by BETH KERY
"Hope."
She glanced over at him through lowered lashes, all too aware of how hot her cheeks were. He leaned up on one elbow, his expression tense as he stared at her breasts encased in an ivory, lace-trimmed, strapless corset. His hot stare lowered over her, making her skin feel prickly wherever it touched. She'd just removed her pantaloons. She had to resist a strong urge to cover herself when his gaze fixed between her naked thighs.
"That will do. Leave the rest on."
"But. .. I'm still wearing a corset and my garter," she mumbled as she came toward him awkwardly.
"A lot of guys fantasize about having a woman undress for them and seeing that she's wearing stuff like a garter belt and hose, Hope."
"Are you one of them?" Hope asked in dawning amazement. What else would a woman wear beneath her clothing?
He dragged his eyes up to her face. "I like it all right. But something about the fact that it's not a getup in your case—not contrived to be sexy, but just the way you dress all the time ... I don't know. It's more of a turn-on than I'd ever thought it'd be. Come here."
He reached for her and she came onto the bed. He settled her in his lap and drew up his knees. Hope straddled him in a sitting position, her back comfortably supported by his hard thighs.
"Ryan," Hope whispered when he ran both hands over her corset-encased breasts. She moaned softly when his fingers trailed down her lace garters and down over her pale hose. A shudder of excitement went through her body.
"These are silk," he said, amazement flavoring his tone.
" Yes. What else would they be ?"
"Nylon. It's a synthetic fabric. That's usually what hose are made of in this day and age."
He opened his big hand and caressed the length of her leg. She clearly felt the column of his penis surge beneath her bottom.
"So soft," he murmured. He looked up at her face. "You're unbelievably beautiful."
Her lower lip dropped at the stark compliment.
"You're unbelievably beautiful as well. And ... and I'm the one who is supposed to be seducing you, Ryan," she reminded him with difficulty. Most of her attention was on his long finger as it moved over the top of her breasts where they swelled over her corset. His light touch made her nipples prickle and pinch against the tight material.
He blinked and took a deep breath before he dropped his hand to the bed. "The seduction was complete long ago, but if you want to touch me, go ahead, honey."
She smiled happily and once again began her exploration of his magnificent body. He didn't speak but just watched her as she delved her fingers through his crisp chest hair and ran her hands along the tantalizing slant that ran from his narrow waist up to his wide chest. She felt his skin roughen when she lightly scratched him with her fingernails just inches below his armpit. That physical reaction along with the feeling of his erection throbbing against her bare bottom informed her that he liked having his skin lightly scraped.
She once again focused her attention on his nipples, using both her fingertips and fingernails to stimulate him. She grew so excited by how stiff they became that she leaned down to feel how the hard little button felt pressed against her tongue.
"Hope."
Her eyelids flashed open in alarm. She glanced up at Ryan with the tip of her tongue still savoring his nipple. Why had his voice sounded so hard?
What she saw in his rigid features emboldened her. She flicked her tongue rapidly over the stiff disc, letting him watch.
"Unbutton my jeans and touch my cock," he ordered.
But she recalled all too well the way he'd set the pace for her when she'd begged him while he suckled her breasts last night. This tense, coiled excitement that built and built was the true meaning of seduction, Hope decided.
So instead of doing what Ryan demanded she smiled and pulled her long hair over to one side, out of her way. She placed her mouth over his nipple. He groaned when she applied suction and scraped her front teeth over the sensitive flesh, just as he'd done to her last night. She thought he might chastise her for not doing what he ordered, but he remained silent and tense as she used her lips and tongue to explore his chest and abdomen. As she nibbled her way down his body he slowly lowered his legs so she could move downward more easily, so Hope expected he liked her explorations even though she wasn't doing precisely what he asked.
Yet, anyway.
She cradled his ribs in her hands and spread kisses over his stomach. When she moved up slightly, the tips of her breasts slid across his belly just above the pants that he'd called jeans. He groaned and she glanced up into his face. She saw where he stared so fixedly and looked down to see the flesh of her breasts spilling abundantly over the edge of her tight corset.
