“This needs to come off,” he murmured, unzipping my skirt then sliding it down over my legs. “This too.” Carefully avoiding any contact of his bare fingers with my skin, he pinched the waistband of my pantyhose and dragged them down, tossing them aside. My underwear followed.
His movements were unhurried, he obviously delayed the process, dragging it on to savour each part.
Despite the lack of the skin-to-skin contact, the slide of each garment as he slowly peeled it off me made my whole body tingle with awareness once again.
“This too,” he said softly, sliding his hands over the satin of my bra. His thumbs stroked my nipples through the thin material, making the tips harden with a sweet prickling sensation that spread through to my stomach.
“Yes. Please.” My breath rushed out of me.
I arched my back for his hands to slide under me, his fingers traced the back strap of my bra, without straying onto my skin. Vadim deftly unhooked the closure then pushed the cups up, setting my breasts free.
I watched his expression change as he hungrily caressed my chest with his gaze, pleasure rippling along my skin in its wake.
“Beautiful,” he whispered, his eyes lighting up deep magenta as he yanked the gloves from his pocket, putting them on again. “And all mine.”
‘Yours,’ echoed in my mind. ‘I’m all yours, Vadim. For three months.’
The titillating sensation of his hot breath against one of my erect nipples chased away the sadness that threatened to overwhelm me at the thought of my inevitable moving away.
Vadim slid his hand up the inside of my thigh, and I gasped at the contact of his gloved fingers when they reached the most sensitive part of my body.
The sensation was new. The demons at the Base never went this far, bringing me to climax with different toys only, their hands never actually touching me there.
Heat rushed me at the dexterous slide of his fingers, and I thrust my hips up, searching for more.
With another flash of light in his eyes—this one bright red—he squeezed my breast with his other hand as his fingers continued to slide back and forth through my folds, the slick heat slipping out of me, soaking his glove.
He lightly pinched the hard bud of my nipple between his fingers. My eyelids fluttered closed under the onslaught of pleasure rolling through me in hot, blinding waves.
“So incredibly wonderful.” I heard his whisper next to my ear then felt him nuzzle my hair. Carefully, ever so slightly, he glided his face over my temple, breathing me in deeply.
A soft moan caught in my throat as the movement of his fingers intensified, the pressure grew tighter inside me before finally exploding, released by him.
Straining against the belt that tied my wrists to the headboard, I pressed my thighs together, trapping his hand while I rode the pulsing ripples of my orgasm.
Finally, I dropped my knees apart—my leg muscles still trembling from the strain and pleasure he’d just put me through—and slumped back on the mattress, struggling to catch my breath.
Vadim stretched on his side along my body, a faint, satisfied smile on his face. Propped on his elbow, he left his other hand where it was —between my legs—still cupping me lightly. The intimacy of this gesture, protective and possessive at the same time, felt more intense than anything he had done to me. And I had no idea how to deal with the strong wave of feelings that rose in me in response.
My first instinct was to shift away from him, to break this lingering contact between us, so I could go back to being me again, with familiar thoughts and emotions.
This new sensation, however, caught me as if in a trap. Combined with the warmth of his gaze on me and content expression on his face, the effect of his heat seeping through the thin leather of his glove to the most intimate place on my body felt simply too enjoyable to give up so soon, and I let it be.
“You seem very relaxed now,” I teased, keeping my voice light. “Being with me must beat reading after all.”
“It beats everything,” he easily agreed, and my face flushed warm with pleasure at his words. Even the tips of my ears felt hot.
“For someone who doesn’t get out much, you are a smooth talker, Vadim. Is it a part of natural Incubus charm?”
“Natural?” He slid his hand up my stomach then to the belt restraining my hands. “If you’re asking whether I was created the way I am now, and you find me charming, then yes, it is natural. None of us have changed much physically from the day we first came to earth.”
He untied my hands, rubbing my wrists gently.
