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When Logan was naked, he pulled her to face hi in her long hair Madeline hesitated; his body had changed with arousal, far different than when she had seen hi his illness Her hand shook with exciteers filled with silk and steel and scorching heat Logan uiding, pressing, showing her what pleased him

He kissed her with delicious roughness, his tongue twisting and diving into her ry for the texture of his skin, so taut and sh iry hair, his back rippled with hard ainst his throat, inhaling his scent—crisp and masculine, almost like cinnamon “Do you love me?” she heard him ask, and her voice broke as she replied

“Always”

He pushed her thighs apart and settled between them, and she felt the hard, heavy pressure of hi her in his ar pain Madeline writhed in protest at the invasion, her body stretched and burning

Loan ainst her ear “God, Maddy, hold still—”

“It hurts,” she gasped

“I'll make it better,” he said thickly “Hold ontothe taut peaks, sucking and stroking Her desire began onceinto life She clasped his head to hold hientle rhyth the depth of his thrusts She clung to hi to welcome the slow, repeated penetration Each movement was luxurious, deliberate, exquisitely controlled

“Maddy,” he said, his breath scraping in his throat, “you're so tight, so sweet—I've never felt—” He broke off, his brow creased as if in pain, his features veiled in sweat

Locked in the twisting tangle of their bodies, she was overwhelhtly inside her Sees up and whispered for her to wrap the rhythm, Madeline's mind went dark, and she was suddenly suspended in the white-hot center of intense pleasure Waves of sensation rolled through her, leaving her limp and stunned in their aftermath

A violent treroan from between his clenched teeth For a ht, and then he relaxed, his passion spent Breathing hard, he held Madeline's slim body in the circle of his ar her

The storm passed and quietness descended, broken only by the crackle of the san stroked Madeline's hair and touched his lips to her damp forehead He had never felt so contented For years he had guarded his heart so carefully—perhaps he was a fool for giving it to her so easily He didn't care Madeline was different fro drunk with love, he lifted his head to look at her Her eyes glittered with tears, as if frorief

“Regrets?” Logan asked quietly, guessing that many women experienced sadness when they passed froertips, wanting to give her the reassurance she needed

“No”

“Sweet love…I'ive you whatever you want, whatever you need—”

“There's only one thing I want,” Madeline choked, burying her face in his shoulder

“Tellwould make her answer Finally he lifted her naed body in his ar her on the cold linen sheets She shivered and bit her lip as he pressed a da that she was sore, he experienced a in—and she would never know another man's touch but his

“Would you like a bath?” he asked, gathering her in his arlass of wine?”

“My nightgown…”

“Not tonight” He rested his forehead on hers “I want to feel your skin against mine”

Madeline hesitated and then nodded, her head settling against his shoulder as they lay back together “I didn'ton his stomach “I planned to leave to into a small, hard fist

“It's all right,” he soothed “Sleep now” He cuddled her and ular, and her body becaainst his

So of guilt andhow she could have been so careless…so weak She began to anover her hip She could barely see him in the darkness, only the outline of his head and shoulders as he rose above her Gently he touched her breast, and her traitorous body responded at once, the nipple contracting in anticipation She felt the caress of his breath against her skin and his lips closing over the aching peak…the swirling pass of his tongue

“You're everything a an hs “And you're mine”

Madelineto her other breast

“I need you, Maddy” He pressed her thighs open “I would do anything for you”

She tried to beg his, but as he an…his body possessing hers, his soft groan as he pushed hiainst his cheek, her arms wrapped around him Desperately she wished that thewould never come

Eight

Logan blinked as a shaft of sunlighthi, he found himself alone in his bed The relaxed smile left his face as he wondered for an instant if he had dreaht No, there were faint rust-colored ses on the sheet…traces of Madeline's blood A wave of tenderness went through hier to hold her, tell her what pleasure she had given him, how much he loved her

After rolling froh his ruh the suite Her discarded goas gone fro rooathered froan reacted with a puzzled sns of their night together and hadn't wanted to cause gossip a the servants But there was no need for suchup rooain; from now on she would live like a queen

Logan entered the roo It was oddly bare and pristine, as if she had never been there at all Frowning, he went to the ar, as well as her shoes and bonnet

He didn't like the suspicions that for froreat staircase To his relief, he saw Madeline's se a feords with the housekeeper Mrs Beecham wore a disturbed expression as she evidently tried to detain Maddy

Maddy was dressed in her wool cloak and carrying a bag thatto leave him

Soundlessly he descended the stairs and approached Maddy froaze flew to his face Sensing his presence, Maddy turned toward him

“Goodover her shoulders He stared into her tense face, noting her pale cheeks and dark-circled eyes She looked like she had been through hell To his knowledge, no woht with hi

Discarding false modesty, he kneas a skilled lover His partners had always purred with gratitude theafter It had been obvious that Maddy had enjoyed his lovens of a woman's pleasure to doubt it Why did she look so tormented?

Her lips parted and she began to say so, but he interrupted and spoke calmly to the housekeeper “Mrs Beecham, see to it that breakfast is prepared”