Cecelia said quietly. “You know, they say it hurts the first time, but it really didn’t. Only for a moment.” An uninhibited tear rolled down her cheek.
“Oh, Cece,” Ainsley crooned, pulling her friend into her arms. Cecelia could always count on Ainsley. She didn’t ask too many questions. And she always knew when to keep her opinion to herself and just listen. Ainsley set Cecelia back from her after a brief hug and said, “What was it like?”
“Beautiful,” Cecelia breathed. And it had been. It had been everything she’d ever dreamed it would be. “He was warm and sweet and thoughtful, and he kept telling me over and over that he loved me.”
Ainsley suddenly looked worried. “Is that why you did it? Because he made you feel like it was the next logical step?”
Cecelia shook her head. “No, I just wanted one day. And I asked him specifically if we could spend it that way. He wants to marry me.”
Ainsley groaned out her name. “Cece,” she said. “Of course he wants to marry you. You’re amazing. When is the wedding?”
Cecelia shook her head. “We’re not getting married.”
Ainsley’s brows narrowed. “Why not?”
“There’s too much at stake. His world. My world. There’s no way we could make it suit.” She rushed on to clarify. “That doesn’t mean I don’t love him, because I do. I love him more than anything.” She clutched her fist to her chest. “But I can’t marry him.” She took a deep breath and plunged on. “When he walked me home, my father was already foxed. I could hear furniture crashing inside.”
“So you had him bring you here?”
“Well, I wanted to see you anyway. To tell you about it all.”
Ainsley’s face softened. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”
“Thank you for listening.”
“Was it terrifying?” Ainsley asked, her grin nearly infectious.
“It’s a rather daunting appendage,” Cecelia murmured.
“Isn’t it, though?” Ainsley asked.
Cecelia put her hands on her hips and glared at her friend. “And just what do you know of it?”
“Not much,” Ainsley admitted. Her cheeks got all rosy and she said, “Allen kissed me today. I mean, really kissed me. And the… umm… appendage… was hard to mistake.”
Cecelia laughed. “How was the kiss?”
“Hot enough to scorch my hair,” Ainsley said, holding up a lock of her hair. “Was he gentle with you?” she asked softly.
“He’s Marcus,” Cecelia scoffed. “Of course he was.”
“At least he wasn’t a bumbling idiot.”
“He’d never done it before, either. So, we had to figure things out together.”
Heat crept up Cecelia’s cheeks. She wouldn’t tell Ainsley everything.
“What if there are consequences?” Ainsley asked. “Will you marry him then?”
Consequences? Cecelia hadn’t even thought about consequences. Goodness, what if they’d created a child?
“Forgot about that little detail, did you?” Ainsley chided.
“Completely,” Cecelia muttered.
“Marcus is a good man. He’ll take care of whatever needs to be taken care of.”
Cecelia knew he would. But she really didn’t want Marcus to have to take care of anything.