how to turn her on, exactly how to tease and torment her. But most of all she liked his tenderness.
For the first time in her life she felt like a woman—could feel the power she had over him. And at the same time she loved the overwhelming control he had over her. It still scared her…but she wasn’t going to fight it….couldn’t fight it.
Marco reached for the packet of condoms in his bedside cabinet.
‘Better safe than sorry…hmm?’ he murmured light-heartedly as he rejoined her on the bed.
His lips covered hers, and hungrily she returned his kisses.
It was only when he started to enter her that she froze and gave an involuntary exclamation of pain. Instantly he stopped, and looked into her eyes. ‘Am I hurting you?’
‘No!’ she lied fervently, wanting him to continue, wanting the moment to pass.
He moved against her again, and she bit down on her lip. He
couldn’t
find out that she was a virgin—that would be too embarrassing.
Marco pulled away from her with a frown. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘Nothing. Why are you stopping?’
‘I’m stopping because I’m obviously hurting you. Anyone would think you hadn’t done this before…’ His voice trailed away, and she could almost hear his mind ticking over.
‘Don’t be silly.’ She reached up and stroked her hand along the broad contour of his shoulder, willing him to continue, but she couldn’t look him in the eye.
He frowned.
No, she couldn’t be a virgin, he thought derisively as he remembered the fire and the passion of her earlier responses. But then he found himself remembering other things…the way the chemistry between them had so obviously freaked her out. The way she’d tried to fight against it. The way she had sometimes looked at him as if she were scared of him.
‘Isobel, are you a virgin?’
He sounded so incredulous that she felt her whole body suddenly turn cold with indignity. ‘No!’
He knew in that one instant that she was lying. He sat up, and as she tried to wriggle away from him pulled her back.
‘Isobel, stop it.’ He pinned her down easily against the bed with just one hand. The other he used to turn her face, so that she was forced to look at him.
He asked the question again. ‘Are you a virgin?’
‘What difference does that make?’ she blazed, her eyes on fire as they met with his.
‘It makes a big difference.’ He breathed the words softly. ‘Believe me. If you’d told me, I’d have…’ He hesitated for a moment.
‘You’d have what? Had a good laugh at my expense? Taken pleasure in notching a virgin onto your crowded bedpost?’ She cut across him fiercely, his hesitation hurting.
‘I’d have taken more care of you,’ he said quietly.
‘Well, I don’t want you to take care of me. This is just sex—no big deal.’ Her eyes glittered, over-bright.
Was she trying to convince herself of that, or him? Marco wondered. He stroked her hair tenderly back from her face.
Sex obviously
was
a big deal for her. And someone had obviously hurt her a lot in the past. Who? he wondered. Her father? Or the guy she’d been engaged to? Maybe both?
He told himself that it was none of his business, that he only wanted a light-hearted roll in the sack. But he found himself cradling her against his chest. Then he kissed her again—kissed the tears away from her cheeks.
Hell, but she was so gorgeous…so feminine, so soft…so desirable. Amazing to think that such a body was completely innocent.
But how could he take her now, knowing what he knew?
‘Sex
is
a big deal, Isobel.’ He whispered the words against her ear. ‘And I don’t want to hurt you.’
‘You won’t hurt me,’ she murmured, just wanting him to continue.
He drew back from her and looked into her eyes. ‘I mean I don’t want to hurt you emotionally…’
She frowned, the words causing a curl of sensation inside her that she couldn’t even begin to understand.
He stroked a hand tenderly through her hair. ‘The thing
For the first time in her life she felt like a woman—could feel the power she had over him. And at the same time she loved the overwhelming control he had over her. It still scared her…but she wasn’t going to fight it….couldn’t fight it.
Marco reached for the packet of condoms in his bedside cabinet.
‘Better safe than sorry…hmm?’ he murmured light-heartedly as he rejoined her on the bed.
His lips covered hers, and hungrily she returned his kisses.
It was only when he started to enter her that she froze and gave an involuntary exclamation of pain. Instantly he stopped, and looked into her eyes. ‘Am I hurting you?’
‘No!’ she lied fervently, wanting him to continue, wanting the moment to pass.
He moved against her again, and she bit down on her lip. He
couldn’t
find out that she was a virgin—that would be too embarrassing.
Marco pulled away from her with a frown. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘Nothing. Why are you stopping?’
‘I’m stopping because I’m obviously hurting you. Anyone would think you hadn’t done this before…’ His voice trailed away, and she could almost hear his mind ticking over.
‘Don’t be silly.’ She reached up and stroked her hand along the broad contour of his shoulder, willing him to continue, but she couldn’t look him in the eye.
He frowned.
No, she couldn’t be a virgin, he thought derisively as he remembered the fire and the passion of her earlier responses. But then he found himself remembering other things…the way the chemistry between them had so obviously freaked her out. The way she’d tried to fight against it. The way she had sometimes looked at him as if she were scared of him.
‘Isobel, are you a virgin?’
He sounded so incredulous that she felt her whole body suddenly turn cold with indignity. ‘No!’
He knew in that one instant that she was lying. He sat up, and as she tried to wriggle away from him pulled her back.
‘Isobel, stop it.’ He pinned her down easily against the bed with just one hand. The other he used to turn her face, so that she was forced to look at him.
He asked the question again. ‘Are you a virgin?’
‘What difference does that make?’ she blazed, her eyes on fire as they met with his.
‘It makes a big difference.’ He breathed the words softly. ‘Believe me. If you’d told me, I’d have…’ He hesitated for a moment.
‘You’d have what? Had a good laugh at my expense? Taken pleasure in notching a virgin onto your crowded bedpost?’ She cut across him fiercely, his hesitation hurting.
‘I’d have taken more care of you,’ he said quietly.
‘Well, I don’t want you to take care of me. This is just sex—no big deal.’ Her eyes glittered, over-bright.
Was she trying to convince herself of that, or him? Marco wondered. He stroked her hair tenderly back from her face.
Sex obviously
was
a big deal for her. And someone had obviously hurt her a lot in the past. Who? he wondered. Her father? Or the guy she’d been engaged to? Maybe both?
He told himself that it was none of his business, that he only wanted a light-hearted roll in the sack. But he found himself cradling her against his chest. Then he kissed her again—kissed the tears away from her cheeks.
Hell, but she was so gorgeous…so feminine, so soft…so desirable. Amazing to think that such a body was completely innocent.
But how could he take her now, knowing what he knew?
‘Sex
is
a big deal, Isobel.’ He whispered the words against her ear. ‘And I don’t want to hurt you.’
‘You won’t hurt me,’ she murmured, just wanting him to continue.
He drew back from her and looked into her eyes. ‘I mean I don’t want to hurt you emotionally…’
She frowned, the words causing a curl of sensation inside her that she couldn’t even begin to understand.
He stroked a hand tenderly through her hair. ‘The thing
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