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sciously, Joanna's arms tightened and relaxed in the same rhythm so that her firm, high breasts, their nipples very protuberant now, were squeezed against his chest. |
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Very soon it was not enough. By mutual consent their mouths came apart. Geoffrey took a step toward the bed, turning Joanna in his arm so that she would not need to walk backward. She came with him, one step and then another, and then stopped. |
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"If my mother and Ian remain in Ireland," she whispered, "we cannot marry. Geoffrey" |
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"Does it matter so much to you, Joanna?" he pleaded softly. |
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She looked at him, her eyes clouded with desire. "I do not know," she sighed. "Why could we not be married before they left? Why were we only betrothed?" |
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"It was to protect usto protect you," Geoffrey assured her. "They had no other purpose than making it easier for you to repudiate me if, after we were together as we have been, you found me distasteful." |
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Wide-eyed, Joanna stared at him. She was by no means as innocent as she had been before this recent sojourn at court. She knew men in the throes of passion might say anything, tell any lie, to bring about the satisfaction of their desire. In general, Geoffrey was truthful, but he was no better than any other man with other women. With her? Joanna did not trust him in this, and she was even more distrustful of her own treacherous body, in which the fading thrills of pleasure only recalled and begged for a renewal of his caresses. |
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For Geoffrey the word "repudiation" had brought something to mind that cooled his ardor considerably. If he took Joanna now, she would not come as a maiden to her marriage bed. There would be only clean sheets to show in the marriage ceremony on the morning after their supposed first mating. That was the purpose of the ceremony, that a groom could repudiate his bride if she were not a virgin, and the proof of that virginity was bloodstained sheets. He would know, of course; there would be no question of repudiation, |
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