Her smile up at him was a tad devilish before she planted a kiss on his belly button and dragged her tongue down the strip of dark brown hair just beneath it.
"You're buying yourself a one-way ticket right over my knee, witch."
She glanced up at him in trepidation but then snorted softly with laughter when she saw the grin curving his handsome mouth. Still—when she saw how hot his stare was, she wondered for a moment if he hadn't been at least partially serious in his threat.
"You make it sound like I'd never come back," she told him archly before she lightly licked the skin just above his jeans. He started at the caress.
"You'll come back all right—with one very sore butt."
"All right. I'll do what you asked."
He gave an exasperated grunt. "I'll believe that when I see it."
She sat up and narrowed her eyelids at him before she scooted her bottom down his thighs, pressing against his clearly defined erection in the process. He gritted his teeth and drew his breath in sharply. Hope pulled on the fly of his pants, practically ripping the metal buttons through the holes.
"Hold on a second," Ryan muttered when she started yanking on his jeans frantically. He leaned up from his reclining position to try to help her. His tone had sounded surprised.
Well, what did he expect? Did he think he was the only one here who was eager for her to touch him?
He lifted his hips and between the two of them they wrestled his jeans and starkly white underwear down to his thighs. When Hope saw his cock lying erect along his belly, however, she gave up trying to help him and lowered down to inspect him more closely.
Her long hair fell forward and slithered across his stomach, partially obscuring his penis.
Hope pushed it back impatiently.
Ryan went still as she studied him just inches away from his erect member. Several blue veins distended along the length of the staff. The head was shaped like the cap of a paddy straw mushroom, smooth and succulent in appearance. She inhaled and caught his musky, male scent.
Liquid heat surged between her thighs.
"I can't believe you put that inside me," she whispered. Her wide-eyed fascination only mounted when his cock slid an inch on his belly as though drawn to her warm breath.
"Well, believe it. I'm going to put it inside of you more times than you'll ever be able to count."
She shifted up on him slightly. He gasped and fell back on the bed.
"Christ, Hope."
"What?" she asked, alarmed that something was wrong.
"Your hair," he grated out. Hope noticed perspiration dampening his brow. "It's like .. .
coiled silk."
She glanced down and saw a swatch of her dark hair had spilled again over his belly and cock. She instinctively moved her head, swooshing it back and forth.
"You really do want a spanking, don't you?" . She grinned. "It feels good, doesn't it?"
He swallowed thickly and nodded. Hope gathered some of the hair in her hand and wrapped her fingers around the girth of his penis, lifting the weight off his belly. When she moved her hand up and down, sliding his cock amongst a dense thicket of curls, he clenched his eyes shut tightly.
"Oh yeah."
Hope's smile widened. It did something to her to see Ry
an so transported by pleasure. It really did. She could easily become addicted to the experience. Her hand squeezed tighter and her pumping motions grew more rapid. She watched in fascination as his breathing came faster and a slight coat of perspiration began to gleam on his muscular, flat abdomen.
"That's right, honey. Don't stop. It feels so good."
She glanced down and saw the head of his penis poke out amidst the long strands of her dark hair. For a moment or two she merely watched the fat crown while she stroked him with her hair-lined fist and he moaned in pleasure. A globule of clear liquid gathered around the slit and began to stream down the head. She leaned down even further to watch its progress and saw it was about to flow into her hair.
Without thinking she swiped her tongue over the head of Ryan's cock, capturing the liquid.
He started. She stared up at him in alarm only to see his eyes pinned to her opened lips and partially exposed tongue. His essence melted on the tip of it and she caught his flavor. She closed her mouth and swallowed.
"Hope."
"Yes, Ryan?" she asked shakily.
But he didn't speak even though it looked like he knew precisely what he wanted to say.
"Remember . . . remember last night when you put your mouth on me?"she asked.
