‘Of course I did. I hurt you.’
Tally could feel herself reddening so hotly that she felt as if she were roasting alive from outside in. ‘I didn’t realise it would be so … er … uncomfortable the first time,’ she mumbled apologetically.
As Sander retreated even further from her he noticeda spot of blood on the white fibres of the robe she layon. ‘The first time? Are you saying that you were a virgin?’
Tally focused on a strong brown and very tense shoulder. ‘Er … yes.’
Sander rolled all the way back from her and sprang off the bed in one defensive movement. ‘So what’s your game?’ he demanded before he disappeared into the bathroom.
‘I beg your pardon?’ Confused, Tally hastily flipped the robe back across her exposed body and sat up, wincing at the tenderness between her thighs. She was totally mortified by the ignominious ending to their intimacy. He had stopped dead, clearly had had no desire to continue and he was angry as well. Having always assumed that men found it a challenge to stop at the eleventh hour, as it were, she was bewildered and inclined to think that she must have turned him right off.
Sander reappeared and scooped up his boxers to pull them on. He sent her a scorching glance of suspicion from stunning dark golden eyes. ‘What are you playing at? You’re a virgin. I didn’t sign up for complications.’
Although she wanted to sink through the mattress, Tally, in her turn was becoming angry at his attitude. ‘What’s
your
problem? Perhaps I should’ve warned you—’
‘Of course you should’ve warned me!’ Sander blasted back at her, his lean dark face grim. ‘If I’d known I would have taken my time and I wouldn’t have hurt you!’
Her cheeks red, Tally tied the sash on her robe and slid off the bed onto nerveless lower limbs. ‘Well, let’s not make a meal of it. I appreciate that you’re surprised but I don’t think there’s any reason for you to be soannoyed with me.’
‘I don’t like surprises. Women usually have an agenda with me …’
Tally pulled a face as she stooped hurriedly to gather up her dress and shoes. ‘Could my agenda be … getting away from you as quickly as possible?’ she prompted dulcetly, fighting her sense of humiliation with all her might.
‘Women don’t usually sacrifice their virginity in a casual encounter.’
‘Well, that’s me told, is it?’ Tally quipped, paling at that description of their intimacy. ‘Sorry if I departed from the norm and spooked you. I didn’t realise that you only dallied with identikit females. What sort of women are you used to? Or is that a rude question?’
Sander could not recall when he had last met a woman who could have equalled Tally Spencer’s innocence. Even when he was a teenager his female companions had been as sophisticated and nonchalant about sex as he was himself. In the world in which he moved everyone was sexually experienced and it had not even crossed his mind, in spite of the shyness he had noticed, that she might be any different.
‘You’re my very first virgin,’ Sander admitted, zipping his jeans, and surveyed her with brooding tension. ‘I’ve heard that the less experienced a woman is, the more she expects from a man.’
‘You heard wrong, where I’m concerned anyway. I may have almost zero experience but I expect nothing from you, least of all a lecture about sacrificing my virginity in a casual encounter!’ Tally traded flatly, tilting her chin, corkscrew curls shimmying back from her flushed cheekbones, enhancing the bright green colour of her eyes.
‘I wouldn’t have chosen to make love to you if I’dknown I would be your first lover. You must’ve had some reason for waiting so long to have sex …’
Tally flinched, determined not to stroke his ego by admitting that it had taken him to fill her with the desire and need to experience that ultimate intimacy. ‘I’m not exactly an old lady. Nor am I as unusual as you think. Not every
Tally could feel herself reddening so hotly that she felt as if she were roasting alive from outside in. ‘I didn’t realise it would be so … er … uncomfortable the first time,’ she mumbled apologetically.
As Sander retreated even further from her he noticeda spot of blood on the white fibres of the robe she layon. ‘The first time? Are you saying that you were a virgin?’
Tally focused on a strong brown and very tense shoulder. ‘Er … yes.’
Sander rolled all the way back from her and sprang off the bed in one defensive movement. ‘So what’s your game?’ he demanded before he disappeared into the bathroom.
‘I beg your pardon?’ Confused, Tally hastily flipped the robe back across her exposed body and sat up, wincing at the tenderness between her thighs. She was totally mortified by the ignominious ending to their intimacy. He had stopped dead, clearly had had no desire to continue and he was angry as well. Having always assumed that men found it a challenge to stop at the eleventh hour, as it were, she was bewildered and inclined to think that she must have turned him right off.
Sander reappeared and scooped up his boxers to pull them on. He sent her a scorching glance of suspicion from stunning dark golden eyes. ‘What are you playing at? You’re a virgin. I didn’t sign up for complications.’
Although she wanted to sink through the mattress, Tally, in her turn was becoming angry at his attitude. ‘What’s
your
problem? Perhaps I should’ve warned you—’
‘Of course you should’ve warned me!’ Sander blasted back at her, his lean dark face grim. ‘If I’d known I would have taken my time and I wouldn’t have hurt you!’
Her cheeks red, Tally tied the sash on her robe and slid off the bed onto nerveless lower limbs. ‘Well, let’s not make a meal of it. I appreciate that you’re surprised but I don’t think there’s any reason for you to be soannoyed with me.’
‘I don’t like surprises. Women usually have an agenda with me …’
Tally pulled a face as she stooped hurriedly to gather up her dress and shoes. ‘Could my agenda be … getting away from you as quickly as possible?’ she prompted dulcetly, fighting her sense of humiliation with all her might.
‘Women don’t usually sacrifice their virginity in a casual encounter.’
‘Well, that’s me told, is it?’ Tally quipped, paling at that description of their intimacy. ‘Sorry if I departed from the norm and spooked you. I didn’t realise that you only dallied with identikit females. What sort of women are you used to? Or is that a rude question?’
Sander could not recall when he had last met a woman who could have equalled Tally Spencer’s innocence. Even when he was a teenager his female companions had been as sophisticated and nonchalant about sex as he was himself. In the world in which he moved everyone was sexually experienced and it had not even crossed his mind, in spite of the shyness he had noticed, that she might be any different.
‘You’re my very first virgin,’ Sander admitted, zipping his jeans, and surveyed her with brooding tension. ‘I’ve heard that the less experienced a woman is, the more she expects from a man.’
‘You heard wrong, where I’m concerned anyway. I may have almost zero experience but I expect nothing from you, least of all a lecture about sacrificing my virginity in a casual encounter!’ Tally traded flatly, tilting her chin, corkscrew curls shimmying back from her flushed cheekbones, enhancing the bright green colour of her eyes.
‘I wouldn’t have chosen to make love to you if I’dknown I would be your first lover. You must’ve had some reason for waiting so long to have sex …’
Tally flinched, determined not to stroke his ego by admitting that it had taken him to fill her with the desire and need to experience that ultimate intimacy. ‘I’m not exactly an old lady. Nor am I as unusual as you think. Not every
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