Font Size:

He inhaled sharply.

Oh, sweetheart.

Dipping his head, he ran soft kisses along the scar’s ragged lines, cherishing her all the more for it. His head moved upward, to her breasts and he delighted in teasing her delicate buds. Damn, he would not be able to hold out much longer.

Within moments he rid himself of his breaches, still pleasuring her with his tongue. He nudged her knees apart with his and she answered by arching into him. He nearly spilled his seed at the contact.

He roamed the length of her body with his one hand, committing the feel of her skin to memory. Though he wanted nothing more to trail kisses all over her body, he did not dare, for he’d most certainly embarrass himself.

His hand found her womanhood and Simon was satisfied at her whimper of pleasure as he inserted one finger into her.

“Saints, you’re so ready, sweetheart.”

With a swift motion, he replaced his finger with his throbbing manhood, probing at her entrance. Sweat formed on his brow. Unable to wait any longer, certain he would expire, Simon plunged into her with a single deep thrust, freezing when a whimper of pain reached his ears.

Simon froze, staring down at Belle in horror. It had been her whimper, her pain—at his intrusion of her body.

Her eyes flickered open, beautiful against her flushed skin.

Still, disbelief held him immobile.

“Why have you stopped?”

Why had he stopped?

Whyhad he stopped?

“Is something amiss?”

Yes, something was terribly amiss. “What the hell have you done?” he snapped.

Her brows drew together in confusion, which only served to further his ire.

“I would have thought it rather obvious,” she said with a dry voice, bringing to mind the first time he’d kissed her. He’d said those exact words to her.

“Damnation! You are a virgin!”

“Was, and should I have been something else?”

He blanched at the sudden suspicion in her tone. “That is not how I meant it.”

Her lips had parted in shock and Simon flinched. “You thought me unchaste.”

“That isnotwhat I meant.” Wasn’t it? Why else had he been so surprised?

“Perhaps not what you meant, but certainly what you believed,” she snapped, struggling beneath him. “Get off of me, this instant!”

Simon glimpsed fury and disappointment flash across her eyes before humiliation finally settled in. His heart sank.

“Belle.”

“Do not ‘Belle’ me.” She pushed at him and this time, he relented, watching wearily as she tugged her nightgown with jerking movements into place.

“The way I see it, Simon, is that you thought my virtue had been disposed of, giving you the perfect opportunity to lay with me guilt free.”

“That is not true,” he growled. “It just it happened so fast. I lost control and…this should have been better for you—”

“That’syourfault.”