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  ‘They will be when I’m finished with them. This is one of the things I’m trained to do, remember? Therapeutic massage.’ She bit back a grin. ‘Honestly, anyone would think you’re about to undergo a form of torture.’

  ‘They’d be right.’

  Now she did laugh. ‘Get your kit off, lover. Then come and lie face-down on this bed.’

  He raised his eyebrows, then took a large swig of his drink before placing their glasses down on the other side of the bed. ‘That was going to be my line.’

  Lola pouted. ‘Poor baby. Would it help if we were both naked? Would that make this whole torturous experience less objectionable to you?’

  ‘Wouldn’t hurt.’

  They eyed each other across the bed and, saying nothing, Lola reached behind her to pull down the zip of her dress. She slid the material off one shoulder, then the other.

  Connor watched transfixed as she let the dress fall to her waist, revealing her bra. He only moved when Lola raised her eyebrows expectantly, and he slowly began unbuttoning his shirt.

  It was Lola’s turn to be mesmerised. With his heated gaze still fixed on hers, he tugged the unbuttoned shirt from his trousers to reveal the amazing muscled perfection of his chest. Her mouth positively watered as she imagined sliding her oiled hands over all that hard, masculine strength.

  He tossed the shirt to the floor, then grinned. ‘You next.’

  Enjoying the game, she reached around and pulled the zip further down her back so the dress slid over her hips and to the floor. Then it was her turn to wait. But Connor didn’t move.

  ‘Haven’t you forgotten something?’ he asked with an arch of his eyebrow.

  She glanced down at herself, then realised what he meant. She looked up, met the wicked gleam in his eyes then unhooked her bra. Only when she tossed it away, revealing her breasts to his hungry gaze, did he unhook his belt and draw it from the waistband of his trousers.

  His slow striptease was really turning her on, and she hoped by the time they were both naked that she’d still be coherent enough to administer his massage.

  When he was down to his boxers, he stood waiting again. ‘Take them off. Make it slow.’

  The now-familiar burn in her lower belly intensified, joining the throb of anticipation between her legs. But she couldn’t let herself be distracted; she needed to work on Connor’s back first. Ease some of that tension she’d felt beneath her hands when she’d checked him out.

  Nevertheless, she’d promised him that they could both be naked when she massaged him. So she hooked her fingers into the sides of her panties and slowly lowered them down her legs to the floor, where she stepped out of them.

  From across the bed, she heard Connor’s breath hitch, saw his nostrils flare and his erection jerk hard against his boxers. He yanked off his boxers, his cock standing proud and ready.

  Lola took a moment to enjoy the sight of him, the exceptional physique and potent appeal, then she nodded. ‘On the bed.’

  She thought he would protest, say something like You first, but he did as she said. She had to wonder if his instant compliance was more to do with the prospect of having his sexual needs satisfied rather than having his non-sexual physical needs fulfilled.

  She coaxed him into a prone position, noting how he pillowed his head on his folded arms and then turned so he could watch her. She poured some of the massage carrier oil into the bowl she used for mixing, then added several drops of lavender essential oil and some cooling eucalyptus, before pouring the mixture into an empty glass bottle.

  ‘Smells like crap.’

  She glanced down at him as she swirled the contents in the bottle. ‘Open your mind to possibilities. This is going to make you feel really good.’

  ‘If your intention is to make me feel good, then I’ve got a better idea. One that involves you lying beneath me with my cock inside you.’

  ‘You’ve such a way with words, Connor. Romance just oozes from you, doesn’t it?’

  He turned his head a little more, a questioning glint in his eyes, making her wish she could take back what she’d said. Because romance didn’t come into this thing between them; it was purely physical. It didn’t matter that she was starting to want more. That she was enjoying the way he treated her like a woman who knew her own mind, who had good ideas, whose dream he validated and supported. It didn’t matter that she enjoyed his quick wit, his attentive manner.

