Hi Tony, welcome!
Hmmm... direct is always a good thing, women tend to like men who are direct and at the very least come off as knowing what they want.
That gets into a more complex confidence issue but I'd really urge you to look into the source of your shyness and try to work on it. That can really change your life for the better.
Sounds like she's pretty direct and I bet that if when you two are starting to get naked and get into some type of sex play - if at that time you tell her you'd like her to go down on you, she will probably really enjoy that.
Now for a more roundabout approach... there's always the "Fantasy Box" idea. a great way to spice up your sex life is to create box and you each get a few pieces of paper and jot down a secret fantasy on each one. and when you're getting ready for a hot date (or on "fantasy box night") you both open the box and one of you pulls out a fantasy and you both decide if you want to do it.
that's a fun non-direct way to introduce ALL KINDS of ideas... and you'll always be surprised what your partner will put in there that they won't share with you to your face. ;-)
Try it and let us know how it goes!!