“Naturally charming.” I sighed. “Breathtakingly handsome. Andras mentioned you speak any known language on earth, too. I know you were sent here for punishment for a crime none of you remember committing. Do you think, though, that whatever power sent you here, equipped with all these tools of seduction, meant to sentence you to centuries of fighting your own nature?”
“What are you saying, Jade?”
“I’m saying that maybe your punishment wasn’t meant to be the pain you all have been going through all this time. Maybe the idea wasn’t to punish but to teach you a lesson. What if your task was to learn to co-exist with humans by realising the value of life and love? I mean, since you view the Forgiveness as the ultimate prize that you get by making a woman fall in love with you, then maybe this was the point of it from the beginning? What do you think?”
“If it was that simple, why did we find ourselves in centuries of violence with humans, during those first few hundreds of years on Earth?”
“I’m not sure.” The soothing, massaging movements of his hands along my arms and shoulders had relaxed my body, wrapping my mind into a sleepy haze. “Maybe all of you needed to grow to this level of understanding and acceptance first? Perhaps humans needed to grow, too.”
“Maybe,” he said in a half-whisper, sliding the straps of my open bra off my shoulders to take it off completely.
“Maybe now is finally the time in history when both Incubi and humans can accept each other without judgment, making relationships possible?”
“I would love for that to be true.” He took a blanket from the foot of the bed and covered me with it.
“It’s barely dinner time.” I stifled a yawn. “Why do I feel this tired?”
“It is often physically taxing for a human to feed an Incubus.” His even voice reached me, as my eyelids drooped. “And emotionally intense.”
“Why, though?” I protested, half-slurring the words already, as sleep began to drag me under. “Without the skin-to-skin contact, you were just skimming. Andras explained—”
“There has been skin-to-skin contact. Did you forget?” He flicked my nose lightly, any numbing sensation in it long gone. “Sleep now, you’ll feel much better in the morning.”
“Will you be here when I wake up?” I rolled his way, snuggling against his shirt-covered chest, my hands tucked between us.
“If that’s what you want.”
“I do.”
He draped his arm over my shoulders, keeping me close. “Then I will.”
Chapter 20
DARK, AND WARM, AND . . . cozy. Something, no, someone big and solid at my back.
Vadim.
I recognized his scent in the darkness of my bedroom—I would recognize it anywhere by now.
My arms over my head, I stretched and rolled over to face him. “What time is it?”
“Still early,” came the immediate reply, his voice clear and alert, in contrast to mine—rough from sleep.
He caught my wrists in his gloved hands before I had a chance to bring my arms down. “How are you feeling?” His eyes, like green jewels, shone mere inches away from mine.
“Good,” I whispered, subdued by the awareness of him being this close to me. “Very good, actually.”
God, I wanted to kiss him, now more than ever. Face to face with Vadim, my naked body separated only by a blanket from him, I couldn’t think of a more perfect moment for a kiss.
“
Would you let go of my arms?” I asked. “It’s my turn to touch you.”
“Jade—”
“I know the rules.” I twisted my wrists from his fingers as he loosened his grip. “I’ll stay away from your bare skin.”
I eagerly slid my hands over his shirt, down his shoulders then to his chest and belly. Without taking the blanket off, I bent my knee, bringing my leg between his.
“What is it about you that makes me lose my head when you’re near?” I murmured, without expecting him to answer.
“I believe that was in our design—you’re supposed to find me attractive.”
“Attractive, maybe, but not this fucking irresistible.” I leaned into him to make him roll on his back. “I find Andras incredibly attractive, too. But even if he didn’t have Natasha, I still don’t think I’d want to do all these things to him as much as I want to do them to you.” Holding the blanket to my chest, I threw my leg over his middle, settling on his thighs. “This . . . hold you have over me. I’ve never felt anything like it for anyone. Not even close.”
“Good,” he growled, grasping my hips through the blanket and yanking me closer to his crotch.
