I nearly pitched forward onto the bed. My voice was barely audible: “And quite.”

“But that’s how you tease me. You never lick me here.” She moved her fingers higher, circling her clitoris only once. “At least not until I’m nearly crying for it.”

I took a step closer to the bed. “That seems a bit unsporting of me.”

Ruby giggled, tipsy, smiling up at me. “It does, doesn’t it?”

With blood pounding through my veins, I began to feel the power I had over her body. Simply look at her. It was impossible to ignore how she was responding to this. “But it’s only because I love the flush of your skin when you start to need it, darling.”

Her lips parted, letting out a sharp exhale. “But I do need it.”

“No . . . you still only want it,” I corrected her. “And I rather like the taste of your thighs instead.”

Her hips lifted from the bed, fingers obediently moving to her thighs.

My heart hammered against my sternum. I wanted so much to join her in this game. “Your breasts are perfect.”

She moaned, closing her eyes.

“I always keep one hand on your breast while I kiss you here.”

“You do,” she agreed, sliding a hand up her torso, cupping her breast in her palm. “I love that. But your teasing makes me crazy. Please let me feel you.”

“Just a glancing kiss, my darling.”

With a relieved moan, Ruby grazed her fingers over her clitoris again, crying out.

“Let me slide my tongue into you.”

Her eyes flew open and she watched my face as she eased her finger inside. I watched it disappear, in and out of her, before looking up at her face. She seemed almost on the verge of tears.

I was lost in the game, drugged by the sight of her. I wasn’t myself. I wasn’t anyone I knew. She made me this way. “Do I love your taste?”

With apparent effort, she said, “You know you do.”

“It makes me wild, doesn’t it? Makes me . . .”

“Hard,” she finished for me.

I laughed, stepping so my knees touched the mattress, only a foot away from her. Bending, I placed a hand beside each of her hips, careful not to touch her. “I’m already painfully hard, darling. I was going to say it makes me possessive. Makes me want to fight any other man who’s ever tasted you.”

She let out a softly ragged breath. “You’re hard?”

“Well, look for yourself.”

Her eyes dropped to the zipper of my trousers, seeing the ridge pressing there.

“Let me see,” she said, licking her lips.

I shook my head but ran my hand over the front of my zipper, letting her see the shape of me.

Christ. What is happening? What am I doing?

“Not tonight,” I whispered.

She started to sit up, mortification slowly cooling her expression.

“Because I wouldn’t be able to stop,” I assured her quickly. “I’m barely hanging on, Ruby, please don’t stop what you’re doing.”

“Is this okay?” she asked. Her cheeks pinked, sobering.

I nodded, not wanting her to break this moment. “It’s more than okay. It’s a bloody dream.”

“I want to touch you,” she said, barely audibly.

“You can’t.”

Her eyes moved to my face. “Ever?”

“Shh,” I murmured, leaning back over her. “I’m kissing you between your legs; how can you think of anything else right now?”

With her eyes glued to mine, she began to stroke herself again, slowly, as if waiting for me to tell her exactly what to do.

“That’s it. Let me suck on you, yes . . . just there. I want to hear you come.”

Ruby arched off the bed, her fingers sliding in tiny, tight circles. “I . . . I . . .”

“So soon?” I whispered, fighting every urge I had to bend and suck at the skin at the hollow of her throat that was only beginning to glisten with sweat.

“I’m insane for you,” she choked.

“You feel so good on my tongue,” I murmured. “My senses are full of you.”

The sight of her was unreal; easily the most erotic vision of my life. Her thighs were soft and toned, spread before me. I would only need to bend down and put my mouth on her to make this game a reality. I pressed my palm against my trousers, and moaned.

Her eyes flew open as she came, lips parted, voice tight and desperate.

I knew in that heartbeat I would never get the sound of her orgasm out of my head, the little gasping noises, the sharp cry.