Edmond gritted his teeth, looking deeply conflicted. However, the moment Rose leaned forward and kissed him first, the last bit of his sanity finally shattered.
He had spent all this time holding himself back. Even though they had shared the same bed every night because the house only had one bedroom, they had never crossed that line. Rose had refused to let him sleep on the hard wooden chair, so they simply slept side by side.
[How can I do this to her?] Edmond thought. [It's so wrong... Every man around her has tried to take advantage of her. And now... I'm becoming just like them. I don't want her to hate me.]
"Edmond..." Rose whispered as she slowly pulled away from the kiss. She could still feel the hesitation in his heart. "I want you."
"I really... really want you."
Rose repeated those words over and over, making every bit of doubt in Edmond's heart vanish like smoke.
