with him?"
"Butch was living with us then, and I didn't want him to learn the truth."
"Weren't you afraid of Shane after that?"
"I told him I'd kill him if he ever touched me again, and I guess he believed me. We had separate bedrooms, and he never stepped a foot in mine again. There were plenty of women willing to provide him with sex, so he just left me alone."
The feel of her warm, pliant body was clouding Luke's thinking. There was plenty they needed to sort out, but his top priority at the moment was their physical relationship.
His tone was low and carefully controlled when he finally spoke. "Let me get this clear. The only time you had sex with Shane was when he forced you? Was that the only time in the last three years?
Susan didn't speak, but nodded in the affirmative.
"Why didn't you tell me any of that before we got to the bedroom stage?"
She didn't lift her head, just mumbled the words against his skin. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to," she confessed. "You wouldn't have believed me anyway."
She didn't want to do any more explaining. It would only lead to questions she couldn't or wouldn't answer. She was determined to put the past behind her and build a new life with Luke. Within the circle of his arms, desire began to stir to life again. He was still totally naked. His flesh was smooth and warm with tight chest curls that brushed her cheek. He smelled of soap and Luke.
Tilting her head, she found his eyes in the shadowed darkness, and then placed her fingertips on his lips. "This is supposed to be our night. Please don't let him steal another second of it."
She saw an instant of resistance to her plea, and then she watched him mentally change gears and will away the bad thoughts. He let out a pent-up breath and his eyes grew smoky again.
"Have you had some good experiences with sex?"
Heat suffused her body, but she held his gaze and gave him the truth. "No."
It was a long minute before he spoke, and she could tell he was having difficulty controlling his reaction to her denial. His body was swelling against hers and the feel of him brought renewed trembling to her limbs.
"And you don't think I needed to know that?" He finally asked in a thick, graveled tone.
"I thought maybe you wouldn't notice."
That had him muttering obscenities. His hands flexed convulsively at her waist. His voice, when he spoke again, was razor sharp.
"I didn't notice, and I could have hurt you bad."
Susan was aware of that particular fact, but she hadn't allowed herself to think much about it until she'd been trapped under his big, virile body.
"It doesn't have to be so traumatic, does it?"
The total innocence of the query rattled him even more. "How the hell should I know?"
The answer didn't reassure her, but his next actions and words did. He took a deep breath and lowered his head to nudge hers. He buried his face in her hair and whispered in her ear, enunciating very clearly.
"We can go slower."
He was willing to try again. Relief washed through her, and she gave him a fierce hug. She was embarrassed by her inexperience, but she didn't want him to give up on her or their marriage.
"You're sure?" she asked, easing some distance between them so that she could see him again.
Luke nodded his head. Maybe he was the worst kind of fool, but right now the ache in his loins was so painful and heavy that little else mattered.
"What if we can't get it right?" she asked in a barely audible tone.
Her question seemed to ease the tension a little. It teased a slow, incredibly sexy smile to his lips, making her heart flutter in renewed excitement.
"I guess we'll have to do like all the other married people do," he suggested solemnly.
A frown creased her forehead. "What's that?"
"Keep practicing until we get it right."
"Oh!" she gasped. He was sweeping her into his arms again and clutching her against his broad chest. She slid her arms around his neck and watched him in fascination as he retraced their steps to
"Butch was living with us then, and I didn't want him to learn the truth."
"Weren't you afraid of Shane after that?"
"I told him I'd kill him if he ever touched me again, and I guess he believed me. We had separate bedrooms, and he never stepped a foot in mine again. There were plenty of women willing to provide him with sex, so he just left me alone."
The feel of her warm, pliant body was clouding Luke's thinking. There was plenty they needed to sort out, but his top priority at the moment was their physical relationship.
His tone was low and carefully controlled when he finally spoke. "Let me get this clear. The only time you had sex with Shane was when he forced you? Was that the only time in the last three years?
Susan didn't speak, but nodded in the affirmative.
"Why didn't you tell me any of that before we got to the bedroom stage?"
She didn't lift her head, just mumbled the words against his skin. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to," she confessed. "You wouldn't have believed me anyway."
She didn't want to do any more explaining. It would only lead to questions she couldn't or wouldn't answer. She was determined to put the past behind her and build a new life with Luke. Within the circle of his arms, desire began to stir to life again. He was still totally naked. His flesh was smooth and warm with tight chest curls that brushed her cheek. He smelled of soap and Luke.
Tilting her head, she found his eyes in the shadowed darkness, and then placed her fingertips on his lips. "This is supposed to be our night. Please don't let him steal another second of it."
She saw an instant of resistance to her plea, and then she watched him mentally change gears and will away the bad thoughts. He let out a pent-up breath and his eyes grew smoky again.
"Have you had some good experiences with sex?"
Heat suffused her body, but she held his gaze and gave him the truth. "No."
It was a long minute before he spoke, and she could tell he was having difficulty controlling his reaction to her denial. His body was swelling against hers and the feel of him brought renewed trembling to her limbs.
"And you don't think I needed to know that?" He finally asked in a thick, graveled tone.
"I thought maybe you wouldn't notice."
That had him muttering obscenities. His hands flexed convulsively at her waist. His voice, when he spoke again, was razor sharp.
"I didn't notice, and I could have hurt you bad."
Susan was aware of that particular fact, but she hadn't allowed herself to think much about it until she'd been trapped under his big, virile body.
"It doesn't have to be so traumatic, does it?"
The total innocence of the query rattled him even more. "How the hell should I know?"
The answer didn't reassure her, but his next actions and words did. He took a deep breath and lowered his head to nudge hers. He buried his face in her hair and whispered in her ear, enunciating very clearly.
"We can go slower."
He was willing to try again. Relief washed through her, and she gave him a fierce hug. She was embarrassed by her inexperience, but she didn't want him to give up on her or their marriage.
"You're sure?" she asked, easing some distance between them so that she could see him again.
Luke nodded his head. Maybe he was the worst kind of fool, but right now the ache in his loins was so painful and heavy that little else mattered.
"What if we can't get it right?" she asked in a barely audible tone.
Her question seemed to ease the tension a little. It teased a slow, incredibly sexy smile to his lips, making her heart flutter in renewed excitement.
"I guess we'll have to do like all the other married people do," he suggested solemnly.
A frown creased her forehead. "What's that?"
"Keep practicing until we get it right."
"Oh!" she gasped. He was sweeping her into his arms again and clutching her against his broad chest. She slid her arms around his neck and watched him in fascination as he retraced their steps to
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