Page 79 of Savage Blooms
“The lessons you were giving Adam,” she said, speaking before she could allow herself to think. “I want to do it again.”
“Now?” Adam asked.
“I want to be close to both of you, and I want to help us all calm down, and I just want to be told what to do,” she said, her voice nearly breaking. “Neither of you have to if you don’t want to, but don’t say no just because you’re worried about me. I know what I want. Please?”
Finley’s mouth pressed into a thin line. He was weighing something internally. Risk, perhaps.
“Eileen’s in bed,” he said.
“Let me stand in for her in the scene,” Nicola said, all but begging. She wasn’t totally sure what she was offering, but she wanted to understand what Finley did with Eileen behind closed doors. She wanted to know if she might like it too. And most of all, she wanted to feel Finley’s eyes on her the way they had been on Eileen during the last lesson, and she wanted Adam to look at her with that same raptawe. “I might not have much experience, but I’m a quick study. I’ll learn while Adam does.”
“It’s up to Adam,” Finley said, choosing the diplomatic route no matter how his eyes flashed with interest. “It’s for his benefit too, and he must be exhausted after the day—”
“I’m game,” Adam said.
Nicola had heard him say it a thousand times. It was one of his favorite expressions, tossed out casually before every midnight joyride and tequila shot and round of one-on-one volleyball. She had never thought anything of it before, but now those two words heated her blood. It sounded like an affirmative. It sounded like a promise. Like consent.
“Should I kneel?” Nicola said. When she had watched Eileen last time, it hadn’t been with the clinical intention of memorizing her movements. It had been with wonder and shock and arousal. Nicola hadn’t exactly been taking notes.
“No,” Finley said with a soft chuckle that made Nicola’s heart pound. “That’s a more advanced technique, and I can think of better ways to bruise your pretty knees another time. We should start with something simple. Something foundational.”
His eyes flickered to Adam. Adam tracked the movement, his own eyes dropping down to watch Finley’s mouth shape the next word.
“Denial,” Finley said.
“Denial?” Nicola asked, still lightheaded from the scare of nearly losing Adam and the horrible revelation of Finley’s story and the breathy realization that this wasactually happening. “I thought kink was about getting what you wanted.”
“Sometimes not getting what you want is more fun. Adam, in this exercise you’ll be learning patience and control. Does that sound all right to you?”
“Fine by me,” Adam said.
“Good. Nicola’s right, this might… help calm us all down.”
Finley stood, and crossed to an armchair on the other side of the room. She expected some regal stance, like a king ready to command court, but instead he pulled his legs up under him and leaned forward over his crossed knees. A scholar then, tutoring pupils for the final exam.
“You can kiss her, if you like,” he said.
Adam, who apparently had been harboring his own hopes about experiencing another one of Finley’s lessons, wasted no time in turning Nicola’s chin towards him and kissing her deeply. Finley said nothing, but Nicola could feel his eyes on her, practically leaving burn marks on her skin.
Adam’s hand found her waist, and then slipped up further to cup one of her full breasts. Nicola let out a shaky breath, bringing her hand up to cover Adam’s, to encourage him to apply more pressure.
“Don’t,” Finley said, crisp and final. “Nicola, you’re not to touch yourself, do you understand?”
A hot flush of embarrassment crawled up Nicola’s neck, but when she shot a glance to Finley, she saw he wasn’tupset with her. If anything, he was watching her with appreciation.
“You’re not to come until Adam tells you to,” Finley said, giving her a small nod as though weighing her assent. Giving her an out, if she were to want one.
Nicola nodded.
“I’m going… to make her come?” Adam repeated.
“Only if you’d like to,” Finley said. “But I suspect you’d like to.”
Adam dropped his face to the crook of Nicola’s neck, nuzzling her skin.
“Will you let me make you come?” he whispered, for Nicola to hear, not Finley. It was such a simple, vulnerable question, but it made a lump form in Nicola’s throat. She had dreamed of him asking her that for years, and she had convinced herself time and time again that they would never be brave enough to take a chance on each other.
Now, after so many years of fruitless hoping, Nicola still had a hard time believing that Adam wanted this with her. But even if she was just a passing fancy, even if Adam would tuck tail and run like he always did the moment a good thing got too real, she was going to let herself enjoy the moment.
