“Why do you keep saying that? You’re an intelligent man and worthy of any woman. Birth plays no part in that.”
Her cheeks were flushed and her lips pink. He knew what her body felt like now, and that had been a mistake.
“This is not about me, it’s about you.” He hadn’t meant to growl the words, but they came out that way.
“And I have no say in this? No dictate as to who I want to spend my life with?”
“Y-you don’t want to spend your life with me. I am not—”
“If you say you are not good enough for me, Daniel, I will be extremely angry.” She was removing her shawl now. “Yes, my brother is an earl, but that makes him no better than you—”
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“Taking off my shawl and then unbuttoning my dress.”
“No! Dear Christ.” Her fingers were forcing buttons through holes, and he could see the pale skin of her chest beneath. She didn’t stop until the last button was open, then stood there looking at him with the fine lawn of her chemise exposed.
“What do you want from me?” He moved closer even as he called himself every kind of fool. His eyes devoured what she’d uncovered and could see the frantic rise and fall of her chest. She was nervous, and yet still she had done this because she wanted him as he did her.
“Abby,” he cupped her cheeks, “surely you see this would change everything.” He kissed her softly, just a brush of his lips over hers.
“D-don’t you want this, Daniel?” The thought had her stepping back this time, her hands going to the buttons.
“You are not seriously asking me that?” He followed, sliding a hand around her waist, he pressed her to his hard body. “Feel what you do to me. I’ve never wanted a woman more.”
He took her lips in a slow kiss, teasing, urging her mouth open, and then he plundered. Yes, she was innocent, and yes, he had to find the strength to not take this too far, and yet he could no longer deny that he wanted her more than his next breath.
Daniel lost all reason, and simply felt.
“Oh, I’ve never felt this way,” she sighed as his lips kissed above the bodice of her chemise. He found the satin ribbon and tugged it open, exposing the swell of her breasts.
“You’re beautiful.” His eyes traced the pale skin. Unable to stop, he lowered his head and licked a slope. The breath caught in her throat as he circled a nipple.
Sliding her skirts higher, he moved closer, brushing the soft curls that hid her secrets.
“Sssh,” he whispered as she tensed. “Let me make you feel better, Abby.”
He touched her, stroking his fingers over the soft, damp folds between her thighs.
“Oh, Daniel.” The breath caught as he touched the hard little nubbin, stroking it as he kissed her breasts. He knew what she was feeling, and when she was close to her climax, only then did he ease a finger inside her. She shuddered beneath his hands. He caught her cries with his kiss until the last shudder shook her body.
She slumped against him, his arms holding her up.
“Th-that was quite wonderful.”
“Yes, it was.” He kissed the top of her head and tried not to focus on the pain he was in. “And now you must go to bed.”
Her hand went between them to touch the front of his breeches. He gripped her wrist, walking her back and away from his body.
“Go to bed, Abby.”
She advanced on him. “I know about such things, Daniel. Dimity has told me. You had no release as I did.”
“You should not know of such things.” His voice sounded gruff. Looking right, he saw an escape, but she touched him again. “Christ, you have to stop, Abby.”
She moved closer, running her hands over him. It wasn’t experienced, it could even be termed clumsy, but was so erotic he feared he’d disgrace himself.
“I want to be with you, Daniel.”
“No, you can’t—”
“I can.” She fumbled with the opening of his breeches, unfamiliar with the fastenings. His entire body shuddered when she managed to release them and cupped his hard flesh.
“There is no way back from here, Abby.” He took her lips in a savage kiss.
“I don’t want to go back.”
He took her down onto the pile of straw in a tangle of limbs, and then her skirts were up and he was there.
“Stop me,” he begged.
Her answer was to open her legs and arch toward him. He could feel her, the dampness, the lure, and the last thread of his restraint snapped.
“So be it.” He eased inside her slowly. He was no animal to take an innocent with one thrust, but he wanted to… dear God, did he want to. Instead, he made the journey excruciatingly slow, until he’d breached her innocence and was buried deep inside her.
“Abby.” He kissed her soft lips. “Are you all right?”
“I—ah, it stings.”
“I know, sweetheart. Stay still now.” He tried to think of something, anything to stop the rush of need to take her. His body pulsed with desire.
“It eases.” Her lips touched his again.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You couldn’t.”
He kept his movements slow, but the feel of her, Abby, in his arms, him buried inside her… his restraint would only last so long. He thrust in and out, and the exquisite slide of his flesh as her muscles took him inside her had him gritting his teeth. He felt her body respond, felt the tension again. Stroking her breast, he thrust again and swallowed her cries as he too found his release.
Slumping into the hay beside her, Daniel pulled her close.
“Abby, are you all right?”
“Oh, yes, I have never felt so wonderful.”
“I should hope not.” Daniel stroked her hair. “You know this changes everything, don’t you?”
She braced herself above him so they could look at each other.
“Are you happy about that, Daniel?”
He hesitated, and she was out of his arms and on
