Page 32 of Throwing the Curve

Peyton raised her hands above her head and wrapped her palms around the wooden rails.

“Don’t make me tie you to them,” he said.

“I won’t,” she whispered.

“Good girl.”

At those two little words, once again, moisture pooled in her core. What was happening here? And why did the idea of him tying her up turn her on so much? She hated giving up control. So why was she so eager to do it with this man?

Embarrassed, she dipped her head so he wouldn’t be able to see what she was feeling. What must he be thinking of her?

Ryan placed his finger against her chin and tipped her head back up. “Hey, there’s nothing to be ashamed of here. You like what you like. You don’t ever have to feel bad about that.”

Why was he paying such close attention to her he noticed her reaction to his words and how embarrassed she was about it? He was supposed to be focused on getting laid. Not talking about feelings. Oh god, what if he wasn’t as into it as she was?

He held her chin in his hand, not allowing her to look away from him. “Besides, it’s fucking hot.”

“Really?” she asked.

“Fuck yeah.” He kneeled beside her. “Peyton, here’s the thing. I prefer to be in control in the bedroom. Given who I am, I don’t always embrace that side of myself because —” He paused. “—people talk. And I like to keep my private life private. It feels like we’re on the same page here.”

“We are,” she agreed. If he could talk so openly to her about what he liked, she could be brave enough to admit what she liked too. This wasn’t a side of her she’d ever explored before but with Ryan, it felt like she could. They both knew the deal. This was a temporary arrangement. They were already willing to lie to keep secrets, so why shouldn’t they feel safe to be themselves in the bedroom?

“Good.” He grabbed her wrist and placed her right hand back against the slat of the headboard. She hadn’t realized she’d brought her arms down while they’d spoken. He took her left hand and did the same. “Keep your hands there.”

He trailed his finger slowly down the line of her arm, down the swell of the side of her breast, and she shivered beneath his touch. “I’m going to be paying attention to your body language and your facial expressions, Peyton, but I’m not a mind reader. You like something, tell me, you don’t like something, tell me.”

“Yeah, right, I’m sure you want to know if you aren’t doing something right,” she scoffed. What guy wanted to be told that?

“Peyton, I’m not some cocky frat kid who thinks he knows everything. I can handle hearing if you don’t like something.” He traced his finger around her nipple and she arched her back.

“Believe me, I want to know, because honey, my goal here is to have you so fucking turned on you beg me to fuck you.”

“That’s not going to happen.” She rolled her eyes. So much for not being a cocky frat guy. Guys always thought they were the god’s gift in the bedroom. Unfortunately, she had yet to meet one who was. Ryan had certainly been off to a good start, but she doubted he’d live up to the hype.

Ryan’s eyebrow arched as he looked at her, then a confident smirk slid across his face. “We’ll see.” He eyed her hands, wrapped around the wooden slats above her head. “Do I need to tie you or are you gonna keep them there?”

“I’ll keep ‘em here. Show me what you got, big guy.”

Ryan grinned. “Challenge accepted.” He hopped off the bed and pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. His stomach muscles rippled with the movement, and her eyes widened. Wow, she’d felt those muscles beneath her hands when she’d touched his chest but seeing them in the flesh was so much different.

He undid his trousers and pushed them down his legs. His fitted boxers molded to his sculpted thighs, and she squirmed, unable to take her eyes off his arousal, pressing firmly against the thin fabric. Holy smokes.

Clad in only his boxer briefs, Ryan kneeled back on the bed. “So where were we?” He picked up her foot and rested her ankle on his shoulder. Gently he kissed above her ankle bone, then slowly ran his tongue up the side of her calf. Her legs fell open further as he placed a kiss against the inside of her knee. His tongue swirled up her inner thigh and stopped at the edge of her panties. Hot breath teased her with the promise of more to come. At this rate, she’d be a panting mess by the time he even took off his boxers.

Ryan hooked his fingers in the edge of her thong. “Right, I remember.” He slowly eased her panties down her thighs. “You didn’t believe I could make you beg.”

“That’s not quite what I said,” Peyton replied as she shifted on the bed to try to get him to touch her rather than just tormenting her with these teasing licks and breaths that never quite touched where she needed it.

He shifted his body and licked his way across her belly and up to her breast. He teased her nipple with his tongue, swirling it around. Finally, he wrapped his lips around the tight bud and sucked hard, she bowed off the mattress.

“Yes,” she hissed. Electricity zipped through her body like a current from her nipple to her clit. Her sensitized skin tingled in anticipation of where he’d touch next.

Ryan’s hand trailed down her stomach as he shifted his mouth to her other breast. Peyton wrapped her hands tighter around the rails to force herself not to touch him. She moved her hips, silently encouraging him to move faster, but the jerk just continued his teasing. He kissed up her neck and nipped her ear with his teeth.

“You doing okay? You’re awful squirmy.”

“Well, if you don’t want me to tell you what to do, then you’d better touch me soon.”

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