Page 64 of Love Lessons
“Ambition is often sexy, at least to me,” Ian agrees.
“You think so?” I’m surprised. “Ambitious women are often perceived as cold and bitchy.”
“Love ’em.” His knee knocks against mine for emphasis. “The opposite of ambitious is lazy, and there’s nothing sexy about that. Well, not unless it’s Sunday morning and she wants to stay in bed all day. But that’s not lazy, not the way I do it.”
I smile just thinking about it. A wholedayin bed with Ian. So scandalous. “Yeah, I take your point.”
“So, he’s ambitious. What else makes him attractive to you?”
“Well…” I have to close my eyes, because it’s the only way I can remember Danforth when I’m sitting in a bathtub with Ian. “He takes care of himself. Runs marathons. Looks good in a suit. Kind of a foodie, which can be fun. During college we visited every well-reviewed pizza place in the five boroughs. Including Staten Island.”
“Nothing against pizza, but we need something more personal to go on. What has he done or said toyouthat made you feel sexy?”
“Right, okay. He…” My eyes flutter open. It’s not an easy question.
He chose you, my inner voice reminds me.That’s the best you ever got from that dude. Validation.
That can’t be all, though. And I’m kind of done talking about Danforth. “Look, maybe it’s all the steamy water.” I dip my eyes and smile. “And the steamyview.But I’m drawing a blank on him right now.”
“Girl, you’re a natural at this.” He reaches over and taps my wrist. “That was some first-class flirting right there.”
“Thank you.”
“Now come over here and show me some more of your moves.”
“Over there?” I’m not even sure how that would work.
But he beckons to me, and when I lean forward, he straightens his legs, so I can climb into his lap.
Now we’re face to face at point-blank range, and I can see all the shades of blue in those chilly eyes. “Hey—did the merino T-shirt feel comfortable?”
“It did, countess. I’m going to try it under my hockey pads, too.”
“It’s washable,” I point out. “But you’ll have to lay it out flat to dry.”
A wrinkle appears in the center of his forehead. “Don’t take this the wrong way, honey, but your dirty-talk game is weak.”
I laugh suddenly, and the sound bounces off the walls of the bathroom. “You think I don’t know that? Dirty talk is totally above my pay grade. I’ll never be able to do that.”
“Sure,you can,” he insists. “That’s tonight’s lesson, then. Right after you figure out that I’ve been in this bathtub for a few minutes already, but I haven’t gotten any kisses.” He snaps his fingers. “Let’s go, champ. Let the seduction start.”
“But now you’re making me self-conscious,” I complain, even as I flatten my palm against his sexy chest tattoo. “What if I can’t work in these conditions?”
“Just try,” he says, his voice gravel. “I’ll take one for the team and try to enjoy it.”
“Try,” I scoff. “You liar.” I dip my hand in the bubbles and then scoop some onto his chest. I trace his collarbone with wet fingertips. “You don’t enjoy this?”
“Do it again. Let me think about it,” he says with a smile.
“All right.” I lean in, and the soap bubbles tingle and pop as I compress them. Placing a single kiss to the underside of his jaw, I stroke his cheek with my hand.
“That’s real nice,” he says softly. “You keep touching me, I’ll keep enjoying it. But pro tip—you can take it up a notch if you touch yourself instead of me.”
Not hardly, my inner voice says.You’d look ridiculous. Like a cut-rate porn star.
But I look up and catch the gleam in Ian’s eye. It’s hungry, not mocking. And suddenly I want to please him more than I care to worry about how it looks.
I lift both hands and cup my breasts. It’s not the most outrageous maneuver, but it feels nice, and the bubbles make it fun. I smooth my thumbs in circles around my nipples, which are already peaking.
