Tall, Dark & Rich: His Christmas Virgin / Married by Christmas / A Yuletide Seduction. Carole Mortimer

stood looking down at her for several seconds, eyes dark as he looked at that cascade of straight ebony-black hair spread across his pillows, her eyes bright, cheeks flushed, lips slightly swollen from the hunger of their kisses, and then down to the swell of those perfect breasts.

      Jonas drew in a harsh breath as he gazed at those orbs with their rosy-hued nipples jutting out firmly, and then down over the curving indentation of her narrow waist, a tantalising glimpse of her lacy panties visible beneath her unzipped jeans.

      He sat on the side of the bed, his gaze briefly holding hers before lowering as he slowly tugged those jeans down to fully reveal those white panties with the soft curls dark behind the lace, and the long length of her legs.

      Mac was barely breathing as she looked up into the dark intensity of Jonas’s face as his gaze slowly, hungrily, devoured every inch of her, from her head down to her toes.

      His face was flushed as that glittering blue gaze returned to meet hers. ‘I’m think I’m going to have to make love to you until you beg for me to stop,’ he muttered gruffly.

      Mac longed for that, ached for it, but at the same time she trembled at the depth of the desire she could feel flowing between them. ‘I hope you aren’t going to be disappointed,’ she whispered.

      Those blue eyes narrowed. ‘Why should I be disappointed?’

      Mac shook her head. ‘I’m not experienced, and—I—I don’t have any protection,’ she warned, not wanting to break the spell of the moment, but only too aware now of the reason Jonas’s parents had married each other. Of how much he would despise any woman stupid enough to make the same mistake with him.

      ‘You aren’t on the pill?’ Jonas slid open the drawer in the bedside cabinet and took out a small foil packet.

      Her cheeks were flushed. ‘I—No, there’s never been any need.’

      Jonas looked at her suspiciously as an incredulous thought suddenly occurred to him. ‘You can’t possibly still be a virgin?’

      ‘Why can’t I? Jonas…?’ Mac frowned her uncertainty as he stood up abruptly.

      Jonas stared down at her disbelievingly—accusingly—for several long seconds, before turning away to run an agitated hand through the thickness of his hair. A virgin! Jonas couldn’t believe it; Mac McGuire, a beautiful woman in her late twenties, who looked and dressed like a Bohemian, was a virgin!

      He turned back. ‘And exactly when were you going to tell me that interesting little piece of information?’ he bit out angrily. ‘Or were you just going to let me find out for myself once it was too late for me to do anything about it?’

      Mac gave a dazed shake of her head. ‘I don’t understand,’ she whispered.

      Jonas glared at her. ‘Virgin or not, you can’t be that naïve!’

      Mac was too stunned by the sudden tension between them to know what to think. ‘I don’t believe I’m naïve at all,’ she said slowly as she sat up, her hair falling forwards to cover the nakedness of her breasts. ‘I thought you realised after I told you about my one youthful disaster of a relationship—Jonas, what difference does it make whether or not I’ve had other lovers?’

      ‘All the difference in the world to me,’ Jonas assured her harshly.

      Mac gave a pained frown as she wrapped her arms defensively about the bareness of her knees. ‘But why does it?’

      ‘Because I have no intention of being any woman’s first lover, that’s why.’ His jaw was tightly clenched.

      ‘All women have a first time with someone—’

      ‘Yours isn’t going to be with me,’ he reiterated.

      ‘Most men would be only too pleased to be a woman’s first lover!’ Tears of humiliation glittered in her eyes as she glared back at him and she resolutely blinked them away. She refused to cry in front of him!

      ‘Not this man,’ he said fervently.

      Mac couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. Couldn’t believe that Jonas was refusing to make love to her just because she was a virgin!

      ‘Why is that, Jonas?’ she challenged. ‘Do you think that I’m making such a grand gesture because I already imagine myself in love with you? Or do you think I’m trying to trap you in some way?’ Her eyes widened as she saw from the cold stiffening of Jonas’s expression, the icy glitter of his eyes, that was exactly what he thought—and so obviously feared. ‘You arrogant louse!’ she scorned furiously.

      ‘No doubt,’ he acknowledged. ‘But I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s better if this stops now?’

      ‘Oh, don’t worry, Jonas, it’s stopped,’ she said scathingly as she moved to sit on the side of the bed, grabbed up her jeans from the carpeted floor and started pulling them back on.

      ‘I’m going back to the kitchen; I suggest you join me there once you’ve finished dressing. You might need this.’ He took a black T-shirt out of the tall chest of drawers and threw it on the bed beside her before turning on his heel and leaving the bedroom, almost slamming the door behind him.

      Mac stilled, unsure as to whether the tears now finally falling hotly and unchecked down her cheeks were of anger or humiliation, too confused still at the way their heated lovemaking had turned into an exchange of insults.

      Did Jonas really imagine Mac was somehow trying to trap him into a relationship with her by giving him her virginity? Into making him feel responsible for her because he’d become her first lover?

      If that was what he thought, what he was desperately trying to avoid, then Jonas didn’t deserve her tears. He didn’t deserve anything but her pity.

      Unless you’re in love with him, after all? a little voice deep within her wanted to know.

      No. She was most definitely not. Mac had felt closer to Jonas this evening. Felt she understood him and his motivations better after hearing about his parents’ marriage and his own childhood. And she had physically wanted him. That was undeniable. But none of those things added up to her being in love with him.

      Not even a little bit? the same annoying voice persisted.

      No, not even a little bit! she answered it firmly.

      Jonas was arrogant. Cold. And his behaviour just now proved that he was also completely undeserving of her emotions or her body.

      Jonas had pulled his jumper back on and was sitting at the oak kitchen table drinking some of the wine when Mac came back into the room, his gaze narrowing as he took in her appearance in his T-shirt. It was far too big for her, so long it reached almost down to her knees, the shoulder seams hanging halfway down her arms—and yet, somehow, she still managed to look sexy as hell.

      Nothing at all like the virgin she was.

      Jonas couldn’t have known about her inexperience. He would never have guessed it from how she’d responded to him so passionately, so eagerly…

      He scowled across at her broodingly. ‘Having dinner together was obviously no more successful than our attempt at having lunch.’ The food remained half eaten and cold on the plates.

      Mac strode across the room to grab her own T-shirt from the back of the chair where Jonas had draped it. ‘At least I know who to see now if I ever want to lose weight,’ she retorted.

      Jonas’s jaw tightened. ‘You’re too thin already.’

      Her eyes flashed a deep, smoky grey. ‘I didn’t hear you complaining a few minutes ago!’

      He raised dark brows, his smile sardonic. ‘I wasn’t stating a preference now either, only fact.’

      Mac wanted to slap that mocking smile off his face. No—she wanted to pummel his chest with her fists until she actually hurt him. As he had