Theo kissed her head. For the past ten minutes or so, they’d lain on the hardwood floor of the house he’d broken into—a house that also belonged to his family, and whose last renters had vacated months prior.
He’d done it—successfully devirginized her, giving her pleasure and not pain. The milestone should give him a boost, teach him spontaneity had worked in his favor—much better than old concerns and old ghosts. But, instead, determination bolted through him, to teach her all the wonders of sex. To have her by his side for as long as fate allowed.
When he’d decided he had to have her, the convenient location of the place popped in his mind, even if he didn’t have the key. And now, with Amaya in his arms, he had the certainty coming here had been the best decision he’d made all day—all week.
“How was your first time, Theo?” she asked, breaking the blissful silence. “Was it special?”
“Hardly,” he said, continuing the up and down motion on her arm. “I was fourteen, and she was seventeen. We went to school together.”
“What was her name?” She propped herself on her elbows, watching him. Curiosity flickered in her eyes.
He frowned. “Why does it matter?”
“It doesn’t. But it’s unfair you’ve been there during my first time, and I know nothing about yours.”
“Nilsa.”
She kissed his shoulder. “Nilsa. Pretty name. Was she pretty?”
“Yes, she was pretty.” Nothing like you, he added inwardly. “Tall and smart.”
The softness from her face disappeared, and she cleared her throat. “Did it go okay? Your first time?”
“Yes. Fast, but good.” What he lacked in experienced he’d made up for in eagerness.
“Then why were you so worried you’d hurt me?”
Theo glanced at her, then fixed his eyes on the ceiling. The post-sex ease faded away. Frustration clogged his throat. Should I tell her? Probably not. He’d be safer if he didn’t—after all, what good could his confidentiality agreement do if he told someone? His lawyer certainly would be against it.
She touched his chin, forcing him to look at her. “Tell me, Theo,” she said in a sweet voice that stole his breath.
He swallowed. “Before you, I was with someone who was a virgin. I didn’t know, and after a date, we made out and ended up drunk in her apartment. When we had sex, I went for it. Eleni was exceptionally tight down there, and started bleeding. Not just because of her hymen, but she had some internal tearing.”
“Oh.”
“I took her to the hospital,” he said, as images from that night flooded his mind, haunting him. He hadn’t wanted to leave her side for one moment, worried something bad might happen to her. The doctors assured him she would be okay, and when they took her away for examining, when that heavy door closed in front of him, he’d slammed the wall. He’d done it to her. He’d hurt her. “She didn’t want to see me anymore.”
“I’m sorry.” She squeezed his shoulder. “You didn’t mean to hurt her, though. And you did the right thing by taking her to a hospital.”
Did she say those things because she truly believed them or because she was paid to be his sex buddy? He rubbed his temples, wishing the tightening in his chest would loosen. What chance did he have to create any relationship—even friendship—with Amaya, when his cynical side would always remember how they’d started?
He pinched the bridge of his nose a tad too aggressively. Why would he be friends with her after their month came to an end? She’d have her life in Nevada, and hell, he’d have enough to do in Greece. Besides, he’d be a married man and he intended on following all the vows from his wedding day. He’d never cheat on Talia. A promise is a promise. His grandfather had taught him the importance of a man’s word from an early age, and he couldn’t dishonor those lessons. Even if they killed him inside.
“Wrecking a woman’s vagina isn’t ever the right thing.”
“She was a virgin, and you didn’t know.” She caressed his hair, wiping some of it from his face. The affectionate gesture sent a wave of warmth through him. “Did you get to apologize?”
“Yes, I did. And she sent me the bill.”
“The hospital bill?”
“I’d have paid for the hospital regardless. But she got a lawyer to get as much money as they could from me, so she wouldn’t go to the press and tell them what happened.”
“Jesus,” she said. “Did the money fix anything?”
No. He kept the short answer to himself, a lump of confusion forming in his throat. He’d never asked himself that question, but if he had… What difference would it have made? Maybe Eleni acted out of spite, or maybe she wanted some financial gain after regretting giving him her virginity. “I hadn’t had sex since then. Not until I met you.”
“Because of what happened?”
