You want to compliment me," he pointed out, "but it goes against your code of ethics. Am I right?"
She lifted her arm and peeked out at him, a smudge of mascara under her eyes. He reached over with his thumb and swiped it away. It took a few gentle tugs, but eventually she was perfect again instead of raccoon-eyed. Although, raccoon-eyed, she was pretty damn perfect too.
"You need a compliment, Crane? Who knew you were so needy?"
"Back to Crane?" She'd called him by his name a moment ago, and not just once. He liked hearing his first name roll off her lips, especially since she snapped at him by using his last name so often. "I don't need a compliment," he said honestly. "I know how good I am in bed."
"Whatever." She snorted.
"Your mouth lies but your body doesn't, Merina."
Something fragile flickered in her eyes. Not hurt or anger, but vulnerability. It caused an answering thud in his chest and a simultaneous wave of panic.
When they'd agreed to marry for show, he didn't expect to have sex with her, and he'd bet his fortune she wasn't planning on having sex with him. That mystery unearthed, they were now stuck in the light with each other.
"You like sex," he said. He was learning about her, having slept with her more than once. The prospect of sleeping with her again made him want to know more. What made her tick? What did she like done to her? What did she like to do?
"Who doesn't?" She rolled to face him, goose bumps puckering her arms. He maneuvered off the comforter and tossed it over her. He stroked her blanket-covered arm, warming her from the room's chilly air.
"Plenty of women think they like sex," he answered, "but they're timid about asking for what they want. Hell, you don't even ask. You take it."
"You're referring to the blow job, I presume." Her cheekbones dashed with color. Not used to talking dirty, he'd bet. Another intriguing fact about her he catalogued for later. "I'm sure you've had plenty of those."
Belatedly, he realized his "plenty of women" comment had alluded to the women he'd slept with. Not the best topic to bring up in bed. "I won't talk about the women I've been with in the past."
"Like I'm jealous of those ridiculous women?"
"Ridiculous?" He felt his eyebrows lift.
"Silly. Vapid. Take your pick of adjectives."
"Some of the women I dated have been decent," he said in his own defense. "Kind, intelligent, and not at all interested in what I could give them."
"I guess I sort of fit into that category now…" She winced.
"That's different. We had a business agreement for the hotel, for CEO. This…" He again ran a hand over her arm. "This wasn't part of the deal."
"No." Her eyes found his. "I guess not."
"I'm not going to use it against you. You know that, don't you?" He'd asked because he wasn't sure she'd ever been able to give of herself freely without someone taking advantage.
His thought paired with a stab of regret. He'd done exactly that.
"I know." Her voice was tiny, and she wouldn't look at him. She wasn't sure, but he was. She could trust him not to hold this over her head when things ended.
I'll miss it, though, came the wayward thought. A thought he shooed away with a subject change.
"Let's talk about this, then." He pulled the blanket away and kissed the arrow inked over her breast. "I should know what this means."
"Oh, should you?" Feisty. Just the way he liked her.
"Given the amount of times I plan on kissing it and admiring it while we're together, I should know what it means. Then I can concentrate on your pleasure rather than spending precious brain cells guessing."
"You're good." Her laugh washed over him, making him smile.
"Thank you."
"It's…nothing. Something I wanted when I was younger."
"What are you hiding?" He'd been trying to tease another laugh from her but the question made her guard go up.
"I think we should talk less." She lifted the blanket and wrapped her hand around his cock, stroking him from base to tip.
His arm lashed around her, moving her closer. She stroked again, this time running her thumb over the head, which felt so much like her tongue, his body bucked.
"Why, yes," she purred. "I believe part of you is ready." With a wicked smile, she threw the blanket off and went down on him without an ounce of warning.
Unable to resist, his hips thrust forward. She cupped his balls and held his length, popping him out of her mouth and licking. Then she lifted her eyes to meet his briefly before taking him into her mouth again. Reese grasped the sheets, tearing them from the corners and knocking pillows to the ground. Every nerve ending in his body shot off like fireworks.
There was too much pleasure to contain. Merina's mouth was hot and wet, and she knew exactly how much pressure to put on his balls. She knew how hard to suck him, gently jerking him off at the end while her tongue swirled the tip.
He lost his ability to hold on to control, bucking off the bed. She tore his orgasm from him. His hand fisted in her hair, he pumped into her mouth. She swallowed every drop, licking him from base to tip when he collapsed to his back.
His muscles gradually loosened, his world a series of hazy sensations. Blackness covered him, or maybe that was the blanket. A featherlight kiss landed on his lips.
"Your tattoo," he mouthed, unsure where the unhinged thought had come from. At the end of the most amazing sex of his life, he realized he'd been manipulated. She hadn't wanted to answer him and distracted him in the most effective way possible.
Clever girl.
The only answer that came was a click as the light shut off. For the first time in years, he slipped into a slumber that wasn't alcohol- or exhaustion-induced.
Chapter 12
Shit." Reese yanked the knot out of the bow tie and started over.
"You're on edge tonight." Merina appeared behind him in the doorway of his closet, balancing on one foot to pull on her other silver high heel. Her gown was blue and sparkly and short enough to display succulent thighs that made his mouth water.