She wasn’t worried about it, though. Taking things for granted had a way of removing doubts and leaving room only for positive thoughts. She knew she couldn’t stay there in his room to sleep the night with him, much as she would have liked to, but had that to look forward to when they married. And before the comfort of his closeness put her to sleep as well, she carefully got out of bed, gathered up her clothes so she’d leave no trace of herself there for any servants to find, and tiptoed back to her room.

She didn’t lock the doors between their rooms, didn’t even think to. Nor was there a need to now. Making love with Vincent changed so many things, not just her outlook or her future, which was now secure. She was changed, and she felt confident in the intimate knowledge she had gained. And she eventually fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

It annoyed Vincent that Larissa wasn’t in his bed when he awoke the next morning. He knew it shouldn’t, knew she’d been right to leave, would have taken her back to her room himself if he hadn’t fallen asleep. Thus his annoyance made no bloody sense in his mind.

And his mood only got worse. Every little thing annoyed him that morning as he dealt with his secretary and his staff. He found himself snapping at the lot of them, and for no good reason.

Unfortunately, that mood didn’t leave him before luncheon, and when he joined Larissa in the dining room, he ended up snapping at her as well, before he could stop himself. “My cook is threatening to quit if your cook does not stay out of his kitchen!”

He’d all but shouted it, and managed to shock them both. That was certainly not how he’d meant to greet her, and definitely not how he should have greeted her, when this was the first time he was seeing her after stealing her virginity last night. It didn’t matter that one thing after another this morning had conspired to cause him boundless frustration—and that was just another excuse.

He knew why he was a fuse already lit, he just hadn’t owned up to it yet. And he was furious with himself for cowardly refusing to examine the root of his annoyance, and instead taking it out on others—even her.

He was feeling an incredible amount of guilt over what he’d done last night. He’d never in his life enjoyed anything so much, yet now was overcome with regret for it. Because he had no intention of marrying her, when he knew that was what she was expecting from him now.