His Diamond Bride by Lucy Gordon

another until the whole evening was an endless stream of movement. It had been a hard day at work and she’d been tired at the start of the evening, but mysteriously she wasn’t tired now. Every moment with him invigorated her.
    â€˜You’re a terrific dancer,’ he said, gasping slightly. ‘Let’s go faster.’
    â€˜Yes, let’s.’
    She managed to seize the initiative, driving him on until they were both breathless, and somehow they danced out of the hall into the deserted lobby. To the end of her days she had no memory of how they’d got there.
    â€˜You shouldn’t have done that,’ Mark warned her.
    â€˜Why?’
    â€˜Because now I’m going to do this,’ he said, taking her in his arms and kissing her firmly.
    It wasn’t like the other times, a skilful pretence to deceive onlookers. They were alone and it was the real thing. Now the pressure of his mouth was intense and determined, saying that he wasn’t fooling any more and what was she going to do about it?
    There was only one possible answer. It was she who moved her lips first, not to escape his but to caress them, revel in the sensation and drive him on further. It was something she’d never done before and she didn’t understand how she knew about it. The knowledge seemed to have been part of her for ever, dormant, waiting for this moment to awake. Now it wasn’t merely awake but triumphant, determined to make the most of every last thrilling moment.
    She was a novice, exploring the first steps of physical love, learning fast but needing to learn more. He taught her, moving his mouth against hers with practised skill, teasing, inciting, leading her blissfully to the next lesson, and then the next. She pressed closer, every inch of her clamouring to learn.
    Then, with cruel abruptness, it was over and he was pushing her away from him. When she tried to reach for him again he fended her off.
    â€˜Stop it, Dee. We have to stop! ’ His voice was harsh, almost cruel.
    â€˜I’m sorry…what—? Did I do something wrong?’ She was almost in tears.
    â€˜No, you did everything right—too right. That’s the problem.’
    She misunderstood and her hands flew to her mouth. ‘You think I’m a bad girl, that I always do this, but you’re wrong, you’re wrong.’
    â€˜No, I don’t mean that. I know you’re innocent. You must be or you’d have been more careful. Only an innocent would have pushed me to the edge like that.’
    â€˜I don’t understand,’ she whispered.
    He sighed. ‘No, you don’t, do you?’ He took her back into his arms, but pressing her head against his shoulder, careful to avoid her face. ‘Don’t cry. It’s not your fault. But I had to stop when I did, or I wouldn’t have been able to stop at all, and then I’d have done something that would make you hate me.’
    She couldn’t answer. Her heart was thundering, her whole body trembling with thwarted desire.
    Hate him? What did he mean? She hated him now for leaving her like this, desperate to go on to the end and discover the secret. She pressed closer to him, hoping to remind him of what they had shared, what they might still share.
    â€˜Let’s go home,’ he said grimly.
    They went home in silence. He didn’t even hold her hand,but kept several feet away. Dee crossed her arms over her chest as though trying to protect herself and walked with her head down, staring at the pavement, feeling alienated from the whole world, but especially from the man she loved, who was acting as though she didn’t exist.
    When they stopped at her front door he seemed uneasy and there was a thoughtful look on his face.
    â€˜You’re full of surprises,’ he said. ‘I guess there’s a lot more to you than meets the eye. Don’t look at me like that. I can’t explain right now, especially as your