Immediately, he froze. “No.”
She stopped, lowering her arms back to the mattress. “Let me touch you.”
“No.”
“Why?”
He ignored her question, dropping his head and dragging his mouth along her tender throat, imagining sinking his teeth into it.
“Murmur …” She moaned as he bit down lightly on her throat, careful not to break the skin. “I want to—”
“Take this off,” he growled, fisting the fabric of her hoodie. He wanted to touch more of her, taste her bare skin.
She started to sit up, and this time he let her move, leaning back as she worked the material over her head. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath—no undershirt or bra. He liked that.
His gaze wandered over her bare upper body. Her breasts were small, her nipples dark, her skin supple. She looked vulnerable like this … until he looked into her eyes. There was nothing vulnerable about the hungry way she watched him.
He reached for her, and their mouths met once more. She gripped the sheet still caught around his hips, trying to pull itaway, but he caught her wrists and pulled back with a warning look.
“Let me touch you,” she panted.
He searched her face. Was he going to allow this? For so long, he’d despised even the lightest sensation of being restrained, and that included another’s hands on his skin. His bedsheet ended up on the floor more often than not because he couldn’t stand the feel of it wrapped around his legs.
Even now, so long after his time as Paimon’s prisoner, the feeling of being shackled in any way sent him into a cold sweat, the old memories crawling out of some dark inner hovel to haunt him.
But … this was Suyin. And he wanted to know what it would be like to let her touch him. He wanted it badly.
Slowly, he released her wrists, holding his open hands above hers for an extended pause and giving her a warning look. If she pushed him too far, he would retaliate.
Logically, he knew there was nothing she could do to him that he couldn’t stop immediately. There was no way she could overpower him. But this aversion wasn’t logical; it was psychological. And if there was one enemy Murmur couldn’t defeat, it had always been his own mind.
As Suyin pulled the sheet aside, his hand dove into her hair, tangling with the silky strands. He tightened his hold, drawing her head back. With his other hand, he gripped her jaw, his thumb and forefinger pressing into her soft cheeks, though he was careful not to cut her with his claws. She was so small compared to him, he had to be careful.
She moaned as he kissed her again, but her little hands didn’t stop until they wrapped around his hard shaft. It was his turn to moan.Fucking hell, that felt incredible. How had he gone so long without this?
He lost control of their kiss as she stroked his shaft with afirm grip, and he could do nothing but breathe against her lips. His head spun with pleasure.
“Lie back,” she whispered.
He shook his head mutely, too lost in the movement of her hands to form words.
“Murmur …”
Her grip tightened, and for a second, the panic rose. His spine stiffened and he pulled back. She released him immediately, and from the frown on her face, she was beginning to figure out his hang-up.
They stared at each other. He didn’t want her to stop. He just didn’t want to feel restrained in any way, and he sure as fuck didn’t want to explain that to her.
“Lie down,” she said again.
“No,” he growled.
Her eyes narrowed. “What if I told you I want you to lie down because I want to suck your dick?” Her lips curved into a wicked smile. “Would that convince you?”
His mouth opened and then closed again. His gaze fixed on her lips, and he imagined them parting as she took him into her hot, wet mouth—
What do you know, I’m convinced.
Still, he moved cautiously, never taking his eyes from her. He leaned back, resting onto his elbows. Her dark eyes lit with satisfaction and the promise to make it worth his while. He didn’t doubt her for a second.Little witch.
