He eyed her warily. How much did she know? “Until what happens?”
Her mouth quirked up. “The same thing that would happen when you were inside me.”
He expelled his breath and rubbed both hands roughly through his hair. Jesus Christ. How would he ever explain this?
“Annabelle, you don’t understand. If you keep doing that, I’ll—”
“You’ll expel your seed,” she said, matter-of-factly.
David swallowed. Oh, God. He couldn’t laugh. Not now. Perhaps he should have explained all this before they began. Regardless, there was no going back now. “Yes,” he replied simply. But he wanted to be certain she understood. “In yourmouth.”
“I know,” she replied, just before lowering her lips over him again.
“Holy Christ,” David breathed.
She was already sucking him again, and stroking him, too. Damn. Such. A. Quick. Learner. His bollocks tightened. His jaw locked. God. He hoped she wouldn’t regret this afterward. But when she pulled her wet lips off him and sucked his tip, before stroking down theentirelength of him again, David knew it was too late. He moved one hand to the back of her head and gently grabbed a handful of her luxurious hair.
“Damn it, Annabelle,” he growled, grinding his teeth together as she slid down on him once more. “It’s too good.” He pumped himself into her mouth for the final time, his back arching, a tremendous groan ripped from his chest.
In the aftermath, he laid there, stunned. In his entire life he’d never had a climax grip him so hard. He’d wanted this woman for so long, and now that he’d had her, he only wanted more. And she was going to be his wife.
He waited for his breathing to set back to rights, while Annabelle snuggled against his chest with a grin on her face. He glanced at her twice. She didn’t look appalled. She looked…proud.
He pulled her toward him in the crook of his arm and kissed the top of her head. “That was…amazing.”
“Funny. That is the same word I would use to describe what you did to me,” she agreed. “I hope I wasn’t talking too much.”
He cracked a grin. “Love, when you touch me like that, you can talk as much as you want.”
She pushed herself up on one arm and leaned down to kiss his lips once, hard.
“I’m glad we did that,” she said, already sliding off the bed. “I’ll remember it forever.”
Warning bells sounded in the back of David’s skull as Annabelle pulled on her chemise.
He pushed himself off the bed, pulling the sheet with him to cover his hips. “The next time will be even better,” he said, watching her face carefully.
Her head snapped to face him. “Oh, no. David. This can never happen again, and of course, you mustn’t tell anyone.” She turned to stare at the bed. “Which reminds me. We should probably do something with the sheets, so the maids don’t—”
Dread poured through David’s veins like ice water. “I’ll take care of the sheets, Annabelle.” He couldn’t keep the desperation from his tone. “What do you mean ‘it can’t happen again’? You asked me to make you mine.”
“Yes, and it was…” She sighed and stretched her arms far above her head. “Lovely. But I think you’d agree that if we continue as lovers, it would only end in pain.”
He cocked his head to the side and stared at her as if she didn’t understand what she was saying. “‘Lovers’? ‘End’? I thought you’d changed your mind. I thought you wanted to marry me.”
Annabelle’s mouth snapped shut and horror doused her features. “Oh, no, David.” She shook her head so vigorously her hair flew over her shoulders. “I thought I was clear last night. I’ll never marry.”
“You only wanted me for one night?” he ground out, narrowing his eyes on her. “That’s what you meant when you said, ‘make me yours’?”
Annabelle reached out to cup his cheek, regret etched on her face. “Anything more would be too much of a risk.”
Letting the blasted bedsheet drop to the carpet, David grabbed his breeches from the floor, and pulled them on. Then he stalked over to the sideboard and poured a brandy. He downed nearly half the glass, guzzling it, before turning back to face her. “No, Annabelle. This time it’s not so simple. You’re not leaving here without telling mewhy. Why won’t you allow yourself to try?”
“You’re drinking?” she intoned, staring at the glass in his hand as if it were a poisonous snake.
David was so incensed by her sudden change of attitude he barely registered her words. She was trying to change the subject again and he had no intention of allowing it. He raised his voice. “Whyare you so unwilling to commit to a man? Why are youso afraid of marriage?”
Annabelle’s face turned to stone. Her nostrils flared. “Just because I don’t fall at the feet of the first man who comes courting doesn’t mean I’mafraid.” Her eyes flashed ice-blue fire.
