It was all she could do to remember her own name. She frantically tried to think of what he’d said the night they’d made each other climax.
“You want me to ask?”
“Yes.”
With another man, asking would have made her feel like she was begging, but she remembered what else he’d said. “You’ll give me whatever I ask for?”
“Yes.” The sexual promise in his voice was almost her undoing.
This game made her feel like he was ceding his control to her and when making love with a man like him, that was heady stuff.
“I want you to take your clothes off.”
He towered over her, his expression dangerously elemental. “You want to see me naked?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Then undress me.”
She swayed on her feet. “Is that a dare?”
“A request.”
One she couldn’t and didn’t want to deny.
She started with his tie, undoing the bow and pulling it gently from his neck. She flipped it on the bed, an idea for later forming in her mind.
Then she went to the studs on his shirt, carefully slipping each one from their hole before leaning over to set it on the dresser not far away. The entire time, she pressed into his lower body, swaying side to side every so often to caress the hard ridge against her. By the time she had the whole shirt undone, he was making animal sounds and a white ring of stress had formed around his lips.
“You have formidable self-control.’
“And you are a born seductress.”
She laughed, the sound throaty and sensual. “Perhaps…just for you.”
She peeled his shirt off, revealing bronzed skin over sculpted muscle that took her breath away.
“Do you work out?”
“Aikido.”
“Martial arts?”
“Yes.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed that of you.” He was such the quintessential businessman, but then it fit with the aura of dangerous male animal that always seemed to be hovering under the surface.
She never wanted to be this man’s enemy, but she had no fear of totally infuriating him as his lover—more proof of her innate trust of him on a very basic level.
“We have a lifetime to learn one another’s secrets.”
“True.” Her hand dropped to his trousers. “But even though this is one I’ve seen once before, I would very much like to explore it again.”
“Go for it.”
She laughed at the tension vibrating in each of the three short words. “I plan to and this time I want to feel it inside of me.”
“Good, because that’s exactly what is going to happen.” The potent promise in his voice sent warm moisture flooding through the core of her.
He’d ceded control, but not power. How much control would he let her have tonight?
He started to help her with his trousers, but she pushed his hands away. “I want to do it all.” She peeked up at him, her breathing coming in ragged gasps that matched his. “Okay?”
“Whatever you like.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
She leaned over and took the tie off the bed. “Will you let me tie your hands?”
It was a fantasy she’d had for a long time.
Angelo had gone completely still. “You want to tie me?”
“Um…yes.”
“Why?”
“I want to know you trust me.”
“And your trust?”
“If I didn’t trust you, I would not have agreed to marry you.”
“I could say the converse is true.”
“You could, but we both know it’s not.”
“We do?”
“Yes.”
He eyed her for so long, she thought he was going to refuse and she was getting ready to drop the black tie. She wouldn’t push it. She wanted him and he wanted her and really, she couldn’t blame him for being a little leery about her request. It wasn’t exactly your average wedding-night foreplay. He didn’t understand what motivated her—she needed to know he trusted her. Baron had never trusted her, because he knew how untrustworthy he was. He always had to be in control.
“Do you want my hands in front or in back?”
Her head snapped up at the question, her mouth dropping open in wonder. “You don’t mind?”
“I trust you, stellina. Do what you like.”
He was so darn strong…even acceding to her wishes, she sensed that he was still in control here.
“B—” She had to clear her throat. “Behind you please.”
He turned around, his trousers undone and hanging low on his gorgeous hips. Admiration and warmth flowed through her at his acquiescence.
“There aren’t a lot of men who would be confident or trustworthy, therefore trusting enough to let their lover do this,” she whispered.