Ian (Las Vegas Sidewinders Book 15), page 16
“So to speak. Just your hands. Over your head. Would that be all right?”
“Y-yes.” She was a little nervous because she’d never done that before either, but it sounded kind of fun and she couldn’t imagine telling him no. Something like anal sex gave her pause because she had friends who’d told her it really hurt if you weren’t prepared, but this was different.
He pulled what looked like rope out of the little black bag and let her feel it. “It’s made specifically for this, so there won’t be rope burn or anything like that, but you need to be at least semi-comfortable. If you’ve never tried it before, you’re probably nervous and I don’t want you to be frightened.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” she whispered. “I want to. Do this, I mean.”
He kissed her again, his tongue tangling with hers as he slid one hand between her legs. “You’re already wet,” he whispered back. “Does the idea of being restrained turn you on?”
“By you, yes.”
“Well, there certainly won’t be anyone else here with us.” He pushed her onto her back, gripping both of her wrists in one of his hands. “Close your eyes, love,” he said softly. “Just give yourself to me, let me have control, to make you feel good.”
“You already do.”
“But every time I touch you, you pull away emotionally. This way, you’ll have no choice but to give yourself over. And I promise, it will be very, very good.”
“Are you into that BDSM stuff?” she asked in a worried voice.
He chuckled. “Not even a little. Just have a thing for bondage and hoping you’ll learn to love it too. If not, we’ll find other compromises.”
“I want to try.”
Before she realized what he was doing, he’d bound her wrists together snugly and had them over her head, fastened to the headboard. It was a little daunting, being completely at his mercy, but she wasn’t afraid. It was an exciting trepidation, the unknown coupled with indescribable excitement.
“God, yer beautiful, lass.” He nibbled the side of her neck and her chest, skimming his hands down the sides of her body as he took his time kissing and sucking on her skin. He was getting lower and lower, until her core ached with need and everything inside of her threatened to explode from anticipation alone.
She unconsciously tugged at her hands, anxious to dig her fingers into his hair, pull him closer, make him give her what she needed. But she couldn’t move her hands and he was taking his sweet time, pressing sweet, delicious kisses all along her navel, her hip bones, the crease between her pussy and her thigh. He was getting so close to where she wanted him, but still, he made her wait.
“Ian…” Her voice was a raspy croak and he chuckled.
“I know, lass. I know.” He kept nibbling, though his hands were behind her knees now, pushing her legs out and back.
“Oh, god.” She was drowning in desire, ecstasy; every sexy emotion that existed ripped through her the moment his warm breath touched her needy mound.
“Yer fuckin’ perfect,” he murmured, dipping his head and pressing a tiny kiss right on her clit. He slid one finger down her slit, using the other hand to hold one of her legs back against her chest. Then he shifted positions and used his thumbs to part her delicate folds, and the world disappeared. Colors flashed in front of her eyes as a tidal wave of pleasure burst through her. He gently traced around her entrance, moving higher and then back down, teasing her mercilessly.
His finger had moved to her back hole now, taunting her with the tip, keeping her distracted from the newness of that sensation by stabbing his tongue inside of her.
“Oh, god, Ian!” Her shriek was one of complete ecstasy and her hips came up again and again, writhing into his mouth. Everything he did was delightfully wicked, sending unfamiliar sensations ripping through her. He had a fingertip in her ass, something she’d never let anyone do, and as his five o’clock shadow tickled her thighs, she came.
The world disappeared as she cried out, bucking like a wild woman, yanking at her arms in an inefficient quest to pull him closer, hold on to this feeling forever. He slid a finger into her, curving it up and into a spot that could only be described as the nirvana of all sex things, and another orgasm rolled over the first until she was spiraling all over again. Her body moved, her chest heaved and nothing had ever felt this good.
“Sweet Jesus, what have you done to me?” she gasped, a smile playing on her lips as she tried to catch her breath.
