“Hordes usually make a bigger impression,” he said, reaching for her and drawing her close.

She knew there was some funny reply, but what with being pressed against his na**d body, she couldn’t think of it. Not when she didn’t know where to put her hands. There was so much bare skin. And his erect penis was pressing against her belly in a very suggestive manner.

“Relax,” he murmured, pressing his mouth to her jaw and then moving it down her neck.

“Relaxing isn’t my strong suit. Not during...you know.”

He raised his head. “‘You know’? That’s your euphemism?”

“Do you have a better one?”

He nipped her earlobe. “About a dozen. Why are you nervous?”

She found it difficult to think with him kissing her like that. Everywhere he touched, she felt both heat and little sparks. They moved through her, settling in her br**sts before heading south. She wanted to squirm—not to get away but to get closer.

He moved his hands up and down her back. With each pass, his fingers dipped lower. She found herself anticipating him touching her butt, which was strange, but she was going to go with it.

“Isabel?”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you nervous?”

“We’re going to have sex. I’m not very good at it.”

The words came out involuntarily and she winced. Ford raised his head and looked at her.

“You mentioned that and I don’t believe it.”

“Nice of you to say, but you have no actual proof. I don’t think it was good with Billy.”

“Your first time and not your fault.”

“And it wasn’t very fun with Eric.”

His dark gaze never wavered. “The being-gay thing could have something to do with that.”

“I don’t like it that much.”

He put his hands on her shoulders. “Let’s find out why.”

Before she could figure out what he had in mind, he’d basically removed her bra and was sliding her panties down her legs. The man worked quickly. She didn’t even have time to get embarrassed.

When she was as na**d as him, he moved her to the bed and had her lie down. He settled next to her. He leaned over and lightly kissed her.

“You like the kissing,” he said.

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll do that.” He shifted closer and settled his mouth on hers. He kissed her slowly, moving his lips against hers before slipping his tongue inside.

Uncertainty faded and she wrapped her arms around him. As their tongues tangled and her blood moved a little faster, she moved her hands up and down his back. She could feel his muscles moving underneath his skin. He was so wide through his shoulders, she thought. Then his back narrowed as she got closer to his waist.

He broke off the kiss to trail his mouth down her throat to her collarbone. He placed one of his hands on her belly, which made her tense. But then he kept it there, just moving in a slow circle. She could handle that, she told herself.

His mouth eased closer and closer to her breasts. She found herself thinking about him kissing her there. A little jolt zipped from her br**sts down her middle to between her thighs. A jolt that caused her breath to quicken.

His mouth settled over her nipple and he drew on it. The jolt returned, stronger this time, creating a direct line from her breast to that place between her legs. The place that had, honestly, never been all that special.

He raised his head. “Yes? No?”

“It’s nice.”

He chuckled. “You’re not easy. I like doing this. Do you mind if I keep at it for a while?”

“No.”

He moved from breast to breast. Licking, sucking. She felt trapped in her own skin, kind of hot and cold at the same time. She raised her hands to his head and ran her fingers through his hair. Her legs moved against the cool sheets.

The hand on her belly moved. Slowly, he shifted it across her stomach until his fingers dipped between her thighs. She parted her legs instinctively, knowing what would happen next. He would rub her there a few minutes, then assume the position. Once he was inside, she would make those noises guys seemed to like and then he’d come and then it would be over.

She turned her head, trying to see the clock. If it didn’t take too long, she could still watch a movie on pay-per-view.

He explored her gently, sliding over her clitoris before easing a finger inside her.

“You’re wet,” he murmured.

Not surprising, she thought. It wasn’t that she didn’t like what he was doing. It was just...so what? Yes, it felt nice for a while, but then she wanted it to be over. Why did it have to take so long?

He began to rub her center. As he did that, he shifted so they were kissing again. She was aroused, she thought, frustrated. She usually got aroused. But then it went nowhere. He continued to kiss her as his fingers moved against her center. She liked what he was doing—liked the warmth flowing through her, the tension. She wanted to push or strain, and as need built inside her, she started to feel uncomfortable. Not physically. She wasn’t sure how. Maybe in her head?

She just wasn’t that woman, she thought grimly. The one who threw herself on the bed and breathed, “Take me now!” Sex was fine. This was better than it had ever been, but still, she didn’t understand what—

“I can hear you thinking from here,” Ford said, shifting so he rested his head on his hand, his weight supported on his elbow as he faced her.

“My brain doesn’t turn off.”

“I can tell.” He lightly traced her breast, his finger slipping over her tight nipple.

A shiver rippled through her.

He did it again and she shivered again.

“Count backward from a thousand,” he told her. “In threes.”

“What?”

“I want your mind busy so it can’t freak you out.”

“I’m not freaked out. I’m totally calm.” She reached over and put her hand on his hip. His erection strained toward her. He was going to fill her completely and that would feel nice.

“It’s your turn,” she murmured. “Let’s do that.”

“I don’t think so.” He rolled onto his hands and knees, then slipped between her thighs. Although he loomed over her, he didn’t try to enter her. “A thousand, nine hundred ninety-seven...”

“Fine. It’s a stupid idea. Nine hundred and ninety-four.”

“Close your eyes and count.”

She did as he instructed. She didn’t know why he was making such a big deal of this. Not everyone felt the earth move every time. Or ever. She was okay with that.

“You counting?”

“Yes,” she lied and turned her attention to the numbers.

Ford leaned down and took her nipple in his mouth. He’d done that before and it was still nice. She liked the way his tongue swirled and teased. When he lightly bit down, her breath caught and she lost her place. Nine hundred and forty-something, she thought. Seven. Forty-seven. Only seven wasn’t divisible by three, so that wasn’t right.