He merely nodded, his eyes glowing like embers between narrowed eyelids.
"Would you like me to do—"
"Yes."
She smiled before she slid the crown of his cock between her lips. His girth stretched her lips wide when they encircled the entire head. She tightened her mouth around him and began to slide the stalk of his penis between her fisted curls.
He moaned.
"That's it. Now move your mouth up and down a little bit, honey. Follow the rhythm of your hand."
Hope looked up and saw that Ryan had come up on his elbows and watched her with profound focus. She loved the weight of his penis on her tongue. She bobbed her head up and down on the first several inches of his cock. When she experimented with suction his expression turned rigid . .. even a little feral. He met her stare while she moved over him even faster both with her mouth and hand.
"Witch."
Her smile stretched around his cock. She felt him throb in her hand, sensed his mounting excitement. He clenched his eyes shut. Hope lost herself in the sensation of giving him pleasure.
"I'm going to come," he said eventually.
Hope's eyes went wide at his harsh proclamation. What did he want her to do?
His big body shuddered and he opened his eyelids into narrow slits. "Come off me unless you want to swallow, Hope."
Swallow? His seed? She wasn't sure if she wanted to do that or not, but she couldn't bring herself to move away from him. It was thrilling to be so intimately touching him as he reached his moment of crisis. His cock jerked in her hand. She kept the head fixed tightly in her mouth and continued to pump him with her fist.
His sharp shout of release segued into a deep, guttural groan. Hope whimpered in wonder as his warm semen began to shoot into her mouth. She struggled to swallow at first, but then his taste penetrated her awareness—musky and rich, the very essence of Ryan Daire.
She took him deeper into her mouth then, suckling him while he continued to grunt in pleasure and erupt in orgasm.
Finally his convulsions lessened and the former jets of semen waned to irregular spills on her tongue. It struck her as being a little sad—poignant—for some reason when she'd licked off the last seeping drop and he fell back against the pillows, breathing heavily.
She slid his sticky member out of her mouth. Although he was noticeably less hard, his cock still looked ruddy and full, she noticed.
"Come here."
She felt her cheeks warming at the sound of his low, gruff voice. The intimacy of what had just occurred seemed to crash in on her when she looked into Ryan's face and heard his tone.
"Would . .. would you like me to remove your ... jeans first?" she asked uncertainly.
He scowled. "What I'd like is for you to come here, Hope."
She leaned down over his chest and he pulled her into his arms. She snorted and then giggled when he put his face next to her neck and rubbed her lightly with his whiskers.
"Oh, stop!" she shouted, squirming on top of him to get away from the torture. "I'm extremely ticklish."
"I can see that." He swatted her fanny once as she wiggled around, trying to get away from him. Hope jumped like the smack
of flesh against flesh had been a gunshot. Before she had the opportunity to squawk, however, Ryan was already at the business of soothing her with firm, warm lips that curved into a grin. He scraped his front teeth lightly along her nape.
She writhed again on top of his long, hard body, but her restlessness had nothing to do with panic this time.
Ryan groaned and spread both of his hands over her hips and bottom, holding her into immobility.
"I've never known a woman who squirms as much as you do."
Hope gasped when he nipped at the shell of her ear and then placed a kiss on the opening.
He lightly licked at her earlobe and then kissed the entire opening once again. This time the slight suction he applied made warm juice flood from her sex. Hope pressed down on her hips and wiggled, desperate for pressure where she most needed it. "Oh, you make me squirm, Ryan. Don't be mad at me when you're the one who makes it happen."
He chuckled and leaned back onto the pillow, inspecting her. His long fingers began to knead her bottom. "Why would I be mad at the fact that you have such a sensitive little body?" He smoothed both palms over her bottom and parted her thighs. Hope moaned when he penetrated her slit with a long finger. His penis lurched against her hip. "Or that you get so wet from a few kisses and making me come?"
