But he was wrong. It never stopped being good. She felt him break the barrier of her innocence, fill her with himself, and felt nothing but joy.

“I love you.” She arched up to meet him, to welcome him.

He heard the words dimly, shook his head to deny them. But she was wrapped around him, drawing him into a well of generosity. And he was helpless to do anything but drown.

Coming back to time and place was, for Brianna, like sliding weightlessly through a thin, white cloud. She sighed, let the gentle gravity take her until she was once more in the big old bed, candlelight flickering red and gold on her closed lids, and the truly incredible pleasure of Gray’s weight pinning her to the mattress.

She thought hazily that no books she had read, no chatter she had heard from other women, no secret daydreaming could have taught her how simply good it was to have a man’s naked body pressed onto hers.

The body itself was an amazing creation, more beautiful than she’d imagined. The long, muscled arms were strong enough to lift her, gentle enough to hold her as if she were a hollowed-out egg, easily broken.

The hands, wide of palm, long of finger, knew so cleverly just where to touch and stroke. Then there were the broad shoulders, the long, lovely, lean back, narrow hips leading down to hard thighs, firm calves.

Hard. She smiled to herself. Wasn’t it a miracle that something so hard, so tough and strong should be covered with smooth, soft skin?

Oh, indeed, she thought, a man’s body was a glorious thing.

Gray knew if she kept touching him he’d go quietly mad. If she stopped, he was certain he’d whimper.

Those pretty tea-serving hands of hers were gliding over him, whispering touches, exploring, tracing, testing, as if she were memorizing each muscle and curve.

He was still inside her, couldn’t bear to separate himself. He knew he should, should ease away and give her time to recover. However much he’d fought not to hurt her, there was bound to be some discomfort.

And yet, he was so content—she seemed so content. All those nerves that had sizzled through him at the thought of taking her the first time—her first time—had melted away into lazy bliss.

When those skimming caresses caused him to stir again, he forced himself to move, propping up on his elbows to look down at her.

She was smiling. He couldn’t have said why he found that so endearing, so perfectly charming. Her lips curved, her eyes warmly green, her skin softly flushed. Now, with that first rush of needs and nerves calmed, he could enjoy the moment, the lights, the shadows, the rippling pleasure of fresh arousal.

He pressed his lips to her brow, her temples, her cheeks, her mouth.

“Beautiful Brianna.”

“It was beautiful for me.” Her voice was thick, still raspy with passion. “You made it beautiful for me.”

“How do you feel now?”

He would ask, she thought, both in kindness and in curiosity. “Weak," she said. And with a quick laugh, “Invincible. Why do you suppose such a natural thing as this should make such a difference in a life?”

His brows drew together, smoothed out again. Responsibility, he thought, it was his responsibility. He had to remind himself she was a grown woman, and the choice had been hers. “Are you comfortable with that difference?”

She smiled up at him, beautifully, touched a hand to his cheek. “I’ve waited so long for you, Gray.”

The quick inner defense signal flashed on. Even steeped in her, warm, damn, half aroused, it flashed. Step carefully, cautioned a cool, controlled part of his mind. Warning: Intimacy Ahead.

She saw the change in his eyes, a subtle but distinct distancing even as he took the hand against his cheek and shifted it so that his lips pressed to her palm.

“I’m crushing you.”

She wanted to say—no, stay—but he was already moving away.

“We haven’t had any champagne.” Easy with his nakedness, he rolled out of bed. “Why don’t you go have a bath while I open the bottle?”

She felt odd suddenly, and awkward, where she’d felt nothing but natural with him atop and inside her. Now she fumbled with the sheets. “The linen,” she began, and found herself flushing and tongue-tied. It would be soiled, she knew, with her innocence.

“I’ll take care of it.” Seeing her color deepen and understanding, he moved to the bed again and cupped her chin in his hand. “I can change sheets, Brie. And even if I didn’t know how before, I’d have picked it up watching you.” His mouth brushed hers, his voice thickening. “Do you know how often I’ve been driven insane watching you smooth and tuck my sheets?”

“No.” There was a quick lick of pleasure and desire. “Really?”

He only laughed and laid his brow on hers. “What wonderful good deed did I do to deserve this? To earn you?” He drew back, but his eyes had kindled again, making her heart drum slow and hard against her ribs. “Go have your bath. I’m wanting to make love with you again,” he said, slipping into a brogue that made her lips quirk. “If you’d like it.”

“I would, yes.” She drew a deep breath, bracing herself to climb naked from the bed. “Very much I would. I won’t be long.”

When she went into the bath, he took a deep breath himself. To steady his system, he told himself.

He’d never had anyone like her. It wasn’t just that he’d never tasted innocence before—that would have been enormous enough. But she was unique to him. Her responses, that hesitation and eagerness playing at odds with each other. With her absolute trust shining over all.

“I love you,” she’d said.

It wouldn’t do to dwell on that. Women tended to romanticize, emotionalize sex in most cases. Certainly a woman experiencing sex for the first time would be bound to mix lust with love. Women used words, and required them. He knew that. That was why he was very careful when choosing his.

But something had spurted through him when she’d whispered that overrated and overused phrase. Warmth and need and, for an instant, just a heartbeat, a desperate desire to believe it. And to echo her words.

He knew better, and though he would do anything and everything in his power to keep her from hurt, anything and everything to make her happy while they were together, there were limits to what he could and would give to her. To anyone.

Enjoy the moment, he reminded himself. That’s all there was. He hoped he could teach her to enjoy it as well.