With a soft cry of surprise, I propped my hands on his abs to keep my balance. The cover fell off my chest, exposing my breasts, and I sensed the unmistakable hardness under my thigh.
Slowly, I slid my hand down his torso, my fingers skimming the waistband of his pants.
“Boxers or briefs?” I asked, a little breathless from anticipation, then added, prompted by his questioning stare. “Or do demons prefer to go commando?”
“Commando?”
“Are you wearing any underwear, Vadim?” I flicked the button of his pants open and took hold of the zipper. “I need to know to make sure I stay safe, remember? So, what will I find in here?”
“Boxers.” He cleared his throat as I slid my hand inside his pants.
“Holy mother of . . .” I gasped, my fingers closing over something hard and so massive I had no idea how it fit inside his pants. Through the fabric of his underwear I could feel the throbbing heat of his straining hard-on. “I’m so sorry, baby.” I slid my hand up and down his length. “This must be painful.”
“Trust me . . .” he gritted through his teeth. “What you’re doing right now is only making it worse.”
“But I can also make it better,” I cooed soothingly, gently massaging his erection through his underwear. The way he filled my hand felt amazing, and I tried not to think about how wonderfully he could fill me from the inside, too.
With a pained groan, he arched his back.
“Hold on,” I ordered, letting go of him, then grabbed the waistband of his pants and yanked them down.
“What are you doing?” Despite a clear note of alarm in his voice, he lifted his hips to help me ease his pants down.
“No worries. No touching, I know.” Carefully pinching the sides of his underwear, mindful not to brush by his naked skin, I tugged them down, too. “Here we go.” I sat back admiring the majestic sight of his erection bobbing in the air, freed from the constraints of his pants. “Just . . . um, give me a second.” I swallowed hard and jumped off the bed, leaving the blanket behind.
In the hallway, I quickly rummaged through the basket on top of my shoe rack, fishing out a pair of leather gloves.
“All set!” I waved the gloves in the air triumphantly as I returned. Crawling on top of Vadim again, I threw the blanket over his lap, lest his hard-on poke my naked stomach.
Watching me don the gloves must have put Vadim’s mind at ease a little. He stretched under me, folding his arms on the pillow, his hands under his head.
“Have you ever had anyone touch you like this?” I asked, splaying my hands on his stomach.
“You mean wearing gloves?”
I nodded.
“No.”
“I have.” I winked. “It can be rather enjoyable. If the person knows what they’re doing. It helps if you’re into that person, too,” I added, remembering how the excitement of the strangers’ hands on me had worn off.
Taking the ends of his shirt, I tried to yank it open, but the buttons held.
“I’ll need your help with these, babe.”
He tossed his gloves aside then unbuttoned his shirt, unhurriedly, as if he wasn’t in danger of literally exploding with lust at any minute, which was exactly where he was if the condition of his hard-on was any indication.
“Much better,” I groaned with approval, leaning forward and sliding my gloved hands up the front of his naked torso then to the side to shove his shirt off.
“I need these . . .” He reached for his gloves, but I shook my head, slowly massaging his wide chest.
“Just keep your hands to yourself, mister. This is all about you.”
“You’re sitting naked on top of me,” he protested. “I want to touch you, too.”
“You can watch.” I slid down his legs, my hands tracing the hard ‘V’ of his lower stomach. “But I’m the one doing the touching this time.”
Tossing the blanket aside, I caught his thick shaft between my palms. Gliding my hands up and down his impressive length, I imagined what it would feel like if I didn’t have the gloves on. Hot. The delicate skin would be tight and silky in my bare hands. The thick, protruding veins would be right under my fingers.
With the gloves on, I couldn’t feel any of these. Shoving aside the disappointment that threatened to sink my mood, I focused on things I could feel, instead. The sizable weight of him in my hands, thick and solid, so hard there was barely any give when I squeezed, firmly but gently. It felt as if I literally had the power of a demon at my fingertips.
Vadim’s breathing had rapidly accelerated, signalling to me he was close. With a strained groan, he threw his arms to the side, fisting the bedding.
