Serena took a step back. It had felt beyond good, and she couldn’t imagine anything better. However, she knew he hadn’t experienced the same pleasure. While she had panted and gasped, he’d remained relatively calm. With her cheeks warming, it dawned on her what they’d done wasn’t what a man normally paid for and enjoyed. At twenty years of age, she knew enough to understand he wanted to do things with his male part, which had felt hard as granite against her.
But that particular act could hardly be classified as merelya little more.
She shook her head, thinking it best to stop talking about any of this.
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” he vowed, “by anything I’ve said.” Then he retrieved his jacket and shrugged into it. “But you’ve done something with a man before, haven’t you? You weren’t an innocent.”
He seemed to know about the few kisses she’d given and received during her first Season. He spoke as if he were certain of her bad behavior, and she turned, reaching for the door handle.
“I won’t let you go, Mademoiselle Renault.”
“I beg your pardon?”Had he formed a firm attachment to her?Despite how little time they’d known each other, she wasn’t opposed to the idea. Quite the opposite since she liked everything about him.
Nonetheless, his previous confession of being a rake seemed at odds with being ready to declare himself after a few minutes upon his bed.
“Out that door alone, I mean,” Malcolm clarified. “I insist on escorting you back to your grandparents’ home. And I’ll brook no argument.”
“I see.” Feeling a little shaken by all that had occurred, she hadn’t thought to argue anyway.
Turning, she had her fingers on the door handle when he said, “Wait.”
She imagined he would proffer a tender kiss while they were still alone. Perhaps he still might say something comforting about a future together.
“Your gloves,” he said, holding them out to her. “I imagine going home without them might raise questions.”
With a sense of disappointment, she snatched them and began to tug them on.
“I confess when you removed them, it was one of the most inviting, alluring things I’ve ever seen.”
Narrowing her eyes, she stared at him.Was he making fun of her?Surely, a man who’d done what they had done, and more, whatever that more was, couldn’t have found her removal of gloves to be anything interesting.
Yet what did she know of the world?If she hadn’t taken them off,invitinghim, as he claimed, maybe he wouldn’t have kissed her or tumbled her upon his bed.
If only she had someone she could talk to about such unknown issues.
“Ready?” he asked, matter-of-factly.
With a curt nod, she preceded him from the garret. A few minutes had changed her, yet she wasn’t at all sure she knew precisely how.
When he went to take her arm as they turned the corner toward the Place des Victoires, she yanked it away and put another foot between them.
“Is something amiss?” he asked.
“Not at all,” she said, wishing her tone wasn’t brittle, but she felt rather fragile and couldn’t wait to be alone in her room. It seemed the perfect time for a good cry.
