“You don’t fit. We shouldn’t have been married.” Sniffling, she pushed his hand away and swiped the wetness from her cheeks. “Just leave me alone.”
“Kendra—”
“Leave me alone.”
She lay rigid as a sugar stick while he rose and drew a dressing gown from the wardrobe, tying it at his waist with a jerky motion born of frustration. Without saying another word, he left the room.
Still shaking, she sat up and threw off the coverlet, staring between her spread legs. Dear heavens, she was bleeding.
Did any women actuallyliketo do this?
No wonder her brothers had married her off without telling her what would happen. She’d have run in the other direction as fast as her legs would carry her—and well they knew it.
Trembling, she made her way to the washbasin and cleaned up, then climbed back into the bed and lay waiting. There was nothing else she could do. For better or worse, she was wed to Trick Caldwell.
It certainly couldn’t get worse.
It wasn’t long before he came back into the room and stood over her. His golden hair gleamed in the firelight. A muscle twitched in his clenched jaw.
Her own jaw set in response. “I told you to leave me alone.”
“You’re my wife.”
She flinched under his steadfast gaze; then her spine stiffened. “I’m bleeding, Trick. You hurt me. For heaven’s sake, you cannot expect me to do that again.”
He stared at her, incredulous. “Hurt you?” he repeated slowly. “I know some women feel pain the first time, but—”
He broke off, looking to the ceiling—for patience, she supposed.
“Sweet Mary, I’ve never seen a woman so responsive, until—”
“That’s because I didn’t know what it was leading to,” she muttered miserably. “Didn’t you hear what I told you? I’m bleeding.”
He dropped onto the mattress. “Did you come to this marriage a complete innocent? Did your brothers not tell you anything? Anything at all?”
“My brothers always stuttered when I brought up anything of the sort. I believe they each think one of the others took care of this matter.”
He shook his head, clearly sympathizing with her brothers’ predicament. But his voice gentled. “Do you know nothing of mating, then, my virgin bride?”
“Of course I know something! I’ve lived in the countryside most of my life. I’ve seen animals in the fields—” Quite suddenly, she sat up. “Why didn’t you go from behind? The animals never seem to feel pain—”
“From behind?” In a complete reversal of mood, Trick collapsed into a heap on the bed and laughed until tears leaked from his eyes. “It’s possible, and I suppose we’ll get around to trying it eventually, but I don’t think—” Pushing himself up, he put a hand on her arm. “Look, it’s sorry I am that you weren’t prepared, and even more sorry I didn’t take our…courtship…more slowly. I knew I should have, or I would never have offered to wait, never mind that I didn’t really want to. But it won’t hurt the next time, I promise.”
She jerked her arm away, trembling all over again. “You’re right. Because there won’t be a next time.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “You think not?”
As she watched it flop back into place, she licked her lips. “Iknownot, Trick. I mean it. I won’t let you.”
He stared at her for a good long while; she was sure he could hear her heart pounding in the stillness. Then his gaze lit with determination.
He took a deep breath and blew it out before leaning close.
“You’ll let me, lass.” One of his fingers trailed, achingly slow, from her forehead along the bridge of her nose, past her lips, her chin, her neck, and all the way between her breasts, dragging the covers down as he went. He tossed the hair from his eyes and captured her gaze with his, his finger trailing lower, dipping into her navel and stopping there, pressing lightly.
“You won’t only let me,” he said, his voice low, his accent so thick she had to strain to catch the words, “you’ll beg me.”
He paused for so long, so still, that Kendra wondered if he’d ceased breathing. Then he drew away and turned over, leaving her staring at his back and quivering from head to toe.
