Part 23 (2/2)
He smiled and drew her close. ”I'd love to kiss you.”
Her satin dress was cool against his warm skin as he drew her into his arms and lowered his face to hers. Lace and seed pearls pressed against his aroused flesh. He recalled the ludicrous admission when she'd told him he'd be the first. Annie was as pure and innocent as a newborn babe, but a banked fire glowed deep inside, waiting for fuel and air.
Perhaps it was to his benefit that she'd never been coached in the ways of ”womanhood”-that her mother had never expected her to become a wife, because she hadn't been instilled with the foolish ideas of what was ladylike and what wasn't. She'd been thoroughly engrossed by his body and her indulgence aroused him beyond belief. He'd learned already just how sensuous and eager and warm-blooded his new wife could be.
It was his job to show her the beauty and purity of their love. She stroked his bare shoulders, her fingers trembling on his skin, skimming down his arms, kneading his neck. She had no idea of the fire she fueled in him.
Against his lips she parted hers and he sensed her waiting breathlessly for the play of his tongue. He teased her by darting it against her lip.
She made a soft cry in the back of her throat.
This time he drew a line across her lower lip.
Annie held his head still and raised on tiptoe.
”You do it, Annie,” he whispered.
She hesitated only a brief moment, then swept her tongue into his mouth, against his teeth, tasting him, drawing him deeper into the kiss.
Her erotic kisses and the glide of her hands over his chest had him aching and burning with want.
She separated their lips by a fraction of an inch to speak. ”Can we do it all now?”
His head was a little numb and he had to rethink to make sure he'd heard right. ”All?”
”Take off my dress. And the part that comes after that.”
”Make love, Annie? You want to make love now?”
She nodded.
As if he would say no? But he wanted her rea.s.sured. ”There's something you should know,” he said.
”What's that?”
”I am yours Annie. My heart.” He placed her hand over his chest and her fingers curled deliciously. ”My body.” He made out her pulse beating rapidly at the base of her throat. ”My body is yours. For your pleasure. If you can understand that, then you won't have to be afraid.”
”I'm not afraid.” Her quavering voice belied those words.
”Has anyone ever told you-that-that it hurts the first time?”
She shook her head. ”No.”
”It's normal,” he offered, hoping to rea.s.sure her.
Her body trembled in his arms. ”Okay.”
”Are you cold?”
”No.”
”Then you are afraid.”
”Not of you, Luke.”
”What are you afraid of?”
She lowered her gaze, encountered his chest, and turned to the window, the picture of innocent beauty in her pristine gown and veil.
He imagined all the things she might fear. ”You're not afraid I will hurt you?”
”No.”
”You're not afraid to have a baby?”
She blinked. ”No.”
”Tell me, Annie. You can tell me.”
Her cheeks bloomed with bright color. She lowered her eyes to the floor. ”It's me,” she whispered. ”I'm not...perfect.”
That word stunned him. As well as the fact that she doubted her perfection. ”Is this about your leg? Your hip?”
Tears gathered on her lowered lashes.
”It doesn't look the way you'd like it to?”
”No. It doesn't look the way it should.”
He raised her face with his knuckle under her chin, forcing her to look at him. ”You think I care about perfection? You think after what we've shared and the way I've always treated you that a small thing like outward appearance makes one d.a.m.n bit of difference to me? You hurt me if that's what you think.”
Tears spilled over and ran down her pale cheeks. ”I think you're the kindest, most loving person I've ever known.”
”Then you know I don't care about a physical difference. I love you. You.”
With a sob, she hugged him around the waist and clung.
Luke rubbed her back until she calmed, then pulled away. ”I'll help you with your dress and then I'll bring fresh water for you to wash if you'd like.”
”Here?”
”No. In the other room. In private.”
She nodded and he led her toward the bedroom. She stepped in ahead of him.
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