I worried about her. We’d managed to move past our argument in the Caribbean and enjoyed each other the rest of the trip, but I couldn’t shake her denial of the past still bothering her. Every time she snapped about it and then said she was fine, my fears grew. How much longer could she go before she exploded?
“That he does. And I love him for it. But I’m also in the latter half of my twenties. At some point, I have to be able to live my life without explaining everything like I’m twelve. Hell, my mom and dad don’t even pester me so much.”
“I can’t imagine. David and I were wild, but as long as we didn’t set anything on fire or get arrested, our parents didn’t really care.”
“And were you able to do that?”
“I never got arrested. We may have set a few things on fire.”
“You hellion,” she joked. “So, what do you have planned for tonight?”
Walking around the bar, I studied her, tried to pick up on any nerves she may have. The closer I got, the harder the pulse against her neck got. Her lips parted when I slid my hand against her neck, moving up into her hair. Her eyes dilated, almost swallowing every centimeter of green when I fisted my hand and jerked her head back.
She gasped but quickly looked down, hiding her reaction like she always did when a bite of pain turned her on. Her body and mind were at war, and my goal tonight was to make sure they were in sync.
“Is that okay?” I asked softly.
She still didn’t look up but nodded as much as my grip would allow. I scanned down her body, analyzing every inch for signs of distress. Her palms spread on her thighs and gripped tight. She squirmed on the seat, and I swear to god, if I dipped my head, I was sure to smell her desire. My eyes snagged on her full breasts, her perfect fucking nipples poking hard against the thin material of her shirt. Wanting her to be aware of her reaction, I flicked the hard tip with my finger, and her eyes shot to mine, dark and wanting.
“It’s okay to like it, Hanna. It’s okay to take control of your pleasure and what you like. If a bite of pain turns you on—makes you wet—” I breathed against the skin of her neck, nipping at the tender flesh. “Then that’s okay. Your past has no control over that.”
When I pulled back, I jerked her hair again, and this time, her eyes stayed glued to mine. This time her tongue peeked out to slick across her lips, almost begging me to taste them.
“What do you want?” she asked breathlessly.
I relaxed my fist in her hair and moved my thumb to brush along her cheek. “I want to test your limits. I want you to accept that they may be further than you think. Can I do that, Hanna?”
Another wipe across her lips, and I couldn’t resist. I leaned down and bit the lush bottom one, loving the moan tumbling out.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Good girl,” I praised, stepping back. I gripped her hand and tugged her off the stool, pulling her behind me into my bedroom.
She held on tightly and scanned the simple setup. I rarely brought women to my home, and I kept it simple. A dark bedspread over a king-size bed with a headboard with slats. I liked to be able to loop things through if need be. Not that I would tonight.
The scars hidden under Hanna’s thick bracelets spoke volumes that being cuffed to anything was a hard limit.
“Strip,” I ordered.
She jerked wide eyes to mine. “What?”
“The tease tonight isn’t about the slow reveal. It’s about everything after. So, strip.”
To help get things started, I lost my shirt but kept my jeans on. If I lost too many layers between us, I’d probably give up and fuck her as fast and hard as I could.
Pulling her shoulders back like the warrior she was, she shrugged out of her sweater, letting it pool at her feet. At the same time, she kicked off her shoes before moving on to her jeans. Watching her breasts sway under her top while she worked her jeans over her hips had my cock aching to break free.
She stood in a purple scrap of lace and her flowy black shirt. This woman owned some of the sexiest lingerie I’d ever seen. I loved it.
“All of it.”
One more deep breath and she whipped the shirt over her head and flicked down her panties. God, I’d never tire of her naked body. The way she stood there, shoving down any insecurity she may have felt, only made her sexier.
I walked over until I stood right in front of her and skimmed my hands over her breasts, barely stopping to pinch the tips before sliding my hands in hers and leading her to the bed.