Excerpt of Touch Me by Callie Croix

She swallowed, mouth too dry to speak. His seductive touch
wreaked havoc on her nervous system, but she was still
unsure of his motives. Did he feel sorry for her now? Was
she so lonely and desperate for his touch that he could
tell?

"Alex."

"Hmm?"

"What are we doing?"

His thumbs pressed deep on a spot that made her toes curl,
and she bit back a moan. "Enjoying each other. Is that
okay?"

She nodded. But was that all they were doing? Was that all
she meant to him? She'd never had a fling. Didn't think she
could be just that to Alex.

Those clever fingers stroked higher, behind her knee, and
paused. Her heart drummed loudly in her ears as she stared
at him. God, she was already wet and throbbing for him, and
all he'd done was touch her leg.

"Stop."

She licked her lips. "What?"

"Stop thinking."

Impossible. Her brain was whirring like a runaway carousel.

His fingertips moved a few inches higher, up her inner
thigh. "Just feel."

More than the words, the tenderness overlying the command
in his voice sent a ribbon of heat curling through her. Her
leg muscles drew tight while he continued to caress her
over-sensitized skin in a lazy, slow pattern. Lighting up
her entire body with no effort at all.

Alex's eyes seemed to glow in the soft lamplight. "Feel
good?"

She nodded, afraid to speak. God, it'd been so long for
her. She wasn't sure she could get through this without
crying. He meant so much to her. This meant so much to her.
But under the heat the nerves crept back in, those vicious
little doubts that pricked her with sharp claws.

You take too long. You're too much work.

You're not sexy enough.

You're not even wet. You need serious help. Her ex's voice.

The hand around her ankle firmed, and she sucked in her
breath. "Your skin's so soft." He sounded almost reverent,
and it made her throat ache. Watching her, almost daring
her to look away, his fingers trailed back and forth over
her inner thigh, just inches from the edge of her damp
thong. "I'm going to ask you something, and I want you to
be honest with me." When she didn't answer, he finally
spoke again. "Are you wet right now, Tia?"

Blood rushed to her cheeks, engulfing her face in heat.

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled
slightly. "Are you?"

She didn't know how to respond. If she said yes when he'd
only been touching her legs, would she look pathetic?
Chickening out, she broke eye contact. "Alex…"

"Tell me." The heat of his fingers seemed to brand her skin.

Avoiding his gaze, she stared hard at the blanket covering
her lap and nodded, praying it was the answer he wanted.

"Look at me."

The ring of command in his voice brought her head up. What
she saw in his eyes stole her breath. They were molten,
full of raging hunger. For her. The knowledge shocked her.

"I'm going to keep touching you," he said. "I want to find
out what makes you squirm, makes you beg. And what makes
you come for me."

His words wrung a primal shiver out of her. She couldn't
believe what he was saying. How could he be attracted to
her when he could have any woman he wanted?

His fingers paused, resting hot against her thigh. "Unless
you want me to stop."

"I don't want you to stop." Her voice was a mere thread of
a sound.

One side of his mouth curved up. "Okay. But I don't know
what you need unless you tell me."

Her heart fell. He expected her to say it out loud? The
thought terrified her. "What I need?" God, did he somehow
know about her secret fantasies? Did he think she was
depraved or weird?

He nodded slowly. "I want to know what you need from me.
Romance and candlelight aren't my style, querida, but I'll
give them to you if that's what you want."

The endearment made her lower belly flutter in desperate
longing, gave her hope. He'd never called her that
before. "I don't need them."

One coal black brow rose. "Yes you do, and you deserve
them. But that's not the real me."

Her throat dried up, her heart skipping frantically. Was it
possible he wanted the same thing she did? "What…what's the
real you?" she asked before she could stop herself.

A sardonic smile curved his mouth. His tempting, edible
mouth that had given her such pleasure this morning. "Not
sure you'd like the answer to that."

Oh yes, she might. Gathering her courage, Tia sat up and
placed her hand over his. Her pulse hammered in her
ears. "Then show me."