The only parts of him that weren’t riddled with scars were his face and legs, and the latter was only because they’d kept his jeans on.
“Can I touch you?” she asked softly, holding her palm a scant few centimeters from his sternum.
“You don’t have to ask, Nes. I’ll always welcome your touch,” he replied, still averting his gaze.
Slowly, Nessa placed her hand back on his chest, her touch light as her fingers traced over his skin. Murphy sucked in a trembling breath, relishing the feel of her warm palm on his flesh. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had someone physically touch him like this, and it felt … healing.
As if with each second her fingers trailed delicately over his scars, the burden of the marks lifted from his soul.
“I’ve wondered a few times how muscular you were,” Nessa murmured sweetly, running her eyes over his torso and focusing on his chiseled abdomen. She flicked her gaze up, staring at him from beneath her lashes. She sent him a teasing smile. “Okay, it’s been more than a few times,” she said, waggling her brows.
Despite the heaviness in the air between them, Murphy chuckled. He knew what she was doing—hoping to distract him, to put him at ease. He didn’t know if it would work, but he welcomed the attempt nonetheless. “What, did you think I was scrawny?”
“God, no.” Nessa scrunched up her nose at him playfully. “That night I was attacked–I kind of remember you shifting in front of me. You were naked, obviously, but I was in shock, so I didn’t really take it all in, you know? But sometimes I dream about you, and …” She trailed off.
Eager to hear what she had to say, he slid two fingers under her chin, lifting her head. Their eyes met. “And?”
“Maybe I remember more than I thought, because this is exactly how I pictured you.” She licked her lips, and his cock twitched in his jeans, the denim material causing an uncomfortable pressure along his hardening shaft.
His dick throbbed as it stiffened, reminding him that he’d neglected it earlier while he’d eaten out Nessa’s cunt. He’d been hard as a rock as soon as he’d caught her scent in the air, and once he’d had a taste, he’d known he’d have to take himself in hand later just to stave off his ever-growing arousal.
He’d wanted to do that while he’d eaten her out, to stroke himself until he came with her, but he didn’t think they were at that stage yet, and he didn’t want to do anything that would make Nessa feel uncomfortable.
Although, given how beautifully she’d responded to him, how eagerly she’d arched into his fingers and tongue, and how readily she’d obeyed his commands, he wondered if her fears were nonexistent, after all.
Maybe it was because he was her partner. Her body and soul recognized him intrinsically and knew he’d never do anything to harm her, so she’d fully enjoyed herself sexually, without fear. Hell, he hoped that was what had happened.
“You pictured me exactly like this?” He cocked his head to the side before giving himself the briefest once-over. He barely glanced at the scars, seeing a blur of pale skin that contrasted nicely with Nessa’s deeper complexion.
As much as he enjoyed how well they complemented each other, her words rang chaotically through his mind.
Did she envision him likethis, or had his skin been perfectly smooth?
“Hm.” Nessa pursed her lips in thought. “Actually, I was picturing an eight-pack set of abs, and you’ve only got–”herindex finger poked him several times–”a six-pack. That’s a shame. But Idosee a sexy little V-shape peeking out from your jeans, so I guess that’ll have to suffice,“ she said with an exaggerated huff.
Fuck, he loved her.
The words were on the tip of his tongue, so close to being vocalized, but instead he blurted out, “Yeah? There’s something else in my jeans that might suffice.”
Nessa choked on a laugh, her eyes rounding in shocked delight. “Murphy Sinclair, did you just use some lame ass pick-up line on me?”
Murphy grimaced, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. “You’re right. That was terrible. I take it back.”
“Oh, no. You can’t take that back.” Nessa grinned. “In fact, I’m telling Hunny, who will definitely tell Tank, and once he knows, I’m sure Jasper will, too.”
“That’s extortion.”
She snorted. “No, it’s not. I haven’t demanded anything in return for my silence.”
“What do you want?” he replied, placing his hands on her bare hips. “I mean, is there some way we can work this out? I’ll do anything,” he joked, his suggestive tone unmistakable.
Her brows rose, and then she smirked. “You said you’d take a shower with me, so why don’t you finish undressing and we’ll see what happens when we get in there?”
Well, that was unexpected.
A thousand perverted images floated through his mind as he hastily reached for the button of his jeans. He’d just finished pulling down the zipper when he paused, eyeing her warily.
His mate was bold in many ways, but sexually? He hadn’t seen that side of her yet, and he doubted a few minutes of licking her sweet pussy until she came would change that.