Hope's mouth fell open and she stared blankly as he stimulated her with his finger. A sound of protest left her throat when he withdrew. He brought his finger to his mouth and sucked it, his cerulean eyes never leaving her face.
"So sweet," he murmured after he'd taken his finger from his mouth.
Hope groaned and ground her pelvis against him again, her body moving more sinuously this time compared to her former desperate writhing. If she interpreted Ryan's knowing grin correctly, he knew precisely what she was experiencing. His hands went to the back of her corset.
"How do I get this thing off?" • "There are hooks—" Even as she spoke, however, he popped open several of the fasteners.
"It's like getting off a bra times fifteen."
"What's a bra?" Hope asked, but she wasn't really paying any attention because Ryan had rolled her onto her back. He paused to kick off the remainder of his clothing before he came down on his side next to her with an eager look on his face.
"I'll have my mother explain to you the dynamics of a bra, I think. Suffice it to say it's an abbreviated version of this thing and I'm guessing a hell of a lot more comfortable," he muttered as he removed her stiff corset and tossed it to the side of the bed carelessly.
Hope scowled as he tossed away the garment but she was much more interested in Ryan's casual reference to his mother.
"I meant to ask you about your family. When will I get to meet your mother?"
"Hmmm?" Ryan asked after a moment. She realized he stared fixedly at her bared breasts, a small smile curving his mouth that reminded her of a tiger about to feast—and feast well.
"Ryan. We were speaking of your mother."
"You might have been. I was talking about your breasts. Or thinking about them, anyway."
Hope swallowed as she stared up at him. The secret flesh between her thighs twanged sharply with arousal. Why did the hungry look in his beautiful eyes make her feel as though she was about to be ravished and cherished at once?
Then he lowered his head and caught a nipple between his lips and teeth and Hope thought she began to understand what it meant to be both nourishment and a source of worship to a lover at once.
A lover, she thought as she arched her back, fe
eding him her flesh even as he added fuel to her flaming desire with his firm suck and lashing tongue. She ran her fingers through his thick, soft hair and thought: I have a lover.
And what an exquisite, awe-inspiring experience it was to desire and be desired full measure in return. Never. Never when she'd read Shakespeare or Whitman or imagined the tawdry romps in the Levee District had she imagined the fullness of this experience, the intense, blazing carnality of it.
She glanced down and saw Ryan's cheeks hollowed out as he suckled her, the taut, firm squeeze of his lips, the surprisingly touching sight of his closed, smooth eyelids—as though she witnessed him at a moment of sublime, peaceful bliss.
Her womb seemed to clench inside of her, the pain so great she cried out.
"Ryan!"
He opened his eyelids slowly.
"I... don't think you should continue doing that. It... it hurts."
His dark brows and the sticking bandage went up on his forehead, but his lips remained sealed around her nipple.
"Well, not hurts, precisely," she admitted rapidly when the divine suction of his mouth lessened noticeably. His firm suck resumed and Hope's fingers clawed desperately in his hair, making him grunt in discomfort. Despite what she'd just said she cried out "no!"
when Ryan released her nipple.
"Do you want me to tie you down again?"
"Surely that's not necessary, is it?" she whispered weakly. Ryan gave her a wry look as he came face-to-face with her, pressing her down to the bed. It felt delicious to take even part of the weight of such a big, solid . .. hard man.
"It will be if you keep clawing me and writhing around while I take my time making love to your mouth and breasts and anything else I damn well please for a good part of the night. I want complete access to you, Hope."
Her mouth fell open to reply and Ryan silenced her by sliding his tongue between her lips.
She moaned as pleasure inundated her. Surely Ryan wasn't concerned. Couldn't he tell he had complete access to everything from her pinkie finger to her very soul?
TWENTY-TWO
Ryan's consciousness rose sluggishly into the waking world the next morning. He existed in a warm cocoon of sunlight and body-warmed blankets. He kept his eyes closed, hesitant to break the spell of profound relaxation and contentment. The most amazing, erotic memories clung around his awareness like a dream lover's embrace.