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Her eyes flew open. ‘You don’t mind?’ she whispered, pathetically grateful for the unexpected respite.
‘Why would I mind?’ he said, the tilt of his lips full of sexual promise. ‘You’re going to be doing all the work.’
She gave a small smile back, the pressure in her chest releasing a tiny bit. Maybe this wouldn’t be a total disaster.
Her hands trembled as she slipped the small buttons of his shirt out of their buttonholes. With each new glimpse of the tanned, lightly haired torso, she wrestled back a tiny bit of control, another whisper of courage. And slowly but steadily, the well of desire sprang back to life.
He smelled delicious, clean soap and spicy aftershave and the musky scent of man. She opened the sides of his shirt, nudged the starched cotton off broad shoulders. As her courage grew she indulged herself. She investigated the flat brown nipples nestled in the dark curls of hair, heard his muffled grunt as she learned the contours and textures of his heavily muscled chest, the ridged definition of his abdomen. But as the exploration inched lower her fingers slowed and eventually stopped dead on the waistband of his trousers. She couldn’t take her eyes off the bulge, which had got a great deal more prominent.
The breath backed up in her lungs. She’d thought she could handle him, could handle what was going to happen between them. But was she really ready to handle that?
His hand covered hers. ‘Juno, is this your first time?’
She looked up to find him watching her. Embarrassment scorched her cheeks at the perceptiveness in his gaze. ‘Of course not. I’m twenty-two years old,’ she said, wanting to sound indignant.
‘But you’ve little experience. Am I right?’
Mortification engulfed her. She grappled to pull up the straps of her dress. She had to get away, get out of here, before she made an even bigger mess of things. But as she tried to sit up he grasped her wrist.
‘What’s this now? Where are you off to?’ he asked, sounding both amused and confused.
She tugged on her arm, refusing to look at him. ‘You’re right. I haven’t got much experience at this. In fact I’ve got hardly any,’ she said. What was the point in pretending? She might have matured emotionally since that hideous night six years ago, but that wasn’t going to be enough. Not to deal with a man like Mac Brody. ‘After all the women you’ve slept with, you’re bound to be disappointed,’ she finished, feeling utterly defeated.
So much for seizing the moment. How could she ever have believed this would work? Of course he’d seen through her pitiful charade. Wearing a beautiful dress, putting on a bit of make-up, tottering about in high heels, didn’t suddenly make you a sex goddess.
He let go of her wrist and cradled her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. ‘Sweetheart, you’ve no need to worry about disappointing me. If I was any more aroused at the minute, I’d be doing myself an injury.’
His wry amusement washed away a little of her hurt and humiliation.
He sighed. ‘This isn’t a test.’ His thumb cruised the swell of her breasts, dipped into the curve of her cleavage. ‘I’ll not be grading you after the event.’ Her nipple hardened as his thumb circled the rigid peak through her gown. ‘But if you’ve performance anxiety, why don’t I take the lead for a while?’
Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. The rasp of his voice seduced her as she concentrated on the lazy stroking.
‘I doubt I’m as prolific as you think,’ he continued, his clever fingers finding the zip of her dress and giving it a gentle tug. ‘But it seems I’ve got a bit more experience.’ The soft swish as the teeth released seemed deafening in the languid silence.
She shivered as he undressed her, pulling the bodice down and baring her to the waist but for her push-up bra. The lace seemed to have constricted around her lungs like a corset.
‘Lie back,’ he coaxed, tracing his finger in a line of fire down her chest, over the front hook of her bra. ‘Let me do the work for a while.’ She sank into the pillows as the electric touch sizzled across her abdomen and drew circles arou
nd her belly button. ‘All you need do is tell me what you like.’
‘But I don’t know what I like,’ she panted out and then bit her lip.
Why had she said that? He’d think she was a moron.
He flashed her a cocky grin, his large palm flattening on her waist. ‘Then we’re going to have a hell of a time finding out.’
She nodded, not sure she could speak.
‘Good girl,’ he said, touching his lips to hers as his hand swept up and deftly undid her bra.
She jolted, panic assaulting her as he nudged the cups aside. ‘Please, don’t.’
She tried to cover herself, but his hands gently bracketed her upper arms, pinning her to the bed. She shut her eyes, her body quivering with acute embarrassment as she felt his gaze on her breasts. She’d always known she wasn’t well endowed, but it hadn’t bothered her too much. Until now.
‘Why would you hide yourself?’ The words were gruff with astonishment.
Her eyes opened to see the fierce approval in his gaze. A brutal blush fanned out across her chest. ‘They’re a bit small,’ she whispered.
