Chapter Twenty-Four
As much as Eden had enjoyed Elinor’s visit, now that it was dusk, he was glad that she’d left early.
Dusk was beginning to have a witching effect on him, transforming him from the capable man he was under normal circumstances into a wreck of nerves. His entire body tingled in anticipation of what Tha?s might teach him, but his mind recoiled at the humbling nature of his overeagerness and lack of skill.
Half of him wanted to touch her, to be caressed by her. His other half wanted to excuse her from her duties and consign himself to a life of bachelorhood.
He wanted, more than anything, to be competent. To transform into the perfect lover he so longed to be.
But his chaste night in bed with Tha?s had done nothing to ease the overeagerness that plagued him. He already felt lusty, and she’d done nothing more suggestive than eat the leftover chicken he’d served for supper.
He decided to try her suggestion of relieving himself before she joined him in bed, so as to lessen his excitement. It sounded unseemly, but he was increasingly willing to try anything if it helped to make him last.
He excused himself from the parlor and asked Tha?s to wait twenty minutes before joining him upstairs.
She grinned at him wickedly. “Aye. Go have your torrid way with yourself. I won’t sneak a peek, much as I’d enjoy it.”
He walked upstairs conscious of his visible erection and dispatched his errand without much preamble, trembling with the thought of her knowing what he was doing. Enjoying the idea of it. He was in bed, calmer if still amorous, by the time she knocked.
“Schoolmistress is here,” she said. “May I come in?”
“Please,” he said.
“Are you ready to return to your lessons, my pupil?” she asked, waltzing in.
“I hope I shall be a better student than the last time.”
“Practice makes perfect.”
She was undressing as she spoke, and he began to stir as the layers came off her body and landed on the floor. The flickering of the candles in the room made dappled light across her creamy skin.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said.
“Don’t sound so unhappy about it.”
“I’m not, believe me. A gentleman should never ogle, but I can’t take my eyes off you. I’m sorry to be so rude.”
“A gentleman had better ogle at his woman.” She did a little twirl. “What’s your favorite part?”
“Come here,” he said, patting the bed beside him.
She did, and he put a finger to her nose. “I love your freckles,” he said. He took a curl and wrapped it around his finger. “And the way your hair falls right down to—”
“Me luscious arse?”
He blushed. “Yes,” he whispered.
“Go on,” she said. “Admire me all you want.”
“I love your breasts,” he confessed, venturing to touch them. He traced their shape and stopped at her nipples, tweaking them with his thumbs.
“That feels nice,” she sighed. He had no idea if she was being genuine or trying to improve his confidence, but he hoped she was sincere.
“I want to make you feel good,” he said. “Very much.”
“Kiss me, then.”
He pulled her into his arms and did as she asked. This time, he didn’t stumble. He wanted her too badly to hesitate or think. They went on like that until he thought he couldn’t stand it. He broke away from her, panting.
“You’re doing well,” she said.
He realized it had been ten minutes of having her against his body, and he hadn’t spilled. Perhaps the trick had worked.
“I think for tonight’s lesson, I’ll touch your cock,” she said. “Lie back.”
“This shouldn’t take long,” he said, but he obeyed her.
He braced himself for the inevitable as she stroked his lower belly. He willed himself not to get too wrapped up in the sensation.
Her touch felt good, but something strange was happening. He was going soft.
She lowered her hand to his cock and stroked it.
He looked down in consternation as what remained of his erection withered at her touch.
“A bit shy tonight,” she said. She moved her hand to his balls, but it did not have a livening effect. To be sure, it felt wonderful. But he was so bemused by his failure to rise to the occasion he could not enjoy it.
“I don’t know what’s wrong,” he said, hearing the distress in his own voice.
“Hush,” she whispered. She lowered herself down, so her mouth was poised just above his cock. “You just need a bit of love to rouse you.” She put her lips to the inside of his thighs, teasing him with the gentle brushing of her lips.
He’d imagined her doing this when he’d perused his erotic books. He’d looked forward to it.
But no matter what she did, he stayed limp.
She looked up at him. “Are you not in the mood for this, Alastair? It’s all right if you’re not. No need to force it.”
“But I am,” he said. “This has never happened before. I shouldn’t have touched myself before you came up. I was just so worried about...”
“You’re too wrapped up in your thoughts,” she said. “We need you thinking with your body, not your mind.”
“When I think with my body, I don’t last two seconds.”
“That’s the trouble. You’re being hard on yourself for that, and it’s making your cock soft.”
“Well, it’s embarrassing. As is this. God, how could I be so bad at something barnyard animals can do without a second thought?”
“You’re not bad at anything. You’re just nervous. Let’s try more kissing.”
She got on top of him and took his mouth with hers.
But all he could think about was the softness between his legs. He broke off the kiss.
“Tha?s, I don’t think this is going to work. Would you mind very much if we went to sleep?”
She stroked his hair. “That’s fine, love. You’ll be raring to go again in the morning.”
But in the morning, despite waking up with an erection, it happened again. He went soft as soon as she took him in her hand.
After ten humiliating minutes, he ended the lesson.
Tha?s looked unperturbed, but he suspected she was keeping her dismay hidden for his benefit.
“I don’t know what to do,” he said. “This is hopeless.”
“Of course it’s not hopeless. It’s just nerves. We need to get you past them. And I have an idea.”
He certainly hoped so. He was despondent.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I won’t be touching you this evening. You’ll be touching me. You want to learn how to give a lady pleasure. You don’t need a hard cock for that.”
At the idea of it, he felt himself stiffen. Just a bit, but enough to give him hope.
He’d think about it all day. And then tonight—
Well. Perhaps there was hope for him after all.