Page 21 of Kiss of Seduction (Court of Chains #1)

“Try again.”

Evie’s breathing was oddly labored. She was almost panting. “I want to keep going. Even if I’m scared.”

“Keep going how?”

It was obvious Natalya knew what she meant. She wanted Evie to say it. She didn’t want to assume.

“I want to see if… if I can. If it’s not ruined.” Evie looked away, suddenly embarrassed as well as frightened. “I get it if you don’t want to. I’m not like I was, so it wouldn’t be… It would just be to try. I want to try.”

Natalya considered for a long moment. For most of it, she looked ready to refuse. Then her shoulders tightened a little.

“Do you know what a safe word is?”

Evie nodded.

“You’ll have two. Red means everything stops, yellow means everything pauses.” She spoke with the same assertive tone as before. “Repeat them.”

“Red, everything stops. Yellow, everything pauses.”

“Good.” Natalya brushed a finger over Evie’s chin, making her shudder at the light touch. Barely there, but the ghost of it lingered even as Natalya’s hand moved over to run through her hair. Softly untangling. “I’m going to take your clothes off. Tell me if it goes too fast.”

She held Evie’s gaze, not moving until Evie gave her a small nod.

Natalya pulled Evie to her feet, brushing her fingers against the hem of her long-sleeved shirt.

She only broke eye contact as she eased the shirt over Evie’s head, maintaining it as she slowly opened the button of Evie’s jeans, pulled down the zipper, and tugged so they fell to the floor.

Evie was standing in just her underwear.

She hadn’t been this naked in front of someone since Varro’s estate. A pang went through her, of shame and self-consciousness.

She was no beauty like Natalya. She was no beauty at all. She had that horrible tattoo on her ribs, and there were scars all over her body. On her wrists, thighs, neck, breasts, stomach. Everywhere. Natalya could see all of them.

Evie hugged herself, covering her chest and the tattoo.

“The marks?” Natalya asked.

Evie nodded, feeling tears in her eyes. Natalya leaned in close.

“What marks?”

Her eyes stayed on Evie’s. She didn’t look at the tattoo or the scars, as others undoubtedly would have. She just looked at Evie. Only saw Evie.

She lowered her arms. Her eyes trailed over Natalya, who was still fully clothed. “Should I...?”

“No. Just you.”

Natalya moved so close that Evie’s breasts brushed against her dress. A black, flowing garment with slits that went almost to her hip. It had a deep neckline, showing off most of her chest.

Natalya’s attention may be fixed on Evie’s face, but Evie couldn’t give her the same courtesy. She stared at her breasts. At her smooth, flawless skin.

Her mouth suddenly felt dry.

“You’re staring.” Natalya’s voice pulled her attention upwards again. Natalya leaned closer, her lips inches away. Smiling with unexpected tease. “That isn’t polite.”

She started brushing her fingers over Evie’s body, carefully and slowly.

She touched her shoulders and arms, trailed over her ribs.

She caressed her breasts, her waist, and her hips.

Every part of Evie she could reach without moving from where she was standing, her lips so close Evie only needed to lean forward, and they would be kissing again.

Natalya removed her bra and underwear, taking them off slowly. She traced a finger over Evie’s collarbone, down her sternum between her now bare breasts. It made a trail of delicious fire where it moved. Her touch was stronger than before, and Evie drew in a sharp breath.

“Too much?” Natalya asked. Evie shook her head.

Natalya kept touching her gently, letting Evie get used to the sensation. So many people had touched her body that she’d learned to deaden against the feeling. Natalya’s faint caresses were waking up her nerves. The desire she thought stolen being coaxed out by warm, careful touches.

“Come here.” Natalya sat down on the couch. She spread her legs slightly, moving the flowing fabric of her dress. With the slits, it bared her thighs.

She pulled Evie down so she was hovering over her, knees on either side of her hips, facing her. She put her hands on Evie’s waist, easing her down until she was resting all her weight on Natalya’s lap.

At first, Evie just felt warm skin against hers, but then a fluttering feeling started through the back of her thighs. She stiffened, and the sensation stopped.

As she relaxed, it returned. Coming slowly until she sensed the usual buzzing warmth she always felt when she touched Natalya’s skin. Except, with how she was sitting, the feeling was getting very close to touching between her legs.

Natalya brushed her fingers over Evie’s waist. “What are you thinking?”

“You’re warm.” There was a slight tremble to her voice. She’d gotten used to feeling cold, clammy flesh against her. “You’re so warm.”

Natalya took Evie’s hands in hers, leading them up to rest on her shoulders. She held them there, her shining eyes resting on Evie’s.

