Page 71 of Stripping Bare

“I took one look at that tub, and Ifantasized.”

He wanted to give her every fantasy she could dream up. “About?”

“About you.” She sauntered in his direction, slipping buttons loose on her pajama top with each step. Then she let it fall to the floor. Her naked breasts never failed to steal his breath. She looked like a woman was supposed to, with curves a man could sink into. Could lose himselfin.

Could find himselfin.

Tessa reached for her panties, but he grabbed her hands and pushed them away. “Mine.”

He eased the fabric down her legs and the scent of her—hot and ready—waved over him. God, he was so needy, so hungry for her, that he could lay her out on this cold floor, push her legs wide, and drivein—

No driving. You’re a passenger on thistrip.

No matter what he wanted, her needs were more important. And a woman like Tessa would never want to be possessed the way he wanted to have her. So he pressed a quick kiss to her stomach and took her by the hand to lead her to the tub. He steadied her while she climbed two steps up and back down. With the lights glowing from below the water, an aura seemed to surround her. She glowed with beauty and vitality and femininestrength.

He went back to the vanity and riffled through a drawer for a condom. Covered, he climbed into the tub and lifted Tessa to sit on theside.

“Your body is…I don’t even have words for it,” he told her. “A damn miracle. I want to know exactly how you like to betouched.”

She caught him around the waist with her legs and tried to draw him in. “Then come hereand—”

“No. I need you to show me. I need you to touch yourself so I understand. So I can give you what you need.” She’d been touched in such cruel and inhumane ways. He couldn’t change the past, but he could make the future all abouther.

She must’ve heard the rawness, the sheer truth of his words. “Where do you want me to touchmyself?”

“Anywhere.Everywhere.”

Her hand went to her breast and squeezed. Then she trailed her fingers down the outside. “My skin is sensitivehere.”

Jonah mirrored her movements on her other breast, and she shuddered. Her nipples were tight and dark, tempting him to reach out and touch, but he was playing by herrules.

Tessa’s head lolled back as she circled her breast with two fingertips. When she reached the underside, she moaned and her calves moved restlessly under thewater.

Jonah’s muscles were taut with the need to push, go further and faster. But not until shedid.

She moved her fingers to her nipple. There, her touch wasn’t gentle. She twisted and tugged, and her kneesparted.

“Stop,” he demanded. “That has tohurt.”

Her laugh was breathless. “Do you really want a lesson on sexual arousal and the accompanying increase in pain thresholds rightnow?”

Was that really a thing? He filed the relationship of pain to pleasure away for further research later. His hand was far from steady when he followed her lead and gently rolled her nipple between hisfingers.

“Harder,” shedemanded.

“I don’t wantto—”

“I promise, I’ll tell you if it doesn’t feelgood.”

Fuck.

He applied a little more pressure, and her legs opened wide, revealing the glistening tender skin betweenthem.

In. He wantedin.

When she moved her hand between her legs, Jonah’s body went into a vacuum state. No freaking airanywhere.

He wanted to watch her pleasure herself for hours. She rubbed her clitoris, making it stand out stiff and proud. His heartbeat was pounding through his body so hard, he could barely hear the harsh sounds of his own breathing. “God, Tess, Iwant—”