little scared, and yet she'd cried when I hadn't returned earlier and had taken care of me when I was near death's door. She was a conundrum. How could I make her feel at ease? I wouldn't hurt her for anything; surely she knew that by now. She seemed so skittish around me. Was it something more than fear?
Perhaps she wasn't afraid. Maybe she just didn't know how to act around me. She had, after all, been a virgin. I didn't have skill with inexperienced women, but somehow I had to make her at ease.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Darcy."
"I know," she whispered.
"Then relax."
"It's not that easy."
39
My hand massaged her hip, and I felt her tense even more. I felt like growling in frustration, but I refrained—
barely. I let my fingers trail up her hip to her stomach, and I pulled her back tight against me. I needed her, but I wanted her to be ready for me. I wanted her to enjoy it as much as I would. I knew if I could just get her to relax that I could make it pleasurable for her.
She was still tense, and I ground my teeth together. This wasn't going to work. One way or another, I'd have to manage at the harems. It was obvious that she wasn't ready for me, and I needed her tonight. She might have taken care of me this morning, but that had been a life or death situation, something that was going to benefit both of us. This was, apparently, different.
I let her go and shoved the covers aside. I wanted to give her time, to take things slow with her, but now wasn't the right moment. I wasn't able to control myself at the moment and if I stayed, I was afraid I'd end up hurting her.
She jumped and looked over at me. "You're leaving?"
"This isn't going to work. You're still too skittish, and I'm not going to force you."
She bit her lip. "You're going to the harems?"
I nodded. "It's that or... I'm still not at full strength, Darcy.
By morning, I'll be sick again. By tomorrow night, I could be dead."
She paled at my words, and I was sorry if I scared her, but what I'd said was the truth. She needed to hear it, needed to understand that I wasn't being cruel. I was just doing what I had to in order to survive.
40
"I don't want you to go," she said softly.
"I think it's for the best."
"Please, Rheul. Please don't leave me."
"Darcy, you aren't ready."
She sat up, letting the sheet fall to her waist. I sucked in a breath, mesmerized by the sight of her. She was playing with fire at the moment and she didn't even realize it.
"I know why you claimed me as your slave. I'm not here to be a decoration. If you need me, then stay. Don't go to the harems."
I paused. Why was she doing this? It was obvious that she was reluctant to be with me. I was giving her an out, a reprieve, so why wasn't she taking it?
"Are you sure?"
She swallowed hard. "I'm sure."
Slowly, I reached out and pulled the sheet away from her body, completely exposing her. I climbed onto the bed, leaning over her until she lay beneath me. Her heart was beating so hard I could see it pounding inside her chest. I didn't want to scare her and hoped I could ease her fears.
I leaned down and kissed her, gently capturing her mouth with mine, stroking her petal-soft lips with my tongue. I pressed myself closer to her until we were lying hip to hip, and at first she stiffened, but gradually she began to relax.
When her mouth opened under mine, I knew I'd won my first battle. But getting her to kiss me was a small thing. Still, I would take any victory I could manage at this point.
Darcy lifted her hands and hesitantly settled them on my shoulders. Just that small touch, that small amount of trust, 41
humbled me. I softened toward her even more. Rolling onto my side, I gathered her close, wrapping my arms around her.
Our first two times together had been hasty, a mere necessity instead of pleasure because of my precarious situation, but this time would be different. I wanted it to be special for her.
Her first time had been less than ideal, and I wanted to
Perhaps she wasn't afraid. Maybe she just didn't know how to act around me. She had, after all, been a virgin. I didn't have skill with inexperienced women, but somehow I had to make her at ease.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Darcy."
"I know," she whispered.
"Then relax."
"It's not that easy."
39
My hand massaged her hip, and I felt her tense even more. I felt like growling in frustration, but I refrained—
barely. I let my fingers trail up her hip to her stomach, and I pulled her back tight against me. I needed her, but I wanted her to be ready for me. I wanted her to enjoy it as much as I would. I knew if I could just get her to relax that I could make it pleasurable for her.
She was still tense, and I ground my teeth together. This wasn't going to work. One way or another, I'd have to manage at the harems. It was obvious that she wasn't ready for me, and I needed her tonight. She might have taken care of me this morning, but that had been a life or death situation, something that was going to benefit both of us. This was, apparently, different.
I let her go and shoved the covers aside. I wanted to give her time, to take things slow with her, but now wasn't the right moment. I wasn't able to control myself at the moment and if I stayed, I was afraid I'd end up hurting her.
She jumped and looked over at me. "You're leaving?"
"This isn't going to work. You're still too skittish, and I'm not going to force you."
She bit her lip. "You're going to the harems?"
I nodded. "It's that or... I'm still not at full strength, Darcy.
By morning, I'll be sick again. By tomorrow night, I could be dead."
She paled at my words, and I was sorry if I scared her, but what I'd said was the truth. She needed to hear it, needed to understand that I wasn't being cruel. I was just doing what I had to in order to survive.
40
"I don't want you to go," she said softly.
"I think it's for the best."
"Please, Rheul. Please don't leave me."
"Darcy, you aren't ready."
She sat up, letting the sheet fall to her waist. I sucked in a breath, mesmerized by the sight of her. She was playing with fire at the moment and she didn't even realize it.
"I know why you claimed me as your slave. I'm not here to be a decoration. If you need me, then stay. Don't go to the harems."
I paused. Why was she doing this? It was obvious that she was reluctant to be with me. I was giving her an out, a reprieve, so why wasn't she taking it?
"Are you sure?"
She swallowed hard. "I'm sure."
Slowly, I reached out and pulled the sheet away from her body, completely exposing her. I climbed onto the bed, leaning over her until she lay beneath me. Her heart was beating so hard I could see it pounding inside her chest. I didn't want to scare her and hoped I could ease her fears.
I leaned down and kissed her, gently capturing her mouth with mine, stroking her petal-soft lips with my tongue. I pressed myself closer to her until we were lying hip to hip, and at first she stiffened, but gradually she began to relax.
When her mouth opened under mine, I knew I'd won my first battle. But getting her to kiss me was a small thing. Still, I would take any victory I could manage at this point.
Darcy lifted her hands and hesitantly settled them on my shoulders. Just that small touch, that small amount of trust, 41
humbled me. I softened toward her even more. Rolling onto my side, I gathered her close, wrapping my arms around her.
Our first two times together had been hasty, a mere necessity instead of pleasure because of my precarious situation, but this time would be different. I wanted it to be special for her.
Her first time had been less than ideal, and I wanted to
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