15

Nathan got off her and froze; the fear he saw in the young woman's eyes made him feel miserable.

"What the hell! I was about to force Suzanne!" he thought in horror.

He was not that kind of man.

"I won't hurt you," he said softly. "Don't cry, I won't hurt you," he repeated, but she kept trembling and sobbing.

He looked into her eyes and saw the latent fear in them, cursing under his breath.

He tried to caress her, but she sank further into the couch.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a virgin?" he asked in a whisper. He felt like a vile worm.

"Don't hurt me," the young woman said, her voice full of anguish.

"I won't hurt you, Suzanne," he tried to get closer to her, which caused her sobs to grow louder. "Don't cry," he pleaded desperately, not knowing what to do.

He moved away from her, cursing himself again. If his grandfather found out about this, he would surely kill him. Why the hell hadn't he been able to control his anger?

After a few seconds, he looked at her again, and now her eyes no longer expressed fear; her gaze was empty, as if she were in another world.

"Suzanne, I'm sorry," he whispered, but she didn't even blink.

Nathan picked up the dress from the floor and put it on her. He gently took her in his arms, and this time she didn't protest. She seemed out of it, in shock.

He adjusted her clothes and took her out of there.

He took the private elevator so no one would see them. Once in the building's parking garage, he put her in the car and headed to his apartment.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly; the ride was silent since she had fallen asleep and he didn't know what to say.

The sky was starting to darken when he arrived at his apartment near Central Park in New York.

He parked the car in the garage, carried Suzanne in his arms, and had to maneuver to open the main door. He took her directly to his bedroom and gently placed her on the bed to avoid waking her up.

He stroked her cheeks, which bore visible traces of her tears. She shifted uncomfortably, and her eyes widened, looking at him again with fear.

"Relax, I won't hurt you," he assured her. "Why didn't you tell me you were a virgin, Suzanne?" he asked again, with a hint of tenderness and regret in his voice.

"Did you even give me time to utter a word?" she sobbed.

He sighed deeply, closing his eyes and trying to clear his jumbled thoughts. No, he hadn't given her time to speak; he had pounced on her without consideration, assuming she had experience.

"I won't hurt you; you can rest peacefully here," he sighed. "You can take a shower if you want; I won't bother you."

He left her alone, and she quickly got out of bed, locking herself in the bathroom. There, under the shower, she broke down again.

When Nathan entered again, he spotted the empty bed, then knew she was bathing. He heard her crying and cursed himself for being so rough with that fragile creature.

"Virgin."

He couldn't stop tormenting himself for what he had done. What if he hadn't stopped in time? He shuddered at the mere thought of the irreparable damage he had almost caused.

After a few minutes, Suzanne emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a white towel. She looked at him and lowered her head, standing there silently.

She looked so fragile that he felt the urge to hug her, but he didn't.

He imagined that at that moment she was probably hating him for trying to take in the worst way the most precious thing she surely had.

"If you want, you can take something from the closet to be more comfortable," he said, then left her alone again.

He locked himself in his study, thinking he needed a few drinks. How was it possible that he hadn't realized she was inexperienced?

That's why she had an air of innocence and naivety that he ignored to his regret. He had unleashed his anger on her and felt miserable.

Feeling calmer now, he ordered dinner from one of his favorite restaurants, arranged it on a tray, and brought it up to the room. She was curled up under the sheets, appearing to be asleep, but she wasn't.

Suzanne had been crying again until her eyes closed, but she wasn't sleeping; she couldn't. She felt someone move her, and she opened her eyes, but the light flooding the room blinded her, so she closed them again.

Slowly, she opened them again and saw Nathan at the foot of the bed, sitting with a tray in hand.

"How could I be hungry?" she thought. All she wanted was to sleep and forget.

"I brought something for dinner," Nathan said, breaking the silence that surrounded them.

"I don't want it," she muttered, not looking at him.

"You should eat a little," he insisted, and she refused again. "It's better not to anger me, Suzanne."

"I don't want to!" she shouted, upset.

"It's not in your best interest to anger me; you don't know what I'm capable of," he said threateningly to pressure her, but he regretted it as soon as he saw her eyes welling up.

Well, not entirely, as she took the tray with trembling hands and started to eat slowly.

He was there, watching her every move. Suzanne had barely eaten three bites of her meal, but the food wouldn't go down her throat, and she dropped the utensils.

"Keep eating," he ordered.

"I can't."

"I'm warning you."

"Please, leave me alone," she pleaded in a subdued tone.

"Fine, but drink the juice and take these painkillers; they're for the headache, I imagine it must be hurting from crying so much," he said, resigned.

She nodded shyly and obeyed.

After a few minutes, sleep became unbearable. She didn't want to sleep with Nathan watching her, but her eyelids grew heavier until she gave in.

The pills he had given her were meant to make her sleep; he hadn't told her because he knew she wouldn't take them.

He lay down beside her, and she, lost in the world of dreams, snuggled up against him.

Nathan wrapped his arms around her and looked at her, touched.

"I'll do everything I can to make you forget, Suzie," he whispered, planting a tender kiss on her lips.