Sebastian’s knee slid possessively between her thighs, pushing them wider as he pressed it firmly up against her middle, right where his hand had been. The hard muscle of his thigh rubbed against her swollen heat with slow pressure. At the same time, the sole of his foot stroked slowly up the back of her calf and behind her knee, teasing the sensitive skin there.

Even in the dim light, he could see the raw longing burning in her eyes.

He kissed her just enough to keep the fever high, then pressed her shoulder blades back against the sheets again.

With agonizing slowness, his large hand glided over her belly, up her ribs, and cupped her breast, his thumb brushing her stiff nipple. He continued upward, tracing her armpit and then the full length of her outstretched arm until his fingers closed firmly around her wrist and palm.

He guided her hand downward between their bodies, pressing it toward his throbbing erection.

He felt her tense instantly, her breath catching as she realized exactly where he was taking her.

"Sebastian..." she uttered before she could stop herself, her voice sounding nervous. Her fingers strained against his grip, leaving him doubtful of how to proceed with her. At last he laid her hand upon his ribs, leaving the choice up to her.

But to tip the scales in his favor he used ardent words and the timeless language of the body to tempt her.

"Touch me, Amor," he encouraged, "touch me like I just touched you."

His voice was a rough, ragged whisper against her skin as he trailed scorching kisses across her face, leaving paths of fire in their wake. His knees moved her thighs wider apart while his hips rolled slowly against her, his hard manhood grinding between her legs.

Her hand stayed pressed to his ribs, trembling, warm and slightly damp.

"That’s how it’s done, baby, we touch each other first. Did you like it when I touched you?"

He heard her swallow convulsively. "It was good, wasn’t it? Men like it just as much as women. They go crazy for their woman’s touch."

A fearful timidity swelled her throat but the hand would not move. Do it! Do it! she told herself, her heart leaping and lunging within her chest. But nothing had prepared her for this. Why was she suddenly this way?

Because she had thought to lie passively and let him do what he would with her and enjoy it. The thought of fondling him made her palm burn to know him, but she was afraid that once she reached out and touched him, the little fear of that part of him she had always glimpsed would spark to life and make her want to run. It wasn’t entirely her fault, his size had scared her the last time she had seen it underneath the towel!

"Just a touch, then you’ll know." He reached down again, his fingers sliding between her thighs to tease her. He stroked her, hinting at the scorching pleasure that had made her shameless and desperate before.

She couldn’t hold back. With a needy whimper, she thrust her hips up against his hand, eagerly welcoming him.

But his teasing fingers left again, and she understood frustration as she never had before. She swallowed and made her hand move.

He fell dead still, waiting. But when at last her fingertips came into contact with his manhood she yanked her hand back with a startled little gasp. He was so incredibly hot, scorching, like fevered velvet-wrapped steel!

He lost all sense of caution then and moved swiftly, capturing her wrist between their bellies. "It won’t bite you, amor. It’s hot for you. Touch it," he begged in a whisper. "Please..."

Curiousity lodged in her throat. The back of her hand now rested against that soft-hard heat, but a stupid timidity crushed her will to do what he asked. She pinched her eyes shut as she allowed him to carefully guide her fingers to close around his hot flesh and showed her how to move her hand against it.

A raw, ragged sound tore from his throat into the quiet night. Her eyes flew open to see him braced on one elbow, head thrown back, mouth open in a silent snarl as if he were in exquisite pain. He let out a deep, broken groan.

Guilt flashed through her and she jerked her hand away from his flesh.

"Seb, what is it! Did I hurt you?"

Sebastian swooped over her in one quick, enveloping motion, seizing her hand and pressing it firmly back to his flesh where it had been before she pulled away. She had drawn back in fear that she’d hurt him, but in truth he was drowning in pleasure. The spark of her touch had sent a wild surge bursting through his body like fireworks.

"Hell... no, no, you didn’t hurt me," he rasped. "You can do anything you want to me. It’s okay..."

His lips crashed down on hers, devouring her in a hungry kiss as his tongue thrust deep, matching the urgent rhythm of his hips as he moved against her hand. At the same time, his hand slid possessively over her stomach and between her thighs, searching frantically for her warm entrance, desperate to return the intense pleasure she was giving him with her stroking hand.

Viola’s senses were torn between the thick, sinuous organ throbbing hot and hard in her grasp and Sebastian’s warm fingers sliding up her inner thigh. His feather-light, knowing strokes quickening her with practiced skill. His fingertips never faltered.

The sensation was far too intense, too overwhelming and unreal, that Viola felt as though she were floating outside her own body. She was dimly aware of Sebastian quickly pulling her hand off his manhood, but she could no more open her eyes than she could stop the volcanic climax he was drawing from her with such effortless skill.

He braced himself above her on one powerful forearm, the hard, sculpted lines of his body caging her in heat and raw dominance.

Moonlight filtered through the loft windows, glinting off the faint sheen of sweat on his tattooed skin and the dangerous edge of his elongated canines as he lowered his mouth to her flushed face.

He forced down the urge to mark her, knowing the consequences, instead distracted himself by letting his lips brush her closed eyelids in slow, reverent kisses while his other hand roamed possessively down her quivering curves, fingers stroking and teasing every sensitive inch of her flesh.

"Come for me, baby," he growled against her throat, voice low and velvet-rough, laced with that primal alpha rumble that vibrated straight to her core. "Let it take you. Fly... fly with me."

"Sebastian..." His name tore from her throat in a broken cry as powerful spasms of heat erupted from deep in her lower abdomen. The pleasure pulsed outward in hot, rhythmic waves, surging down through her belly and into her clenching core. Her hips bucked high off the bed, straining and yearning toward him.

When the final, shattering wave seized her, she was completely unprepared for its force. She had never imagined it could feel like this... the raw power, the blinding rapture. Sebastian... oh God, Sebastian, it’s so good...

In the midst of her ecstasy, a hazy thought pierced her mind: Seb... why had I held back from this for so long? I could have been feeling this every single night of my life with him after our marriage...

His fingers stroked deep again, curling just right against that perfect spot inside her, and her nails raked down his thick, corded forearm, leaving red lines across his skin.

Even as she shuddered and gasped, he covered her completely. The heavy, burning weight of his massive frame pressed her deeper into the sheets, all hard muscle and raw power.

"Viola." His voice echoed rough with lust as his damp, fever-hot chest slid against her bare breasts. The slick sheen of their mingled sweat sealed them together while his erection nudged between her thighs, the swollen head parting her folds, searching for her entrance.

His hips flexed, teasing her with just the tip, letting her feel every heavy inch of him and what she had done to him.

The thick head probed her, then found her tight opening and paused.

He braced himself on his forearms, flanking her narrow shoulders, keeping most of his weight off her.

"Baby, it’s going to hurt, but just once, I promise."