She nodded and took him in her soft palm—his first contact in so long; he couldn't prevent himself from bucking into her grip.

With her brows drawn, she eased her other hand down to expertly heft and tug his sack. When she thumbed the wet slit of his penis in slow circles, his eyes rolled back in his head. All doubt dispelled, he grated, "That's enough. You're going to see a man spill his seed if you doona stop."

He nearly groaned when she nibbled her lip, clearly contemplating it. "Would that embarrass you?"

"No' at all. In fact, sometime tonight I'll have your eyes on me when I do."

"I think you must be awfully wicked."

"Aye, in bed, there's little I will no' do tae a woman or press her tae do to me."

She ran the back of a smooth nail down his shaft, which jerked up as if seeking her touch. "You're, um, very large."

"But you'll like it, I promise you." When he lowered his body into the cradle of her thighs, he buried his face against her neck. The scent of her hair and the feel of her breasts and nipples against his chest were making him crazed. Their kissing had nearly put him over the edge, and she'd worked him into a lather with her skillful fondling.

He was at that stage where he could scarcely feel anything but the ache in his ballocks, thinking of nothing but driving into flesh until he could relieve the pressure. "Just let me get this out of the way." He hadn't felt this frenzied in memory. "And I'll take you nice and slow later."

Her eyes were heavy-lidded but locked on his as he levered himself up above her, forcing her knees wider open with his own. He positioned his cock at her wet folds, running the tip up and down, his muscles straining as he fought not to shove into her.

Once she was writhing beneath him, he pressed his hips forward until just the swollen head was wedged inside her. The perfect, tight heat that greeted him nearly robbed him of his seed in that instant. "It's so good,lass ," he choked out.

He flexed his hips and thrust inside her fully, the wet glove of her body shocking him, scalding him—as if he'd never had a woman before her. The feel of her arching beneath him, her nipple budding even harder under his kneading palm…he'd never known such pleasure—never.

"Oh, God!" she cried. "This…this…it's too—"

He groaned, "Iknow ." Another exquisite thrust made him shudder violently over her. When he withdrew, her slick flesh squeezed his cock like a fist. He was already on the verge of coming. It had been so damned long…. Once more, he drove inside, needing to bury himself to the hilt. He ground against her, wanting in deeper—

She shoved her palms at his hips. "N-no!"

He shook his head hard and frowned down at her. "What is it? What did I do?"

"You have to stop!"

"Stop?"he bit out incredulously."Give this up?" There was no way he could pull out of the most luscious little body he'd ever had—especially not after being celibate for three years. "You're too hot…too tight."

She was frantically trying to dislodge him. "P-please…you can't imagine…how badly this hurts." A sob broke from her.

He stilled instantly. "Are you…are youcrying ?"

When she didn't answer, just turned her face away, he gritted his teeth and muttered a vile oath. His mind in turmoil, he somehow began to withdraw. Inch by agonizing inch, he strained against the staggering pleasure as her sex seemed determined not to relinquish him.

He had to make his body understand that he wasn't to thrust back in and take the release he wanted so badly. That he was giving up this absolute pleasure—not to get it back.

Too late. As soon as he'd withdrawn he yelled out, uncontrollably beginning to spill against her. His hand shot down to stroke himself to complete release. His forehead rested on her chest, his mouth too close to her hard nipple to resist suckling her as he came. Over and over, he ejaculated across her thigh and against her sex, shuddering and groaning above her.

When he'd finally finished, he lay heavy atop her, catching his breath as he tried to sort out what had just happened. When he'd first entered her, all he'd perceived had been a nearly uncomfortable tightness and burning heat surrounding him, but now he recalled a hesitation, a pressure giving way.

She was—or she had been—a virgin.

Why would she do this? Why give this tohim ?

Even with the unplanned ending, taking her had still been amazing. He felt light-headed, nigh euphoric, like he'd figured being completelysatisfied would feel. By God, hewas satisfied—as if he'd done something he'd always been supposed to and had been rewarded beyond imagining. And the next time would only be better.

He raised himself on his elbows. "Ah, lass, why did you no' tell me." He ran his thumb over her cheek and felt wetness. "Ach, doona cry," he grated, brushing her hair from her forehead. "I dinna know."

Maddy blinked up through tears, watching as his eyes went from expressing heavy-lidded content to something like narrow-eyed suspicion.

At last, he sat up, and she scrambled away from him. The movement made her hiss in a breath at the fresh pain, and her tears began anew. As he fastened himself back into his trousers, she swatted her skirts down. She couldn't stop her shaking, knowing he'd kept going, ignoring her cries. She'd asked him to stop at least three times, and he'd just closed his eyes, acting as though he hadn't heard her, as though he'd gone mindless. If she hadn't shoved at his hips…she shuddered.

"Again, why did you no' tell me?"

She could feel his anger growing. Yes, she should have told him, had been about to, but she'd been distracted by his chest, overwhelmed by her first feel of a man's body. With trembling hands, she pulled her cape to cover her unlaced bodice, then collected her pantalettes and gloves. "I was going to—"

"Did you think to trap me?"

"Trap you? Wh-what are you talking a—"

"'My reasons are my own,' you told me," he interrupted. "Your reasons had something to do with seeing my home."

"No!"

"You picked the wrong man,aingeal ," he sneered. "I could no' care less if you're ruined now."

Couldn't care less? Ruined?

"I will no' be manipulated and deceived, then reward you for it.Nothing could move me to marry you."

Openly crying now, she whispered, "Wasn't trying…"

"Damn it, then why did you capitulate so readily? I was having to work for you to allow akiss , and then suddenly you're surrendering your virtue in the back of a cab? After telling me you're hunting for a rich husband?"

She wiped at her tears, embarrassed by them. "I decided to go through with this specifically because I recognized I am going to be forced to wedsomeone else ."

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I told you I had a proposal. After meeting yet another eligible male who refused to wed, I concluded I would have to accept the offer of marriage I did receive. And before I went and married someone I don't desire, I wanted to discover what making love was like with someone I did want."

"Then it seems that I just enjoyed something that belonged to another man." He gave a bitter laugh. "So you planned to trick your unwitting fiancé into thinking you were still untouched? Cuckolding him even before the ceremony?"

"For the first time in memory, I made a decision to have whatI desired."

"Youadmit to your scheming? I canna believe I thought you were different from every other deceitful female I've met."

"How dare you! I wasn't trying to deceive you. Is it so unbelievable that I simplywanted you?" Hurting, bewildered by what had just occurred, she whispered the truth, "Though how I ever desired you is a mystery now."

"But you did, and what's done is done now. You can never get it back, no matter how ill-considered the giving—or, God help you, the recipient—was." He untied his mask and tossed it to the floor, then sat motionless, only giving her one side of his face. In the shadow, she could see his profile was strong and bold. The beast who'd just taken her was, on the surface, a beautiful man. He didn't say a word to her and wouldn't face her, seeming to wrestle with a decision.