  Because he didn’t feel the same, and once he knew the truth she might not be able to convince him that what she felt for him wasn’t all a lie. So this, right now, was all that mattered. Being with him, attempting to ease his discomfort, enjoying him.

  Everything else could wait just a little longer.

  She cleared her mind so she could tune in to Connor’s needs. She picked up a small hand towel and placed it beside Connor’s shoulders, then grabbed the bottle of mixed oils and got onto the bed.

  He looked amazing. All that lean and honed muscle across his back, the wide shoulders, carved shoulder blades and well defined arms. She wanted to touch every square inch of him.

  ‘This is more like it,’ he said as she straddled him and her wet heat pressed against the crease of his buttocks. ‘Your hot little pussy pressed against me is all the massage I need.’

  ‘Try and switch off your thoughts,’ Lola instructed, trying not to react to the feel of Connor’s toned body against her. ‘Soon, you’ll be feeling so good that you could go all night.’

  He gave a low hum, making her smile.

  She rubbed her hands together, warming the oil between her palms before placing them either side of his lower spine.

  His muscles tightened a fraction, then released as she moved her hands in slow, circular movements. ‘Put your attention on the area I’m touching and imagine your muscles relaxing.’

  ‘Uh-huh.’

  She smiled at his muted response, sliding her hands along his spine in a slow up-and-down then circular motion.

  ‘How’s that?’ she asked softly when his breathing deepened, slowed.

  ‘Not bad,’ he said after a moment. ‘You’ve got magical hands.’

  ‘You’re really tense around here.’ She worked on the area beneath his waist. ‘How did you hurt your back?’

  His muscles tightened a fraction. ‘Old history.’

  ‘I’d really like to know. It might help me understand just how deep a massage I need to give you.’

  It wouldn’t necessarily help her to do that, but Lola really wanted to know more about him, and getting him to talk while he was in a relaxed state would likely be the best opportunity she would have for that to happen.

  ‘Got into some scrapes while I was in foster care.’

  Lola straightened. She hadn’t expected him to say that, but now that he had she was intrigued.

  ‘Father took off when we were kids. Mother left to go find him. The five of us kids were placed in care. Wasn’t long before I acted up and they transferred me out, away from my siblings. Maybe I deserved it. I was a cocky little bastard.’ He went silent for a moment, then drew in a long breath. ‘You stopped stroking. I was enjoying it.’

  ‘Sorry.’ She began working his muscles again, taking extra care as myriad feelings vied for attention. Her heart squeezed at the image of a scared little boy acting up because he didn’t know what was happening to him, to his family. Not only losing his parents, but being separated from his siblings.

  Anger simmered deep inside her at a system that didn’t recognise the effect of that kind of trauma on a child. ‘You’ve got four brothers and sisters?’

  ‘Yeah. Logan’s the eldest. I’m next. Then there’s Aiden and Ty, who are in the forces, and Colleen’s the baby. She’s at uni.’

  She forced herself to keep her strokes light. ‘How did you hurt your back?’

  He raised his shoulders in a lazy
shrug. ‘Took a tumble down the stairs, courtesy of a bigger kid’s boot.’

  Her chest burned. ‘Little shit.’

  ‘Him, or me?’ His low scoff should have eased the anger inside her, but it didn’t.

  ‘What happened after that?’

  ‘Wasn’t long before Logan got himself a job. Got us all back together again.’

  Lola hadn’t met Connor’s eldest brother, but already she liked him without reservation.

  She couldn’t imagine that kind of childhood. Her father and brother were controlling, but she knew they loved her, protected her. And her mother and grandparents had adored her.

  After a few moments, Connor stretched a little. ‘Have to admit, that feels really good.’

  ‘Tension and stress will tighten your back muscles and cause pain, especially since you have a weakness in that area. You really should take time to learn to relax.’

  ‘Yeah.’

  She continued to work on his back, warming and pouring more oil to aid her manipulation of his muscles. She could feel them loosening by degrees, his breathing really deep and his body relaxed.

