He knew his mistake by the immediate way her soft body tightened. The air in the room changed in the blink of an eye from soft and warm to coolly electric.

When he met her eyes, they’d changed too, from molten to chilly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Uh…it was just a question.”

“It felt like a criticism.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he protested, but guilt curled inside his belly. He kind of had been judging her. “I really wanted to know.”

She gave him a long, level look. “You and—never mind, we’re not supposed to talk about him in bed.” She rolled her eyes and flopped her head down onto the pillow.

“Guess I killed that mood, huh.”

Her lips twitched. “Not entirely.”

“I pushed a button,” he said, with a flash of realization.

She frowned.

“I’m sorry.” Really, really sorry, because his dick still throbbed and he had to recover this tout de suite. But that was selfish. He’d hurt her feelings. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” he attempted. “Your tattoo suits you. From what I know of you so far anyway. I know you like to laugh.” He kissed her mouth. “I know you live life to the fullest.” This time her mouth was softer when he touched his lips to hers. “And you’re definitely good at loving.” He infused a suggestive tone into his voice. “Very good.”

She laughed. Thank fuck. “Let’s just be clear.” She gave him a fast, hard kiss back. “This is not loving. This is sex. Pure fun, animal sex.”

He blinked. He’d never heard a girl say anything like that before. Usually girls got sex and love mixed up right from the start. One fuck and they were in love.

But here was Lovey setting him straight. Not that he needed that. “Yeah,” he agreed. “That’s the kind of loving I meant.”

Then she shoved him onto his back and rolled on top of him. She gazed down into his eyes. “Thank you. I do live life to the fullest. Which is what we’re doing right now. Right?”

“Right.”

“I want to see your tattoos.”

“How do you know I have any?”

“I saw them,” she said. “I mean, a glimpse of them. What are they?” She was already wriggling off him, so he shifted his hips on the bed. He let her explore the red maple leaf on his hip, the Olympic rings on his arm, the ace of spades, which was the team symbol, on his shoulder, and the words Stanley Cup Champions, Chicago Aces on his left ribs.

“Very nice.” She gave him another sexy curve of her lips, kissed his chin, one tattoo, then another, and started slinking down his body toward the one on his hip. Jesus fuck, she was heading straight south. His mouth went dry and his skin went hot. And his dick…leaped with excitement.

Should he let her do it? Not that he didn’t want it. He loved it. Blow jobs were one of his favorite extra-curricular activities. But this was their first time. But…okay, he’d see how far she went…if she wanted to…

Her hand curled around his prick and his entire body jolted with an electric shock. He groaned. “Lovey…”

“Wanna taste you,” she whispered. “You’re beautiful.”

He was beautiful? Fuck. Nobody’d ever told him that. He’d heard the words “huge,” “hung,” and once a memorable “meh,” but never “beautiful.” He kind of liked that. He reached for her head and set a gentle hand on it. “Cherie,” he murmured thickly. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to.”

He lifted his head to watch, and she did look fascinated and hungry as she licked over the head. Jesus! Heat expanded rapidly from his groin to every extremity, scalding his veins. She tongued him, closed her lips around him, and then slid them down his shaft.

Excitement ripped through him. He was on the edge already, and the feel of her mouth on him, hot and wet, along with the visual of her pretty lips around him, nearly blew the top of his head off.

“Much as I fucking love that,” he said on a groan, reaching for her with both hands, “I’m about to go off and that’s not how I want to do it. We said slow this time.”

“You said you can go all night.” Her smile was playful.

“I was totally bullshitting.”

She tipped her head. “Somehow I don’t think so.” But she let him pull her up over him and then roll her to her back again. “What did you call me?”

“Uh…”

“Before…cherie.”

“Yeah. Ma cherie. Ma belle. T’es belle, Lovey.” He kissed her again. “Très belle.”

“Oh my God.” Her body quivered. “You’re speaking French to me. That is so fucking sexy.”

He grinned. Whew. Apparently he’d gotten past his little faux pas.

“Although I have no idea what you’re saying,” she added, twining her arms around his neck.

He settled between her thighs once more. “It’s all good. Trust me.”

It was his turn to kiss and nibble his way down her body, pausing at her pierced navel to tug at the jewelry with his lips, then lower. Her breathing hitched and quickened.

“You don’t have to do that.” She repeated his words.

He smiled against her lower belly. “I want to.” And he did. He so did. He needed a few minutes, and this was the perfect way. He wanted to explore every inch of her pussy, taste it and feel it and make her feel good. Maybe give her an extra orgasm before they fucked again.

Yeah. He would definitely do that.

He slid lower still, pushed her thighs wide with his hands, and feasted his eyes on feminine perfection. She was mostly smooth and bare, a patch of auburn curls on her mound. Plump, pink lips were pressed almost primly together, hiding secrets and delight. He licked his lips as he studied her.

She was up on her elbows, watching him, a half smile perched on her pretty lips. “Just looking at me isn’t going to give me an orgasm.”

He shot her a startled glance, then caught the glimmer of humor in her eyes and barked out a laugh. “Babe,” he said, reverting to English, “be patient.”

He’d never met anyone like her. She said things that knocked him off balance. She completely entertained him. Entranced him. And she turned him on like whoa.

Ignoring his throbbing dick and balls, he took his time brushing fingertips over her pussy, then leaning in to press small kisses to the soft flesh. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent, hungry to taste her. He opened his mouth on her in deeper kisses, gently sucking soft skin into his mouth, working his way up and down, detouring to her inner thighs, then back.

Her breathing quickened.

He expanded his exploration, wrapping his arms around her thighs and using his thumbs to gently part her. Now his used his tongue, running it over her, up and down, deeper to slick up her feminine arousal. Her breathing turned to soft little pleasure sounds that went straight to his dick. He once again leisurely explored her body, immersing himself in her taste and scent, the feel of her quivering against his tongue and her thigh muscles tensing in his arms.

“Sweet.” He pulled back to study her again, now more open to him, shiny wet shades of pink. “And so pretty.”

“Oh wow.”

He looked up at her. Still on her elbows, she watched him with hooded eyes and parted lips.

“You’re really good at that,” she breathed.

He smiled and resumed licking her. She was so wet, clearly turned on, and this time he let his tongue rub over her clit. Her body spasmed and now she collapsed flat on her back. He reached up and captured her nipples in his fingers as he opened his mouth over her. She trembled and her hips lifted to his mouth. He flicked his tongue back and forth over the knot, absorbing how her soft cries got louder, whimpered pants of delight. Then her clit swelled against his tongue and her body pressed into his mouth, going still.

“Oh God!” Her hands fisted in the sheets, head tossing on the pillow. “Oh my God.”

He gave a long, firm suck and her body writhed. When he lifted his head to look up at her, her breasts rose and fell with quick respiration. He released her nipples, gave her one last soft kiss, and then rose to his knees. He grabbed the condom and rolled it on, then slid up her body.