Page 53 of Shifter's Dream

Reed eyed him for a moment, then bit her bottom lip, like she wanted to believe him. “Can you… show me?” she said.

“I can,” Troy said, even though he did not know how, so he consulted his instinct, and followed his heart.

His instinct said to get her naked, and his heart said to take control.

Troy could do both.

31 – Friction

Can you show me?Had she really just said that?! Who did she think she was, Anastasia Steele? Reed tried not to hyperventilate. The room was a touch cold, the air-conditioner up too high, but Troy was hot, so hot. His body pressed against hers and she struggled to get closer to him still, to let him warm her.

Troy licked his lips and she saw the determination fall into his face and she was glad she had said it, but terrified, too. “Yes,” he said, then his fingers tightened in her hair one time, pulling at it, gently, making her shudder, her skin going goosebumps. The fear eased.

He came in close to her again, dropping his head to her neck, and his hands to her shoulders. He lifted her, arching her back, pulling her breasts into him. His body seared her, his every touch a delicious burn she could barely handle. Her breath came in short, fast pants. He dropped his head to her neck and kissed her like he had all the time in the world, like he planned to still be there on Tuesday. Reed relaxed into it, sighing, her body unwinding under his touch. She opened to him, mentally, physically, hooking one leg around him, trying to pull him in closer to her. She lifted her hands to his hair, intending to pull it, to steer him, to show him exactly how she wanted it.

Troy grabbed both her wrists at the same time, gently, pressing them to her sides, holding them there as he kissed and sucked on her neck and collarbone. She struggled, but her heart wasn’t in it, it felt too good for her to protest that she couldn’t do anything back. She relaxed into it. “Troy,” she breathed.

“I’m here,” he rasped into her neck. “I love you.”

Reed’s heart jumped, aching and twisting, and she didn’t know if she could take it, if she could handle his intensity.Too much! Too soon!Troy talked her down with his tongue on her skin and his strong hands kneading her wrists and forearms, his lower body nudging at her, reminding her of how they fit together.

“Shh,” he whispered to her. “I got you.”

Reed stared at the ceiling, an inner struggle she didn’t understand warring inside her. One side won with finality, but she didn’t know which, until she spoke. “I know,” she whispered.

He lifted his head for a moment and stared at her. She stared back, even if she wanted to drop her eyes. He released her wrists. “Take your shirt off.”

She did quickly, slamming the bonus round by ripping her shorts off, too, but she hid beneath the blanket, shy suddenly.

“Put your hands over your head,” he told her, his tone all sexy-yummy-growly.

“Hm,” she said, “I’m not sure who you think you’re talking to,” but she knew who he was talking to. Her. She just couldn’t go there without at least a bit of a fight.

Troy walked his fingers up her body, over the blanket, until he was at her wrists. He took one of her small hands in his two big ones, massaging it gently, not at all roughly, then he stared into her eyes, waiting to see which way she would go, and lifted the hand over her head, tucking it under the pillows behind her. She let him, wanting very much to see where this was going.

Troy grasped her other wrist, rubbing the skin there so lightly with his thumbs, a low growl starting in his throat. She checked his face. He was staring at her chest where the blanket had pulled down a little and half her nipple was showing. Desire for this man hit Reed hard in the throat and chest and deep in her core, making her pant and cry out a little. She let him put her other hand over her head, not resisting at all.

“Keep them there,” Troy said, watching her closely.

She could only nod, feeling like her eyes were open too wide, watching him to see what he would do next. He looked down her body, hugged by the blanket, then he tugged the blanket down slowly, revealing the rest of her partially-showing nipple, the feather-touch-slide of the blanket over her naked skin making Reed’s eyes roll closed. “Yes,” she moaned, having to saysomething, not daring to say Troy’s name again.

He licked his lips and pulled the blanket lower and lower, taking Reed’s sudden shyness with it. She arched her back and lifted her hips, arms high over her head.

A hand touched her breast and she squeaked. He rolled her nipple while still pulling the blanket down, down, down her body, until she was completely naked, again, while he was completely clothed. She didn’t care because he was about to put that mouth on her, she could feel it.

He did, climbing onto the couch between her legs, hooking his arms around her thighs. He breathed on her clit, then kissed it, then licked it once, making her quiver and cry out.

“Keep your hands where they are.”

“Mmhmm,” she said, biting her lip, arching up, waiting for what she knew was coming, unable to be anything but greedy and wanting. She would do anything he wanted if he would just. Put. That. Mouth. On. Her.

Troy kissed her on the thighs, kneading her skin with his hands, kissing her closer and closer to the parts of her that throbbed for him the most. Something soft, so soft touched her lips, then up ever so slightly. Tongue or lips, tongue or lips, she couldn’t tell.

Reed arched into the pillow and held on for dear life.

“Reed,” she gasped. “My name is Reed.”

Good thing she’d gotten those words out, because a moment later, she blew apart in a powerful orgasm that made her forget her own name.

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