Through the leather of my gloves, I sensed him pulse in my hands. Head back, his whole body shook with strain as he shot his release in long, erratic spurts.
As if all the tension drained from him with each pulsating shot, his body finally relaxed in a last wave of shudders.
“Jade,” he moaned, throwing his arm across his face.
“I won’t even ask if it was good for you.” I giggled and leaned in to kiss his hard abs only to halt myself an inch or so away from his skin, startled by the realisation I’d come this close. The thought that I may forget to stop next time was sobering.
Was it even possible to maintain any level of intimacy with someone I couldn’t touch?
“I’ll need to clean this,” I mumbled, climbing off him. “Be right back.”
Vadim was still lying on his back, his forearm over his face, when I returned with the cleaned gloves and a washcloth soaked in warm water.
“Are you okay?” I asked when he jerked at the touch of the cloth against his lower stomach.
“Okay?” He peeked at me from under his arm. “I . . . This . . .” He rose on his elbows, regarding me as if I were some museum rarity. “It wasn’t even about feeding, Jade. I didn’t skim anything,” he said, an expression of utter shock on his face.
“Well, it can’t always be about food, can it?” I smiled.
There was something odd but rather endearing about seeing the big and mighty Vadim losing his cool composure because of one hand job.
But then again, who knew how I would feel getting an orgasm after centuries of celibacy.
“Are you hungry?” He sat up in bed. “Sleepy?” He grabbed his gloves, putting them on quickly then yanked his pants up, moving closer to me.
“Horny?” I mimicked his concerned tone and expression, before breaking into a smile again.
“Are you?” His voice deepened.
Truthfully, a small tendril of arousal still tickled somewhere deep inside me.
“I can make sure you are.” The self-assurance in his voice flowed over my skin with the promise of more.
Except that I knew there couldn’t be much more. A touch by a gloved hand, even if that hand belon
ged to Vadim, didn’t feel like it would be enough at the moment.
“I, I don’t want the gloves right now,” I confessed.
He stared at his hands for a few seconds as if seeing the gloves for the first time.
“Without them . . .” he said. “I can’t.”
“What makes others able to touch their women without hurting them?” Andras and Natasha’s kiss came back to mind again.
“Better control.” The way his expression fell showed me he viewed his own lack of control as a weakness, a failure.
“They weren’t created with any better control than you, though, right? Yours could be improved too. With practice, I mean.”
“No.”
“No, they weren’t? Or no, it couldn’t?”
“No, I won’t practice,” he said stubbornly, his mouth set into a firm line.
“You wouldn’t even try?”
“I have tried—”
“It was long ago,” I interrupted. “You weren’t prepared. One can’t expect much control over anything the first time—”
“Not long ago.” He shook his head slowly. “Just yesterday, Jade. I was preparing myself in my head, hoping I could touch you. I longed to believe that as someone who cares about you, I would be able to stop in time. And I couldn’t last night.”
“You care about me?” It wasn’t the only thing he said, but it seemed to be the only one stuck in my brain, ringing through it like a church bell.
“I do.” He moved closer, placing his hands on my shoulders. “More with every minute of every day. I want to feel it all.” He skimmed my neck with his thumbs. “To kiss you, to taste you. Everywhere. And I don’t know how to go on without being able to do any of it. But there is no way I’d put you in harm’s way.”
“Vadim. Baby . . .” I shuffled on my knees towards him, and his hold on my shoulders tightened. He halted me from getting any closer, lest my naked breasts brush the skin of his exposed chest. “Last night, I caught you off guard. It was an accident for me, too.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“And I’m alive. See?” I lightly punched my chest with a fist in demonstration of my vitality then took his face between my gloved hands. “What if I did it one more time.” I rushed to explain, cutting off his protests, “You will have due warning. If you know what is about to happen, you will make a conscious effort to stop yourself, right?”
Grand Master (Demons, #3) Page 11