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  “It’s like everything else—it takes practice.” Boone tried to be encouraging although the sight of her stroking gel over her own tight nipples had his shaft throbbing inside his underbriefs. “Try lower,” he said. “Lower down.”

  “I don’t know…” K looked at the gel uncertainly. “If it hurts me here…” She nodded at her full breasts with their tight, straining nipples. “I can’t imagine how uncomfortable it’s going to feel between my legs.”

  “Just try, darlin’,” Boone urged, trying to sound calm and supportive. “Warm the gel up first—rub it between your fingertips.”

  K did as he said, squirting out a small amount of the pinkish gel and rubbing it between her thumb and fingertips for a few moments. Then, hesitantly, she spread her legs and slipped her fingers between them.

  Boone tried not to watch as she spread the plump outer lips of her pussy and began to stroke her clit but it was impossible to pull his eyes away from the erotic sight.

  K shifted around some, twitching her hips restlessly as she probed gingerly between her thighs. Despite her efforts, it soon became clear that she wasn’t getting any relief.

  “What’s wrong?” Boone asked her. “Still cold?”

  “No.” She shook her head and made a small, frustrated noise in the back of her throat. “But it’s not working—I’m only making it worse.” She looked up at Boone. “Is there supposed to be some kind of special technique for this? Some method I ought to be using?”

  “Couldn’t tell you,” he said dryly. “You’ve got different equipment from what I’m used to, darlin’.”

  “Yes, but you know how to do this—how to achieve a release. You told me you did it all the time,” she accused.

  “Well, not all the time,” Boone objected. “That makes me sound like a freaking pervert.” Like laying in the sleeping platform with her watching her try to get off was any better. But he pushed the thought away.

  “But you achieved this…this release you were talking about?” K persisted.

  “Well, yeah. That’s kind of the point of the whole thing.” Boone nodded.

  “Then you can help me achieve it too.” She thrust the tube of pinkish gel at him. “Can’t you?”

  Boone bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood. Damn it, he couldn’t do this—couldn’t take advantage of her innocence. He knew that. And yet here she was asking him to touch her.

  “I shouldn’t,” he said, his voice coming out strangled. “You might regret it later on. When you understand more. When you know—”

  “All I know is that I’m hurting. Please, Boone…” Her voice softened and the look in her black eyes was pleading. “Please, help me.”

  The look of uncertainty and pain on her lovely face was too much for Boone. He knew K well enough to understand how much the plea for help cost her. She valued her independence above all things. For her to allow herself to beg for his assistance—it was the closest she’d come to an admission of weakness. To admitting that she needed him. Boone liked that more than he cared to admit—he wanted her to need him. To need him the way he needed her.

  “All right,” he murmured at last. “If you’re sure.”

  “I’ll be fine as long as you’re gentle,” K assured him. “You’ve been contaminating me from the moment you took off my suit, Boone. This is just another form of contamination, right?”

  “Uh, I guess you could look at it that way.” Although he certainly didn’t. Boone cleared his throat. “Okay, let’s get started. Loki said this should help. Here.” He pulled her closer. “Get comfortable. Put your head on my arm.”

  K did as he said, snuggling against his side and rested her head on his left bicep with a soft, contented sigh. “This is nice, Boone,” she murmured, looking up at him. “I…I’ve missed it. Missed having you contaminate me…I mean, touch me.”

  Boone was surprised and touched. “I’ve missed it too, sweetheart. But I thought you didn’t want to be touched.”

  “I don’t want to want to be touched…but I want it anyway.” K shook her head. “Does that even make any sense?”

  “It makes perfect sense.” Pulling her closer, Boone dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. “I just wish you would have come to me sooner. I missed touching you as much as you missed being touched.”

  “Oh Boone…” She sighed and winced as her arm rubbed against one of her nipples. “Purity, that hurts!”

  “You’re just sensitive right now.” Boone stroked her cheek. “Do you want me to touch you now?”

  “Yes, please.” K relaxed back against him with a sigh. “I just hope this helps. I mean, having you touch me. Because I’m no good at it myself.”

  “I hope it helps too, darlin’,” he murmured. “I really do.”

  Because if he wasn’t able to help her, he didn’t know what the hell he was going to do.

  Chapter Seventeen

  It was surprisingly comforting to lie back and let Boone stroke her. Because that was all he did at first—just ran one big, warm hand over her body in a way that made her want to arch her back and purr like a cat. It reminded K of the way he’d washed her hair in the shower that first time or the way he rubbed her back at night sometimes as they talked. It was calming…soothing. Purity, but she’d missed his touch—K was ashamed to admit, even to herself, how much. It was so nice to be close to him again. His spicy, masculine scent seemed to fill her senses and the warmth of his big body surrounding her made her feel safe and protected.

  But at last the need growing inside her was too much. Feeling restless, she slipped out of his shirt and lay naked against him, with her head pillowed on his left arm and her side pressed against his chest.

  “Please, Boone,” she murmured. “I think I’m ready now. Ready for more.”

  Boone leaned over her, holding the small pink tube. He squirted a little bit onto one fingertip. “Here goes, darlin’. I’ll try to be gentle—just tell me if it hurts.”

  “All right.” K closed her eyes and bit her lip, bracing for the contact. When she’d tried to touch herself it had been irritating and painful. But to her intense relief, she felt nothing but a soothing coolness when his broad fingertip finally made contact.

  “Are you okay?” Boone asked anxiously, as he circled her right nipple. “Does it hurt?”

  “No.” K shifted against him. “No, I…I think it’s helping.” In fact, it was doing more than helping. She couldn’t help thinking that the feel of his finger stroking over the tender, tight nub of her nipple gave more than just surcease from pain. It also tingled strangely, sending little electrical shocks of pleasure throughout her entire body, making her skin feel incredibly sensitive and her breath come short.

  “You want me to do the other one?” Boone murmured, his warm breath brushing her cheek.

  K nodded. “Please.”

  “My pleasure.” His voice, already deep, seemed to have slipped down into an even lower register and she wondered if touching her was somehow giving him pleasure as well. But how could it when he was the one doing the touching?

  Boone got some more of the gel from the little pink tube and began stroking it over her other nipple, being just as careful as he had with the first. K felt it tighten and had to bite her lip in order to keep back a moan. Purity, it felt so good! The pleasure he was giving with his touch was as intense as the pain had been before she admitted her need to him. But there was still one place she ached.

  “Boone,” she whispered, wishing her voice wasn’t quite so breathless. “Could you…do you think you could put some on me lower? That place between my thighs hurts.”

  “Of course, darlin’.” One large, warm hand stroked gently down her quivering abdomen and belly and then K felt him cupping her mound. “I’m going to take this slow,” Boone murmured in her ear. “Let me know if it feels okay.”

  “All right.” K nodded and spread her thighs wider for him. “Please, Boone…”

  He made a low, indistinct noise in the back of his throat and t