She whimpers in response, then bucks her hips against me. I smile.
That’s a yes.
I stroke lower, easing one finger inside her wetness. Fuck, I nearly lose my mind right here, in the slick, deep heart of her, so tight, clenching around me.
With a groan, I move back down her body, pushing her dress up and stripping those silk panties off her gorgeous legs. I toss them to the floor. “You won’t be needing those,” I grin.
She lifts her head, smiling through her desire. “What if the fire alarm goes off?”
“Then you better hope nobody gives you a fireman’s lift.”
Sophie’s still laughing when I hook her knees over my shoulders. I dip my head and lick up between her thighs. Her laughter stops in a gasp.
She makes a tiny squeak.
I chuckle against her and lick on, nudging against her slick, wet core and moving up to circle and suck at her clit. Damn, she’s sweet.
I clutch her hips tighter. I’m getting so turned on, I’m already hard, pressing painfully against the seam of my jeans, but Sophie lies still, suddenly stiff as a board. All her earlier moaning and bucking is gone. She doesn’t move or make a sound.
I pause, lifting my head. “This doing anything for you?” I ask, watching for some reaction. I stroke my fingers against her again, swirling around her clit in the same way that reduced her to whimpers.
Sophie just clutches the covers and squeezes her eyes shut.
“Uh huh,” she replies, sounding strained.
Not my usual response. Hmmm.
I lower my head and lick again, slow rhythmic strokes that should get her writhing. I tease, dipping my tongue inside her; lapping softly around her clit.
Sophie is silent. Still nothing.
I sit up again. “Feel free to give me some direction, sweetheart,” I encourage her. I slide my finger deep inside, and feel her body tense around me. Damn, that feels good. But still, she doesn’t respond.
“Sophie?” I pulse inside her, hitting high against her walls. Her eyes fly open.
“I’m trying!” she squeaks.
I pause. “Trying to do what?”
“Not to distract you.” Her cheeks are flushed bright red, and her hair is mussed up around her face. She looks sexy as hell, which makes me feel even worse that I’m striking out in such an epic way. “You know what,” she says quickly, wriggling away from me, “I’m fine, if you want to just, you know…” she trails off.
I stare at her, baffled. “You’ve lost me, sweetheart.”
Sophie looks mortified. She gestures vaguely. “You know, go ahead and…”
It takes me a moment, but I finally realize what she means. “You think I’m just going to go ahead and fuck you right now?” I exclaim, not sure whether to be surprised or offended.
Offended wins.
“What kind of man do you think I am, sweetheart?” I demand. “Because let me tell you, I’m not in the business of seducing a woman who looks like she’d rather get a root canal surgery than have me touch her again.”
Sophie’s expression shatters. With a sudden sob, she yanks her dress down and races to the bathroom. The door slams shut behind her.
Regret crashes through me.
Way to go, Austin. Real smooth.
9.
Sophie
I slam the door behind me and slide to the floor. Humiliation crashes through me, tears stinging in my eyes.
Stupid. Stupid!
I can’t believe I just wrecked this.
A knock comes, hesitant. “Sophie? Soph, what’s wrong?”
Austin sounds totally confused, and I don’t blame him. One minute, I’m molten in his arms, moaning with pleasure for all the amazing things he’s doing to me, and the next…
My insecurities came flooding back. I shut down.
“I’m sorry,” I find my voice, biting back tears. “It’s OK, you can go.”
There’s a pause. “This is my room, baby.”
Shit.
“Then, I’ll leave.” I try to pull myself together, but then I realize I’m just wearing my bra. Somewhere along the way, Austin expertly removed my dress and underwear—and I was too dizzy with lust to even notice.
I grab the fluffy bathrobe from the back of the door and belt it securely around myself. I take a look in the mirror and wince. I look just how I feel on the inside.
A mess.
I sink back to the floor, hopelessness overwhelming me. I can’t believe I’m doing this. The perfect night, the perfect, sexy man, and I’m freaking the hell out.
Matt was right. It was all your fault.
“Sweetheart?” The door handle slowly turns. Austin steps into the bathroom, still shirtless in his jeans. He looks good enough to eat, all tanned muscle and delicious abs, but that just makes me feel worse.
What kind of idiot screws this up?
He sees me curled up on the floor. I blush, but he just folds his long limbs down beside me with a chuckle. “I’ve got to be honest with you, baby. Fleeing for your life isn’t the reaction I usually get down there.”
I bury my face in my hands, cringing. “I’m so embarrassed!”
“Hey…” I feel his hand on my shoulders, rubbing in slow, soothing strokes. “Don’t be. I just want to know what’s going on with you. What you said, about not distracting me…”
“I know I was being too messy,” I mutter, guilty. “You know, with the moaning and writhing and all that.”