Page 30 of Up In Flames

“Jealous?”

I snort. “As if.”

But the way he looks at me changes into something gentler, and with a long sigh, he smooths an errant lock back from my face. “If you’re not ready, Nina, it’s okay. I said I’ll wait for you, and I will. You don’t have to worry that I’ll run off with someone else. Maybe I won’t wait forever, but I can hold off dating anyone else for a reasonable time. Honestly, I feel like I’ve already been waiting for you half my life.”

His words hit my belly and spread warmth through my limbs and core. All thoughts of other women flee, because a man who will wait for me to be ready? There’s nothing that could make me more prepared. My core clenches on the promise of fulfillment, and a rush of wet flows between my legs.

“I’m ready now. I want you, Sampson. Enemy or friend, I want this, now.” Because what else am I going to do about the electrical arcs spiking through my blood but ground them under him?

Without another word, he leans over and kisses me again, striding back towards his bedroom. He continues the embrace even as my back hits a firm mattress. Holding me close, he arches my spine on his palm so I remain pressed to him, once more caught against gravity, just grazing the elegant linen bedding.

He’s so strong, so large, so overwhelming, I can’t think over my ravaging heartbeat.

When he breaks the kiss, he smooths the hair along my brow, allowing my body to sink against the bed. “You know about safe words?”

Oof. There’s a spike that drives from my head right down between my legs. It’s a little part trepidation, but a lot more desire. There are rumors about this man. I’m about to find out if they’re true.

I shake my head before nodding.

He laughs. “That’s clear.”

I hit him in the chest. “Shut up. Yes, I know what they are, and no, I’ve never needed any.” Which sobers me quickly. “Am I going to need one?”

“Not in the way you’re thinking.” He leans down again, this time to drag his lips along the tendon of my neck—and wow, do I feel that land. My core clenches again on emptiness. He rises again. “I’m a lot bigger. I don’t want to hurt you. A safe word will alert me to stop if I am.”

“What should I choose?”

“Not ‘stop.’ Something you can easily remember that won’t fit the situation. Something short you can bark at me.”

I’m a writer. I should have this down cold, but my mind blanks.

“How about dog?” he offers.

I think about it. I can’t come up with any reason I would randomly shout out that word during sex—or anytime, for that matter. “Okay. Dog it is.”

“Practice. I’m going to kiss your neck. You wait a few seconds and stop me.”

“Wait, what? Why?”

For a moment, he looks unimaginably sad, so sad, my chest aches along with my empty pussy that’s already tired of waiting for him. “Because I’m so much bigger, and I don’t want to hurt you, so… please.”

When I nod, he looks relieved, but even as his lips descend to my neck, I’m so busy trying to puzzle out why he looked so sad that I forget to stop him. Plus, he feels so good. His mouth caresses my skin, moist, hot, as his teeth graze my bones. He reaches the part of my collar that rides above the neckline of my boat-cut tee-shirt.

A moan leaves my lips because, while I might be focused on his emotions, my body is focused on what he’s doing to it.

A rumble of warning vibrates against my skin.

“Right! Dog.”

And he pulls up. “Good girl.”

And—wow. Is it possible to come from just two growly words? I wring my hands into his hair, so much finer and silkier than it looks, and tug. “If you don’t fuck me right now, Sampson, I’m going to dog you into next week. See how you like waiting that long.”

“Is that a threat, Jelly Bean?” He looks amused. But at least the sadness is gone. He’s back with me, not that he left, but… I like it better when he smiles.

“Sure is. Why? Gonna’ put me over your spanking bench?”

And why did those words have to leave my lips? Yes, I’m interested in expanding my sexual knowledge with him, but I’m also nowhere near ready for kink. Not yet. I need to get to know him first. To get comfortable with him seeing and touching my body.