“You have a beautiful body, Evie.”

It was odd hearing her say that. Firstly, because Natalya was beyond gorgeous and hearing her give a compliment like that was so startling, Evie forgot to feel awkward about it. Secondly, she never took her eyes off Evie’s as she said it.

Natalya slowly ran her fingers over Evie’s arm, the touch so faint it was barely there.

“Does it feel alright so far?”

Slowly— very slowly—Evie nodded.

“I need you to say it. Tell me what you’re feeling.”

“I…” Evie stopped, looking for the words and finding absolutely nothing. She didn’t know what she was feeling. There were too many conflicting emotions for her to identify them.

Her silence made Natalya pause. Then she put her hands on Evie’s hips.

“Do you like it when I touch you here?”

Her hands were warm and gentle. The touch at the same time soothing and exciting. Evie nodded. When Natalya didn’t move or speak, Evie swallowed and let out a shuddering breath. “Yes.”

Natalya moved her hands to Evie’s waist. “Here?”

Evie nodded again. “Yes.”

Natalya moved her hands up to cup Evie’s breasts. The touch made her shiver. “What about like this?”

Evie’s skin was sensitive around her chest. It seemed to be even more so under Natalya’s touch. “Yes. I like that.”

Natalya repeated the question with the rest of her body. She caressed her arms, her stomach, her legs. Almost every part of her. The continuous touch left her so sensitive Evie trembled when Natalya trailed a fingertip over the skin on her hipbone.

Still maintaining eye contact, watching her reaction, Natalya moved her hand between Evie’s legs.

Evie flinched and dug her fingers into Natalya’s shoulders. Being touched there was a forceful, hopeless thing. It meant pain. It meant terror and blood and pain . The caresses she’d delighted in a moment before suddenly felt suffocating.

Her breathing went rapid, her grip tightened, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Yellow,” she whispered. “Yellow. Stop .”

Natalya had been pulling her hand away before Evie said anything. In the quiet that followed, and with the realization that Natalya had actually stopped when she was told to, Evie’s breathing calmed. She opened her eyes again, finding Natalya’s locked on hers. Worried and violet.

“What happened?”

“It was… It was going too fast.”

“Do you need to stop?”

The panic was jarring, the touch and proximity bringing back horrible memories. Separating the past from the present was difficult, but it was easier when Natalya didn’t move. She just waited. She just kept looking at Evie.

“It’s better now. It’s okay.”

“Are you certain?” That commanding tone again. She wanted the truth, not what Evie thought she wanted to hear.

Evie nodded. “Just move slowly. Please.”

She was both anticipating and dreading what Natalya’s touch would feel like. She had no idea what would come next. Not knowing what was about to happen made her feel anxious and cold all over.

Natalya put her hand between her legs again. “You’re doing very well, darling.”

Evie sighed without meaning to. Hearing that word, darling , made the looming chill vanish in an instant. Natalya continued.

“I’m going to move my hand up. You know how to stop me. You can do so anytime.”

The forewarning was perfect. How did Natalya know what she needed without her even having to say it? She’d blocked off her emotions for so long she’d forgotten how to react when they appeared.

Slowly, Natalya put her fingers up between Evie’s legs, catching the intense wetness there. Evie gasped in surprise.

She hadn’t been aroused with any of the men who had taken her. Not unless Varro enthralled her into wanting it. That had been worse. When she got to her senses and realized what he made her participate in.

“Stay with me,” Natalya said softly. Her other hand stroked Evie’s waist. “Don’t go there. Don’t lose yourself to the memory. Feel me instead.”

With the prompt, Evie ran her hand down to touch Natalya’s breast through her dress. The fabric was soft and thin. She longed to remove it. To kiss her chest and stomach and all of her. To make her feel as adored as Evie felt right then.

When she started easing a finger under the fabric, Natalya took her hand and put it back on her shoulder.

“Don’t concern yourself with me. Only you.”

Natalya’s fingers pressed against Evie’s clit. The spark of pleasure that shot through her was brief, as Natalya didn’t move her fingers.

“You move. You set the pace.”

Evie pressed her hips forward slightly, the movement producing another flash of pleasure. She rocked back, causing Natalya’s fingers to slide over her clit. She rolled her hips back and forth, slowly at first, not used to the sensation, and then a little faster. Her breathing quickened.

“I’m going to stop holding back,” Natalya said. “You may feel startled by it.”

There was a tingling sensation from Natalya’s fingers. The sensation, so calming usually, surged through her clit so suddenly Evie almost yelled out.