Page 52 of The Plus One Pact

"I don't like it." The harshness in my voice surprises me. I rarely stand up for myself this aggressively. But it's true. I may be here because of our deal, but I don't want to be reminded of it.

"What would you like?" He looks up at me. "I know." His voice shifts to a perfect Spanish accent. "Mi reigna."

I remember that much. "Your queen? Really?"

"It suits you, no?"

I like the thought of it, I admit.

"Have you used it before?"

He shakes his head. "I can use the English, if you prefer."

"No. It's okay, if it comes naturally…"

"First thing that came to mind." He taps his head. "Now… mi reigna, what next?"

I do like it. That I'm not a princess in his eyes. I'm not a girl. I'm a woman, a ruler, someone powerful yet feminine. He really is good at this.

Way too good at this.

"I want to touch you." I bring my hand to the space just above his chest, so I'm not making contact. Not yet. "Slowly. So I can feel the warmth of your skin. And the hardness of your muscles."

He brings his hand to my wrist and places my palm on his chest. A non-verbal invitation.

The way I prefer things.

For all the ways I preach sexual communication, I much prefer non-verbal signals. I talk all day. This is when I let my body do the talking.

In theory.

In practice, I default to what my partner wants. I let him run the show.

Men just… move so much faster than I do.

Romeo notices me hesitating and looks up at me. "Take all the time you want."

Right. I'm doing what I want to him. And this is what I want to do. I look into his eyes as I explore his torso with my hands. First, the firm muscles of his pecs, then the defined shoulders, the thick biceps.

The actual abs.

He has a fantastic body. Objectively speaking. But it's not his traditional good looks that move me. It's the way his skin feels against mine.

There's something right about it.

The touch fills some place in me that's been empty for far too long. Is it lacking love or lust? I'm not sure.

Both, maybe.

For once, I don't question it.

I close my eyes and surrender to the sensation.

I take a long, long time exploring his body. He leans into the touch with patience and steady breath.

When I finally move onto my next desire, I expect him to rejoice from the momentum. But he doesn't.

He stays patient.