Her tongue. Heat surged through her belly…and arrowed lower. No denying that she wanted to know how he tasted.
Alea ran her tongue across his bottom lip and felt his whole body shiver as his lips parted. Then she curled her tongue around his shyly and drank in his flavor for a heady second. Oh, she felt lightheaded, but as she eased away, she realized that she had power over him. Dane was right. She wasn’t out of control. Quite the opposite.
“Hey, it’s my turn,” Cooper said. “I want a good-night kiss, too.”
“Go on or he’ll whine all night long,” Lan whispered against her lips.
Good-night kisses. If she started allowing them, would they want them every night? Would they want more? The thought made her shiver.
She turned to Cooper. He held himself just a bit apart, giving her space, the same way Lan had. She moved closer to him and cupped his face, too. His hair was so short, but when she ran her hand across it, she was surprised at how soft it felt. She bumped her nose against his before finding his lips.
As they touched, a little spark sizzled over her lips. As she opened her mouth and his followed suit, their breaths meshed, their tongues tangled. Coop wasn’t quite as good at being passive and patient as Lan. He surged in, wrapping a hand around her shoulder, as he tilted his head and went deeper. Alea stiffened for a moment, then relaxed. A big zing followed. He was potent. And she couldn’t deny that it was nice to be close to them.
She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth and loved the groan that came from deep in his chest. Then she nipped at him again before pulling away with a teasing grin.
Alea stood up, perfectly satisfied with this little experiment so far. But she had one more man to go. Dane.
Gulping down nerves, she walked to the fire, her feet sinking deliciously into the sand. It was funny how much more aware she was of everything now. The night suddenly wasn’t cold, but rasped a nice cool breeze over her skin.
Dane watched her, his gaze warm as she halted beside him. “Is it my turn, baby?”
She nodded, putting a hand on his chest. He was perfectly ripped, every muscle gloriously hard. His face had no give. And somehow, without a word, he demanded that she try her best, give as much as she could. For some reason, she found herself wanting to please him.
“Go ahead.” He spread his arms wide, giving her full access.
Alea had a suspicion that he wouldn’t give her this much leash often. She’d better enjoy exploring and setting the pace while she could.
Searching up into Dane’s blue eyes and finding a gentle understanding under his hunger, she leaned against him and kissed him, not waiting this time. She drew her tongue along his plump bottom lip, and he remained still beneath her, letting her control everything. How far would he allow her to go?
She pressed harder, but his lips stayed closed.
“Open your mouth,” she whispered.
He obliged when she kissed him again, giving her access. She hoped she was doing it right. She rubbed her tongue against his, curling and sliding. He played along, but he was largely still beneath her.
Alea stopped and backed away.
“What is it, Princess?” Dane asked.
“I want you to kiss me back.”
“I moved with you.”
She shook her head. “No, you—”
But he had. Yes, it was reassuring to have all the control, but she wanted him to respond. She wanted him to truly want her and to prove it in his kiss. Even twenty-four hours ago, she wouldn’t have been able to imagine needing him to kiss her. Now she ached for what he held just beyond her reach.
“What I mean is, I think I’d like it more if you kissed me.”
“Do you really want me to kiss you?” Dane asked. “Because I won’t keep my hands off you. I’ll take control. Just a kiss, Lea. It won’t go any further than that. I’ll kiss you and hold you. And then we’ll go to sleep.”
He was baiting a trap. She sensed that he’d push a bit beyond that…but she was alive after a harrowing day. And she realized that for the first time since Cole Lennox had pulled her out of that brothel, she wasn’t terrified. Somehow, kissing them made her feel like she was taking control of her life again. Doing what she wanted, not what fear allowed her. No way would she stop Dane now. She wanted to know what it would be like to kiss him.
“All right,” she murmured.
He sat in the sand and leaned against the tree, then patted his lap. “Sit here.”
If she did, so much of her would have to touch so much of him. He’d maneuver them into a position that ensured he was in control. But she knew Dane would honor his promise. Just a kiss.