Page 73 of A Virgin for the Duke of Thorns

That he was so patient with her was already more than she expected of him. She had thought that a Wolf like him would be harsher. Alice was happy to find herself sorely mistaken in this instance.

She felt his hand caress her face, and she saw a faint tenderness in his eyes. Oftentimes, he had smirked at her, teased her, and been domineering with her. Seeing this look in his eyes warmed her heart and kindled a different fire deep within her.

“This will hurt,” he murmured, leaning close to place a soft kiss on her forehead. “Will you bear it for me, little lamb?”

She looked up at him. She had come this far, had claimed that she wanted him to make her his thoroughly. She had already said the words, and thus, she must be brave as well.

Fortune favors the brave.

She nodded. “Yes…” she told him softly, clenching the covers beside her in her hands, steeling herself for the pain that she was sure would tear her apart.

She saw his jaw tense as he clasped her thigh. The muscles of his arm bulged slightly as he gripped her. In the midst of what should have been her impending doom, Alice was enthralled by the beauty of him.

“I am so sorry,” he muttered harshly.

She closed her eyes as he plunged into her, tearing through the fragile barrier of her maidenhood. Alice felt stretched so much that a soft, strangled cry bubbled up her throat.

“Oh God, I am so sorry, little lamb. So, so sorry…”

She lay there as he rained soft kisses on her face. A balm to soothe away the pain of their first union.

She accepted his apologies and his kisses, shifting so slightly under him to accommodate him. Alice let out a slight breath as she willed herself to relax.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him through the haze of tears. She reached out to cup his face tenderly. “It only hurt for a short time,” she reassured him weakly.

He frowned, as if he did not believe her. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “How could it hurt so much when you are here with me?”

He groaned and surged into her, his lips coming down on hers in a kiss that was gentle but no less passionate than all their previous kisses. Slowly, she felt him moving into her in gentle, shallow thrusts, and she felt the fire growing deep in her belly once more.

She clung to him, and he rocked into her until she was gasping once more, sheer delight burning in her skin, making her feel as if she would glow incandescent in the flickering candlelight.

She let out a soft moan, feeling the desire building within her once more. Bigger. Fiercer.

Colin thrust into her with more urgency, and she threw her head back, faint with the pleasure he was giving her and himself.

“Oh!” she gasped. “Oh dear… yes!”

Her emphatic declarations seemed to spur him on, and he became like a beast, thrusting into her at a frenzied pace that left her breathless and moaning at the same time. She had never thought that her first time with him would bring her so much pleasure, such sensual delight.

Her eyes closed as she reveled in the sensations he wrought in her. His name fell from her lips in an incantation as she felt herself being pushed higher and higher to the peak. She felt him kiss her deeply as his hips snapped against hers a few more times.

She reached the peak with a cry, her hips bucking to meet his, feeling the scalding heat of his release as his roar of triumph mingled with hers. Through her half-opened eyes, she saw him with his head thrown back, the muscles in his neck spasming in the dim light.

He had claimed her. Why did it feel as if she owned a part of his soul as well?

He let out a soft groan as he lowered himself onto her, pressing a gentle kiss to her brow before gathering her in his arms. His movements caused him to shift within her, and she let out a soft gasp.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked her, concern evident on his face.

She shook her head and smiled up at him. “Only a little.”

He groaned and held her tighter, gently pushing her head to his bare chest, where she could hear his heart thudding loudly against her cheek.

“I have been too rough with you, and it is only your first time,” he murmured hoarsely. “Rest now, little lamb.”

Even as her eyes threatened to flutter shut, she wondered how she could have the desire to sleep after the most wondrous thing that happened to her.

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