Tempered (A Daughters of the People Novel) (Daughters of the People Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

downward.
    “Piotr will have
a meal for us soon.” Her breasts shifted as she sat up.
    He had yet to
taste her there, had yet to explore her in full. He would, though, if she wanted,
as much as he could.
    “I should like
to take you in my mouth, if you are amenable,” she said.
    “I’m amenable to
pretty much anything you want, so if you want to put your mouth on me, by all
means, do.” He pressed her back against the bed and moved over her, burying his
face in her neck, his body hardening with need. Under the light scent of her
sweat, she smelled of roses and soap. The floral undertones were unexpected, a
stark contrast to her candor. How could a woman as blunt as Hawthorne be
comfortable in such a feminine scent? “But later. You rushed me before.”
    “I do not rush.”
She hooked a leg over his thighs and levered him onto his back, straddling him.
“Then, it was time to copulate. Now, it is time to play.”
    He threaded his
hands behind his head and considered her. “That’s the second time you’ve done
that. What do you have against being on the bottom?”
    Her forthright
gaze met his evenly. “It is unpleasant.”
    “Why?”
    “That is
personal. Do you not derive pleasure from this position?”
    “Oh, yeah, but
that isn’t what we’re talking about here. Define unpleasant.”
    “Unpleasant,”
she said flatly.
    “That’s not really
helpful.” He inhaled, easing his impatience. If she didn’t want to talk about
it, fine, but he needed her to open up. “Do you think I’ll hurt you?”
    “Do not concern
yourself. Though you are a large man, you fit well within me.”
    “That’s not what
I’m talking about and you know it. I’m asking if you think I’ll abuse you.”
    She blinked
owlishly. “You are a gentle man.”
    “But you don’t
trust me.” He sighed and scrubbed the heels of his hands across his face. “Why
did you have sex with me?”
    “You ask
questions that will lead to nothing but more questions. Is it not enough that I
have taken you to my bed?”
    “No, it’s really
not.” He tapped her hip. “Come on. Time to build some trust.”
    She stayed
stubbornly in place above him. “It is my turn to pleasure you.”
    “You can. Later.
When you trust me. Where’s the remote?”
    He cajoled her
into sliding beneath the covers while he slipped on his boxers and found a
monster movie marathon playing on a local station. He set the remote on the
nightstand and turned off the lamp, slid into bed and curled up behind her
under the covers.
    She jerked her
chin at the TV. “What is this?”
    “ Godzilla vs.
Mothra . A classic. You haven’t seen it?”
    “I do not watch
moving pictures.”
    “Really? You
don’t know what you’re missing.”
    She twisted and
speared him with her gray-eyed stare. “What does Godzilla have to do with
building trust?”
    “You’ll see.” He
dropped a kiss on the end of her pert nose before nudging her. “Hush now.
You’re missing the good part.”
    As soon as she
relaxed against him, he slipped his hand from her hip to her stomach, caressing
her silky skin gently, learning her shape. Her self-control was tight, but
eventually he began to understand the minute signs she made when she enjoyed a
particular touch. The subtle shift of her legs when his fingers brushed the
curls at the juncture of her thighs. A slight intake of breath when he thumbed
the crease beneath her breast. The infinitesimal tightening of her fingers
against the bedspread when his breath caressed the nape of her neck. He
suspected an untapped well of passion lay hidden beneath her cool exterior.
    A knock sounded
on the door. He padded into the living room, signed for the meal Hawthorne had
ordered, and peeked into the covered dishes. They contained individual-sized
pepperoni pizzas, crisp home-made potato chips, and New York style cheesecake
topped with fresh strawberries. As if on cue, his stomach growled. Sex and
food, he thought, and grinned. God, he was such a man.
    He