“That’s it. Just you and me out here. No one knows what we’re doing but us.” Ronin’s hands cupped her br**sts. He circled his thumb across her areola, almost brushing her nipple but not quite. His hands squeezed and plumped her flesh. Her br**sts weren’t large, but they’d always been sensitive. Former lovers hadn’t paid much attention to her chest, and she’d assumed men preferred a big rack.

But Ronin worshipped her, first with his hands. Then with his mouth. Light flicks of his tongue. Soft sucks increasing in intensity until she swore he’d sucked her whole breast into the wet heat.

He said, “I want to hear you if you like how I’m touching you.”

Amery opened her eyes and met his gaze. “You think I’m being quiet because we’re outside and I’m afraid someone will hear me?”

“Are you?” he asked, and blew a stream of air over the damp tip.

“No. I’m just in shock because no man has ever given so much attention to my”—just say the word, don’t be PC—“tits before.”

Ronin said, “Pity, because these tits are perfection. Soft, creamy white flesh, big pink ni**les. And they’re so responsive.” Keeping his eyes on hers, he bit down just shy of the point of pain. “Can you come just from nipple play?”

“I—I don’t know. I’ve never tried it.”

He continued to pluck the rigid points while he moved his mouth and face across the upper swells. “Would I find your cunt wet if I slipped my hand into your pants right now?”

“Yes.”

“I want to make you come. But I want to do it my way, Amery. You still feeling bold?”

“Yes.”

“Say, Make me come, Ronin. I don’t care how you do it.”

Amery repeated, “Make me come, Ronin. I don’t care how you do it, but make me come now.”

She felt him smile against her chest at her added plea. “Close your eyes. No matter what, keep them closed. Arch your back and spread your legs.”

Ronin’s voice had become velvet coercion—soft and sexy wrapped around a steely command.

He curled his hands around her face and he kissed her with the single-minded concentration that left her breathless. Helpless. Delirious. He eased back on the kiss, and one hand fell away as the other stroked her cheekbone.

He said, “Hold still,” and a second later something landed directly on her nipple. Molten at first and she almost cried out from the quick pain, but then it was gone, leaving warmth in its wake. Then his mouth was on hers again, for a long, slow kiss.

She whimpered when he pulled away and whimpered louder when a splash of heat seared her other nipple. That spark of pain lasted longer and was immediately followed by another one on the top of her left breast.

Before Amery could open her eyes, Ronin was there again, his fingers on her jaw, holding her in place as he kissed her stupid.

“So bold,” he murmured in her ear after he broke the kiss. “A little more and I promise I’ll make you come.”

More spikes of fierce pain. More intoxicating kisses. Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, and considered jumping into the pool to ease the fiery heat spreading across her skin, a breeze wafted over her, cooling her off. Along with that came Ronin’s scent; she let that male musk soothe her senses, even as her heart picked up speed whenever that scent came closer. And beneath that she caught a whiff of citronella. Her mind cleared enough to realize Ronin was dripping candle wax on her.

Ronin didn’t kiss her after the next pinpricks heated her flesh. His hand moved between her legs to rub the seam of her capris against her clit.

“Oh god.”

Then his assault was relentless. Hot wax spattered on her chest, running down the valley of her cle**age—hot enough to steal her breath. Then Ronin’s hungry mouth was licking and biting her neck, turning her skin into a mass of gooseflesh. She swore the man had three hands and two mouths with the way he touched her and teased her.

“My bold Amery,” he whispered against her throat. “Are you ready to come?”

“Yes, please.” She canted her hips up, wanting his hand on the zipper of her pants, wanting his fingers testing her wetness and pushing deep inside her.

“Look at yourself.”

Amery opened her eyes and looked at her chest. Spots of wax dotted her skin. Her ni**les were completely coated. A few rivulets ran down the plane of her belly. Seeing what it looked like, knowing she’d let him do that to her, caused her face to flame.

Ronin tipped her chin up. “Are you embarrassed?”

“I don’t know. It looks like . . .”

“Like I came on your chest. Like I marked you.”

She nodded.

“My way of letting you know I intend to mark you this way sometime.”

Be bold. Amery cocked her head. “And if you had? If my hands were free I’d swipe my finger across that big spot above my nipple and lick it.”

Ronin snarled and seized her mouth, one hand on the back of her head as he angled her backward, his other hand diving between her thighs, the heel of his hand grinding side to side, rubbing the seam directly over her clit.

The ferocious kiss ended abruptly. She kept her eyes closed as his teeth enclosed her nipple and bit down until the wax cracked and fell away. Then he suckled the tip strongly.

Amery was off balance. Entirely at Ronin’s mercy. She couldn’t move; she couldn’t control anything except accepting that she had no control.