Free Blind Rage by Terri Persons Page B

horse.”
    As he pumped, he cupped his hand over her nose and mouth. “I instructed you to stop talking.”
    Only after he climaxed did he remove his hand.
    Shoving him off her, she panted a question to the ceiling. “Were you trying to suffocate me or what?”
    “Who are you kidding?” he asked, sprawled out next to her. “You loved it.”
    She closed her eyes, trying to make the dizziness dissipate. “So what if I did?”
    A cat walked across his legs, and he kicked at it, but it danced out of the way. “Cutting off oxygen at precisely the right moment during intercourse heightens the orgasm.”
    “I’ve read about that,” she said, her eyes still shut. “People hang themselves. Autoerotic something.”
    “Autoerotic asphyxia.”
    “Yeah. I’ve always wanted to try that. It sounds so hot.”
    “It is hot.”
    She opened her eyes in time to see him reach down, remove the spent condom, and slip it inside the front pocket of his discarded pants. She found that behavior odd but didn’t question him. “I’ve heard it’s dangerous. People have accidentally died that way.”
    “There are lots of variations on that theme,” he said.
    She went onto her side to look at him. “What do you mean?”
    He reached over and outlined her lips with his index finger. “How about a warm soak in the tub before we go another round?”
    She locked her lips over his finger and sucked hard while he slowly withdrew it. “What have you got in mind?”
    “A variation on a hot theme.”
    She hesitated. “I don’t know.”
    With the tips of his fingers, he combed through her spiky hair. “You are so beautiful, Kyra.”
    “You are so full of shit.” She grabbed his caressing hand and brought it to her mouth. She chewed on the heel of his palm.
    “There’s a lovely frailty about you that I find…arousing.” He tipped her onto her back and went down on top of her. “Your life has been so—”
    “I don’t want to talk about my life,” she said, her lashes lowered. “My life has been horseshit, but I’m getting it together.”
    “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.” He kissed her on the mouth. “Let me run a bath for you, beautiful.”
    She looked up at the face hovering over hers and was embarrassed by his attention. She couldn’t stop herself from rambling. That out-of-control feeling again. “That tub’s bigger and deeper than you’d think, and we could both fit. I’ve got scented oils in there. Bubbles, too, if you want to get real fancy. Don’t use the lavender bath salts, though. They’re in the jar with the purple ribbon around it. I keep them on the counter for decoration.”
    “No lavender bath salts. Got it.”
    She was glad she’d kept the bathroom clean and organized. “Candles,” she said. “The matches are in the medicine cabinet.”
    “I hope I can remember all this.”
    “You’re a smart man,” she said. “You’ll figure it out.”
    “You’re right.” He reached up, snatched an afghan off the couch, and draped it over her. He took down a throw pillow and slipped it under her head. “Don’t exert yourself, unless it’s to masturbate.”
    “Yes, sir,” she said.
    He got on his feet. “Think salacious thoughts while I draw you a bath.”
    “That won’t be difficult.” She rolled over onto her stomach and watched his muscled body move and flex as he went down the hall to her bathroom. The guy was a surprise. Under his clothes he was built like a professional athlete. She listened as the water started to drum the porcelain. A man had never before run a bath for her. She heard him opening and closing the medicine cabinet. He was going to go for the candles. Great. Maybe she could get him to shut off all the lights and make love by candlelight. Despite his flattering words, she felt as fat as a pig, and scrunching up in the tub wasn’t going to make her gut look any prettier. She hoped like hell he opted for the bubbles. Every woman looked better buried in bubbles.
    He