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“It will suffice until aze, eid way she held herself

Seeing his shirt covering her curves did so to his insides His stoht that he possessed her now The chivalrous part of his nature forced him to find a robe, and he held it open for her and watched her relax as the sumptuous velvet settled around her shoulders

When she turned back to face hi “I didn’t mean to put you to so much trouble”

“Trust me It is no trouble at all”

Their eyes met, and the world shifted

Their gazes drifted over each other’s faces like the soft strokes of a caress He wanted her He wanted her now But it was too soon, and he knew nothing of her true intentions A kiss did not mean they should iving it a second thought But he wanted to

“You must think me rather foolish, and a little naive,” she said with a hint of frustration

“How so?”

“Because I—I lack the skills to please you” She waved her hand back and forth between them “Because when it comes to intimacy, I am at a loss what to do”

Did she not know that her smile warmed his heart? That the sound of her voice soothed his soul? He liked that she was honest about her feelings, liked that everything she did was genuine

“My mother died when I was five,” she continued “I’ve never spoken to anyone about … well, about relations between a man and a woman”

The air in his lungs dissipated He wanted to tell her not to worry, that he would guide her, coach her, tutor her in the physical act But he suspected she would be hissoful

“Then coether, and I shall read to you”

The brightest smile lit her face “Read to me? You would do that?”

“Of course If you’re happy to listen to poetry” He gestured to the small leather-bound book on the side table “I’d rather not tackle the cobwebs in the library”