"Maybe I'll do nothing," he said placidly, kneeling on the end of the bed, his arms handing at his sides. "That might be torture enough."

She was breathtaking— sexy in spite of, or perhaps because of her uncertainty. Whether or not it was her intention, he felt a rush of affection for her. The intensity of it was still enough to shock him.

He rested a hand on her bent knee, his palm drawing slowly up the inside of her thigh. He caught the edge of the elastic bracers attached to her stockings and gave it a tug. It drew back against her skin with an audible snap.