Guilt. Torment. Sorrow. Shock. Which?" she asked against his chest.
"I'm trying," he murmured on a weary chuckle. "But all I can manage is pride," he added softly. "I satisfied you completely, didn't I?"
"More than completely," she murmured against his damp shoulder. Her hand traced his chest, feeling the coolness of his skin, the ripple of muscle. "Hold me close."
He wrapped both arms around her and drew her on top of him, holding her hungrily to him, their legs lazily entwined. "I seduced you."
She pressed a soft kiss to his collarbone. "Mmm-hmm."
He caught his breath as the tiny, insignificant movement produced a sudden, raging arousal.
She lifted her head. "Did I do something wrong?"
He lifted an eyebrow and nodded toward his flat stomach. She followed his amused glance and caught her breath.
He drew her mouth down over his and kissed her ferociously before he sat up and moved off the bed.
"Where are you going?" she asked, startled.
He drew on his briefs and his slacks, glancing down at her with amused delight. "One of us has to be sensible," he told her. "Colby's probably on his way back right now."
"But he just left…"
"Almost an hour ago," he finished for her, nodding toward the clock on the bedside table.
She sat up, her eyes wide with surprise.
"I took a long time with you," he said gently. "Didn't you notice?"
She laughed self-consciously. "Well, yes, but I didn't realize it was that long."
He drew her off the bed and bent to kiss her tenderly, nuzzling her face with his. "Was I worth waiting for?" he asked.
She smiled. "What a silly question."
He kissed her again, but when he lifted his head he wasn't smiling. "I loved what we did together," he said quietly. "But I should have been more responsible."
She knew what he was thinking. He hadn't used anything, and he surely knew that she wasn't. She flattened her hand against his bare chest. "There's a morning-after pill. I'll drive into the city tomorrow and get one," she said, lying like a sailor. She had no intention of doing that, but it would comfort him.
He found that he didn't like that idea. It hurt something deeply primitive in him. He scowled. "That could be dangerous."
"No, it's not.
He traced her fingernails while he tried to think. It seemed like a fantasy, a dream. He'd never had such an experience with a woman in his life.
She closed her eyes and moved closer to him. "I could never have done that with anyone else," she whispered. "It was more beautiful than my dreams."
His heart jumped. That was how it felt to him, too. He tilted her face so that he could search her soft eyes. She was radiant; she almost glowed. "Kiss me," he murmured softly.
She did. But he wasn't smiling. She could almost see the thoughts in his face. "You didn't force me, Tate," she said gently. "I made a conscious decision. I made a choice. I needed to know if what had happened to me had destroyed me as a woman. I found out in the most wonderful way that it hadn't. I'm not ashamed of what we did together."
"Neither am I." He turned, his face still tormented. "But it wasn't my right."
"To be the first?" She smiled gently. "It would have been you eight years ago or eight years from now. I don't want anyone else-not that way. I never did."
He actually winced. "Cecily…"
"I'm not asking for declarations of undying love. I won't cling. I'm not the type.
"I'm trying," he murmured on a weary chuckle. "But all I can manage is pride," he added softly. "I satisfied you completely, didn't I?"
"More than completely," she murmured against his damp shoulder. Her hand traced his chest, feeling the coolness of his skin, the ripple of muscle. "Hold me close."
He wrapped both arms around her and drew her on top of him, holding her hungrily to him, their legs lazily entwined. "I seduced you."
She pressed a soft kiss to his collarbone. "Mmm-hmm."
He caught his breath as the tiny, insignificant movement produced a sudden, raging arousal.
She lifted her head. "Did I do something wrong?"
He lifted an eyebrow and nodded toward his flat stomach. She followed his amused glance and caught her breath.
He drew her mouth down over his and kissed her ferociously before he sat up and moved off the bed.
"Where are you going?" she asked, startled.
He drew on his briefs and his slacks, glancing down at her with amused delight. "One of us has to be sensible," he told her. "Colby's probably on his way back right now."
"But he just left…"
"Almost an hour ago," he finished for her, nodding toward the clock on the bedside table.
She sat up, her eyes wide with surprise.
"I took a long time with you," he said gently. "Didn't you notice?"
She laughed self-consciously. "Well, yes, but I didn't realize it was that long."
He drew her off the bed and bent to kiss her tenderly, nuzzling her face with his. "Was I worth waiting for?" he asked.
She smiled. "What a silly question."
He kissed her again, but when he lifted his head he wasn't smiling. "I loved what we did together," he said quietly. "But I should have been more responsible."
She knew what he was thinking. He hadn't used anything, and he surely knew that she wasn't. She flattened her hand against his bare chest. "There's a morning-after pill. I'll drive into the city tomorrow and get one," she said, lying like a sailor. She had no intention of doing that, but it would comfort him.
He found that he didn't like that idea. It hurt something deeply primitive in him. He scowled. "That could be dangerous."
"No, it's not.
He traced her fingernails while he tried to think. It seemed like a fantasy, a dream. He'd never had such an experience with a woman in his life.
She closed her eyes and moved closer to him. "I could never have done that with anyone else," she whispered. "It was more beautiful than my dreams."
His heart jumped. That was how it felt to him, too. He tilted her face so that he could search her soft eyes. She was radiant; she almost glowed. "Kiss me," he murmured softly.
She did. But he wasn't smiling. She could almost see the thoughts in his face. "You didn't force me, Tate," she said gently. "I made a conscious decision. I made a choice. I needed to know if what had happened to me had destroyed me as a woman. I found out in the most wonderful way that it hadn't. I'm not ashamed of what we did together."
"Neither am I." He turned, his face still tormented. "But it wasn't my right."
"To be the first?" She smiled gently. "It would have been you eight years ago or eight years from now. I don't want anyone else-not that way. I never did."
He actually winced. "Cecily…"
"I'm not asking for declarations of undying love. I won't cling. I'm not the type.
( Diana Palmer )
[ Paper Rose ]
www.QuoteSweet.com