Arezoo had thought she was prepared. She'd read about what it looked like when a man was aroused, but the novels hadn't prepared her for the specifics of Ruvon. He was tall. He was lean. And he was big and fully erect.
She gasped and then pressed her hand to her mouth.
He misinterpreted her response and covered his erection with his hands, or at least attempted to. "Too much?"
She shook her head. "Come here."
Where she had gotten the courage to say that was beyond her. Was she channeling Drova?
She hoped not.
He let go of his erection and climbed onto the bed slowly, bracing one knee on the mattress beside her hip, and then the other.
He settled over her without putting his weight on her, his arms braced on either side of her shoulders. One dark strand of hair fell forward onto her cheek, and he was looking down at her with an expression that mixed reverence and desire in equal measure.
Arezoo's hands came up of their own accord and settled on the warm, bare skin of his chest. It felt hot under her palms, and his heart was beating fast.
"Hello," she whispered.
"Hello."
He bent down and kissed her, slowly, deliberately, taking his time. Her hands traveled up over his shoulders and into his loose hair, and his weight settled gradually against her.
When he let go of her mouth, he didn't move away. He just lifted his head a fraction and looked at her.
"I'm going to take my time with you," he said.
"Good."
"You're going to tell me if anything is too much."
"I will."
"I mean that, Arezoo. Anything. Even if you can't say why. You just say stop, and I stop."
"I trust you."
"I love you," he said.
"I love you too."
He kissed her lips again, then her jaw, then the soft place under her ear, and when she felt him begin to move slowly down her body, she knew what he intended to do because she'd read about it but hadn't been sure she would be okay with that.
She was about to find out.
He kissed what seemed to be every inch of her on his way down, and her body responded by arching up and welcoming every kiss, every caress, even the small nips that sent shivers through her body.
She was going to let him kiss her down there.
She'd let him do anything he wanted tonight, because she trusted him completely, and because every part of her that had been afraid of this for so long had quietly shut up shop and gone home.
17
RUVON
Arezoo arched up under him, and the small breathless sounds she'd been making were getting louder.
He hadn't expected her to be so bold, so fearless.
