“‘Here be dragons,’” I read out loud. “Are you the dragon?”

The corner of his mouth quirks. His hands rest on my hips, holding on with just enough tension to tell me he isn’t quite comfortable with the inspection but is letting me look anyway.

“Map makers used to put the saying along the borders, for places where they hadn’t yet charted. It’s in reference to the unknown, to be mindful of the unexplored.”

I peer closer and see the faint latitude and longitude lines drawn beneath the words. The map stretches to his shoulders where twin sea serpents play.

I trace the words, and he shivers, his nipples drawing tight and—

“Holy hell.” His left nipple is pierced. “I did not expect that.”

The tops of his cheeks pink. “I…ah…have sensitive skin. Tattoos, piercing—getting them hurts like a motherfucker. But pain helps me focus when I get too…” His color grows deeper.

“Horny?” I supply, my finger running gently over his skin, because I can’t stop touching him.

“Yeah.”

“Got a lot of tattoos, Ethan.”

His eyes burn into mine. “Yeah.”

It’s almost too much, thinking about all that suppressed lust and need, and how it’s now focused on me. I touch the small silver barbell. Dex grunts, his hips shifting against mine. He gazes at me though lowered lids, his lips parted.

“You like that?” I whisper, doing it again, tweaking a bit.

His fingers clench my thighs, the thick erection in his jeans rocking me forward. I brace my hands on his shoulders, caress his smooth skin.

“Have you any idea how fucking hot you are?” I press a soft, lingering kiss on the hollow of his throat.

He swallows hard. “Whatever you say now, I’ll believe.”

Humming in response, I kiss him again, between his pecs, moving down to that tempting little nipple.

A groan tears from him as I suck the hard, cool barbell into my mouth, worrying the nub of his nipple with the tip of my tongue. He’s so tight his body trembles, his fingers kneading my shoulders as if he can’t decide to hold on or let go.

It spurs me on, makes me take that delicious nub between my teeth and bite, pulling at the metal.

“Oh, fuck, Cherry.” He practically bucks me off with the thrust of his hips, his back arching off the pillows. And I haven’t even gotten to his cock.

Which is all I want to do now. I smile against his skin and nibble my way down the divot that divides his abdomen.

Dex pants beneath me, and I know he’s watching. I come up on my knees, angling my body so he has a better view. My tongue flicks out, licking into his small belly button.

“You’re trying to kill me,” he rasps.

“In the best possible way.” I nuzzle his happy trail, my fingers working the fly of his jeans. They’re stretched tight over his cock, and the zipper makes a loud buzz as I force it down.

I love the way he sucks in a breath, his abs retreating as if he’s almost afraid to feel my touch, but then he cants his hips as if to say, please, please, go lower.

The flat of my tongue drags across thin, tight skin, the muscle beneath quivering, and I slowly part his jeans. Crinkly brown hairs greet me. Hell, there’s nothing under these here but Dex.

His cock slides out, standing up for attention.

“Jesus,” I rasp.

“What?” His hoarse whisper drifts down to me, and I glance up, see his flushed cheeks, his dazed expression. He’s panting now, a sheen of sweat glistening over his chest.

“Give me a moment,” I say, my hand reaching out to stroke his hot skin. He’s so fucking hard he pulses. He swallows, his cock jumping under my touch.

I have to take a breath and calm myself. Some girls don’t like cocks—or at least the look of them. I do. I love everything about the male anatomy. Dex’s is beautiful—big enough that I know it’s going to be work getting him in, and long enough that I know I’ll feel each thrust he makes. The thought alone has my thighs pressing together in anticipation.

But that’s not what holds my attention now. No.

He’s pierced. Silver studs glint at the base of his wide cock head. One on the top and one on the bottom. I’ve never been with a guy who’s pierced, but I’ve heard stories. I know those little nubs will hit all the right spots inside of me.

My thumb rubs the larger of the balls on the top, and Dex sucks in a sharp breath. But he doesn’t move. He’s waiting to see what I’ll say.

“Now, this,” I rub him again, loving the way it makes him twitch with pleasure, “had to hurt going in.”

“You have no idea,” he says in a raw voice.

“When?” And why?

Dex licks his lower lip. “After the wedding. You stripping down to that pretty green bra and those tiny panties. My wet dream walking. Should have gone for you then.”

I wasn’t ready for him then. I was still all about wild parties and dragging myself through college. I wouldn’t have appreciated Ethan the way he deserves.

I stroke along the underside of the flared head, finding the smaller steel piercing. His hips shift, and he hisses, but he lets me play.

“You could have found someone else,” I murmur. “Do you know how many women would kill to have you?”

“Didn’t seem to want anyone else,” he whispers. “It had to be you.”

God, the thought of him wanting me so badly. All that pent-up need hiding behind such a calm façade. It terrifies me. And it makes me want to take him hard and keep him forever.