'I'm not,' she snapped. 'I just didn't want any more accusations like the ones of the other evening. The headache has gone now, anyway, she told him abruptly.
He touched her cheek gently. "The other evening I was suffering from that most common of male ailments—sexual frustration,' he taunted. 'If you have a headache then perhaps you would like an early night—alone?'
His thoughtfulness, after the tension of the day, made her eyes swim with tears. 'The headache really has gone, Alex,' she choked.
'Do I take that to mean you would rather not have an early night alone?' he teased.
She smiled. 'I have no objection to the early night, but definitely not alone.'
He laughed softly, getting out of the car as the doorman of the hotel came over to open Morgan's door for her. "We'll discuss that after dinner,' he promised.
The hotel was one of the most luxurious in London, and the honeymoon suite had been reserved for them. Morgan's eyes widened as she heard this. She would have thought Alex the sort of man to prefer to keep quiet about their newly married state, not broadcast it so obviously. Although it might have been a little difficult to keep it quiet anyway, as they were both covered in confetti!
Alex had the arrogance and bearing to have the best service wherever he went, and within five minutes ofentering the hotel they and their luggage had been effortlessly transported to the top floor, their luxurious c occupying most of it.
Dinner was a lighthearted affair. Morgan was not even aware of what she was eating, enjoying Alex's company too much to really care.
Now about that early night . . .?' He raised dark brows as they sat together in the lounge. The hotel is so tall that none of the noise of London could be heard all the way up here, giving a strangely disorientated feeling.
"It's after eleven!' she taunted.
'In London that's early.'
She smiled. 'I'd like to shower first.'
'Of course. I'll use the other bathroom,' he nodded distantly.
Alex's abrupt attitude made her wonder if he weren't a little disconcerted by their wedding night too. That thought gave her a little more confidence in herself and the night ahead of them.
She took her time in the bathroom, and her whole body felt smoothly oiled and perfumed by the time she had finished, smelling of her favourite Estee Lauder body lotion. The sheer white nightgown did nothing to hide the perfection of her slender curves, being almost completely transparent, reaching down to her bare feet.
For a moment when she entered the lounge she thought Alex was still in the second bathroom, then she saw a movement by the window, walking over to his side to gaze over the thousands of glittering lights that were London.
He turned to look at her as he sensed her presence, his breath catching in his throat as the perfection of her body was clearly revealed to him. Morgan looked up at him with fearless green eyes—his bare chest darkly tanned, covered in thick dark hair, hisshoulders powerfully muscled, black silk pyjama trousers, his only clothing, resting low down on his hips. He looked magnificent, his eyes becoming smoky grey with desire.
'Morgan .. .?' he groaned.
She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue, not wanting to talk, but knowing there were some things she had to tell him before they made love. 'Have you noticed that I've worn white today, Alex?' she asked gruffly.
His eyes narrowed. 'I've noticed, he nodded.
'I—I've worn it for a reason.'
'Yes?' he said tautly.
She launched into speech before she lost her nerve, his cynicism making it hard for her to talk at all. 'When Glcnna and I were children, we used to talk a lot about when we got married. Of course it was all a fantasy,' she laughed at the idealist she had been then. 'By the time we'd grown up there were no dashing heroes about like Errol Flynn. But it was fun to dream anyway. And we made each other a promise, one that we both kept.'
'Yes?' Alex was very tense.
She looked at him with unblinking green eyes. 'Alex, do you mind having a virgin for a bride?' she asked bluntly.
His eyes narrowed, his arms tightening on her arms, hurting her. 'A virgin?' he echoed disbelievingly,
'I'm afraid so,' she nodded. 'And you don't find many of them at twenty-six any more!'
Don't joke about this, Morgan,' he rasped, shaking her slightly. 'It's too serious. Are you telling me the truth?'
'A fun-loving actress with no morals?' she mocked brittly. 'I'm afraid so, x\lex.'
He released her, drawing in a harsh breath, then expelling it slowly, looking at her as if he had never seen her before. 'Is this the reason you held back the Other night?'
