Page 35 of Master of Games
She blinked up at him, confusion pulling at her brows. “What?”
“I wish I was a virgin too.”
She shook her head, her chest tightening with appreciation and worry. “Your experience might be the only thing that moved us forward.”
He reached down, cupping her cheek. “That makes me feel better. But in this moment, I know that I gave parts of myself away, of my value, of my worth, freely, and now, I don’t get them back. I am a lesser man for giving into such base desires, when I could have been building something beautiful.”
She couldn’t help it, she pulled him back to her body, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You get them back. By changing the way you live in the future, you get them back.”
He kissed her long and slow. “You’ll show me, won’t you Tabbie? How to be a better man?”
“Oh Caden. Don’t you know that you’re already a wonderful man? No one else could have convinced me to be in this moment. That’s all you.”
His lips came over hers again, the kiss filling her with desire and so much love. His compassion and strength was healing the gaping wound inside her and now, it was her turn to return the favor.
Not only did he feel inferior because of his struggles, but he regretted his actions. She couldn’t rewrite his past but she could help him understand that his future choices dictated his worth, not his past mistakes.
She pushed his breeches down his thighs, wanting to be joined together in every way a man and woman could be. The head of his masculinity pressed into the soft, slick folds of her apex.
She was ready. Ready to be thoroughly and completely committed. But it was Caden who hesitated, lifting up to look down at her. “Tabbie?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong.” He slid his hands into her hair, cradling her head in his hands. “This moment was supposed to be soothing your fears, not for us to…”
“You don’t want to?” She felt the rejection, her body shrinking, her face turning away.
“I do. So much. But first, I need to know…” he paused, waited until her eyes came back to his. “Will you marry me?”
Her lips parted in surprise. “You want to secure…”
“If I’m to be a new man, then this is how I act. My love is only for you, but also of note…I won’t take your maidenhead outside of a future commitment.”
How had she ever doubted that he’d changed? Every action since he’d arrived had been the proof she needed.
He was here to worship her, heal her. He was here to love her. “I accept.”
His mouth dropped to hers even as he plunged inside her.
Tabbie felt the pain. She was no stranger to the sensation. But unlike other pain, this one came with a deep and abiding commitment.
It came with a rightness that she’d never experienced before in her life.
She’d found her home and her heart. They were with Caden. And she’d endure any hurt to love this man.
Caden seated himself inside Tabbie and stopped, overwhelmed by the moment. Why had he wasted so much time with meaningless trysts?
This was a woman who saw the whole him. Accepted him. Was ready to build a life where they worked together for shared goals and healed hearts.
It was so much more in every way, and he wished he did not understand how meaningless the act of sex could be.
But perhaps, he could use that knowledge to help Tabbie understand that this was special. She was special. And a few marks on her body did nothing to change the fact that she brought more value to his life than all the women before her combined.
She sucked air through her teeth, tucking her head into his shoulder. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
“I’m good,” she said, squeezing his shoulders in reassurance. The fact that she was comforting him made him ache.
“Tabbie. Tell me if this is too much.”
