Carnal Rites by Ines Johnson (learn to read books .TXT) 📕

room like this after Jaspir left it for his dream home in the country, the thought gutted him. Jaspir clutched the binder in his hands. He heard the pages ripping. He didn't release them. He let them tear. He tore against the idea of his Merlyn being on some young buck's calendar. And he knew she would be if it were left up to Liam.

Jaspir had seen the desire for pleasure in her in that first kiss. Though, as a thirteen-year-old child, he couldn't name it at the time. He'd seen it on her swollen lips today. Felt the heat from her gaze, heard it in her moan. She would be back, and he would be gone.

Unless.

Jaspir looked at Liam once more as the male continued pacing the floor. Liam was right. Though Merlyn's love was beyond Liam's reach, pleasure was teachable. If Jaspir taught Liam how to please her, she could be satisfied. If he instructed Liam on how to satisfy her, she would never need to seek pleasure outside of their home. She might never turn to some stranger's bed.

"I'll do it."

Liam stopped pacing. Shock clearly written over his pale features. "You will?" His voice was uncertain now.

Jaspir held up his finger. "I have some terms."

"Name your price."

And so Jaspir did. Jaspir named the price of his dream home.

Liam blinked. His jaw clenched.

Jaspir stood, bound calendar in hand. "You know she's worth it." He paced over to the trash bin and tossed the binder in. "After what I teach you, she will never stray from your bed."

Jaspir turned and regarded Liam. Slowly, the man's jaw unclenched. Liam stuck out his hand Jaspir took it.

"She'll never leave my bed," repeated Liam. "Not even for you?"

Jaspir would be gone without a trace. "Not even for me."

"All right," said Liam. "When can we begin?"

Jaspir crossed to the bed. "Right now."

"Now?" Liam's voice raised an octave.

Jaspir turned to him in the midst of tossing small pillows from his bed to the floor. Liam avoided Jaspir's eyes as he regarded the bed. "Yes," said Jaspir. "Right now. Time is money."

"How long do you expect this to take?" Liam's hands fidgeted on the hem of his shirt.

Jaspir regarded the man. "Three lessons."

"Three separate lessons? I figured we'd be done tonight."

Jaspir chuckled. "You think highly of yourself, don't you?"

Liam flushed.

"Sit down," Jaspir commanded.

"You mean I'm to do... this?" Liam swallowed. "With you?"

"How else would you learn?"

Liam looked around for help. "I don't know? You're the expert."

"Exactly." Jaspir motioned towards the bed once more. "So, come sit down so that we can begin."

Liam hesitated once more.

"What is it?" Jaspir asked.

"It's just... I've never been attracted to men. I know it’s not normal. But there it is."

"You don't have to be attracted to me," Jaspir assured him. "I'm not attracted to you either."

For some reason Liam bristled at that. Jaspir found it amusing, the crinkle at the side of the other male's mouth.

"It'll actually make things easier," Jaspir said. "Having no emotions involved."

"Oh, there are emotions involved. I hate you."

"The feeling is mutual. Can we get on with this? I would like to get some sleep at some point instead of tutoring you all night."

That got Liam into motion. Jaspir made a note. Demean his intelligence if you want to get a rise out of him.

Liam trudged over to the bed as though it were his death march. Jaspir took a seat at the edge and waited.

Liam paused before him. "When I saw you two, all those years ago, you were kissing her. For the past ten years, when she thinks no one's looking, I see her touching her lips. I know she's thinking of you."

Jaspir's heart swelled.

"Is that all you did tonight? Kiss her?"

Jaspir nodded. "Yes."

"All these years, she held onto that memory. And that blasted plant. That's what I want to know. How to kiss her like that so that she thinks of it for years after."

Jaspir held out his hand. At first, Liam shrank from it, but then with ginger fingers, he took it and lowered himself to the bed.

Jaspir regarded his longtime foe. Set in Liam's pale face was green eyes with thick lashes, a strong jaw and a mouth with a thin upper lip, but full lower lip. Jaspir had hated this pale face for many years. He blocked out Liam's face and focused on the man's lips. As he did with his more unattractive clients, Jaspir pictured Merlyn in his head, narrowing his world to what these lips would do for her.

Jaspir grazed his fingers along the lips before him. They were thinner than his own. His lessons would have to account for that. "Lesson number one," he said. "The bedroom is the only place where a man can truly rule a woman."

Jaspir clasped the chin that belonged to the lips, eliciting another gasp.

"You need to take charge," he said. "Be in control."

Jaspir's fingers curled about the neck and the lips parted as he did so.

"Merlyn thinks too much. Her head rules her entire body. If you have control of her head..." His fingers went into the red hairs at the nape of the neck that belonged to the lips. With a firm tug, the head went back exposing the neck. "...you have control of her."

Jaspir let his focus extend from the lips to the exposed neck. His tongue struck out and he licked. He felt the body trembling in his grasp.

"Lesson number two, never do what's expected." Jaspir bit lightly at the chin. "Merlyn will anticipate your every move. She can't help it. She remembers the sequence of things. If you are repetitive, you will lose her. Do you understand?"

Jaspir watched as the lips tried to form words, but the trembling thwarted them. In the end, Jaspir was given a nod of acquiescence.

"Good."

Jaspir focused on the lips once more. He nipped at them. He nipped at the bottom lip, which was plumper than the top. He nipped at the corner, flicking his tongue out. He continued this random pattern as