Stealing Coal Read online

  “Yes.” There was no reason to lie. “I don’t know what you want from me, Coal.”

  “Look at me.”

  She looked up at him as she returned the drink to the tray. Coal’s dark, intense eyes were locked on her face. He reached for the waistband of his pants and she lowered her focus to watch his fingers work the front opening.

  “I will not hurt you. This is going to be about learning pleasure.”

  He wiggled his hips slightly to bare more of his body when his pants lowered. It fascinated her as his skin was revealed. A few inches more and she held her breath as his cock sprang free from the material. She stared at his large, erect sex, which pointed straight up at her. It amazed her that something that size could defy gravity. This time she wasn’t afraid of him.

  “What frightens you about males?”

  She swallowed hard. “I told you, I’ve been hurt.” She didn’t expand her explanation, figuring he could guess from what she’d already told him about her ex.

  “I really could track him down and kill him for you if you were to ask it as payment from me for rescuing me from the freighter.”

  “Don’t tempt me.” It shocked her when she smiled, amused at the image of how Darren would react if he ever ran into the terrifying cyborg. She realized she should be running for another room to try to hide from the man who pushed his pants down his thighs and stepped out of them. Instead she said, “He enjoyed fear. It turned him on more.”

  “I don’t want that.” Coal straightened, stood motionless, allowing her to study every inch of him if she dared. “What will make you less afraid of me? You may touch me.”

  The idea of reaching out to put her hands on him had her lacing her fingers together in her lap. Curiosity tempted her to actually do it.

  “I won’t attack you. I won’t get so excited that I harm you. Touch me. Perhaps that will make you more comfortable with the sight of my body.” He hesitated. “I know my size is intimidating but I’d never use it against you to cause any pain.”

  An emotion flashed in his eyes but she caught it. She just wasn’t sure why he felt vulnerable. She had a lifetime of feeling that way—she recognized that look.

  “This is insane.”

  He moved slowly and sat on the bed a few feet from her. She glanced at his lap, gawking a little at his hefty erection, and then jerked her gaze back up to his face when he spoke.

  “What is insane about me helping you get past your fear of males?”

  “I don’t know you and you’re naked.”

  He eased his hand toward her, palm out. “Take my hand.”

  She hesitated and then unlocked her fingers, actually putting her hand in his. He didn’t comment on it if he noticed how she trembled. He inched her palm to his chest, placing it over his heart, and gently held it there. Heat radiated off his skin, more so than anyone she’d ever touched.

  “You’re very warm.”

  “You mentioned that before.”

  She had, believing he’d been sick with a fever. His hand released hers, leaving her touching him on her own. She gazed up into his beautiful eyes as her fingers inched up to his collarbone, hesitated there, and then slid upward to curve around the bend of his broad shoulder.

  “There’s no need to be timid. I will remain still,” he encouraged her softly. “There’s no pain here, Jill.” He paused. “I will not harm you.”

  Honesty and sincerity shone in his eyes. Jill wanted to believe him but it would be insane to do so. She didn’t know him—cyborgs had to be pretty dangerous, considering that Earth Government had tried to kill all of them—but her other hand lifted to touch his thigh inches above his knee. Hot skin greeted her there as well.

  Coal took a shallow breath. “I’ll lie down and you can explore me if you wish.”

  She released him and watched as he very slowly stretched out on the bed until he rested flat on his back. His arms rose and he laced his fingers behind his head, using his palms to form a pillow.

  “Go ahead, Jill. You may explore any part of me you wish.”

  She turned to allow her gaze to travel over his impressive form. His beauty of his muscular, toned body wasn’t lost on her. Even his unusual gray coloring attracted her, tempting her to spread her hands over him.

  “Have you ever willingly touched a man?”

  “No.”

  “What do you fear?”

  Images of her past flashed. Her ex-husband had really hurt her and on top of it all, he’d been verbally abusive. She’d never wanted to touch a man before, never had been given the opportunity to do it without fear. It sank in slowly that she wasn’t afraid. She felt curious, definitely, but memories of what Coal had done to her body had her feeling…aroused.

  “I’m not sure,” she admitted, caressing his thigh, amazed that the small amount of hair there could be so soft and that his warm skin could be silky textured, considering the strength of muscles lurking just beneath.

  “There’s no pain here,” he assured her again. “I will never hurt you. I give my word on that.”

  Her gaze lifted up his body to meet his intense, beautiful eyes. Sincerity shone in those dark depths and she really wanted to believe him enough to put faith in his word.

  “You can touch me anywhere, explore anything, and I will remain still.”

  Jill hesitated and then shifted on the bed, bending her knee, and turned to face him. Her other hand shook slightly when she reached over and firmly put her hand over his other thigh. She looked down, watching in amazement as his cock stiffened even more, rising straight up his belly.

  “Go ahead,” he urged. “Have you ever touched a male’s sex?”

  No. She bit her lower lip in nervousness when she concentrated on his stiff shaft. Her right hand slid up his thigh ever so slowly. When she nearly reached it, his cock moved, jerking slightly, and she froze.

  “It’s a normal reaction. I’m very turned on. Your hands are incredibly gentle and nearly torturing me with wanting more.”

  “You won’t knock me over, pin me down, and force me to take you?”

  His mouth tensed. “No. I really want five minutes alone with the male who put that terror into your eyes.”

  Her fear eased instantly and she smiled. “What would you do to the asshole?”

  It was Coal’s turn to hesitate. “I don’t want to frighten you but I am capable of violence under certain circumstances. I’d love to hurt him the way he did you.”

  Her eyebrows shot up and her sense of humor kicked in. “You want to pin him down and force yourself on him?”

  His eyes rounded with horror. “No! I am not into forcing sex on anyone and males do not turn me on. I would wish to terrify him and cause him pain.”

  She laughed, completely relaxing. “I was teasing.”

  “It isn’t funny that a male harmed you.”

  Her smile died. “I know. Sometimes I deal with pain by making jokes. It’s a defensive mechanism that’s kept me sane when times turned really bad.”

  “I understand. Let’s forget about the…” He paused. “Asshole.”

  Jill smiled again and lowered her attention to his cock. It surprised her how large he was, the darker gray color fascinating, and he had no hair there at all. Her hand moved, inching up until her fingertips brushed against the base of his shaft. He sucked in air but didn’t ask her to stop. She glanced up, saw his eyes were closed now and then she openly studied the part of the male anatomy that she’d dreaded the most.

  Her hand brushed the shaft tentatively at first. It stunned her that the skin there felt so smooth and velvety, though he had turned incredibly hard with desire. He took a deep breath, kept his eyes closed, and she grew bolder by attempting to encircle his cock. Her finger and thumb couldn’t touch—his sex too thick for her to do that.

  She released him and braced a hand on the bed when she shifted her position until she hovered over his lap on her knees. The muscles that ran along his stomach up to his rib cage were tense, thick ridges under h