Hehadhurt her. Ballocks.
“I’m sorry.”
“That is the second time you’ve said so.”
She sounded cross.
“Addy,” he tried, not knowing what to say or how to ameliorate the damage of what he had just done.
The edicts of his father had made an indelible mark upon him. He had taken great care to avoid scandal at all costs. Deflowering a hoyden American heiress in his own bed was the decided opposite of that.
“What are you sorry for?” she asked sharply.
“For hurting you. For behaving dishonorably. For taking unacceptable liberties. For…everything.”
“Everything?”
Her voice was as taut as a wire pulled to its tightest, just before breaking.
He was making a mess of this.
“Yes. I never intended for this to happen between us.” But the moment she had appeared at his door, a sensual goddess he could not resist, it had been inevitable.
“And you regret it.”
“Of course I do.” Because it was wrong, what he had done. A gentleman should never take a lady’s innocence. Not without the sanctity of marriage.
“Lowering yourself to touching a dreadful Yankee is undoubtedly distasteful,” she said, sitting up.
Christ.
He sat up as well.
“My regret has nothing to do with the fact that you are an American,” he denied, placing a gentle hand on her arm. “Let me attend you.”
“Attend me? I should think you’ve already done enough of that.” There was a smirk on her lips, but Addy didn’t fool him. He knew her well enough to see the cracks in her façade. Her bravado was a mask she wore to fool the world.
He kissed her firmly but gently, then cupped her cheek, holding her gaze. “Don’t move.”
Although he was reasonably certain all the bones in his body had melted in the wake of the intense passion they’d just shared, he rose from the bed and crossed the room, seeking the wash basin. He felt her stare on his naked arse all the while, and he wondered what she was thinking as he wetted a cloth and wrung it out. He was more than aware that the finer sex found him attractive. He reveled in the outdoors, in tending things on the estate, in rowing and riding. His body was well honed and muscular, and the women in his bed had never found fault with it.
But still, this was Addy, and she was different.
He couldn’t describe how. It was simply so.
Lion turned back to find her sitting where he had left her, countenance inscrutable. At least she had obeyed him, but he wasn’t fool enough to comment upon it, lest she dash from his bedroom entirely nude just to be contrary.
He moved back to the bed.
She stiffened. “What are you doing?”
“Tending to you.”
Her chin went up. “I am adept at tending to myself.”
He heard the pride in her voice. Stubborn wench.
Lion met her gaze. “I do not doubt it. But in this instance, I hope you will allow me to clean the mess I’ve made.”
