Free On the First Night of Christmas... by Heidi Rice

flattened his palm against her stomach, pressed the heel of his hand onto her aching centre, then delved into the curls at the apex of her thighs.
He circled for several agonising seconds, then flicked his finger over the heart of her. She cried out, bucked against his palm, the sparks triggering an explosion of need that reared up and crashed through her as he continued to rub the swollen nub. She dug her nails into his shoulders, braced herself as her legs gave out and the final waves of pleasure drained her body, leaving her as limp as a rag doll.
He gave a strained laugh, and bent down to lift her onto his shoulder. ‘Come on, Cassidy,’ he said, his hand patting her bare buttocks. ‘Time for bed.’
Her stomach rode the ridge of his shoulder blade as he strode across the room and dropped her on the mattress. She watched in a daze as he kicked off his jeans and boxers and climbed onto the bed.
Shock reverberated through her, widening her eyes and slicing through the haze of afterglow, as she stared at the massive erection that prodded her thigh when he settled beside her.
As if in a dream, she reached out and touched her nail to the tip. It bobbed towards her, as if it had a life of its own.
‘You’re perfect too,’ she whispered. A strange combination of euphoria and excitement tightened like a vice around her heart. And for the first time ever she let instinct take over, the heady endorphins of her recent climax making her yearn to give him the same pleasure he had given her.
She trailed her finger down the line of hair on his belly, then wrapped her hand around the solid length of his erection. It felt hard and smooth against her palm. But it wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. She pushed at his shoulders until he lay on his back. He thrust his fingers into her hair, as she ran a trail of kisses across his magnificent chest.
His fingers flexed, massaging her scalp, as she inched lower, sliding her tongue over his six pack, licking at the ridge of his belly button, then delving within. The muscles of his flat belly tensed as she encountered the powerful erection at last. Darting her tongue out, she licked up the length of him like an ice lolly, then took the swollen head between her lips.
He swore, shuddered, then, cradling her cheeks in his palms, yanked her off him as he jerked into a sitting position.
Colour flooded into her cheeks as she scrambled back onto her knees. She’d done it wrong. ‘Sorry, you don’t like that?’ she said, the euphoria fading as inadequacy flooded in.
Lance had always told her what to do, had hated it when she took the lead. Why was she so rubbish at sex?
He gave a strained laugh, then reached for her. ‘Are you kidding? I love it,’ he said, sliding his palm over her shoulder to pull her closer. ‘But we’ll have to save it for later or I’m not going to last long enough to get inside you.’
‘Oh, I see,’ she said, feeling gauche and yet ridiculously relieved. She hadn’t done it wrong after all.
Shifting over, he reached for the condoms. Tearing the cellophane, he dumped the contents out on the bedspread. He grabbed one of the packages and fumbled with it. ‘Someone ought to tell the manufacturers they use too much packaging,’ he grumbled, finally ripping it with his teeth.
As he flipped out the rubber she took his wrist. ‘Do you mind if I do it?’ she asked, the urge to touch him again overwhelming.
‘Do I mind?’ His eyebrow rose a fraction. ‘Of course not.’ He smiled and passed it to her. ‘Be my guest.’
Lying back on the bedspread, he crossed his arms behind his head, and watched her with heavy-lidded eyes, the desire in them so palpable her heart pounded against her ribcage.
Holding the slick contraceptive in her fingers as if she were handling nitroglycerine, she gave a faltering sigh, anticipation and trepidation colliding to make her heart beat double time. Her eyes feasted on the beauty of his body, wisps of dark hair highlighting the masculine