Page 77 of Hell Bent

I was re-making the bed when I heard Alix’s voice from behind me, informing me loftily, “I took a shower, for your information. Thank you for informing me that I looked like an ad for a slasher movie before I made you look at it for about half an hour. That was extremely thoughtful of you.”

I barely heard her, because I’d turned around and …

Well, yeah. She was wearing a pair of those panties we’d bought her. The mint green ones, to be exact.

And that was all.

I said, “Uh …” Brilliantly once more.

“My so-called nightgown is covered in blood, and I didn’t bring anything else.” Going for brisk, but the color in her cheeks sent another message, and her body … That message was about two words long, as far as I was concerned. One of them wasFuck,and the other one wasme.

I sure hoped we spoke the same language.

She said, “If you have a T-shirt, I could wear that.”

I unstuck my tongue from the roof of my mouth and asked, “Do you want to wear it?”

“Not especially.” She was still trying for matter-of-fact, but she couldn’t quite meet my eyes. “I normally don’t wear much to bed other than underwear and maybe a tank unless I’m having my period. Too much information, I realize, but here we are, and—” Her hands came up as if to cover her breasts, and she dropped them again. Deliberately. And said, “I wish you’d say something. I have no idea what you’re thinking. You said yesterday morning that you wanted to see me dressed like you, and now Iamdressed like you, and you’re just standing there! All right, Isaidwe shouldn’t do anything, because of your horrible day, and yes, we both have work tomorrow and this is completely irresponsible, but?—”

I didn’t answer. I just stepped forward, took her two hands in mine, held them out to the side, and looked at her. She said, “Oh, that’s way better. That’s not making me insecure at all. I told you, 36B.”

I didn’t seem to have words for this situation. Instead, I slid my hands up her arms. Slowly, feeling that skin for myself. And then I drew them down and cupped her breasts. Gently. I brushed my thumbs over the nipples, and she caught her breath. I watched my hands, and then I looked up into her eyes and said, “What part of this am I not supposed to be enjoying?”

“Oh,” she said.

I said, “I don’t want to hurt you. Your nose.” It wasn’t swollen, but it had to still be hurting.

She said, “You probably shouldn’t kiss me, then.”

I smiled. It came on slowly, but it was irresistible. “On the mouth, anyway. If I’m sucking on something else tender, though, you could take it as a loving gesture.”

She said, a catch in her voice, “That would be … that would be fine.”

“Uh-huh.” I still had my hands on her breasts, and now, I turned with her and backed her toward the bed. “You’d better not do any leaning forward, either. Or work too hard. Sorry, but I think this means less of the power struggle and more of you on your back.”

This time, she had nothing to say, and when her knees hit the edge of the bed and I lowered her gently onto it with my hand behind her head, she didn’t say anything then, either. But when I tongued one of those taut pink nipples, she said something. Or to be more exact, she made a noise. Then instantly gasped, “Sorry. Ben.”

I raised my head. “Ben is at the far corner of this two-thousand-square-foot apartment. And I locked the door.” I gave the other nipple a pinch, and she jumped a bit. “I think I’m going to have to insist on a little more cooperation here,” I informed her, “since I’m in charge of this.”

“You’re—” She was trying to get mad, but since I was kissing her neck now, it wasn’t quite working.

“It only makes sense,” I said against her skin. “You can be a little—” I was sucking a little now, and her legs were parting, her hips shifting. “A little impulsive. And since I plan to drive you out of your mind …” I shifted to the other side of her neck, and one of her knees came up even as she grabbed hold of my back. “We’d better leave this in my hands,” I finished, then went back to my work.

I stayed there for a good ten minutes, and she made it worth my while. She moaned, she shifted, and finally, she put a hand over her mouth.

“Yeah,” I said, kissing my way down over her smooth shoulder, one hand on a breast, the other reaching for her hand and pulling it over her head. “It’s hard to keep quiet. You work on that, and I’ll just?—”

She had the most sensitive nipples in the world. I was careful. I was gentle. And when she had her hand clutchingmy head and was saying, “Please. Please. Touch me, uh … touch me more. This is … I can’t take this.”

Welcome words, you have to agree. I said, “Oh, I think you can.” I was dying to move on myself, but patience is good for the soul, and then there was the way she was twisting under me. I tightened my grip on her wrist, and she said, “Oh. Sebastian.Oh.I’m … I’m …”

Which was when she stiffened and her hips started pumping.

Oh,shit.

Alix

Nobody had ever taken this long.