However she froze.
A small voice of reason penetrated her lust-fogged mind. This wasn't what she had promised herself. This wasn't the path to showing James the depth of her feelings. She vowed not to make their connection become solely physical, she worried he might not understand how completely she loved him, not just his body but his mind, his heart, his soul. She had resolved to show him that her feelings transcended the physical, that she wanted all of him, not just the pleasure he could give her.
With reluctance heavy in her limbs, Victoria stilled her movements, though her leg remained pressed against him. The damage, however, was done already.
James groaned softly, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest as consciousness found him. His arms tightened around her instinctively before his eyes even opened. The discomfort of his arousal drew his gaze downward, where he discovered the culprit, Victoria's slender leg draped across his midsection, her smooth skin a stark contrast to the dark fabric separating them.
His eyes traveled up to her face, finding those clear, expressive wide eyes filled not with guilt or shame but with a quiet practiced innocence that he knew all too well. Her lips were slightly parted, her expression carefully composed to suggest she had no idea what she'd been doing to him. It was an act he'd grown familiar with, Victoria's habit of stirring his desire deliberately, then feigning innocence when caught.
She's just so cute.
"Good morning," she whispered, her voice soft and sweet, betraying nothing of the heat that had consumed her moments before.
James sighed, a sound caught somewhere between exasperation and affection, lips twitching into a resigned smile. "Morning," he replied, his voice still rough with sleep. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, allowing his fingers to linger against her cheek.
"Did you sleep well?" He asked. Victoria nodded.
"I'm glad."
Despite her games, James felt a profound sense of relief. After their first night together, he had been concerned about her comfort, worried that she might be experiencing pain. However, the playfulness in her eyes told him she had recovered well from losing her virginity to him.
The thought of their lovemaking brought a flood of images to his mind, Victoria beneath him, her face transformed by pleasure, the incredible feeling of being inside her for the first time, the trust she had placed in him. He gazed down at her and her eyes met his, wide and bare. Something in his expression must have changed as these memories surfaced, because the atmosphere in the room shifted perceptibly.
The playfulness in Victoria's eyes receded, replaced by something deeper, more intense. Their gazes locked, and the air between them seemed to grow thicker, charged with unspoken emotion. Their breathing synchronized and deepened, chests rising and falling in a shared rhythm. Neither spoke, they didn't notice how close their faces had grown, how their noses nearly brushed as if pulled by invisible strings, their bodies recognizing what they needed before their minds could articulate it.
They breathed each other in, the warm sleep-soft scent of skin, the slightly stale breath of morning, the lingering traces of last night's shower gel and shampoo. None of it mattered. The primal part of them recognized and craved their essential scents beneath it all.
Their lips met in a tentative, questioning kiss. It was gentle, almost chaste, a good morning, a hello. They pulled back just enough to look into each other's eyes, and Victoria saw reflected in James's gaze everything she felt but couldn't say aloud. Devotion. Desire. A tenderness so acute it bordered on pain. Something that might be love, if either of them were brave enough to say it.
The second kiss obliterated all hesitation. Their mouths crashed together, no longer gentle or questioning but demanding and certain. Victoria closed her eyes and surrendered to sensation, to the slick heat of James's tongue sliding against hers. She sucked it deeper into her mouth, drawing a guttural groan from him that vibrated through her body and settled between her thighs.
James's hands found their way into her hair, fingers tangling in the silky strands, cradling her skull with surprising gentleness despite the urgency of his kiss. His other hand traveled lower, cupping the curve of her buttock, squeezing the flesh there before using his grip to pull her closer, eliminating what little space remained between them.
Victoria matched his enthusiasm, losing herself in the cascade of sensations he evoked. One hand held his face, her thumb stroking the line of his jaw, while her other hand embarked on an exploration of its own. She traced the hard curve of his bicep, feeling the muscle flex beneath her touch. Her fingers splayed across the broad expanse of his chest, absorbing the heat of him, feeling his heart thundering beneath her palm. She followed the ridges and valleys of his abdomen, each defined muscle a testament to his strength and discipline.
As her hand drifted lower, approaching the waistband of his pants, James caught her wrist in a reflexive gesture of restraint, a habit born from months of holding back, of setting boundaries between them. However, something shifted in him, a decision made, and he released her immediately, giving her unspoken permission to continue her exploration.
Victoria smiled against his lips, a small victory won. Her hand resumed its journey, though she kept it above the fabric, tracing idle patterns on his lower abdomen, teasing with proximity to where he most wanted her touch. The restraint cost her, her own body clamoring for more, but she held firm to her decision.
Their kiss deepened further, becoming a conversation without words. James nipped at her lower lip, a gentle punishment for her teasing. Victoria soothed the spot with her tongue before sucking his into her mouth again. They traded control back and forth, neither dominating for long, a perfect balance of give and take.
The taste of him was intoxicating, warm and male and uniquely James. Victoria couldn't get enough, drinking him in as though she'd been parched for years and he was the first water she'd found. Their tongues danced and dueled, explored and retreated. Teeth caught lips in gentle nibbles, adding sharp notes of almost-pain to the symphony of sensation.
Wrapped in his arms, surrounded by his scent, consumed by his kiss, Victoria battled herself. God, she wanted him. She felt desire build within her like a gathering storm. Her body knew what it wanted; to rip his pants off, pull his cock out, push him onto his back, straddle him right there, to sink down onto him and ride them both senseless to ecstasy but in reverse cowgirl style. With eyes rolled back, hair loose, giving him a show he'd never forget. The image was so vivid in her mind she could almost feel it, the delicious stretch of him filling her, the angle hitting spots inside her that made coherent thought impossible, his hands on her hips guiding her movements, the visual feast he would have of her back arching, her hair cascading down, the place where their bodies joined.
No. The word echoed in her mind like a bell, cutting through the haze of lust. She had made a promise to herself. If this relationship was going to be different, if it was going to head in the direction she wished, for them to be long and lasting, they needed balance. She had been the aggressor for too long, always pushing for more, making her desires clear. It was time for James to meet her halfway. Time for him to unleash the passion she knew he kept carefully controlled.
With heroic effort, Victoria moderated her kisses, gradually reducing their intensity without breaking contact entirely. Her hand stilled its teasing movements, coming to rest just above his hip. She didn't pull away, couldn't bear to but she stopped pushing forward, creating space for him to take the lead if he chose to.
James sensed the change, his eyes opening to search her face, confusion mingling with the desire in his expression. His breathing was ragged, his pupils dilated, his body clearly ready to continue what they'd started. Yet he followed her lead, slowing the pace of their kisses, his hands still on her but no longer pulling her closer.
Victoria held his gaze, letting him see everything she felt, the desire still burning bright, but also the depth of emotion behind it. If he wanted her the way she craved him, he would have to show her. He would have to let go of his damned self-control and give in to the passion she knew lived within him. It would be difficult, this new approach. She had grown accustomed to being open about her feelings, to making the first move, to pushing past his boundaries. However, she needed this, needed to know that he wanted her enough to reach for her, not just respond when she reached for him.
She traced the outline of his lips with her finger, a promise and a challenge in one gesture. The ball was in his court now. She would wait, no matter how difficult, for him to meet her halfway.