Marriage On Demand. Сьюзен Мэллери

meeting his gaze. “Far from it. I…” She swallowed and the blush got deeper.

      “Yes?” He rested his hands on her knees, liking the feel of her soft, naked skin under his palms. He supposed if he was any kind of a gentleman, he would pull out of her so that she could cover herself with the sheet. Fortunately for him, he wasn’t a gentleman, so he didn’t have to worry about her embarrassment. He wanted to keep her off guard. After what had just happened, he was damn well going to get the truth out of her, regardless of how low he had to stoop to get it. Besides, being this close to her was exciting him again.

      “I didn’t tell you I was a virgin because I knew if you knew, you wouldn’t make love to me.” She spoke very quickly, as if forcing the words past a constricted throat. “Don’t be mad at me, please? I sort of picked you on purpose. Because of your reputation and all. I thought if anyone could fix my problem, you could. Maybe you should be flattered.”

      She ended her speech with a tentative smile. He kept his face stern and her smile died quickly, leaving her mouth trembling and vulnerable. He had to fight the urge to bend down and gather her into his arms. The need to hold her close and comfort her was almost as overwhelming as the need that had pushed him to take her virginity.

      “Not good enough, Rebecca,” he said, deliberately making his voice cold.

      She shivered and crossed her arms over her bare chest. “You’re angry at me.” It wasn’t a question, so he didn’t answer. “I suppose I understand why. I guess a man doesn’t like to be burdened with a woman’s virginity without at least having some kind of warning.”

      That got him where he lived. He was about to pull back and let her cover herself with the sheet when she reached out one of her slender pale hands and touched his thigh. Instantly heat seared him, going directly from the point of contact on his leg to his groin. Blood flooded him, causing him to fill and stretch her. Her brown eyes widened.

      “Austin?”

      He muttered a curse and started to shift away.

      She grabbed his wrist and held on. “Don’t go yet. I have to tell you I’m glad it was you. I know it’s silly, but you made me feel safe and wonderful. I want to thank you for that.”

      He shook his head. “This is the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

      Her smile returned full force. “I doubt that. You must always have women throwing themselves at you. I can’t be the first one who’s succeeded in seducing you.”

      Despite his confusion and the anger that could flare to life at anytime, he grinned at her. “You did not seduce me.”

      Her hips flexed, drawing him closer. “Sure I did.”

      “Rebecca,” he growled, “don’t toy with me.”

      “Then don’t be angry. Oh, Austin, I know this isn’t what you planned, but it was perfect for me. You made my first time wonderful. I’ll treasure this always. I didn’t come here to trap you, and I didn’t mean to lie. If you knew what it’s been like being a twenty-nine-year-old virgin… I told a couple of men I’d been dating and they stared at me like I was crazy. They couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”

      “Then they were fools.”

      Her blush had faded, but now it returned. “Thank you.”

      He stared down at her, at her naked, slender body, so pale against the black satin comforter, at her hair fanning out around her shoulders. Her mouth was slightly swollen from his kisses, her skin flushed with faint embarrassment. Despite the warmth of the room, or perhaps because of their intriguingly intimate position, her nipples were hard, two coral-colored, tempting peaks.

      He ran his hands down her bare thighs toward her center, then drew back before touching her soft, protective curls. “I’m not the answer to your prayers, Rebecca. I’m no hero.”

      “You’re wrong about that, but I know what you mean. I’m not looking for a commitment. I just want to forget about my past, and my virginity was the last reminder. I’d saved it for Wayne and he’s been gone a long time. I wanted it gone, too. Please don’t make a big deal out of this. I won’t.”

      “I want to believe that.”

      She raised herself up on one elbow and drew an X over her left breast. “Cross my heart. I’m not involved. I know you’re not, either. You’ve had so many women that in two weeks you won’t even remember my name.”

      Her smile was too much to resist. He bent forward and pressed his mouth to hers. She still tasted sweet. That surprised him. He pulled back and studied her face. The air of innocence continued to cling to her, as if it had nothing to do with the loss of her maidenhead. He grimaced at the old-fashioned phrase. What was wrong with him? So she’d been a virgin. So he’d been the one to change that. So what? It didn’t mean anything.

      “I’ll probably remember you for at least a month,” he said, trying to match her light tone.

      “I’m not going to get all weird on you, Austin.” She traced his face, her touch warm and soft against his skin. “I know you’re completely out of my league.”

      He was only five years older than she was, but suddenly he felt like a debauched old man. Her sweetness mocked his black soul, her quick, easy smiles hurt his tired eyes. He’d seen too much, done too much, lived too long in the dark. She was right—he was out of her league, but not in the way she imagined.

      He felt her hand slip from his jaw to his neck and then lower. She rocked her hips slightly, urging him to take advantage of their position and his aroused state.

      He couldn’t. He swallowed and tasted the bitterness of regret on his tongue. When he started to pull out, she murmured a protest. He silenced her with a quick kiss. “You’ll be sore enough in the morning,” he said quietly.

      He went into the kitchen. Candlelight danced against the walls and ceiling, weaving erotic patterns that made him want to forget what he’d just done. But he couldn’t.

      Deep inside the darkest, blackest part of him, a primal rage swelled. It wasn’t directed at Rebecca, but at the cosmos and fates that had drawn them together. His muscles tensed. Sound vibrated in his throat, but he swallowed the words because they had no meaning. He fought the sexual thoughts that flooded him and the urge to claim this woman again.