“Did ye like it, lass?” He moved her body, his eyes shining with pure lust.
“Like it? I’ve never come twice like that.”
“Nice to hear.” He rubbed his cheek on hers, slowly, methodically, as if nesting into her. “Would you like to come again?”
“Fuck, yes.”
“So you like being tied up?”
“Apparently.” She licked her lips and in a breathless whisper said, “I can’t wait for you to be inside me, my lord.”
26
Sex, Everly thought the next morning as they ate breakfast, changed everything. There was more to relationships than sex, and in the grand scheme of life it was probably a lot less important than a dozen other things, but in the moment, it was huge. Maybe it was different for her because she didn’t have many relationships to compare it to, and while she’d had decent sex over the years, nothing had come even close to what she and Ian had shared yesterday. Her heartbeat picked up just thinking about the things they’d done and she waffled between dying of embarrassment and dragging him back upstairs for more.
“Why are you so quiet this morning, love?” Ian reached for her hand across the table and she returned his gaze thoughtfully.
“Is the sex so good because of the excitement of the relationship or is the relationship moving so fast because the sex is so good?” She held back a lot emotionally, but she had to start somewhere and this was something that had her out of sorts, so it felt good to say it out loud.
Ian didn’t seem daunted at all, cocking his head as he contemplated how to answer. “Well, I think they go hand in hand, to a degree. I mean, I’ve had some pretty great sex with women I didn’t have feelings for, but I’ve also had mediocre sex with women I did have feelings for. Those were mostly when I was much younger, though, so what we have is different.”
“In what way?”
“Every way. The act of sex is physical, which is why we can orgasm on our own, whether using a hand or a visual stimulant like porn or whatever. The act of getting off, in general, is physical and can be achieved without emotion. However, when two people have sex, there are varieties of factors that impact it. In our case, everything is better because we like each other. A lot. Would the sex still be good if we didn’t? I don’t know. I think the first time I made love to you was fun. Last night was a whole different level of fun, including emotion and intimacy. At least for me.”
“For me too,” she whispered. “So much so it scares me.”
“Don’t be scared.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m not going anywhere. We have something special and I have no intention of letting you go. I wish you’d trust me in life the way you do in bed.”
This was the perfect opportunity to tell him the truth about herself, her father, her history. But she was terrified. He might understand…but what if he didn’t? The idea of losing him now, after starting to fall in love with him and everything they’d shared, was unfathomable.
“Everly?”
“You always manage to leave me speechless because you’re so thoughtful and I’m just a bumbling idiot when it comes to relationship stuff.”
“You’re neither bumbling nor an idiot. You have trust issues, I know that, and I’ve got the patience to work through them with you if you let me.”
“I’m trying.”
“I know.” His eyes met hers. “Let’s go back up to the room. I have an idea.”
“Another one?”
“Ye gotta trust me, lass.”
Her curiosity piqued, she wondered what he had in mind and whether or not it had anything to do with bondage or anal sex or some other thing he hadn’t yet shown her.
“So.” He sat on the bed and patted the spot beside him.
“So.” She looked at him.
“Do you trust me?”
“That’s such a loaded question, but for the most part, yes, of course.”
“Enough to let me take pictures of you…mostly unclothed?”
She swallowed. Twice. Yikes. She’d never done anything like that and had shaken her head at friends in college who did and then wound up all over the internet.
“I don’t… I mean, I trust you enough for that, but what’s the purpose? That’s far more important to me than the pictures themselves.”
“The purpose is twofold. One, so I can enjoy them when we’re not together, because I think you’re beautiful and sexy and the woman of my dreams. But also to show you the man I am, when you entrust me with something so big.”
“I don’t… Well, like I told you yesterday, I’m pretty uncomfortable in front of the camera,” she admitted. “I mean, shooting me when we were at Urquhart was silly and fun, but this would be different.”
“And that’s where the trust comes in.”
