New Year, New Man. Laura Iding

guess I am a bit nervous,’ she admitted when he joined her on the bed.

      ‘Yes, I can see that.’

      Propping himself up on his side, he ran a teasing fingertip around the edge of the low-cut neckline, making her skin break out into goose-pimples. When he traced the neckline a second time, almost touching one of her nipples, she sucked in, then held her breath.

      ‘Do you have extra-sensitive breasts?’

      His question rattled her. Actually his talking rattled her. None of her previous lovers had talked. They’d simply got on with it.

      Sarah finally let go of her long-held breath. ‘I…I don’t know,’ she said, her head spinning.

      ‘Let’s see, shall we?’

      Sarah held her breath again as he levered the satin straps off her shoulders and peeled them slowly downwards till the lace cups gave up their prizes.

      ‘Mmm. Delicious,’ he said, and bent to lick her right nipple.

      Sarah clenched her teeth hard in her jaw, lest she cry out. But oh, the dizzying pleasure of it.

      When he drew her nipple into his mouth, she could not prevent a moan escaping.

      When he nibbled at it with his teeth, she squirmed and whimpered.

      His head lifted, his eyes glittering now.

      ‘As much as this teddy looks fantastic on you, right at this moment I prefer you without it.’

      Sarah gulped but said nothing as he peeled it down her body and off her feet before tossing it carelessly aside. His eyes were like laser beams, honing in on that private part of her body.

      ‘I love looking at you,’ he rasped, caressing her smooth pubic bone before sliding his fingers through the already damp folds of her sex.

      ‘Oh,’ Sarah choked out, stunned by the sensations that came crashing through her.

      ‘You are so beautiful,’ he crooned as he continued to explore her down there, touching her everywhere. Inside, outside, then inside again. More deeply this time, finding erotic zones she didn’t know she had. She pressed herself urgently against his hand, her head twisting from side to side, her wide eyes pleading with his as her body raced towards a climax.

      ‘It’s OK,’ he said, his voice rough, his eyelids heavy. ‘I want to watch you come.’

      Sexy words, sexy eyes. Pushing her over the edge in a free-fall of pleasure that was wonderfully wanton, till she came to earth with a thud and realised this was not what she’d waited a lifetime to experience: Nick watching her come.

      But no sooner did these rather dismaying thoughts flash through her mind than he was kissing her, not wildly but gently, his mouth sipping softly at hers.

      ‘Don’t be upset,’ he murmured between kisses. ‘You needed that. You were wound too tight. Next time…I’ll be inside you…and it’ll be much better.’

      She blinked up at him when his head rose.

      The corner of his mouth lifted in a quirky smile. ‘You don’t believe me?’

      ‘Oh, no,’ she said truthfully, ‘I believe you.’

      ‘Then what is it?’

      ‘I…I’m sorry, but I thought…before we go any further, what…what about protection? I mean…Oh, you know what I mean,’ she said, annoyed with herself for stuttering and stammering. ‘You’ve been around.’

      His expression carried an element of reproach. ‘Sarah, you don’t honestly think I would risk making you pregnant, do you?’

      ‘Well, actually, you can’t,’ she admitted. ‘Make me pregnant, I mean. I’m on the Pill.’

      ‘I see. But you still want me to use condoms?’

      ‘I’m not a total fool, Nick.’ Even if he thought she was for being here with him.

      ‘You’ve no need to worry. I’ve got that taken care of. Relax. No way are you getting out of here, sweetheart. Not till your old Uncle Nick lets you.’

      ‘Don’t call yourself that!’ she snapped as she struggled to suppress an involuntary moan. Dear heaven, but he was good at that. ‘There’s nothing wrong with our being together,’ she threw at him in desperation.

      ‘That depends on your definition of wrong,’ he countered, his devastatingly knowing fingers not missing a beat as he touched her breasts again. ‘But no matter. It’s like I said this afternoon,’ he went on, that knowing hand sliding slowly down over her stomach and back between her legs. ‘I’d reached the point of no return.’

      ‘I…I think I’m just about reaching it again, too,’ she choked out.

      ‘So soon?’

      She squirmed against his hand, her still sensitised flesh unable to bear too much more.

      ‘You have to stop that,’ she cried.

      He stopped, leaving her panting whilst he rolled away and yanked open the top drawer of his bedside table. He selected a condom and drew it on. When he returned to her body, he did not rush. Neither did he attempt any kind of weird or wonderful position, for which she was grateful. Sarah wanted to look into his face when he was inside her; wanted to hold him and love him as she’d always wanted to.

      She tried not to cry out when he finally entered her. But she couldn’t quite manage to contain herself, a raw sound escaping her throat. Do not fall apart, for pity’s sake, she lectured herself. But there was a great lump in her throat and tears were threatening.

      Nick’s concern was instantaneous. ‘Are you all right?’ he asked, smoothing her hair back from her face and staring deep into her by then glistening eyes. ‘I’m not hurting you, am I?’

      What an ironic thing to say!

      ‘No, no, I’m fine,’ she insisted, though her voice sounded artificially high. ‘Would you mind kissing me, please? I like to be kissed a lot.’ Anything to stop him staring down at her in that thoughtful fashion.

      ‘My pleasure,’ he said, and lowered his mouth to hers.

      It was a kiss that might have been the kiss of true love, if she hadn’t known differently.

      How hungry it was, how passionate…how heartbreaking.

      When his body began to move in tandem with his tongue, her fragile emotions were forgotten as the physical experience took over. With each surge of his flesh she could feel the coil of desire tighten within her. It was exciting, yet frustrating at the same time. She wanted to come. But as the seconds turned into minutes there was no release for her, only an all-consuming heat that flooded her body and quickened her heartbeat to a point where her mouth was forced to burst away from his.

      ‘Help me, Nick,’ she sobbed as she dragged in some life-saving breaths.

      ‘Look at me,’ he commanded, cupping her face and stilling his flesh inside her.

      She stared up at him, her eyes wide and wild, her mouth panting heavily.

      ‘Wrap your legs higher around my back,’ he advised. ‘Then move with me. Lift your hips as I push forward, then lower them when I withdraw. There’s no hurry, Sarah. Just look into my eyes and trust me.’

      Just look into my eyes…

      She never wanted to look anywhere else.

      Trust me…

      Oh, God. How she wanted to do that too.

      This is all a big mistake, Nick thought as she blindly followed his instructions. How long had it been since he’d been so damned nice and considerate in bed?

      Who was this Nick who was suddenly caring so much?

      He