“I love the bold colours in here,” Becki said, pulling him to a stop by the couch and running a hand over the soft leather. “It’s all so grown up.”

Marcus laughed. “Well, thank you, I guess.”

She stepped in front of him and wrapped her free arm around his waist. “Grown up is a good thing, Marcus. I had mostly thrift shop furniture and cinder-block bookcases at my old place. I’d never gotten to the point of settling in and making a home. Good for you.”

“I like my comforts,” he drawled.

They stared at each other for a moment, silence stretching and drawing out the anticipation. Then he broke the spell and drew her down the hall, past a guest bath and a small office. All the way to the master bedroom. No dark wood in here, only a bed big enough for all kinds of acrobatics plus a full line of floor-to-ceiling windows facing the mountain range. The deck outside the French doors supported a hot tub and sturdy wrought-iron furniture.

Becki swallowed hard as Marcus stepped behind her and leaned over to kiss the exposed nape of her neck.

“This room is also grown up, don’t you think?”

“Very.” No frilly decorations like candles or silk pillows, but the room screamed comfort. Seduction. A world apart from the IKEA bed she’d been bunking on in the dorms. His tongue teased her skin, tasting her, making all sorts of lovely after-dinner entertainments come to mind.

He trailed his fingers up her arm, his left forearm wrapped around her waist to pull her against him. There was no denying he desired her as the hard length of his cock made contact with her back. “Hot tub?”

“Lovely.” Becki twisted in his arms. “I hope you don’t mind me skinny dipping. I forgot my swimsuit.”

Marcus leaned over and brushed their lips together, only for a second before pulling back to speak against her mouth. “Why does that not surprise me?”

“Tell me you’re disappointed,” she whispered.

“I am.” She must have made a face because he grinned. “Don’t look so surprised. I was looking forward to ordering you to go without, and now you’ve stolen my thunder.”

Oh really? “Well, perhaps you’ll have to find something else to order me to do, then.”

He released her and stepped back, his expression tightening as he looked her over. “Now there’s an idea. What kind of commands would you enjoy, Becki? Shall we play that game in the bedroom as well as on the wall?”

What was he doing? “On the wall?”

He stepped to the high dresser to his right and held out a familiar dark swatch of fabric. The blindfold from the other day’s climb.

Suddenly all her fantasies of this evening were wiped clean. She had memories of all kinds of games with him, but they’d never used a blindfold during the wild romp so long ago. “Marcus . . .”

He shrugged. “Your choice.”

But he didn’t withdraw the blindfold.

She stepped forward, ignoring his offering for a moment, pressing herself tight to his body as she caught hold of his face and kissed him hard. She was the aggressor this time, and he let her explore. Let her stroke her tongue over his teeth, allowed her to nibble on his lower lip, her fingers slipping into his hair as she took what she wanted. Snatching a few seconds of control before she softened her touch. Eased back, their lips separating with a quiet sigh.

As she stepped away, observing the fire in his eyes, she slid her fingers along his forearm to his wrist, to his palm. She tugged the fabric free from his grasp.

Covering her eyes meant all her other senses kicked into higher gear. She listened for any indication of what might come next. She waited, shifting her balance onto the balls of her feet as she wondered exactly what he had planned. Because she was ready for anything he wanted to dish out.

It wasn’t that she heard him, but she felt him. Standing right beside her mere seconds before he stroked her arm again. Back of the knuckles? Fingertips? She wasn’t sure, only he teased from her wrist all the way to her shoulder, finishing with his lips.

“Very nice. Your nipples have hardened. Can you feel them pressing against your dress?”

She nodded, unable to speak past the knot of rising lust. If she could have said something, she would have told him she was also wet, an aching sensation growing between her thighs.

“As much as I loved this afternoon, I want you a whole different way this time. I find myself wanting to anticipate. To prolong coming together until we’re both ready to burst.”

“Try five minutes ago, then,” Becki managed to say, steadying herself more solidly on her feet in the hopes she wouldn’t melt into a puddle.

Her zipper released. One tooth at a time, the rasping loud in her ears as the fabric peeled back to allow a brush of cooler air over her heated skin. His hand landed on her shoulder and pushed off one strap, letting it fall to the side and expose the upper swell of her right breast.

