Chapter 51: The Other Pretty Things
** Eli **
Her breath hitched, and he felt her muscles tighten. Then her chest rose in a quivering inhale as he pushed up the fabric of her shirt, revealing more of her body and covering it with more gentle kisses.
The feel of her skin under his lips was sublime. Soft, silky smooth, impeccable when combined with the subtle scent of vanilla greeting his nostrils. Did she use perfumed lotion, or was this simply her natural scent? Eli wanted to lick her to find out. Or to suckle and bite all the most sensitive spots, make her gasp and wiggle and beg from the tingling. He held back from the temptation — she probably wasn’t ready for that part yet.
So he continued with the feathery kisses, trailing a slow path up her stomach until he reached the barrier of her bra. He glanced at the garment as he nudged her shirt over it. A pretty thing with white floral laces, trimmed with blue embroidery, and—
"Front clasp?" A surprised smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Easy access. Is this some kind of hint for me?"
Harper’s unsteady breathing broke into a puff of chuckle. "N-No, I just thought ... that this one looked pretty." Her eyes darted down to meet his, long lashes fluttering a bit nervously. "Do you like it?"
Terrible little liar, too shy to admit the truth. Eli let this one pass though. "I like pretty things," he admitted and unclasped the hooks. "But unfortunately, I only have eyes for the other pretty thing hidden beneath it."
He let the open halves fall aside and pressed a kiss between her breasts.
Harper stifled a sound as he worked his way to the left, slowly measuring her with his lips. This close to her chest, he could feel the beat of her heart crashing against her ribcage, going faster and faster as he teased her with gentle nudges and soft touches. He circled around, leaving a few light suckles on the underside, and his hand slid up to the right, cupping the other one and giving it a firm squeeze.
"This is much prettier than any laces," he whispered against her skin, letting the warm air from the words brush over her nipple, and he grinned when he saw her shudder and bite down on her lips.
This little vixen ... She was so sexy when she did that, grazing her delicate teeth over those soft, plump lips.