Page 54 of Healing the Heart

“Sorry, sir,” she muttered. “But this sucks. We were both hot and bothered, and I threw cold water on us.”

He brushed his lips with hers. “After three times last night, I think we’ll both survive. We can pick up again later.”

“Why not now?”

“Because we’re due at Rossi for a meeting. That’s what the text from earlier was about.”

“When?”

“At eleven.”

She glanced at the clock. “It’s only a little past eight. We have time.”

“Fiona.”

“Please, Noah. I need to know if that part is broken, too.”

“We proved last night it wasn’t.”

“That’s before I freaked out.”

He looked skeptical. She laid her hand against his cheek. “Please. I won’t be able to stop worrying...”

Noah flipped the blanket back, baring her to his gaze. He trailed his hand down her body until he reached the apex of her thighs. “Spread for me, kitten.”

Fiona didn’t hesitate in doing what he asked, making a sound that was a combination sigh and groan. Okay, so maybe he was right; she purred. His thumb located her most sensitive spot, and two fingers sank into her. And he lowered his head,his kisses slow and drugging as he rubbed her clit, his fingers matching the same seductive rhythm as his tongue.

“You’re wet, and very much turned on,” he observed in a husky whisper, his lips brushing hers.

“Is there hope for me, Doc?”

He didn’t raise his head, but she could see the grin in his deep-blue eyes and feel the upward tilt of his lips against hers.

“Your prognosis is excellent, my dear. But I think I should run a few more tests to be extra sure.”

He moved with her in his arms until he sat with his back against the headboard, arranging her so she was still in his lap but astride his thighs.

His hands didn’t stop moving, gliding over her skin, stopping at interesting places to explore further, like the curve of her bottom and her almost-painfully hard nipples. Then he surprised her by wanting to talk.

“First, a question. What is it about bondage that you enjoy?”

She blinked, trying to process. “Um... It’s relaxing.”

His brows slammed together, and he frowned. “Trite and cliché. Try digging a little deeper.”

She blushed. To tell him why would reveal so much about herself, but he promised to help overcome the panic, so she confided in him, something she disliked talking about and usually didn’t. Just like him with his painful past, although their stories were worlds apart.

“I left home when I was seventeen. Since then, it’s only been me. I had to work to support myself through college and then try to make it on my own in a city the size of LA. It’s overwhelming, and, at times, scary. It’s nice to hand the reins to someone else and not have to worry about making decisions—big or small. I can just...be.”

“That was very insightful, kitten,” he praised, his hands not stopping. He picked up a curl that had fallen over her breast andused it to tease the taut peak. The other hand wasn’t idle, rolling and tugging its equally hard twin. “You told me why you enjoy submission, which we will absolutely explore more in depth in the future, but I asked about bondage. Put your hands behind you. Grip my knees for support and arch your back,” he ordered. “Then answer my question.”

The position had a dual purpose, offering her generous breasts and bullet-hard nipples for him to play with at his leisure and took her hands out of the picture—the latter, much like restraints. She was starting to see what he was getting at with his questions, but it made it even more difficult to concentrate.

“I get caught up in the fantasy, I suppose,” she said breathlessly. “That someone wants me so badly they’ve tied me up so I can’t escape, and so they can have me however they want for as long as they want, and I can’t do anything about it.”

“Which goes back to your self-esteem issues that no one could possibly want you.” Rather than a question, it was a statement of fact. Her jaw dropped, and she sat up, staring at him because she always thought her hang-ups and fantasies were mutually exclusive.

“Uh, uh. I didn’t give you permission to move. Was that too much of a strain on your back and shoulders? If so, you should have told me.” He dropped the curl and tugged on both nipples at once, the pressure and the pull just a bit harder. “Put your hands behind your head, interlace your fingers, and do not move them,” he ordered.

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