She looked up into his stunning green eyes and though her heart was hammering with trepidation, she knew she would do it. She wasn’t stupid or gullible. He wasn’t trying to trick or manipulate her; he told her what he wanted and asked her point-blank if she would do it for him. The answer was yes, even if it was terrifying. She hated having her picture taken, for a million reasons, most of which went back to when her father left, but also because she was a typical woman who was overly critical of how she looked.
“If you’re not going to enjoy it, at least a little, it won’t be any fun for either of us,” he whispered, kissing the side of her face. “If you say yes, it has to be because you truly want to, not merely because you want to please me.”
“But I would never want anyone to take pictures of me,” she said. “Even clothed. I hate myself in pictures. So it’s way out of my comfort zone, no matter who’s doing the asking, and of course, the undressed aspect of it is terrifying because I’m a woman who will focus on her flaws, first and foremost.”
“Flaws.” He shook his head, sliding one hand up her shirt and under her bra. “Because your breasts aren’t fake?” He stroked his thumb over her nipple and it hardened instantly. “Because you have a woman’s hips and a glorious little ass?” He used his other hand to slide down the back of her jeans and squeeze one of her cheeks. “Because you think I’m more suited to a supermodel?”
“Because that’s how women think, but I’m going to try really hard not to. Especially not when you’re touching me.”
“Get undressed,” he whispered.
“Completely?”
“You’ll see. I promise, no camera when you’re not at least partially covered.”
Oh hell, she was going to do this and it was scary as fuck. Except, she was also a little aroused, which made no sense. Just like last night when he’d restrained her and she’d lost her mind, having orgasm after orgasm.
She quickly pulled off her clothes, before she lost her nerve, and Ian just sat there watching her. He didn’t go near the camera or make any other moves to touch her, simply watching her with those emerald-green eyes that tended to make her weak in the knees.
When she was nude, he got up and pulled the blanket off the bed, tossing it in the corner of the room and leaving the sheets the way they were. He motioned for her to get on the bed with her head pointed toward the foot of the bed.
“One knee up,” he said softly. He tucked the sheet under her arms and just over her breasts, covering most of her torso. “Tip your head back and then kind of squish your boobs so they’re up and showing some cleavage but your nipples are covered.”
This didn’t sound bad and she got into position easily, despite the hammering of her heart and the slight flush to her skin.
Ian got her camera, making a big show of putting the strap around his neck. “Now close your eyes and relax,” he instructed. “Nothing private is visible. If these were to be released to the whole world, no one can see anything but part of your face, the swell of the top of your breasts, and one very slender leg. Which is less than people see at the beach.”
She let out a breath and realized he was right. She was covered. Despite how nervous this made her, she wasn’t doing anything wrong and Ian cared about her. This was about them as a couple—not just his needs—and her inability to trust impacting their future. He wanted more from her, emotionally and mentally, and she wanted to give it to him. There was a difference between blind acquiescence and what they were doing here.
“God, you’re beautiful.”
She heard the shutter clicking but it didn’t matter. When he asked her to turn onto her side, still mostly wrapped in the sheet and lick her lips, she did it without thinking. Even when he asked her to sit up, open her legs, and slide sexy heels on her feet, the sheet was draped over her. He carefully covered her most private parts but made sure her legs were on display, letting the sheet fall but covering her breasts with her hair. This was probably the most risqué pose of them all, but somehow, she was okay with it. This was Ian. He’d never given her a single reason not to trust him and this was turning out to be the most erotic thing she’d ever done. She was so close to ripping off the sheet and begging him to fuck her, it was almost hard to concentrate.
“You, um, should take your shirt off,” she said softly.
“Yeah?” He smiled, put the camera on the desk, and slowly pulled off his shirt. Oh, god, those abs were going to be the death of her. She’d never been with someone who had the V created by oblique muscles, but Ian, well, his were fantastic.
“Did you just lick your lips?” he asked, watching her.
