"Ingrid, are you trying to tell me that you are a virgin?" Alexei asked gently as he held her hand. The feeling of her small hand in his was amazing, sending all kinds of shivers through her small frame, not helping at all with the embarrassment she felt about being so inexperienced in the face of this man who had known so many women.<br/><br/>"Yes!" the answer burst from her in a half-sob, half-laugh, as she felt her embarrassment couple with the humor of the situation that she couldn't help but see. At least she could laugh at herself. She gave another small, self-deprecating laugh and shook her head.<br/><br/>"It's silly that I couldn't say it," she said quickly, looking away from the heart-breakingly handsome man across from her. "I am..." she swallowed at the thought of what she wanted to say, but summoned up her courage to say it, given that Alexei had already done the hard part for her. "I am...rather uncertain about these things."<br/><br/>She looked up at him with a dismayed, embarrassed, shy smile. "In fact, in plain parlance, you could say I am scared witless."