Contracted As His Cinderella Bride

He should have stopped then, but, even while he was frantically trying to assess the repercussions of her innocence, his body had refused to obey him once she’d given him permission to continue—so he’d taken what she’d offered, because he’d been unable to do otherwise.

And now here he was, lying in bed beside her, not knowing what the hell to say to her.

Should he apologise? Explain? She’d said it wasn’t a big deal, but somehow it was to him. He’d never been a woman’s first lover. Had deliberately avoided that sort of intimacy. And what did he do now about his plan to suggest they marry? Because this could complicate things in ways he did not want, and had not anticipated.

His gut twisted as he felt her shift on the bed beside him. She hadn’t spoken, probably because she was as shocked by the intensity of their lovemaking as he was. And appalled by his lack of sophistication.

Or was she? How would she know the power of their connection—or how catastrophically he had lost control—if she had never slept with another man?

She sat up with her back to him, but as she went to stand he flung his arm out and caught her hip. ‘Where are you going?’ he asked, pleased when the words came out reasonably smoothly despite the rawness in his throat.

She glanced over her shoulder. ‘I hope you don’t mind if I borrow your sweats? I’ll return them tomorrow.’

What?

It took a moment for him to register what she was asking him and why as she bent down to scoop the sweatpants off the floor. But when she tried to stand, he at least had the presence of mind to keep his hand anchored on her hip.

‘You’re not going anywhere tonight, Allycat,’ he said, moving across the bed to band an arm around her waist.

She twisted round again, her face so close he could see the confusion in her eyes. ‘Why...why not?’ she asked.

Mon Dieu, she was even more innocent than he had assumed.

He kissed her shoulder blade. ‘Because I have exhausted you. And it is still raining.’ They weren’t the main reasons, not even close, but he didn’t want to talk about anything else until he had calmed down enough to figure out all the angles.