‘Then you should have done,’ Helen insisted. ‘You’re marvellous!’
Leon moved to lean on his elbow, looking down at her. ‘You don’t really have anything to compare it with, darling. But I thank you, for being perfect, in every way,’ he said throatily.
Helen blushed. ‘I didn’t disappoint you?’
His answer was to give her another of those deep drugging kisses that sent pleasure coursing through her whole body. ‘You’re everything I ever want in a woman. I’m sorry our first time together had to be in anger, but next time it will be better.’
‘Next time?’
‘Mm,’ his lips travelled slowly over her throat, his tongue probing the hollows. ‘When would you like your next lesson?’
‘Now?’
‘Like I said two days ago, you’re a wanton,’ he growled.
‘Only with you, Leon, only with you.’
‘Thank God for that!’ Once again he drew her into a vortex of desire where only each other mattered.
After her disastrous experience with Michael Leon’s physical love meant so much to her, so much more than she would ever be able to tell him. His love for her was completely selfless. He had shown her the heights, taken her into rapturous excitement and fulfilment. In his arms she was totally alive, become the woman to match his fire.
‘I wish I could stay here in your arms all night,’ Leon murmured. ‘Where is Jenny, anyway? Is she out with Matt?’
‘Brent. They’re getting married.’
‘Brent and Jenny are?’
‘Mm,’ Helen smiled. ‘Apparently they’ve been in love for years but neither of them dared admit it. Actually I think we may have helped bring them together. Jenny was upset for me this morning and Brent helped comfort her.’
‘He did a good job of it, by the look of things,’ Leon said dryly. ‘And talking of marriages…’
‘Yes?’ She could feel herself tensing for what was to come.
‘When are you going to marry me? We still have the licence and—’
’I’m not marrying you, Leon,’ she interrupted quietly.
His expected reaction wasn’t long in coming. He sat up to stare down at her, his face ashen, his eyes a splash of golden colour in his paleness. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I think you know, Leon.’ She couldn’t meet the accusation in his eyes.
‘After what we’ve just shared, the pleasure we had, you still won’t marry me?’ he demanded to know. ‘That is what you’re saying, isn’t it?’
‘Yes.’ She didn’t attempt to prevaricate.
He gripped her shoulders and shook her hard. ‘You can’t mean this, Helen,’ he said dazedly. ‘I love you, I want to marry you. I just made you mine and you sure as hell made me yours. You can’t intend to walk away from that.’ He shook her again. ‘You can’t!’
She had to walk away from him, she couldn’t weaken now. She forced a smile to her lips. ‘I did tell you how it would be, Leon.’
‘I know you told me,’ he said grimly. ‘But that was before—before you let me love you. You can’t expect me to go back to the States without you after tonight. I won’t go without you!’
She shrugged off his hands, sliding off the bed to pull on her bathrobe. She saw the look of mockery that passed over his angry features at her action, but she refused to rise to his anger. ‘I didn’t say I wouldn’t come with you, I just said I wouldn’t marry you.’
‘I don’t want you under any other terms, you know that,’ Leon told her harshly, and stood up to pull on his clothes, having none of her modesty. ‘If you won’t be my wife you won’t be my anything. You used me, Helen,’ he accused bitterly. ‘I mistakenly thought we’d made love because we loved each other. How wrong could I be! Well, you’ve had your physical experience by an expert, how did you like it?’ he rasped.
‘I—’
‘Don’t you dare answer that!’