Carnal Vengeance by Marilyn Campbell Page A

inch-by-inch, two-hour search of the apartment. Some lessons were learned the hard way.
    A slight pressure on her shoulder suggested she sit on the bed. The mattress bounced again as Jerry settled next to her. Lifting the hand he was still holding, he pried her fingers loose one by one then shook her wrist until she let those fingers dangle. Holly giggled softly. She had not even realized how tense she was. A deep slow breath helped but his comforting touch unwound her the rest of the way.
    Jerry's fingertips found her face and slowly traced each of her features. When he outlined her lips and paused there, Holly understood he wanted a kiss. This game was more familiar and she flicked her tongue out to lick his fingers. His response was two taps on her nose. Behave?
    From her nose he moved to the center of her forehead and tapped again. Apparently he wanted to try the experiment in earnest.
    Holly concentrated on the one thing she had been thinking of all day. Perhaps he could read her thoughts, because his fingers grazed her scalp then trickled through her long hair to the ends. She heard him inhale slowly and guessed he was smelling her hair by the way the strands moved along her cheek.
    Her own fingers followed the trail of her hair to where it ended at his nose, and she drew a picture of his face with gentle hands. The tiny stubble on his jawline revealed his beard had begun to sprout. It struck Holly that, although Jerry's intentions may not have been completely honorable to begin with, this experience of seeing without sight was one she would always remember.
    He sat very still for her loving exploration. His breathing was so shallow, she could barely hear it. He seemed to be waiting for her to decide which direction this game would take. So she did. Keeping her thumb on his mouth for guidance, Holly leaned forward until her mouth contacted his. Her kiss was sweet and he responded in kind. In the past Jerry had always been the aggressor, making all the first moves. Could she take the lead, tonight of all nights?
    Holly kissed him again as she closed the small space between them. Her hands moved to the back of his neck and pulled him closer. He parted his lips and teeth when her tongue asked for a deeper kiss. Yet still he remained passive.
    Her stomach contracted when she realized he wanted even more from her before he would act. Perhaps the experiment was working because she was sure she knew what he wanted her to do.
    She moved her hand to his shoulder and traveled down his arm to capture his hand. Slowly, trembling inside with uncertainty, she brought his hand to her breast and held it there, until he kneaded the flesh on his own. Relaxing his fingers a moment later, he rotated his palm over the tip with a restrained patience he had never before exhibited. Holly sighed as she felt her nipple harden for him. His sound of masculine approval melted into her mouth and the pulse between her legs sprang to life.
    This much she had permitted before. She needed to show him he did not have to stop this time. Her hand shook slightly as she searched for the buttons on his shirt, clumsily opening them from collar to belt buckle.
    Jerry removed his hand from her breast and lay back on the bed, as if to say, Do with me as you will. She pushed the shirt aside and discovered the thick mat of springy hair on his chest. She had never seen him shirtless and was pleasantly surprised by what her touch learned. Hard muscles reacted to her unskilled movements. She had not known a man's nipples were as sensitive as a woman's but his flinch and the tightened nubs quickly educated her and made her smile confidently in the dark.
    Holly suddenly understood why Jerry had planned the game. In the darkness she could do things she would never dare if she could see him watching her. Her cheeks warmed just imagining it but she was greedy to know more of his secrets. Her nerve was bolstered when his sharp intake of breath followed her stroking of his