Page 49 of Cardinal

"Well, don't expect me to get much more than this. I like where I'm at, but I'm starting to muffin top a little and go up in pant sizes a little too much for my liking." I admitted with a lopsided smile, looking down and pinching at the little bit hanging over the waistband of my shorts.

Luciano's hand lightly pushed mine away, and his head leaned in to kiss my stomach. "You are perfect, so don't start on that negative train." He spoke against my tummy, making me giggle from the ticklish feeling.

Laying his head in my lap, he loosely hugged my waist and stayed like that for a peaceful moment before looking up at me with curious eyes. "I want to try something with you." The corners of his soft smile turned hopeful as he leaned back fully on the back of his legs again. "I want to see what your comfort level is with me touching you and undressing you."

Thinking about it for a moment, I slowly agreed with a nod of my head. "Okay… But how are you going to do that exactly?"

"Slowly." He started with a chuckle. "I am going to touch every inch of your body, starting from the least private to the most. Every time I move to a new area, you let me know how comfortable you feel with me touching you there, and the moment I get to an area that you don't like or feel hesitant about, you use the safe-word. Understood?"

"Okay, I can do that, sir." Sounded simple and painless enough.

"What is the safe-word? And what will you do if you cannot speak?" It should be illegal how mindful and caring Luciano was.

"Tap out, and if I can't speak, then tap you repeatedly," I replied with a confident smile before asking him a quick question. "Clothes stay on? Or?" He did say something about undressing me just earlier.

Nodding softly, he assured me with a comforting smile, "For now, yes. After we establish your comfort with me appreciating your body, we can move on to stripping you if you are still up for it." Small steps; we were taking small steps.

I can do it.

Scooting to the edge of the couch, I widened my legs so Luciano sat between them, and then I grabbed his face to bring him into a nervous kiss. Not long after our lips connected, his hand was on my feet. "Fine," I whispered before closing the distance between us. "But tickle me, and I will kick your balls." I threatened playfully with a gasp of a snicker.

"No tickling, promise." He chuckled softly against my lips before deepening the kiss as he inched his hands up my legs. "I am going to touch your thighs." He told me after breaking the kiss.

Keeping a distance between our panting lips, he kept his eyes focused on me as he let his big hands roam my almost bare thighs. Starting from the outside, he slowly curved his hands inwards until I could feel the rough pads of his fingers and the callouses of his palm rubbing against the sensitive skin of my inner thighs.

Reaching out, I carefully ran my hands up his arms and gripped his shoulders as a trembling gasp of pleasure escaped my parted lips. "S-slow, please." I whimpered as I felt my body tense up from the surge of adrenaline rushing it. "I… It feels weird, but in a good way." I hated being in the gray zone, but the tingling feeling between my legs and in my stomach made me feel funny.

It felt strange to be getting aroused from such a simple touch, and it made me feel dirty because I shouldn't be this sensitive and easy, right? But a part of me was fine with it all because this reaction came from Luciano's touch, not someone else's.

"Do you want me to continue?" He asked in a soft voice filled with some concern as he observed me closely with his falcon-like eyes.

Chewing my bottom lip, I shook my head. "Not yet. I just need a minute… D-don't move your hand." I strained out a shaky exhale as I slowly counted in my head to calm myself. "I don't want to stop yet, but I just need a moment to breathe."

It's okay. It's okay. I am safe. I'm not back there. They're not touching me. It's not them. It's Luciano. It's Luciano's hands on me, and he is safe.

Leaning over Luciano, I hugged his head and breathed his rich scent in deeply to soothe my nerves completely. "Luca." I hummed happily into his hair. "Your hands feel so good… It scares me how easily turned on some simple touches from you gets me." I admitted almost shamefully.

"Don't fight it, sweetheart. Let your body feel and react how it wants to me, and learn to accept that feeling." His words rumbled against my chest with his chuckle. "There is nothing wrong as long as you want it." Forcefully, he pulled his head back to look up at me. "Do you want this? Me touching you?" His hands tensed on my thighs as if he wanted to pull them away.

Quickly, I placed my hands over his and pressed them against my inner thighs some more. "Yes. Please, don't stop this right now. It's just… It feels good, but I'm just getting into my own head." Honest to God, I didn't want this test of ours to end because I could feel my body adjusting to the feeling of warmth his hands brought to me.

A sudden shot of boldness kicked my ass into gear, causing me to move one of his hands further up to right between my legs and making him cup my covered sex. "C-can you touch me a bit here?" It felt so embarrassing to ask that of him, but the aching need became impossible to ignore—and his hand was right there.

Luciano's eyes narrowed slightly with wariness as he pressed one of my legs open more to get more access. "Safe-word?" His eyes desperately searched mine as he kept his hands stiff in their positions.

Giving him a reassuring smile, I stroked his cheek with the back of my fingers while I answered him, "Tap out."

Inhaling deeply, he pressed his hand harder against my aching core, making me gasp out a soft moan at the feeling of his palm rubbing against my throbbing clit. "That feels good." I let out a breathy moan as I slowly bucked my hips at his hand rather stiffly because it felt a little strange, and I kept trying to match his pacing and rhythm.

"Amorina, slow down." He chuckled softly, moving his other hand to grip my hip and help me move smoothly and correctly. "Slow, just like that. Don't rush it, baby. Just let the feeling grow and build until it comes back down." He sounded so damn sexy, guiding me like this. It's so weird but hot.

Leaning up, he buried his face into the junction of my neck and shoulder, kissing and nipping all along the length of my neck to the edge of my shoulder softly. "Still feeling okay, amorina?" His husky voice tickled my neck with his beard, making me giggle softly as I replied with a nod of my head and a soft 'yes' as he picked up the pace and force of his hand against my sex.

Shudders violently shook my body at the feeling of him kissing up to my ear and breathing hotly against it. "Take your shirt off, baby, I want to see your lovely tits."

Oh God. That is so dirty and demanding, but fuck, it's so hot.

Not wanting my own mind to psyche me out of it, I quickly grabbed my shirt and pulled it off my body, not thinking about the fact that I completely exposed my upper half to him because I wasn't wearing a bra. "Sorry, they're kinda small." I felt so stupid for apologizing about something out of my control—not my fault I had the flat-chested Asian genes.

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