  She thought about what he’d told her, about the circumstances of his injury. Although anger still burned through her, she knew it wouldn’t aid her massage ability, so she took some deep, cleansing breaths and willed her hands to relax.

  She loved touching him, helping him, and it didn’t hurt that she could feast on his spectacular body at the same time.

  Unable to resist, she leaned down and pressed a light kiss to his neck, then across his shoulders and down his spine. The fragrance of the oils combined with Connor’s own exquisite scent flooded her nostrils. She shifted back a little and kissed each of his ass cheeks. This guy was certainly built.

  ‘Do I get to pour oil over you and kiss your ass next?’

  It made her laugh. ‘How does your back feel?’

  ‘Good. Why don’t we test it out?’

  Deeply moved by what he’d told her, she wanted to help him even more. That, and the fact she was enjoying the feel of Connor’s hot and pliable flesh beneath her hands. ‘There’s something else we could try that might help you relax deeper.’

  ‘Now you’re talking.’

  ‘You might like this even more. It has dual benefits.’

  ‘I’m all ears,’ he said, turning to look at her with slumberous, sexy eyes. ‘Well, not all ears. I’m pretty much a whole lot of cock at the moment too.’

  To confirm his statement, he turned onto his back.

  Lola laughed and shook her head. ‘So I see.’

  She straddled him again, making sure to keep away from his erection which threatened to press against her heated core. ‘Have you heard of Tantric sex?’

  ‘Yeah,’ he said, his hands on her hips. ‘It’s the kinky stuff, right?’

  ‘No. It’s really slow sex. It can lead to incredibly powerful orgasms.’

  That got his attention. He raised his eyebrows, his hands leaving her hips to cup her breasts, his thumbs stroking slowly across her hardening nipples. ‘Tell me more.’

  ‘It’s been around for thousands of years. It involves prolonging arousal.’

  ‘Go on. I’m riveted.’

  She kept her face impassive because she needed him to understand the real nature and purpose of the practice. ‘You have to stick with it, Connor. Have to step out of your comfort zone. You can’t change your mind halfway through and go for the whole wham-bam thing instead. It involves a lot of slow, steady touching.’

  ‘I can do slow,’ he said, illustrating his point by languidly sliding his hand across her stomach. ‘And I can do steady.’

  ‘I’ll need to teach you a full yogic breath. Controlling your breathing is a fundamental part of Tantric sex. Now, are we doing this or not?’

  He shifted on the bed, as if getting comfortable. ‘Go for it.’

  ‘Okay.’ Still straddling him, she got comfortable herself, thinking how bizarre it was teaching someone how to breathe deeply while you were both stark-naked and one of you had a massive erection. ‘Close your eyes. Concentrate on your exhalation.’

  Surprisingly, he picked up the technique really fast, and before long was taking good, deep breaths.

  He opened his eyes. ‘When do we get to the good stuff?’

  ‘This is the good stuff. It’s not just about getting off. Do you know what chakras are?’

  He grinned. ‘Kinda’

  She talked him through each one, pleased that he paid attention, although his hands found her hips again, his fingers possessively digging into her.

  Closing her eyes, she deepened her own breathing. When she opened them again it was to find him watching her. ‘You’re so fucking beautiful.’

  It knocked her sideways for a moment. Not just because of what he’d said, but the way he’d said it. As if he was seeing deep inside her, looking past the superficial to what lay deeper beneath the surface.

  It unsettled her, pushed at the guilt that she’d tried to put away for one more night. When he tried to pull her down against him, she batted his hands away. ‘You’re losing focus.’

  He gave a lazy grin. ‘I like my focus.’

  ‘I’m going to touch you really slowly,’ she said, battling to concentrate. ‘You’re going to breathe through it, and you’re going to concentrate on being in the present. If you feel like you’re going to come, pull the energy up from the base of your spine to the top of your head.’

  He raised his eyebrows, his grin widening. ‘The top of my head?’

  ‘Connor. Are you going to take this seriously?’