She nodded. 'A shock, isn't it?' She hated herself for Making light about something that was so important to her, but Alex's feelings, other than surprise, weren't yet apparent to her. 'In this day and age too! But I'm afraid I've always considered my body, and myself, to be more important than becoming just another notch on some man's bedpost. I suppose I could have started collecting notches myself, but somehow that never appealed to me either. It's too easy to fall into a sexual relationship with someone now, and I've never liked doing the easy things in life. Of course, if the idea of being the man to initiate me into making love doesn't appeal to you .. .' She looked at him challengingly, holding her breath as she waited for his answer.
'You know it does,' Alex finally spoke. 'You're one hell of a woman, Morgan Hammond,' he shook his head. 'I'm beginning to wonder just what I've taken on by marrying you. A virgin, and yet you married me partly because you wanted me!' he realised incredulously.
'Terrible, isn't it?' she mocked, relief flooding through her. Alex did still want her! 'You make me feel quite shameless, Mr Hammond.'
'I'll tell you how I feel as I make love to you,' he groaned against her throat. And I'll try not to hurt you. Dear God, Morgan, you aren't innocent enough not to have '
'No, no, I've taken care of that,' she assured him hastily. 'As you say, I'm not that innocent.'
'Thank God—I wouldn't want anything to spoil vour pleasure.'
Alex----- !'
He looked down at her with amused eyes. 'I think you make me feel shameless too,' he smiled, swinging her up into his arms with ease.
Her arms encircled his throat. 'What are you doing?' She snuggled against him.
'Whatever it is, you aren't fighting it,' he derided, striding determinedly towards the bedroom they were to share tonight.
'I trust you implicitly,' she murmured against his throat, her lips warm and probing.
He seemed to tense. 'Implicitly?'
She looked up at him. 'Yes. Now tell me why you carried me here?' she asked dreamily as he put her down on the double bed. 'I would quite happily have walked.'
'It was the nearest I could come to carrying you over the threshold,' he told her throatily as he came down on the bed beside her. 'Morgan, are you sure you want me to be the first
Her fingertips over his lips stopped further words. 'I'm very sure. I want you, remember? You're the only man I've ever wanted.'
'Wanton hussy!'
She squirmed with pleasure as his mouth plundered hers, tasting and devouring as the first passion overtook him, his powerful thighs surging against hers. She kissed him back wildly, aware that the situation was spiralling quickly out of Alex's control, a control he had sworn never to lose.
'Morgan!' he buried his face in her throat, soothing the passion between them to simmering point with his slow caresses down the length of her
body. 'Darling !' His mouth claimed hers gently
this time, his lips moving erotically against hers, his hand travelling from her hip to capture one thrusting breast through the silky material of her nightgown, moving with slow caressing movements over the taut peak, the caress causing a pleasurable sensation down her spine.
One thin shoulder-strap was slipped down hershoulder, and her breast was bared to the warm cavern of his mouth, his tongue tasting and sucking the nipple further into the hot vortex, making Morgan cry out with pleasure, hardly aware that the silky gown had been slipped completely from her body. Alex slid down her body with it as his hands continued to caress her breasts, and fire shot through her as he kissed her inner thigh with nibbling caresses.
'Alex--- !' she groaned as a sensation such as she had never known before surged through her body, her arms and legs thrashing about beneath him.
'Don't fight it, darling,' he encouraged huskily, his face flushed with his own arousal. 'This is all part of making love.'
'But I—I can't—Oh!' she moaned as the pleasure became too much for her. 'Alex, am I '
'Not yet,' his mouth returned to hers. 'You aren't ready yet. I forget how inexperienced you are. You drive me insane with wanting you, Morgan,' he groaned in an aching voice.
'Show me how to please you, what you like,' she encouraged eagerly.
His mouth twisted. I don't know what I like from you yet.' He lay back on the bed. 'You'll just have to find out for yourself, won't you?' He looked at her encouragingly.
He liked everything, it seemed—every touch, every caress, the way she kissed his hardened thighs as she slipped the pyjama trousers off his body; both of them were completely naked now, even the sight of her nakedness lovingly bent over him causing him to shudder with pleasure.
'I think I like it too much!' he groaned, stopping her caresses. 'No more, Morgan. I can't take it!'
It was her turn to be caressed once again, his touch raising her to such ecstasy that when his body at last joined with hers she cried out only once at the momentof penetration, her movements matching his as if by instinct after that, their bodies reaching a tumultuous climax in unison, the moment held and captured only for a moment before it spiralled out of reach, leaving them spent and exhausted in each other's arms.