This time she heard when he drew in a breath of air. Controlling himself, perhaps? Not that she cared if he lost control and threw her on the bed this moment. She was more than ready for him.

But the going slow was very nice as well. If nice was anywhere near the correct word.

“No bra.” Marcus slid his hand down her waist and over her ass. “No panties as well, or will I find a thong to explain why you have no lines?”

“Thong.” A very wet one by now, if she guessed right.

“Hmm.” The sound rumbled from some point below her, and she was the one to gasp when he touched the inside of her thigh, edging the bottom of her skirt up slightly as he reached underneath and caught hold of the fabric.

Without the ability to see, she found that her skin was far more sensitive, the rub of the material as he tugged it down her limbs sending out small tingles, all of which seemed to rebound back and hit her in the core. She caught his head in her hands. She brushed her fingers through his hair, leaning one hand on his shoulder as he indicated for her to lift her foot.

One breast was exposed, nothing else on under the flimsy layer of her sundress. Becki arched her back and waited, longing for him to touch her again.

When he wrapped his lips around her nipple, she gasped in delight. The other shoulder strap fell away, and the dress slipped down, catching momentarily on her hips before Marcus brushed it to the floor.

He kissed the other nipple, laving his tongue around the tip to moisten it before pulling off with a light popping sound.

She swayed on her feet as he withdrew. Naked, unable to see what he was doing. But she figured she knew pretty well he wasn’t disappointed.

“You’re grinning like a cat that’s got the cream,” Marcus pointed out.

“Nice analogy. I’m enjoying this blindfold thing. What are you planning next?”

What he planned apparently involved dropping to his knees again and covering her sex with his mouth. No further warning, just a single clasp around her butt to hold her in place, then a determined assault to drive her mad. He licked along her labia, using his fingers to open her curls. Tongue tip teasing the sensitive spot at the apex of her slit until her legs quivered.

A finger slid into her core and she widened her stance, thrusting her hips against him to try for more. The little extra she needed to get the detonation building inside her to trigger. He added another finger, pumping lazily while his tongue and teeth worked her to the brink.

“Touch your breasts,” Marcus commanded. “Grab those rings and tug them the way you like.”

Becki didn’t hesitate, raising her hands and cupping herself, thumb and forefingers rolling the tiny loops she’d placed in before getting dressed. The small bite of pain shook her hard, and she gasped.

“Oh yeah, that’s it. I knew the instant you tugged—your body squeezed so tight. I want to be in you again, Becki. Wrap your sweet cunt around my cock and let you squeeze me like that as you go off.”

She was going to suggest he should stop talking and use his lips on her a little more, but the deep timbre of his voice stroked her as hard as his tongue.

“Do it,” she begged. “I want you.”

“Oh no, this time is for you.” Marcus slid his fingers in, rubbing over a spot deep inside that made her head spin. “You’re going to come for me. Standing, your legs ready to give out, but you won’t fall because I’ve got you.”

He did. He had her tangled into a throbbing heap, and when he touched her with his mouth, it was too much. Fingers thrusting, pushing her as he moved again and again. His tongue hard on her clit, satisfied sounds rising as he greedily ate her pussy. She pinched her nipples as he’d told her to, and the wave slammed into her. Sharp. Hard. Her sex constricting, breath catching in her throat. It wasn’t enough—not nearly enough.

“Marcus, oh God.”

He slowed, fingers easing from her before slipping in one last time. Once more. Every brush set off another wave, and he held her upright with his left forearm and bicep, her hands clinging to his head and shoulders.

A tender kiss landed on her belly. He stood, gently helping her find her balance. He kissed her and she tasted herself on his tongue. The taste of sex and desire, and longing for more tangled with satisfaction.

Her curiosity rose. “Can I take off the blindfold?”

“No.” He caught her hand in his and brought it to his chest. “Undress me.”

“While I’m blindfolded?”

He didn’t answer.

Becki started on his buttons, moving until their hips were touching and he had to hold on to her. The texture of his shirt was slightly rough, a brushed cotton that dragged over her skin like sensual sandpaper—impossible to ignore, impossibly erotic.