p class="MsoNormal"em"When the time comes where nobody desires me for myself, I would rather not be desired at all."/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"Karen Stone laid there under the duvet covers, staring with longing and apprehension at Paolo as he entered her bedroom from the terrace. She was testing him, trying to discover his true intentions. Did he want her? Was he only here to take advantage of her in this weakened state, lonely after the loss of her career, her husband, and even her own self-esteem and confidence? She thought she knew what those associated with the Contessa wanted out of the women they accompanied, but something about him seemed different. He had chased after her where many would have given up. He had bought her dinner and remembered her favorite cocktails. He paid attention to her in a way no one had in a long time./p
p class="MsoNormal"Paolo approached her slowly, kneeling beside the bed. He reached for her hands, which she had balled in fists close to her chest, a nervous tic he had picked up on almost immediately. He chuckled as he unfurled them to kiss her open palms. He rose up and leaned over, pushing her arms out of the way to place his lips against her collarbone. Karen let out a sigh as some of the tension she had been keeping in her gut released itself. She moved her head as Paolo went in to kiss the crook of her neck, closing her eyes as the last of the tension rolled off of her like a wave./p
p class="MsoNormal"It had been over a year since she had last been intimate with a man, her husband, in fact. Thomas Stone was 20 years her senior, and he made her feel young and vivacious even as she reached middle age. Losing him and being thrust into the world of younger folk had shattered her perception of herself, making her realize for the first time that she was indeed not the same person she was twenty years ago, and that men didn't find her as attractive as they once had. For someone whose career was based on appearances, this sudden change had left her in a state of depression and restlessness that didn't lift until the night Paolo had called her to dinner a few months prior./p
p class="MsoNormal"He was kissing her mouth now, moving his hands under the covers along her body. He moved the blankets away and pulled off the slip she was wearing, causing her to shiver as the air settled around them. Karen waited as Paolo examined her naked body, unable to read his expression. She started to tear up, suddenly feeling ugly and inadequate. Hearing her sniffle, Paolo looked up to see that she was crying. Gently, he took his hands and ran them through her hair, pulling her head up so he could kiss her again./p
p class="MsoNormal"He continued to kiss her as he got up on top of her, moving his hands down to cup her breasts. Karen wrapped her arms around Paolo's neck as he dragged his hands along her stomach and grabbed her hips, pushing her into the mattress. She arched against him, opening her legs ever so slightly. He responded by sticking an arm under her waist and pulling her against him, moving his other hand down to open her up even more./p
p class="MsoNormal"Karen gasped and tensed as Paolo began to circle his finger between her thighs. She wrapped her arms around him tighter and started to pant as he flicked his finger faster and pushed in against her. After a couple of minutes, Paolo slipped his finger into her, causing her to moan and arch against him. He took this as a sign to go further./p
p class="MsoNormal"Removing his arm from under her Karen's back, he undid the fly of his trousers and removed them. Paolo then pushed her legs out to give himself enough room and entered her, covering her mouth with his own as she cried out. Karen grasped at him as he thrust. He was well endowed, a little too big for her small frame, and each movement sent a shock a pain up her spine. She tried in vain to push him away, but it only seemed to turn him on even more. After what felt like an eternity, Paolo finished and laid down next to her, pulling the covers over them./p
p class="MsoNormal"He could tell something was wrong when he looked at her, her face all puffy and covered in tears. He turned her towards himself and asked her what happened. Too ashamed to tell him the truth, Karen said it was nothing. Paolo was skeptical, but didn't press the matter and went to sleep, leaving her there to writhe in agony./p
p class="MsoNormal"em"Shall I never know if you love me unless you hurt me?"/em/p