She spread her fingers, encompassing as much as she could, and then slowly moved them, up and down, tracing the way his back got narrower towards his waist.
She moved back around to stand in front of him and avoided looking in his face as she put her hands to his chest, his hair tickling her palms and fingers. Softer than she had imagined. Springy.
His nipples were two hard nubs under her palms and instinctively she moved her hands down, nails grazing against them. She heard a sharp indrawn breath and looked up. ‘Did I hurt you?’
Cassian shook his head. ‘No…but you are killing me slowly.’
Lili could see the faintest sheen of perspiration on his face. It was more than astounding to think she was having an effect on him. But then she looked down and she could see where his pants were bulging slightly.
Her mouth was suddenly dry. She looked up again. ‘Can I undo your pants?’
‘By all means.’ His jaw clenched.
Lili saw a button. She put her hands to it, slipping it free. The top of his pants opened revealing dark hair. Suddenly she was a little overcome.
Cassian said, ‘Do you want me to take them off?’
Without looking at him—too ashamed of the hunger she was feeling and all of the new sensations swirling inside her, she nodded and took a step back. She’d forgotten the bed was right behind her and ended up sitting on the edge again, watching as Cassian put his hands to the sides of his pants and pushed them down. Stepping out of them.
He was naked. Lili’s eyes had to be as big as saucers. She was transfixed. He was a study in perfection. He wasn’t fully erect but even at that he was beyond intimidating. Thick and hard. Veins running along the shaft. It twitched under her gaze and Lili really, really wanted to touch it.
Cassian said, ‘You can if you like.’
She looked at him. She must have spoken out loud. She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming all of this up. Time seemed to have slowed or stopped completely. There was just them in this room and this taut bubble of energy between them.
‘You’re so beautiful,’ she couldn’t help saying.
* * *
Cassian wasn’t sure how he was standing so still when every nerve in his body was pulled so tight that he could feel his heart thumping. The way Lili had just touched him, as reverently as if he was made of china…he’d never experienced anything like it.
She stood up again and he gritted his jaw as she came close again. She looked down at him and that was all it took for his body to get even harder. He couldn’t remember when he’d been so turned on.
She was biting her lip now and he had to clench his hands to fists to stop himself from reaching out.You can’t touch her. Uncharted territory. It made him think of all the women who’d given themselves to him so willingly over the years, all but pushing themselves into his hands and he’d taken without even thinking. Gorging himself but coming away feeling increasingly dissatisfied.
From where he stood, he could see a tantalising glimpse of Lili’s cleavage. The robe had fallen open slightly. He could also see the white of the swimsuit. The most innocuous piece of clothing and yet it had assumed almost mythical proportions in his imaginings.
But all of that was eclipsed when he felt her stroke a finger down the length of his penis. He had to close his eyes.Madre di Dio…and now, she was closing a hand around him, fingers shaping his flesh, moving up and down slightly.
Cassian could feel sweat break out on his brow. He opened his eyes. Lili looked up, cheeks flushed. Eyes very blue. ‘Is this okay?’
He nodded. ‘It’s amazing…but if you keep doing that I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to maintain my dignity.’
She took her hand away and Cassian almost cursed out loud. But it was good, because he didn’t really want to spill into her hand like some hormonal teenager.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, looking genuinely anguished.
Cassian cursed again, silently. He shook his head. ‘Nothing to apologise for. It’s a sign of the effect you have on me.’
‘What…what should I do now?’
There was something so endearingly trusting about her that Cassian almost wanted to take her by the hand and lead her out of his room and villa and put her on a boat and send her off to some other man who would handle her with kid gloves and not want to devour her like he did. He felt like a hungry wolf with little innocent Red Riding Hood.
But even just the thought of her with another man was enough to make him also want to lock every door in the place and never let her outside again.
He took a deep breath. ‘Why don’t you take off your robe?’
She undid the knot in the belt and opened it. The robe fell open and she pulled it back, letting it fall to the floor. Now she only wore the swimsuit and Cassian’s gaze was full of her glorious body.
