She was a virgin, for Christ’s sake.
Ellie put her hand on his leg and he stiffened, the blood pounding even hotter. Sweat gathered across his brow, and it wasn’t from the sauna.
“I know that I want to give you pleasure.” Her cheeks heated adorably. “The way you pleasured me.” She bit her lip and gazed up at him uncertainly. “If it’s possible?”
God, was it possible! In a number of ways.
Erik closed his eyes and fought for control but knew he was past the point of arguing. The idea of her hand on him—he dared not picture her mouth—was too tempting to refuse.
She wanted to pleasurehim. Usually he was the one who gave—whether it was pleasure in the bedchamber or entertainment around the campfire. He wasn’t used to someone thinking about what he wanted. But Ellie never seemed to act the way she was supposed to.
“Tell me,” she prodded softly.
He looked into her eyes, every inch of his body pulled as tight as a bowstring. His jaw was clenched so hard he could barely get the words out. “I can’t.”
Instead he showed her. Holding her gaze, he moved her hand over him.
He groaned at the contact—and at the little erotic sound of surprise that emerged from between her parted lips. She swallowed, with some effort, but when she didn’t remove her hand, he thanked about every god he could think of.
Molding her hand around him, he savored the sensation for as long as he could. He was in danger of losing it with her just holding him.
Clearly this wasn’t going to last long. His vaunted stamina seemed to have deserted him. Ellie was wreaking havoc with his reputation. Not that anyone would believe it. Hell, he couldn’t believe it himself.
Her shock wore off quickly. He almost wished it back, however, when his too-curious little nursemaid started to explore him with painstaking attention to detail. She petted him gently as if she were afraid he would break, when all he wanted to do was curl that soft little palm of hers around him with a firm grip and let her stroke him until he burst into mindless oblivion. She tested his length, moving her hand up and down, and then his girth with a tentative circle of her hand. But her hands were small and he was not; she could barely close halfway.
She gave a gentle squeeze and tug. He made a rough sound of half-pleasure, half-pain. He clenched and started to pulse.
She jerked back her hand. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
He shook his head, blood raging like an inferno in his ears. He wanted to come so badly he could barely think.
“God, no.” His eyes burned as he gazed into her worried face. “It feels perfect.”
She smiled, causing the heat in his blood to spread to his chest. She touched him again, and he sighed into her hand, the relief acute. He leaned back and closed his eyes, trying not to think about what she was doing to him, while savoring each dark sensation. The warmth. The tentative brush of her fingertip as she traced him from root to the top of his thick, sensitive head. And the exquisite pressure when she finally gripped him in her hand.
Her hand skimmed the waistband of his braies. His heart pounded with anticipation. He held his breath, praying to those gods again.
They must have been listening.
“Do I …?”
He nodded, his body clenched in a vise, waiting. She fumbled with the ties. Christ, how could someone so bloody efficient take so long?
At last she succeeded in releasing him and his erection bobbed free.
Her eyes widened. He grew even harder under the heavy weight of her stare. Finally she ventured a glance at him. “You are far more powerful-looking than other men I’ve seen before.”
He managed a strained smile. This was one stick where he wasn’t going to come up short. “And you have a good basis for comparison?”
She blushed so furiously, he would have laughed if he wasn’t in such pain. “Of course not! But I have brothers, and I’ve seen enough men relieve themselves outdoors.”
He was too aroused to tease her anymore. “Put your hand on me, Ellie.”
She eyed him cautiously and tentatively reached out to touch him. He groaned at the skin-to-skin contact, and then at the wonder in her eyes.
“You’re so soft.”
Hardly. But he didn’t have the strength to quibble about semantics.
