He nodded, smiling, his eyes on my mouth. The sleeves of his cashmere sweater were pushed up to his elbows revealing muscled forearms, a Patek Philippe watch, and those large, strong hands that made me want to rip off my clothes.
“How’s the lady garden?”
I laughed. I guess he’d heard most of my conversation with Dani.
“Wet?” he added.
I bit my lip and nodded, yes. The proximity of his body sent a spiral of desire right to my core. I wanted to slip my hands under his sweater and feel the heat of his skin, the firm flesh and so very much more. I wanted him naked so that I could explore every inch of him at my leisure. I wondered if he’d let me do that. A solo tour of discovery.
“Saylor, what’s on your mind?”
I blinked a couple of times wondering if I should tell him. “Something filthy, Hunter.”
“Anything I can help you with? Grab your sex toys? Replace the batteries?”
Dammit. Once Dani and Casey arrived, Hunter would be nothing but a missed opportunity. The regret side of my ledger had filled pretty fast. Time to even things up.
“I was thinking about the opportunities I missed last night. I never really got a good look at you. Never got to touch your body. Standing here, this close,” I waved my hand in the few inches of space separating us. “I have these thoughts about touching you. I was wondering what it would be like to strip you naked and have you as a piece of installation art so that I could run my hands over your body, and explore your surfaces…so to speak.”
“Basically, you want to objectify me.”
I could tell by his grin he wasn’t offended. “I’d say it was more that I wanted to appreciate you.”
“And what about me? Do I get to appreciate you, too?”
“No, actually. You just have to stand there and take it, because you can’t touch me. Sorry. It’s the sologamy thing.”
I think that was the closest Hunter came to rolling his eyes.
“The sologamy thing needs reconsidering,” he said with a surprising amount of force.
“Just let me see it through. Dani and Casey are supporting me. You’re welcome to come to the ceremony where I marry myself if you like.” As the words came from my mouth, I felt a distinct lack of conviction behind them. Hunter was making me rethink everything.
He leaned in so close I thought we were going to kiss. “Forgive me if I’m a no-show. It all sounds a bit ‘goddess worship’ to me. I’ll leave that to the girls. Matt’s due in town. We’ll wait it out in the bar.”
“I think you would find it enlightening.”
This time he did roll his eyes as he stepped away.
Disappointment surged through me. I’d totally ruined the moment we could have had by insisting on my stand of independence. But he didn’t move far. Just left a gap big enough that ensured I missed the intimacy of our shared body warmth.
He folded an arm around his waist, his other hand going to his mouth. I swallowed watching him rub his lips with a broad thumb. Our eyes locked and his fed me promise and lust, one tiny drop at a time. I’d never been looked at that way, as if the next move would turn the tiny drops into a waterfall that would wash away the humiliation staining my heart.
My breath shortened. I loved the way he made me feel, the way my body came alive and tingled when he was close, or when I thought about him. I said his name, trying to keep him there in front of me.
Hunter smiled and spread his arms wide. “All yours. Objectify me.”
I stepped towards him and slipped my hands inside his sweater to find his warm, smooth skin. “Are you sure?”
“Of course. Your rules. Just don’t be too stubborn to break them if you feel so inclined.”
“I won’t,” I assured him, even though I was unsure myself whether I meant I wouldn’t break my rule, or I wouldn’t be stubborn. “Lift your arms, you’re wearing too many clothes.” He was too tall for me to pull the sweater up over his head, but he obliged by bending at the waist allowing me to tug it free.
Oh, yes. It took my full concentration not to announce my pleasure. I wanted to run my hands over him and feel every contour, every plane, but I wanted him naked, too. I freed the buckle of his belt, the top button of his jeans and lowered the zipper. My instinct was to dip my hand inside and release his cock, but I hadn’t intended this to be about sex. This was about looking, appreciating him, and testing some self-discipline. Yes, I wanted his cock buried deep inside me, but I also wanted to see if Hunter was as good as his word. If I got him hard, would he try to fuck me, or would he let me dress him again?
His open jeans dropped a little. Hunter was hard. I ignored his erection and lowered his briefs and jeans to the floor.
“Step out.”