Read Online The Twelve-Month Marriage Deal by Margaret Mayo - Free Book Online Page B

he have thought? Why wasn’t he angry? Not that she wanted him to be, but his understanding puzzled her and in fact made her feel even worse.
    She lay carefully on the edge of the bed, so far away from him that she was in danger of falling off. The trouble was she was so aware of him that it was sheer hell lying there stiff and silent—and naked! And she felt incredibly guilty for what she had done.
    She could come up with no plausible explanation for the way her body had reacted. It didn’t make sense because, even now, just thinking about him lying only inches away from her sent a flurry of sensation through her most intimate parts. Dare she ask him to try again? Or would it be another disaster? She curled up into thefoetal position, afraid now, afraid that it might happen every time. Afraid that he might lose patience with her and tell her that the deal was off.
    And what would her parents do then? How would the news affect her mother? It didn’t bear thinking about.
    At least Vidal was being understanding—for now! But how long would it last?
    She jumped out of bed, unable to lie there any longer, pulled on the cream silk negligee that she had bought especially for tonight, and walked round to his side of the bed.
    ‘I really am sorry, Vidal, for letting you down.’
    ‘Elena, you don’t need to keep apologising.’ He sat up, his legs over the edge, totally unconcerned by his nakedness.
    Elena knew that she must keep her eyes on his face, but it was difficult when his magnificent bronzed chest with its fine covering of silky, dark hairs simply begged to be touched.
    It wasn’t only his chest that was bare, but every part of him. Only once did her eyes drop lower. She couldn’t stop them. It was a quick glance and back again but it set off a fresh burning desire between her legs and she had to ask herself the question. What had stopped her earlier?
    Amazingly Vidal was still ready for her. It was what he wanted, what she wanted too— in her mind !
    ‘I’ll try not to let it happen again,’ she said softly.
    Vidal closed his eyes. Just what had happened here he wasn’t sure. One moment Elena had been eager to make love, she had felt amazing in his arms, her body soft and willing, her perfume teasing his nostrils. Everything about the moment had been right. And then suddenly she had closed down.
    Was it simply that she had been trying too hard to please him, then when it came to the point of no return she couldn’t go through with it? Was what he was asking of her too enormous?
    He cringed inside. Infierno, what sort of a man was he? He had never forced a woman into anything against her will. It went against every instinct. So why had he felt compelled to take Elena now? Was he crazy or what? Was he going out of his mind—seduced by a pretty face and a lithesome body? What was happening to him? Didn’t he have any ethics left?
    ‘Do not apologise, Elena,’ he said gruffly, looking up into her troubled face. ‘It was my fault. In my arrogance I demanded that you share my bed and my body. I should have given you time to adjust. It was tactless of me.’
    Elena’s pretty eyes widened, her eyelids fluttering delicately, two spots of high colour in her cheeks. ‘I—I didn’t think you’d take it like this. I thought—’
    Vidal put a firm finger over her lips. ‘Time is not of the essence. I can be patient.’ He was actually feeling something akin to guilt here. And he was not used to feeling guilty. He didn’t like the feeling. Nevertheless he was aware that he had caused Elena some distress and this didn’t sit well on his shoulders.
    If only she weren’t so excitingly sexy. She had looked fantastic today and his body hungered and ached for her, so much so that it was like a physical pain. She still looked stunning even without make-up, even with the trace of tears down her face, even without all herwedding finery. Her dress had been a sensation, but he preferred her without it.
    What he really