Knowing that there was every chance in the world he would regret what was about to happen, she reached for his face, splaying her fingers wide over his cheeks. “I want this,” she said earnestly, her eyes locked to his.
“No kidding.” It was a laugh. A dismissive, gruff retort to what he saw as an unnecessarily obvious statement.
His fingers moved down his body, finding the button to his jeans. He pushed them down, low on his hips, and then drew his underwear with them, moving quickly, urgently, desperately.
Then his hands were on her waist, pulling her towards him.
It all happened so quickly.
Claudia had barely a moment to realise that this was the moment, that there was no more foreplay, that this was happening, and then he thrust deep inside of her, so hard and fast, removing the invisible barrier of her innocence with that single motion, so that blinding pain stung her body, making her cry out – and not in a good way.
Stavros swore, jerking his head back, his eyes locked to hers and now he was the one who was drowning. He was the one who couldn’t cope.
The pain was over. It was just a second of discomfort and adjustment, and then the feelings of desire were back, warming her up from the inside, so that she smiled at him. “I want this.”
He stared at her, emotions she couldn’t comprehend all over his face. But he was pulling away from her, and she couldn’t let that happen. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him close and she moved instinctively, rocking her hips back and forth, watching as colour spread along his cheeks and he compressed his lips until they were a white gash in his face.
His fingers pressed into her hips and she feared the worst, that he was going to bring this to an end. But he held her still, his breathing ragged, his eyes burning her with their intensity. And then, he began to move, gently, slowly, watching every single flicker of emotion that passed over her face, watching as she climbed higher and higher into the universe, pleasure spreading through her.
He moved. He controlled their movements. He controlled everything.
Claudia arched her back, staring up at the ceiling as divine, complete satisfaction burst through her. She was incandescent. She cried out his name, she cried out words that were impossible to understand.
She was lost. She was completely enslaved to the sensations he had stirred.
She flicked her head forward, her eyes meeting his as the waves continued to roll her. He was watching her, his own breathing tortured, his face flushed.
He watched her, and as she slowly regained control of herself, he withdrew. A torturous, aching emptiness shocked Claudia.
She groaned at his desertion, and confusion was swift to follow. He turned away from her, pulling his pants into place and zipping them up. Only the rapid movement of his back gave any indication that he was affected by what they’d just done.
No. What she’d done.
Claudia had no personal experience but she wasn’t an idiot. She knew that Stavros hadn’t experienced the same rapturous relief that she had.
“Stavros?” She whispered, not even sure what she wanted to say. “You didn’t… um, finish.”
He spun around, and she realized that he was angry! No, he was furious! It pushed everything else from her mind.
“What the actual hell?” He demanded, storming back to her, his eyes scanning her face as though he barely recognized her. “Of course I didn’t ‘finish’, Claudia. I presumed you’re not on birth control?”
She gaped at him, shocked that such a simply consideration had completely eluded her. She shook her head, numb, not just with what they’d done but with his reaction to it.
“You think I’d run the risk of getting you pregnant?”
His anger was something she didn’t expect. She had no answer for it.
“You were a virgin?” He demanded, hands on his hips, his expression inscrutable. “What the hell kind of game are you playing?”
“Game?” She whispered, shaking her head. “It’s not a game.”
His eyes squeezed shut for a moment and then he pierced her once more with this startling gaze. “I thought you were experienced. My God, Claudia. How dare you?”
“How dare I?” She repeated, not quite able to grasp the source of his indignation. “I never lied to you.” Her teeth were juddering together. “In fact, I tried to tell you the truth.”
“Not enough. You didn’t try anywhere nearly hard enough.”
“You wouldn’t listen!”