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for breath. "There is no him."
    "Damn you!" Laurent ripped his hands away. Every nuance of his posture told a tale of averted murder. "Yes, there is!"
    Following his frenzied pacing with a wild gaze, Liana insisted, "This is why you won’t believe in me? He has nothing to do with how I feel about you! Nothing!"
    Laurent froze in mid-step. "How can you say those words to me? He has everything to do with it! You were so important to him that he hunted you down. When he found you, he punished us both by taking me instead."
    Liana screwed her eyes shut. "I’m sorry."
    "What exactly are you sorry for?" Menace radiated from him in suffocating waves. "For being his lover?"
    Liana’s head rocked back as if struck. A wounded cry followed. "I have never broken faith with you!"
    "Do NOT take such an offended tone with me, little bird. Maybe he’s not your lover now, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t before."
    "Damn you, Laurent! You’re the only man I’ve been with. Our first night proved my honor."
    "It proves nothing." His calculating smile gleamed in terrible contrast against his frozen gaze. "Virgin or whore—I would have never been able to tell and you know why."
    * * * *
    "Your heart…it’s beating so fast."
    Laurent smothered a nervous laugh. "How do you know?"
    "I don’t," Liana answered weakly. "I just guessed."
    His hand reached out. It lightly pressed against the valley between her breasts. "So is yours."
    The fine tremors in his fingers mimicked the ones dominating hers. "Are you cold?"
    "No. Are you?"
    Liana shook her head. The shared rhythm of their racing heartbeats thundered in her ears. "Umm, Laurent?"
    Laurent understood the question lurking behind those two words. "I’m just scared. Happy…but scared." He stared in awe at the contrast between his fingers and her luminescent skin.
    Liana noticed how each ragged breath brought a puckered nipple close to his palm.
    What will it feel like? I wish he would just touch me so I wouldn’t have to ask. Maybe I should tell him to do it.
    A hot blush spread from Liana’s face to her neck. Temptation warred with maidenly reserve. "What are you scared of?"
    "I don’t know what to do." Laurent looked up. His gray orbs darkened with indecision. "What if I hurt you because of it?"
    Bravely, she closed her fingers over his. "You won’t." Liana slid his rough palm over her breast. "I trust you."
    Two spots of color appeared high on his elegant cheekbones. His eyes flickered between hers and his hand. "But what if I—"
    "You won’t."
    A long breath rushed up Laurent’s throat. "I might…no. I WILL be clumsy. I’ve never been with a woman and—" His words trailed off as he studied the exquisite sight of their newfound intimacy.
    Liana took courage and touched his naked thigh. "You’ll be clumsy. So will I." She swallowed down her nervousness. "Go on. Don’t be afraid. Touch me."
    "Are you sure?"
    In answer, she arched her back and pressed the firm breast into his large hand. Liana mewled with enigmatic pleasure when he obeyed by squeezing her flesh.
    Laurent whipped his hand away. "I’m sorry! Please forgive me! I meant no harm!" Hair as beautiful as a raven’s wing tumbled across his brow. Mortification claimed his trembling speech. "Maybe w-we should not—"
    "No!" Liana planted her mouth on his. Although graceless and sloppy, she managed to part his lips with the tip of her tongue. A moment later she felt Laurent return the loving gesture. Divinity showed its face to Liana when she felt his breath become hers. She broke their kiss slowly, creeping back to taste him again.
    "We’ll learn together. Besides, that’s the way it should be between lovers." Liana nodded her head in encouragement and waited for him to do the same.
    "I think I’m not so afraid anymore, little bird." Boyish joy dissolved into fervent longing. Pressing his hand against her breast again, he swore, "I want to learn how to please you…only you."
    * * * *
    "We were both pure," Liana