He kissed his way down her belly. She giggled as his breath tickled, then caught her breath as he circled her belly button. Two, she told herself. Nine hundred and forty-two. Nine hundred and thirty-nine. Nine—

He went lower and lower, until his fingers lightly parted her and he pressed his tongue against the very center of her.

Her eyes flew open as he moved against her core. Moved in a way that made it impossible to count. It wasn’t so much the pressure, she thought as her eyes slowly closed. Or the speed. It was the combination. Over and over that single swollen knot of nerves. Around and over. Her skin got hot and felt a little tight. The bottoms of her feet burned. She ached in the strangest places, and when she tried to figure out if she was breathing, she realized she was almost panting.

He didn’t go faster or slower. Instead he kept moving his tongue against her. She was caught in the sensations flowing out from that single point. The world completely faded and she wanted to beg him not to stop, only she couldn’t speak.

There was something just out of her reach. She could feel it getting closer, but she didn’t know what to look for, what to feel, what to—

He slipped a finger deep inside her. Instantly her muscles clamped around him. He withdrew and pushed in two, then curled them slightly, stroking her from the other side. Rhythm matched rhythm. She could almost see it. Could almost.

Pure liquid pleasure rushed through her. It claimed her, every cell, every thought. She no longer existed except through the shuddering sensations rocking all of her. She got the falling reference and the wave one. Either worked. She lost herself in the amazing response of her body, letting herself become little more than a floating entity.

Ford continued to touch her, slowing the contact until the last ounce of her release faded. Isabel lay there on the bed, both thrilled and embarrassed.

How on earth had she missed that for the past twenty-eight years? Or even ten? What on earth had she been doing wrong? And when could she have her next orgasm?

She opened her eyes and saw Ford smiling down at her. He looked like a man who had taken on the biggest supervillain ever and won.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, unable to keep from smiling. “You’re amazing and you can be as smug as you like.”

He grinned. “So you came.”

“Yes.”

“For the first time ever.”

She laughed. “Yes.”

“Because of me.”

“Because of you.”

Then he wasn’t grinning. He touched her cheek. “I’m glad.”

“Me, too.” She raised herself on her elbows. “Do you think I can come with you inside?”

“Let’s find out.”

He had to get up and go find his pants. She enjoyed the view of his muscled body first from the back, then from the front. He slipped on the condom and knelt between her thighs. But instead of pushing inside, he took her hand in his.

“Do this,” he said, settling her fingers on that still-swollen center.

She pulled her hand away. “I can’t touch myself.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s... People don’t.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Seriously? ‘People don’t’? That’s your reason?”

“I don’t.”

“I got that. It might be part of your problem.” He put her hand back in place. “Just give me five minutes. If you don’t like it, you can stop.”

She stared into his face and tried to guess what he was thinking. So far everything he’d done had been designed to make her feel at ease and sexually satisfy her. Did she really want to start complaining now?

“Five minutes,” she agreed, putting her fingers back where he’d placed them.

“Slow circles. Steady pressure.”

She blinked at him. “You’re telling me how to do this?”

“Someone has to.”

She didn’t know if she should laugh, hit him or accept the criticism in the spirit in which it was meant. She picked the latter and collapsed back on the bed.

Her fingers were smaller than his, so she used three instead of two. She moved slowly, not sure how to duplicate what he’d done. But with each circle, she got immediate feedback and was able to adjust the speed to one that was—

“Damn, that’s hot,” he said.

She opened her eyes and saw him watching her. She pulled her hand away immediately. Heat burned on her cheeks. “You’re not supposed to stare at me.”

“You have a lot of rules.” He shifted so she felt his thickness pushing into her. “But as soon as you’re comfortable with us making love, I’m going to have you do that all the way.”

“You want me to touch myself and have an orgasm while you watch?”

“Sure.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Repeating “people don’t do that” seemed silly. “Would you do that, too? With me watching?”

“Sure.”

The idea of him touching himself with her right there was oddly exciting. What else did couples do in bed that she didn’t know about? She had a feeling Ford would be happy to tell her all about it.

He tapped the back of her hand. “Back to business, young lady.”

She did as he requested. With the first stroke, she felt the familiar tension return. Then he eased into her.

Ford was both long and thick. He stretched her, pushing in until her legs fell open more. Nerve endings cooed in delight at the friction. He withdrew and pushed in again.

There was no counting this time, no need to busy her mind. Her body understood what was happening and hurried toward the path. She touched herself as he’d taught her, keeping time with him. They both moved faster and faster. She started to lose control as pressure built up inside her.

Without thinking, she dropped her hand and held on to him. She wrapped her legs around his h*ps and drew him in closer. He surged harder, thrust deeper and the first ripple of her release washed over her.

He quickly followed, opening his eyes to stare into hers as they both surrendered to the pleasure they shared.

* * *

ISABEL STOOD IN her shower the following morning and did her best not to break into spontaneous song. Because she so could. She could sing and dance, and she wouldn’t be the least surprised if little woodland creatures were waiting in her bedroom to help her dress.

Because it was that kind of morning. The sun was shining, the earth rotating, and she had spent the night having orgasm after orgasm.

Maybe that made her a shallow person, but she could live with the judgment. The things Ford had done to her had been spectacular. She hadn’t known her body was capable of such pleasure. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t figured it all out before. Of course, she and Billy had both been young and the horde had been a one-night kind of thing that had left her feeling icky. With Eric, well, she’d already dissected those problems.