“Go for it.”

That’s all he needs. My leggings get tossed to the other side of the room. He takes a moment to run his fingers over my lacy boy shorts but then sends those flying next.

I don’t tend to be shy during sex, but I also don’t usually sleep with guys I’m emotionally invested in. So, when Ben lowers to his knees in front of me, staring, I’m hit with a sudden bout of self-consciousness. There’s a twisting in my chest, and my pulse picks up for all the wrong reasons. I’m having trouble with handling his intense gaze on the most private part of myself.

Unbidden, my knees move to close. He doesn’t stop me but glances up with worry creasing his brow.

“Holly?”

“Sorry. It’s just …” I rub my eyes with the heels of my hands, as if that’d clear away the onslaught of nervousness.

What is going on with me?

The sound of Ben shifting causes my eyes to fly back open. He hovers over me, bracing his elbows on either side of my head. The kiss he brushes over my lips is unhurried and reassuring.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.”

I sigh. “You were staring at me. Like, really staring. I don’t think anyone has ever done that before.”

His nose rubs against mine before he whispers in my ear, “I was staring because I think you’re sexy and beautiful. I want to memorize every single inch of you.” He comes back to kiss me again, working slowly, hinting at how skilled he is with his mouth.

My discomfort fades, replaced with need. I sneak my hands up under his shirt to feel the shifting of muscles in his back.

Ben rocks against me, his jeans rough on the sensitive skin of my inner thighs. Everywhere our bodies touch is a source of raw pleasure. The heat of his arousal amplifies the scent of his pine-needle soap.

He breaks away from the kiss, panting. The desire in his dark green eyes turns my insides up a couple hundred degrees.

This man knows how to preheat my oven.

“You’re a master at getting me hot and bothered. You know that?” I’m gasping, too, my lungs demanding I breathe him in.

His answering grin is boyish, full of happy excitement. “Really?”

Instead of answering, I grab his face and demand more scalding kisses. When we pause for another breather, I give him a gentle push down south. “Okay, hotshot, show me what you’ve got.”

On his way down, Ben takes a pit stop, pulling aside the collar of my shirt and the cup of my bra, so he can run a thumb over my nipple. When I moan, he glances up at me, the corner of his mouth curling.

“Mmm. Missed these.” After another swipe with his thumb, he leans down to suck the tight bud into his mouth. The rough surface of his tongue is almost too much sensation, dragging a cry from the back of my throat.