“Is your dick hard?” There was no mistaking the bulge inside his jeans, but if he could play coy, so could she.
“It is.” He met her eyes. “I think you’re enjoying yourself almost as much as I am.”
“You should come over here and let me show you how much I’m enjoying myself.”
He approached her slowly, almost like a predator, forcing her onto her back as he crawled over her. “Tied up or not?” he murmured, his lips on her neck.
“No pictures when I’m tied up.”
He paused, meeting her eyes. “Never. No pictures, ever, unless we discuss it first. Same with bondage. I like it, but I don’t need it. It’s fun to switch things up sometimes, but we both have to be in the mood.”
“Then tie me up,” she said breathlessly. “And when we’re done, I’m going to take more pictures of you.”
They arrived back at Huntington Castle on Friday afternoon and though it would mean a lack of privacy—and sex—it was easier for her to stay there that night. Constance wanted them to have dinner with her and it was just too much hassle to drive back and forth into Edinburgh after a week of driving all over the Highlands and the surrounding areas. Tomorrow was also Ian’s friend Declan’s wedding, and Ian had gotten them a room at the hotel where the reception was happening, so it would be a hassle to stay one night at the bed and breakfast, then pack a bag for the hotel and return to the bed and breakfast on Sunday. This way, they could leave most of her things here when they went to the wedding, and move back to the bed and breakfast for the rest of her stay.
He was having a hard time thinking about her going back to Seattle. Not only did he want her to stay in Scotland until he had to leave, he wanted her to move to Vegas with him, but he would have to approach that carefully. Margot and Gracie needed her, and while she’d acknowledged it was getting to be time for her to break away from them, it couldn’t be abrupt. He was willing to pay Margot’s rent for a few months to give her time to find a smaller place that she could afford, but that probably wouldn’t go over well and he didn’t know how to approach the subject.
They’d come a long way over the last two weeks, but Everly was still a little skittish whenever he brought up the future or the upcoming hockey season. They were going to have to have a serious conversation in the near future, but he didn’t have a firm idea how to present it to her yet. He wanted her to be with him permanently and had even discussed it with Dax, who seemed okay with the idea of having to get his own place. On the other hand, the logistics would probably be a nightmare for Everly. Not only did she have the Margot situation to deal with, she also had a job and several ongoing projects, like the book about castles.
Maybe the best approach would be to do things in stages. Have her come to Vegas for a week once they were both back in the U.S. Then maybe he could go to Seattle for a long weekend and meet her friends, her family, ingratiate himself into her life too. From there, maybe things would happen naturally. Or not. Everly had a mind of her own and never seemed to do things the way he expected. It was one of the things he loved about her, but it also complicated his life because once hockey season started, he wouldn’t be able to chase her the way he was now.
That was probably the first thing they had to talk about. She had no idea what it would be like once the season started, and he had to prepare her, something he’d always dreaded when he thought about getting serious with a woman.
“Do I have time to shower?” Everly was asking him as he pushed her suitcase into the guest room that he now thought of as hers.
“Sure, but you can’t,” he deadpanned.
She arched her eyebrows. “Why not?”
“Because I can’t join you and the torture might be more than I can bear.”
“You can totally join me,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Who’s going to know? Your grandfather is at the office, your mother is out, and your sister isn’t going to rat us out.”
“You’re a bad influence, lass.”
“I hope so.” She tugged him into the bathroom and shut the door behind them.
27
An hour later they were clean, had changed clothes and he sat on the bed watching her put on makeup. She’d never had this kind of closeness with a man, where they were together almost every waking moment, sharing the details of life. The idea of doing normal things, like going to the bathroom when he was in the other room, had been horrifying at first, but then he’d done it, simply shutting the door behind him and coming out ten minutes later like it was nothing. Because, technically, it was nothing. Everyone used the bathroom and it occurred to her things like that had evolved them to a higher level of intimacy. The level that included a future.
