Page 101 of Fundamentals in Flirting

“Is that a problem?”

“Definitely not.”

“Good.”

“But we should remove your top too. Fair’s fair.”

I made a non-committal noise and glanced up at him, allowing my hair to fall across my face, before slowly and deliberately undoing each button of my shirt. I watched his breathing hitch as the swell of my breasts in my new lace bra came into view, just a tantalising glimpse as my shirt fell open, his gaze tracking my fingers as they worked. When it was completely undone, I dropped it to the floor with a stripper-inspired flourish. And a wink. Yes, a full-on, face-creasing, lip-lifting, cringe-inducing wink.

For fuck’s sake.

If I’d performed such a thing under any other circumstances, I’d be praying for an immediate sinkhole to appear to relieve the world of my sub-par seduction techniques. But the amused twist of Teddy’s lips and returning eyebrow twitch dissolved any hint of my winking regret, and I continued my nerdy little striptease with renewed vigour.

I didn’t look down – I didn’t want to end the spell by seeing myself. Instead, without breaking eye contact and biting my bottom lip to stop myself thinking too hard about this, I unbuttoned my shorts, wiggling my hips as I slid them down my legs and then kicked them off, standing before him in my brand-new seduction-level red underwear. And, although the crotch was well and truly present and no nipples were peeping out, it was like nothing else I owned – and pretty bloody slutty, to be honest.

“Well?”

“Well, I know what I’m having for dinner.” Teddy’s voice was hushed.

In two strides he was on me, pushing me backwards, twisting his hands into my hair, and reinitiating the ferocious kissing so that we fell together, tumbling over the armchair, which tipped onto its side. Hitting the floor with a bump, his arms cradled my head to protect me from the impact.

“I’ve wanted this for so long,” he groaned.

The rough scratch of his beard and the burn of his jeans against my bare skin seemed to awaken something feral inside me, and with a growl I pushed him over onto his back and then straddled him, leaning down and possessing his mouth without restraint. His hands roamed every curve of my body, squeezing and exploring, the slight callouses rasping across my skin and making me shudder and press into his touch. But in a flash I was back underneath him, and we were rolling across the carpet in a primal dance, locked together in a passionate struggle, pushing and testing, teasing and exploring each other’s limits.

As we writhed and fought each other, a side table was knocked over, the lamp falling to the floor with a crash.

“Shit. Should I fix that?” Teddy asked breathlessly.

“Don’t you dare.”

I barely felt human anymore. The animal part of me had been unleashed and I was ferocious and wriggling, until I was once again rocking back on top of him. I unzipped his jeans and reached down inside, making him hiss out a breath as my cool fingers delved inside the waistband of his boxer shorts.

Grabbing both of my wrists he held them over my head and pivoted me back underneath him, trapping me in a firm grip, his mouth searing a path of fire down my throat. The sounds I was making were foreign and unfamiliar, matched only by the racing of my heart and a deep bellyache of desire that was stoked by every touch and kiss, alive and responsive to Teddy’s masterful manipulation of my body.

With a snap my bra was undone, and he quickly descended on my newly exposed skin. One large hand kept my wrists tethered while the other cupped my breast, his thumb expertly flicking the tip until I was moaning and arching against him. Letting go of me momentarily, he sat back and kicked off his boots, then removed his jeans and socks. The whole time, he never took his eyes off me. But I made the most of the opportunity, and with a devilish sense of glee, I launched myself at him, catching him slightly off balance, so we collided in a heap against the dining table, knocking the treasure hunt props everywhere, and I ended up sat astride him.

As if in slow motion, the emasculators slid off the edge, narrowly missing Teddy’s head as they hit the floor. Picking them up, I spun them around, blew the end, and pretended to holster them on my thigh like I was starring in a spaghetti western. Why was I being such a twat? Excelling at being the nerdiest of nerdy nerds, rather than the queen of seduction that I had been aiming for.

Excellent.

“Despite your obvious prowess with such an offensive weapon, I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with you holding on to these in my current state of undress,” Teddy said, propping himself up on his elbows.

Raising an eyebrow, he gently took the cold metal implement from my hands, placing it out of reach, back on top of the table.

“Now, where were we? Ah, yes, you’d just thrown yourself at me like you were practising for a wrestling smackdown. Shall we continue?”

“Only if you’re sure you can handle it?”

The look Teddy gave me was devastating. There was a temptingly wicked curl to his lips, a blush feathering his cheekbones. “Why don’t you try me, cowgirl?”

Still sitting conveniently on his hips, I wriggled seductively, riding in circular motions over the very hard contents of his shorts. He blew out a breath unsteadily, just as my own breathing began to quicken. Sitting up so we were face to face again, he took my hands in his and then quickly snaked them around my back so he was holding me captive once more. I arched my spine and pushed my breasts towards him, the abrasive rub of his chest hair on my nipples a delicious sensation. Teddy began to gently bite a line across my collar bone, soothing each sting with a soft kiss and blowing cool air over my fevered skin, my head thrown back, eyes closed, alive only to the feel of his mouth on me.

In my daze, I barely heard him murmur, “Perhaps we should get up off the floor?”

“Mmmm?”

“Find somewhere more comfortable?”

---