Date with a Cowboy: Iron Cowboy / In the Arms of the Rancher / At the Texan's Pleasure. Diana Palmer

shudder in a tense arch that was like rain after the baking desert.

      When he regained his control, he felt her trying to get away from the crush of his body. He was aware of broken sobs. Trembling. Audible misery.

      He lifted his head. He couldn’t see her in the darkness of the room, but his hand touched her face and felt the wetness.

      “Please,” she sobbed, pushing at his chest.

      He was shocked at his lapse. He hadn’t really meant to go this far, not the first time they were intimate. But it was too late now. He moved away, fastening his slacks. He heard her move, heard fabric against skin. At least she’d stopped crying.

      “I’ll get the light,” he said gruffly.

      “No!” She was standing now. “No,” she added in a more controlled tone. “Please don’t.”

      “Why not?” He moved closer to her. “We made love. What’s so horrible about it?”

      She was shivering with self-revulsion. “Please go,” she whispered.

      “Sara …”

      “Please!” she sobbed.

      He drew in an angry breath. “Small town girls and their damned hang-ups,” he muttered. “What now? Do you think you’ll go to hell for sleeping with a man you haven’t married?”

      It was so close to what she’d been taught all her life, that she didn’t even bother to reply.

      “I don’t believe this!” he raged. “I can’t be the first man to—” He stopped dead, remembering the barrier that he’d dealt with. “I was the first,” he said slowly. “Wasn’t I, Sara?”

      “Please go,” she pleaded tearfully.

      He drew in a long breath. “Tell me you’re on birth control,” he demanded.

      “I never needed to be,” she bit off.

      “Great!” he burst out, furious. “That’s just great! And you see me as a meal ticket, don’t you? If I made you pregnant, you’ll have a free ride for life! Except you won’t,” he added coldly. “I don’t want children ever again. You’ll have a termination or I’ll take you to court and show everyone who lives here how mercenary you are!”

      He was talking about a possibility she hadn’t even considered. She’d tried to stop him. Why did he expect every woman to be prepared for sex? Was that the way people thought in big cities? Were they all prepared, all the time?

      “Don’t worry,” she said through her teeth. “I promise you, there won’t be any horrible consequences. Now will you please go home?”

      He started for the door, still furious. But he paused with it open and looked back toward her. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said uncomfortably.

      She laughed hollowly. “My whole life has been nothing except pain. Why should this be any different?”

      She turned and went into a room down the hall, closed the door and audibly locked it.

      He left, frowning, curious about the remark. He didn’t want to think about how much he’d hurt her. He honestly hadn’t planned to seduce her, but she wouldn’t believe him. She was hurt and shocked and outraged. Probably she’d been taught that premarital sex was a sin, and now she was going to punish herself for falling victim to demon lust.