  He sobered, but she knew it took everything he had. It was his first introduction to esoteric practices and it was natural for people to be circumspect when they didn’t know what to expect.

  She took in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the fragrant oils and the heady scent of Connor, then placed her hands on his chest and slowly circled her hands over his skin, teasing his nipples.

  It didn’t take long before he cupped her breasts, brushing his thumbs across her nipples and sending delicious thrills through the entire length of her body. She shifted against him, rubbing her heat against his impressive erection, but making sure to take it really slowly and sensually, reminding herself that this was about the journey, about exploring each other, about making it last.

  Soon they were both breathing heavily, with no thought of control, or of stringing things out. Connor curled his fingers deeper into her hips and held her tight as he flipped them both until she was on her back and he was leaning over her.

  ‘Your back...’

  ‘Is feeling great,’ he ground out as he slid his hand between her legs. ‘Those magic hands of yours.’

  He had magic of his own, Lola thought while she still could. In his hands, and just about everywhere else. He pushed his finger in deep, sliding in and out in a slow and drugging rhythm until Lola was trying to delay her own orgasm.

  She didn’t want this to end. Not just the slow and easy way they were together like this, but her time with Connor. Deep inside her she knew she was on borrowed time, and she couldn’t deny the truth of that even as Connor brought her closer and closer to the edge.

  Not wanting to let that truth take root, she focused on what she’d told him and slowed down her breathing as her inner muscles began to contract. She pulled the energy from between her legs, imagined drawing it up her spine to the top of her head and found herself gasping for both air and control.

  Connor withdrew his hand and reached out for a condom. Vaguely, Lola knew he’d covered himself and she opened her legs as he moved between them.

  With his hands braced either side of her shoulders, he looked at her, their gazes connecting and holding, and Lola felt something move through her that was at once powerful, amazing and discomfiting. She sensed that Connor was fig
hting to keep control. He was trying hard to do what she’d told him and take this really slowly.

  ‘Think I’ve just about reached the end of my journey,’ he said as he nudged her opening. ‘So, unless you object, I’m heading straight for my destination.’

  Lola wanted to tell him it was okay, that she’d reached the end of her journey too. She was primed to take him inside her, to feel the length of him fill her and take them where they both needed to go.

  Journey’s end.

  Instead, he took it slowly, his gaze locked to hers as he pushed in an inch before he withdrew, then another inch, and again a withdrawal. It was exquisite: the friction, the heat, the sheer girth of him. Each time he pushed forward, she gripped him hard, holding tight as he withdrew and earning a deep groan.

  Like her, she knew he hovered at the edge of orgasm and, loving his attempt to keep things slow for as long as possible, she wanted to return the favour.

  Reaching between them, she called on her theoretical knowledge of the practice and pressed her fingers beneath his balls. She was rewarded with a sharp, ‘Fuck’.

  ‘Sorry...’

  He held above her, gritting his teeth, his eyes squeezed tight for a few moments. Then he opened them and shook his head. ‘Don’t apologise. That’s taken the edge off.’

  ‘Really?’ She released her hands and brought them to his shoulders. ‘It was supposed to.’

  He pushed inside her, a little deeper this time, before withdrawing again. ‘Are you close?’

  As if he had to ask. Surely her gasps and moans were indicative of her nearness to orgasm? But she nodded. ‘Yes.’

  Still moving slowly, but making sure he didn’t push too deep, he dropped a kiss to her mouth. ‘Want me to stop for a while? Slow things down?’

  When she shook her head, gripping his shoulders tighter, he brought a hand down to her knee and raised her leg higher. The movement allowed him to push deeper and this time he drove in all the way.

  Lola gasped and clung to him. ‘Oh, hell. That’s...’

  The angle at which he penetrated her allowed him to rub against her slick walls and hit the exact spot where she didn’t think any amount of Tantric knowledge would stop her from coming. She was powerless. Completely and desperately defenceless against the spasms that flung her over some metaphoric wall where everything was shot with colour, light and pure sensation.