Duncan's Bride by Linda Howard

having that damn physical?”
    She looked like a haughty queen. “For one thing, we weren’t married before. Until you became my husband this morning it wasn’t any of your business. For another, you wouldn’t have believed me. You believe me now because there’s no reason for me to lie when you’ll find out the truth for yourself in a few minutes.” She spoke with cool dignity, her head high.
    â€œWe were planning to get married.”
    â€œAnd it could have been called off.”
    Reese stared silently at her. Part of him was stunned and elated. No other man had ever had her; she was completely his. He was selfish enough, male enough, primitive enough, to be glad the penetration of her maidenhead would be his right. But part of him was disappointed, because this ruled out the night of hungry lovemaking he’d planned; he would have to be a total bastard to be that insensitive to her. She would be too sore and tender for extended loving.
    Maybe this was for the best. He’d take her as gently as possible, but he wouldn’t, couldn’t, lose his control with her. He wouldn’t let himself drown in her; he would simply consummate the marriage as swiftly and easily as he could and preserve the distance between them. He didn’t want to give in completely to the fierce desire in him, he just wanted to ease himself and keep her in the slot he’d assigned to her. He wanted her too much; she was a threat to him in every way he’d sworn a woman would never be again. As long as he could keep his passion for her under control she wouldn’t be able to breach his defenses, so he would allow himself only a simple mating. He wouldn’t linger over her, feast on her, as he wanted to do.
    Madelyn forced herself not to tremble when he walked over to her. It had been nothing less than the bald truth when she’d said she wasn’t looking forward to this first time. Romantically, she wanted a night of rapture. Realistically, she expected much less. All they had shared was one kiss, and Reese was sexually frustrated, his control stretched to the limit. She was going to open her body to a stranger, and she couldn’t help being apprehensive.
    He saw the almost imperceptible way she braced herself as he came near, and he slid his hand into her hair. “You don’t have to be afraid,” he murmured. “I’m not going to jump on you like a bull.” He tilted her head up so she had to look at him. His eyes were greener than she’d ever seen them before. “I can make it good for you, baby.”
    She swallowed. “I’d rather you didn’t try, I think, not this time. I’m too nervous, and it might not work, and then I’d be disappointed. Just do it and get it over with.”
    A faint smile touched his lips. “That’s the last thing a woman should ever say to a man.” It was also a measure of her fear. “The slower I am, the better it will be for you.”
    â€œUnless I have a nervous breakdown in the middle of it.”
    She wasn’t joking. He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip, feeling the softness of it. It was beginning to make sense. A woman who reached the age of twenty-eight still a virgin had to have a strong sense of reserve about being intimate with a man. The way she’d kissed him had set him on fire, but this final step wasn’t one she took easily. She preferred to gradually get used to this powerful new intimacy, rather than throw herself totally into the experience expecting stars and fireworks.
    He picked her up and put her on the bed, then turned out all the lights except for one lamp. Madelyn would have preferred total darkness but didn’t say anything. She couldn’t stop staring when he stripped off his jeans and got into bed with her. She had seen male nudity before: babies and little boys, men in clinical magazines. She knew how the male body functioned. But she had never