Chapter 22: Piercing eyes
Laughing awkwardly, Patricia said, "What are you talking about? We can do it with one person’s clothes on."
She tried to make light of it, but the way he was looking at her...steady, unblinking, and unreadable made her breath catch. Her heart began to pound, the playful air she had hoped for vanishing beneath the heat rising between them.
He leaned in slightly, voice low and sharp. "Why does it have to be my clothes? It could be yours too, right?"
Her throat tightened. The room suddenly felt smaller, warmer, heavier. Her fingers twitched at her sides as she looked away. He had every legal right to touch her, they were married but that didn’t mean she was ready.
"I am a virgin," she blurted out.
The moment the words escaped, she winced, wishing she could pull them back. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she avoided his eyes. ’Why did I just say that?’ She screamed inwardly. Why give him that kind of power?
He tilted his head, voice softer now, but no less dangerous. "I am your husband. I am allowed to take your first."
Her breath hitched, chest rising against his as their body beaten in sync. Heat flooded through her body, the proximity too much, too fast.
Her whole body went rigid. His presence was suffocating, intoxicating. She didn’t dare meet his eyes. Her fists clenched by her sides, her legs trapped beneath the weight of his body.
"No," she whispered, more firmly this time, struggling to push him back. "Not like this. Please."
He stilled.