"No apologies."
Grateful that he wasn't pressuring her into anything--even though she was now his lawfully wedded wife--she said, "I want--"
Oh God, she was such a novice at all of this that she didn't even know how to get the words out.
"You want to sleep with me."
Thankful that he clearly didn't have the same problem, she nodded.
"But something is holding you back?"
Again, she nodded.
"How many lovers have you had, Anna?"
She flushed at his question. "Two," she said in a voice that was barely more than a whisper. "But being with them wasn't like being with you."
The words were out before she realized they were coming and her flush flamed even brighter.
"You're special to me, too," he said softly against her lips and this time when he kissed her, she was able to sink into it a little more. "I want to give you pleasure, Anna, more pleasure than you've ever known. Will you let me do that for you?"
His heated words shot through her veins like a drug. "I want to, Cole." And she did. God, how she did. "But what if I freak out again?"
"Will you trust me to make sure that doesn't happen?"
She had no reason to trust him, now when she didn't know any more about him than his name and profession. And yet, there was something in his eyes, in the way he'd touched her so far tonight, in the way he'd kissed her, that had her feeling cherished.
Adored.
No one had ever made her feel that way before. Not just the sexual part, which was way off any chart she'd ever had, but the safety part.
Cole made her feel protected.
"What we've had so far tonight is only the beginning. There's so much more, sweet Anna. Let me show you how good I can make you feel."
She couldn't hold back a shiver at his words. His arms were still around her, light enough that she could walk away at any moment, but she didn't want to go. His erection throbbed hard and thick against her belly even through his pants, and she wanted what he promised.
Badly.
But now she knew for sure that she couldn't do it on her own. Not without him helping her. Guiding her. Leading her.
Not without trusting him.
She'd thought a quickie wedding would be the craziest thing she'd ever done, but now she knew she was wrong.
Sleeping with Cole, trusting him enough to give her body over to him, letting him learn what gave her pleasure--learning it for herself--was far crazier.
"I'll trust you, Cole."
The relief that flashed across his features was quickly replaced with a darker, deeper desire than she'd seen yet.
He was halfway to kissing her when she found herself saying, "But please, don't betray my trust. Please don't hurt me."
He stilled a breath away from her mouth. "I don't want to hurt you, Anna."
Her brain tried to tell her it wasn't the promise she was looking for, but before she could fully hold onto the warning, he was picking her up again and kissing her as he carried her back inside.
Into his bedroom.
Chapter Five
Cole didn't throw her on the bed, didn't crawl over her and keep kissing her. Instead, he set her on her feet again and said, "Turn around."
Anna's eyes flashed a combination of desire and that uncertainty she couldn't shake at his command. But she did it.
"Good girl," he said as he slid her zipper down and pushed her dress off her shoulders to the floor.
The fine hairs along her spine rose as his fingers followed the dress down. She moved to turn again to face him.
"Stay right where you are."
"But I can't see what you're doing."
"I know."
Again, despite her reluctance to give up control, he hoped she was tempted enough by what he was offering to give it.
After taking a long moment to appreciate how good she looked from the back in nothing but a bra and panties, all soft curves and smooth skin--the anticipation of seeing her from the front nearly killing him--Cole said, "Don't move a muscle."
He could see how hard it was for her follow his instructions, even without seeing her face. She was all but bristling with anxiety as he walked over to his dresser and pulled it open.
"Tell me what you're doing," she begged.
God, how he liked to hear her beg.
"You'll know soon enough," he said, teasing her with his response. Despite what she thought she wanted, the fact was that not knowing what he was doing would make her even hotter.
And would help her let go.
That need to let go was exactly why he gently slid one of his silk ties across her eyes.
She reached for the blindfold, but he didn't stop her. "I thought you were going to trust me, sweet Anna."
Her hands stilled on the soft fabric. "But I didn't think you'd be...blindfolding me."
He had to press a kiss to the spot where her neck curved into her shoulder. But just the press of his lips wasn't enough, he had to rake her skin with his teeth, had to begin to mark her as his.
His.
"Don't think, Anna. Just feel." He finished tying it behind her soft hair, tight enough that it wouldn't slip, but not tight enough to hurt. "The blindfold will help."
"How?"
Her whispered question made his c**k so big it almost hurt. Because she was trusting him.
And he didn't deserve that trust.
Damn it, he couldn't go there. Not now. Not when he had a feeling the greatest pleasure he'd known yet was right in front of him, wearing his tie as a blindfold. Along with his ring on her left hand.
When she'd asked him not to betray her trust, they'd been talking about sex. He told himself that his answer had been totally honest. Enough justification that nothing was going to stop him from giving her the ultimate pleasure.
"No decisions. No choices. Just pleasure."
He heard her breath catch, saw the flutter of excitement in the upper curve of her br**sts where her heart was beating hard enough that he could see it jumping beneath her skin.
He picked her up again, her arms going around his neck to steady herself a moment before he laid her down on the bed.
With the blindfold covering her incredible eyes, he found himself enthralled by her mouth, a sweet and sexy cupid's bow that was made for kissing. A vision ambushed him of Anna's soft, red lips wrapped around his c**k as she sucked him deep into her throat.