingers in her neckline and pulled both her dress and bra aside so he could flick his tongue over her nipple.
“Oh, yes,” she murmured, a cry lodging in her throat as fire swept through her. “So good.”
She held him against her as he plied her with lips, teeth and tongue. Meanwhile the insistent drumbeat of hunger grew louder and faster. She was burning up and gyrating beneath him on the couch wasn’t getting her anywhere near where she wanted to go.
“Take me upstairs,” she demanded, pushing her hips into his hand as he eased his way down her body until his shoulders shifted between her knees, pushing them wider.
He dragged his finger over her panties and cursed. “You’re so wet.”
She squeaked something incoherent as he pressed a kiss over her clit. White-hot lightning shot through her, leaving Zoe panting and trembling.
“And so gorgeous,” Ryan continued. “I love the way you smell and can’t wait to find out how you taste.”
His words were almost as arousing as the firm grip he took on her panties. With a sudden tug, he shifted them off her hips and down her legs. The damp fabric hadn’t done much to shield her most intimate self, but as he stripped away the silk underwear, Zoe’s sudden exposure made her tremble.
With her underwear no longer a barrier between them, Ryan lay between her thighs and slid a finger along the landing strip that led to the heart of her. While her body vibrated with sharp longing, he seemed content to slow down and take his time.
Zoe closed her eyes as he grazed his fingers along the folds that hid her sex from him. As he dipped ever so delicately into her slick heat, she arched into his touch. Was he toying with her? Did he want her to beg? Because she was ready to say whatever he wanted to hear if only he would make the ache go away.
“Please,” she pleaded, nearly incoherent as he continued his gentle exploration. “I need more.”
“My tongue?”
Now he was understanding her. “Yes,” she breathed, light-headed with relief. “I need your mouth on me. Now!”