Read Online An Introduction to Pleasure by Jess Michaels - Free Book Online
Authors: Jess Michaels
Ads: Link
cock. Virgin’s blood.
With a roar of frustration and guilt, he flung himself away from her. He was on fire with desire, and it took everything in him to back three steps away. Despite what he now knew, he still wanted her. To finish what they’d started.
But he couldn’t.
For a long moment, they simply stared at each other. Lysandra was blinking, clearly trying to control her tears. And Andrew was too upset to formulate words in that moment.
“Wh-why did you stop?” she finally asked, her voice twisted with emotion.
“Are you truly asking me that ridiculous question?” he snapped. She flinched, and he shook his head. “Virgin’s blood, Lysandra? Virgin’s pain?”
She squeezed her eyes shut, but not before he saw a pain far deeper than her virgin’s pain. Slowly, she reached behind her, her hand sliding along the bed until she found a pillow. She covered her nakedness with it and shook her head.
“Of course not. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Andrew took a step closer and lifted a trembling finger. “Don’t you lie to me, Lysandra. Whatever else you do, don’t lie.”
She struggled for a long moment, but then finally shrugged. “Very well. I won’t lie.”
He stared at her. “You are… were an innocent! How could you keep that from me? How could Vivien?”
She jerked her gaze to his. “Vivien didn’t know. I think she assumed I must have some experience when I showed up and asked her to find a protector for me. After all, what kind of virgin would be so bold? I didn’t correct that misconception, just as I didn’t correct yours.”
He ran a hand over his face. He could think of no words to express how angry and guilty he felt. Two emotions he didn’t want to associate with this kind of pleasurable endeavor. He had enough of both in his everyday life.
“God damn it, Lysandra!” he finally burst out.
She drew in a few long breaths to calm herself and then looked him in the face. He could see what a struggle it was for her to do so and how much she wanted to look away. But she remained calm and collected.
“Rail at me all you like, but now that the truth is out, I still need this training. Perhaps even more than ever. Will you not give it to me?” she asked, her voice as steady as her stare.
He blinked. “You cannot seriously expect me to carry on with you now that I know you are an innocent.”
She tilted her head. “As you said a moment ago, I was an innocent. I may not know much, but I am perfectly aware that I cannot give twice what you just took. So the problem of my virginity, as you seem to see it, is now gone. How is this any different than when you believed I had already been used and discarded?”
“It is different,” he insisted, but he could hardly think of any reasons why.
The woman was intelligent, he had to give her that. She could argue a good case. Not that he wasn’t biased. Even now, he still wanted to bury himself inside of her and finish what they started. Deflowering of virgins be damned.
“Why?”
He gripped his hands at his sides. “You are not some woman of the streets. You were clearly gently bred and educated. A woman like that, with nothing to mar her character, shouldn’t turn to a life of a mistress. There are other options.”
Her lips thinned and he saw a flash of both sadness and unexpected anger in her stare.
Her voice was faraway when she said, “No. This is the only way for me.”
“That cannot be true,” he insisted with a sigh. “There are other ways.”
She glared at him and her chin lifted stubbornly. “And what would you know about it, my lord ? You have lived a life of privilege since the day you first drew breath. You have never seen your family’s money vanish, you’ve never been forced to become a servant in someone’s home only to have them want more from you…demand more.”
She flinched and the words of rebuttal on Andrew’s lips evaporated. He stared at her.
“That is what happened to
With a roar of frustration and guilt, he flung himself away from her. He was on fire with desire, and it took everything in him to back three steps away. Despite what he now knew, he still wanted her. To finish what they’d started.
But he couldn’t.
For a long moment, they simply stared at each other. Lysandra was blinking, clearly trying to control her tears. And Andrew was too upset to formulate words in that moment.
“Wh-why did you stop?” she finally asked, her voice twisted with emotion.
“Are you truly asking me that ridiculous question?” he snapped. She flinched, and he shook his head. “Virgin’s blood, Lysandra? Virgin’s pain?”
She squeezed her eyes shut, but not before he saw a pain far deeper than her virgin’s pain. Slowly, she reached behind her, her hand sliding along the bed until she found a pillow. She covered her nakedness with it and shook her head.
“Of course not. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Andrew took a step closer and lifted a trembling finger. “Don’t you lie to me, Lysandra. Whatever else you do, don’t lie.”
She struggled for a long moment, but then finally shrugged. “Very well. I won’t lie.”
He stared at her. “You are… were an innocent! How could you keep that from me? How could Vivien?”
She jerked her gaze to his. “Vivien didn’t know. I think she assumed I must have some experience when I showed up and asked her to find a protector for me. After all, what kind of virgin would be so bold? I didn’t correct that misconception, just as I didn’t correct yours.”
He ran a hand over his face. He could think of no words to express how angry and guilty he felt. Two emotions he didn’t want to associate with this kind of pleasurable endeavor. He had enough of both in his everyday life.
“God damn it, Lysandra!” he finally burst out.
She drew in a few long breaths to calm herself and then looked him in the face. He could see what a struggle it was for her to do so and how much she wanted to look away. But she remained calm and collected.
“Rail at me all you like, but now that the truth is out, I still need this training. Perhaps even more than ever. Will you not give it to me?” she asked, her voice as steady as her stare.
He blinked. “You cannot seriously expect me to carry on with you now that I know you are an innocent.”
She tilted her head. “As you said a moment ago, I was an innocent. I may not know much, but I am perfectly aware that I cannot give twice what you just took. So the problem of my virginity, as you seem to see it, is now gone. How is this any different than when you believed I had already been used and discarded?”
“It is different,” he insisted, but he could hardly think of any reasons why.
The woman was intelligent, he had to give her that. She could argue a good case. Not that he wasn’t biased. Even now, he still wanted to bury himself inside of her and finish what they started. Deflowering of virgins be damned.
“Why?”
He gripped his hands at his sides. “You are not some woman of the streets. You were clearly gently bred and educated. A woman like that, with nothing to mar her character, shouldn’t turn to a life of a mistress. There are other options.”
Her lips thinned and he saw a flash of both sadness and unexpected anger in her stare.
Her voice was faraway when she said, “No. This is the only way for me.”
“That cannot be true,” he insisted with a sigh. “There are other ways.”
She glared at him and her chin lifted stubbornly. “And what would you know about it, my lord ? You have lived a life of privilege since the day you first drew breath. You have never seen your family’s money vanish, you’ve never been forced to become a servant in someone’s home only to have them want more from you…demand more.”
She flinched and the words of rebuttal on Andrew’s lips evaporated. He stared at her.
“That is what happened to
Similar Books
