“Uh huh.”

His mouth feasted on her and tension built and built.

But he slowed it down again and she was about ready to scream in frustration.

“Basically, what we do, what I do, is put myself into the other person’s shoes and think about the fears that drive them. Then I direct it back at them. ‘It seems like you’re scared of being arrested.’ ‘It seems as if you’re afraid of disappointing your family.’ Open-ended questions that draw out information. Not accusations or statements that will get people to shore up their defenses. Avoid questions that can be answered with a yes-no response.”

She went to open her mouth and he reached up and pressed a finger to her lips. “And let the silence do the work. The other side will usually fill it.”

Her whole body shook with need. “What else?”

“Paraphrasing whatever complaints or viewpoint they have so they know you understand them.”

“That feels good. Don’t stop.”

“You don’t want me to stop because it feels so good?” he whispered against her skin.

“Don’t stop. What else?” she demanded.

“Putting a label on the most negative emotions. Hanging their fear out on a banner and waving it around diffuses a lot of the anxiety associated with it.”

His tongue speared her clit and his fingers eased inside her, driving her up and up until her body went taut, straining against him, exploding with pleasure, crying out into the night.

Her heart pounded as she came back into herself. Eban crawled up the bed, kissed her and pulled her so she lay on his chest. Her eyes popped wide and met the black of his when she realized he wasn’t going to do anything else.

She knew why too. He was still keeping everything slow and sedate so as not to scare her. And she appreciated that. She knew there would be missteps. But she had an active role in what they did. She wasn’t a passive player anymore.

She kissed his mouth then straddled his hips. “Tell me if I do anything you don’t like.”

“Darby, you don’t have to—”

“Hush.” She kissed his mouth and then worked her way slowly down his body.

“What are you doing?” he asked, sinking his fingers into her hair.

“Doing?” She held him firmly and ran her tongue over the hot length of his erection. “Isopraxism. It’s a behavioral thing that helps establish rapport.”

She took him in her mouth and his whole body went rigid and then relaxed. She didn’t know exactly what to do but he showed her what he liked. He told her what to do. She stopped before he climaxed, and they found another condom before she took him inside her again. And this time was even better than last time and she rolled him over, so his solid weight pressed against her hips and spread her thighs. And they moved together blindly, not worrying about the past but completely in the moment and when release shot through her once more, she thought she would shatter from the ecstasy of finally knowing the joy of sex, the beauty of making love.