Page 74 of Passionate Defense

Her gaze shot from the ouchy-looking thing to his handsome face and fleeting dimple. What woman wouldn’t want a doctor that looked like him strolling into her room? His bedside manner needed work, however. Or maybe it was his material or his delivery. No matter... She wasn’t a masochist. Whatever he said, if done with a wicked-looking metal barb in his hand, it would never be funny.

Lifting one of her feet, Ethan lightly rolled it from heel to toe over the bottom of her foot. The sensation was prickly and although she tried not to, she flinched and pulled away.

“Lanie,” he said, shaking his head with a little frown. “What did I just say? Besides, I barely touched you. You can’t tell me that really hurt.”

“No, sir, but I get nervous, especially around sharp, pointy things.”

“That’s perfectly normal, but you need to practice some restraint and hold still. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now that you know what it feels like you should be better prepared. I’ll press harder, so it won’t tickle.”

“Um, no thanks. I’m good.”

He arched a brow at her. “I wasn’t asking permission.”

With a clear aim in mind, he hoisted her opposite foot and performed the same action, guiding the wheel smoothly along the sensitive arch. This time, she managed not to move a muscle.

“Good girl,” he murmured with another dimple flash.

Why did his approval make her feel all warm and melty inside?

The pickers continued up her leg, moving along the tender skin of her inner thigh. When they moved into the crease of her groin, a high-pitched hum rose in her throat and goose bumps erupted across her skin. Ethan bypassed her sweet spot and pinwheeled over her hip, and the hum changed into a distinct sigh of relief. He crisscrossed her belly, smiling slightly as her muscles rippled and contracted in its wake. At one point, he changed the angle, scraping rather than rolling it along her side, and she curled away with a nervous laugh.

Ever meticulous, his eyes never left the constantly moving device. “I didn’t know you were so ticklish.”

“Today, more so than usual.”

“All these years as your doctor and I never suspected.”

“You haven’t used a medieval torture device on me before.”

“Very true. I’ll have to make a note about this in your chart.” He winked at her but continued right on. As he leaned over her, working the spiky thing all over her upper body, the hard length of him nudged her pussy. Longing for him to abandon the game, rip open his zipper and take her, she closed her eyes to distract herself with that fantasy.

Of course, Ethan noticed.

“Am I boring you, Lanie? You look like you’re about to fall asleep.”

Far from it, she wanted so badly to grind against him and get relief, but she didn’t dare move and didn’t trust her voice to answer.

“Let’s see if I can keep you awake by stimulating your more sensitive places.”

Her eyes flew open to find sharp metal a hairsbreadth away from her nipple. At close range, it looked more menacing; the spines depressing her skin as it rolled in a half circle beneath each breast. It should hurt. It sure looked as though it would.

“How does that feel? Still tickle?”

Like the bristles of a stiff brush, and scary as hell, she intended to say, but when she opened her mouth, words wouldn’t come out, only a pitiable squeak. Unable to pull her eyes from what seemed like hundreds of sharp spikes, she shook her head ever so slightly in answer.

Ethan raised his hand taking the wheel with it. “Lanie, you’re lying still for me like a good girl, but you’re gonna have to breathe.”

As if waiting for permission, she sucked in a mouthful of air and filled her lungs.

“That’s it. We don’t want you passing out before the big finish.” Although said in a teasing tone, the heat in his eyes betrayed his hunger and obvious enjoyment of the game. “Be extra still while I check the responsiveness of this little gem.”

He rolled the pinwheel over the trembling peak, circled the areola before making a second pass. “Very nice. Let’s have a look at the other.”

She managed a gulp of air and released it before Ethan started on the other breast. Whether from the newness of the scary, sinister toy, his stimulating touch, or the constant attention he paid her, she wanted more. As if reading her thoughts, he gave it to her, too. This time, Ethan pinched and tugged on one hard tip at the precise moment the tines tracked over the other.

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