Her heart raced. She wasn’t quite sure where to put her hands. Self-consciousness burned in the back of her mind. Brynn had never thought herself vain, but in that moment, completely bared in front of this man, every flaw seemed magnified tenfold.
But Cenric wasn’t looking at her like she was flawed. His eyes slid over her slowly, appreciatively. His gaze hot and hungry.
A slow smile spread across his face. He crooked one finger in her direction, beckoning her to him.
Brynn climbed back onto the bed, meeting him at the center. Her stomach churned nervously yet she wanted to reach out and touch him, to kiss him again. To have his mouth on her again.
It was just sex, she told herself. People did it all the time, and it meant nothing. It had always been just a means to an end for her. A duty.
But already it was different with Cenric. She’d been vulnerable with him, allowed him to see her deepest, most broken places. She couldn’t keep him out of her heart when she had already let him in.
Cenric rested his hand on her side, stroking his thumb over the curve of her hip bone. He nuzzled her neck, inhaling the scent of her skin. He eased her back onto the bed, sinking onto his elbow beside her. He kissed her throat, one hand stroking languidly up and down her side.
Brynn pressed closer against him with a soft whimper.
Cenric lowered his mouth to her breast. He sucked at her nipple, making her gasp and her back arch under him. He leaned over her to kiss her other breast, drawing his tongue in spirals around the nipple until he took that into his mouth, repeating his ministrations.
Brynn bit back a moan, clenching his back. The sensation fluttered between pleasure and pain, a blinding intensity teetering between the two.
Cenric moved back up to kiss her collarbone, her throat, until they were cheek to cheek, his mouth against her ear. “How can I best pleasure you, love?”
Brynn squeezed her eyes shut at the endearment, her fingers digging tighter into his back. “I’m not sure.”
“Do you know what I mean?” Cenric was kind enough not to sound mocking as he asked the question.
“I know what you mean, I’m just not sure that I…can.” Her cheeks flushed with heat again. Cenric really was going to drag out every single one of her sad little secrets.
Cenric pulled back so they were eye level again. He cradled her face, brushing his thumb along her lower lip. “You’ve never touched yourself?”
Brynn squeezed her eyes shut. When she had started bedding Paega, she’d asked his elder sister Ulstrid for help because she hadn’t known who else to ask. Ulstrid had told her how to touch herself and Brynn had tried it during intercourse, hoping that would make it hurt less. Paega’s look of absolute disgust had filled her with more shame than she’d ever known up to that point. She’d never been able to try it again without remembering his face.
“It didn’t work,” Brynn answered quietly, her voice so soft she wasn’t sure Cenric would hear it. “I’ve never…” She shook her head.
Cenric was quiet for a long moment, then he kissed her forehead. “We’ll work on fixing that. If not tonight, then however long it takes.”
“I’m fine,” Brynn said. “You don’t have to go through the trouble.”
Cenric tilted his head to the side. “And leave my wife unsatisfied?”
“You might find it frustrating.” Brynn didn’t want Cenric to be disappointed. She didn’t want anything like that spoiling these moments.
“Let us try, love,” Cenric murmured, his mouth drifting to kiss her jaw, her neck, back down her collarbone. “Can you trust me?”
Brynn took a shaky breath and adjusted her shoulders to be more comfortable. “What should I do?”
“I am going to do things to you,” Cenric said. “And you tell me if you like them or not.”
Despite her reservations, Brynn’s whole body shivered in equal parts anticipation and nervousness. “Alright.”
Cenric leaned back on his elbow, so he had a full view of her naked body. He ran a hand down her side, over her hip, and down her thigh. He took his time, feeling her curves and contours with gentle thoroughness. “How is this?”
“Fine.” Brynn enjoyed the feel of his hands on her, if nothing else.
“Good.” Cenric reached her knee and feathered his fingers over and down, so that his hand was on her inner thigh. “This?”
“Yes.” Brynn’s heart thudded harder as his fingers dragged up the inside of her leg. She shifted, parting her legs for him as he drew closer toward the apex of her thighs.
Cenric reached the top of her thigh, close enough to stroke the dark curls between her legs before he withdrew. He repeated the ritual on the other side, asking her at each interval how it felt.
