Page 17 of Married for a Highland Debt
After the speeches had been said and the food had been eaten, Bettina tried to prepare herself for what awaited her upstairs, but she was simply too afraid, so when Alison came and begged her for a moment of her time, Bettina felt a great gush of gratitude.
“I can see by your face that you are frightened out of your wits,” Alison said kindly. “You need not fear, Bettie. My nephew may have the facial expressions of a gargoyle sometimes, but he is the kindest of men when you break through that iron-hard shell of his. I know that a new bride is always terrified, and so was I, but there is nothing to fear.”
“Are you sure?” Bettina asked nervously. Her hands were icy cold, and trembling.
“It can be wonderful,” she assured her, smiling. “Now go, my dear. God bless you.”
She turned around to see her husband waiting for her at the foot of the stairs. He reached out his hand, and Bettina put hers in it. It was time.
His room was similar to her own, but it was utterly masculine, stripped bare of flowers, colorful rugs, and bright floral paintings. It was a chamber full of dark polished wood, a marble fireplace, a huge ebony bed, and a few cushioned chairs. Heavy brocade curtains half-hid the window, giving the room a slightly sinister air.
“Are you afraid?” he asked suddenly. “Because I do not want you to be frightened of me, Bettina.”
“I am afraid,” she admitted. “I-I have never done this before, and I do not want to disappoint you.” She looked up and saw to her astonishment that his eyes were soft and understanding, almost mesmerizing.
“And you are not worried that I may disappoint you?” he asked softly. Then, to her astonishment, he smiled, and she felt the tension seep out of her body, to be replaced by some strange sensation she could not identify. She wanted to press her body against his and surrender to him.
Ninian’s eyes moved to her lips, and he felt his body stiffen with desire. He had not felt like this about a woman for years. How he wanted her! He stepped forward so that his chest was touching her breasts, then gathered her against him and touched his lips to hers.
It was utterly unlike their first kiss. Bettina gave herself up to Ninian with no fear and no reserve. She opened her lips to him and felt his tongue pushing boldly inward, but this time she had no hesitation in answering him with a thrust of her own, and she heard him growl as he pulled her closer so that their bodies were pressed tightly together.
When they drew apart, both were breathless and looked into each other’s eyes with amazement.
As Bettina felt him loosening the laces at the back of her dress, her heart began to pound so hard that she thought he must be able to feel it through his shirt. When they were loosened, he let her dress fall to the floor, and at last, she was standing before him, naked. She could feel her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she felt his gaze run over her body.
A moment later, he lifted her and laid her on the pale-brown quilt of his bed while he undressed. Bettina had never seen a naked man before and had no idea what to expect. However, it was not this creature who was so different from herself. She let out a little gasp, and her mouth formed an O of astonishment as she realized that he was her opposite in every way.
His shoulders were broader than she had expected, his chest wide, muscular, and dusted with pale-blond hair, and he had arms that looked as if he could lift tree trunks. His narrow waist and hips, flat stomach, and long, powerful thighs were completely unlike her own soft curves, but what drew her eyes and terrified her was what was between them, a shaft of hard flesh that was pointing at her like some bizarre kind of sword. She looked up at him helplessly.
“I know what you are thinking,” he said as he lay on the bed beside her. “All women fear a man’s body. They think they are not big enough to accommodate him, but you will be.”
If his words were meant to reassure her, they did not succeed, and as he moved to lie on top of her, then parted her legs and settled between them, she tensed so much that her body was rigid beneath him. Ninian wet his finger and pushed it inside her, then followed it a moment later with his shaft.
“I will try not to hurt you any more than I have to,” he murmured. “But it may be a little painful.”
“I understand,” she answered, nodding calmly, although her heart felt as though it would beat out of her chest with fear.
Ninian was as gentle as he could be while denying his instinctive urge to drive himself inside her and implant his seed in her womb. He heard her scream as he broke the barrier of her virginity, but he knew that it was unavoidable, and he thrust as quickly and as hard as he could to make the experience quicker and less painful for her.
The pain was excruciating but mercifully brief, and Bettina was able to endure the rest of the experience by lying still and not disgracing herself by bursting into tears. At last, she felt his body stiffen, and he gave a long groan as if in pain, and collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily, then he rolled away to lie beside her on the bed.
The experience had not satisfied either of them, but Ninian could see by her face that at least it had been bearable for her. “I am sorry if I hurt you,” he said regretfully. “It will not happen next time.”
“I knew what to expect,” she replied, wiping herself with the damp cloth he had given her. “But it is done now.”Thank God.
“There is something you must know before we go on with our married life,” he told her as he stood up and poured her a glass of wine. “I did not send my wife, Margaret, away because she could not have children. She was unfaithful to me, and I knew that by banishing her from my household when everyone thought she was infertile would be an embarrassment to her, but not as embarrassing to either of us as the truth. I wanted us to be properly married before I told you this, and I would like you to promise me that you will not tell anyone else, not even your sister.”
“You are my husband now, Ninian.” Her voice was firm. “My first loyalty is to you.”
He smiled and took her hand. “Thank you...milady,” he replied, laughing softly.
Bettina was enchanted. “You should smile more often, Ninian,” she told him. “You are a handsome man, but you always look so grim and unhappy.”
He sighed, then hesitated a little before speaking again. “May I tell you something, Bettina?”
“Of course,” she replied. “You can tell me anything.”
“I have not been with a woman since Margaret left five years ago,” he confessed. “I could never bring myself to trust anyone else.”
