Does this hurt my hero?

I submitted some of my current novel to some contests for feedback (knowing I had no chance in hell of winning). Of the 5 or 6 contests I've heard back from, all of the judges agree that my style and premise are top notch. (Just gotta put that in--I so rarely have anything good to report about my writing since agents seem to reject me out of hand.)

Anyway, I've taken the consistent 'issues' into consideration and am working on them (need to make the hero less 'nice', add some conflict early on, etc.)

Still, one thing a couple of critiquers out of the 15 or so who've judged my work way confuses me a little. I see their point, but it doesn't seem right for the character.

The hero and heroine meet, she's confused, pissed off and scared. He's calm and takes care of her. They find each other attractive, but other considerations take precedence--like staying alive. Plus, they don't know each other that well and I just can't see them saying, "OMG, you're so gorgeous. Let's do it right here, right now!"

Anyway, the scene in question involves the hero having an interlude with a prostitute. He sees the heroine as someone under his protection and even though he finds her attractive, he doesn't want to abuse his position. Besides, he wants to get some information and knows the local brothels usually know all the people in town and their business. He's killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. At this point in the story, the h/h aren't in love or committed to each other; they're just traveling together and having lascivious thoughts about one another.

The judges said it might "hurt his hero status" if he has sex with another woman (or women). I say he's not 'saving himself' for the heroine. We eventually find out she had an affair earlier with his cousin (though she doesn't remember it), so it's not like she hasn't had other lovers too.

So what's the concensus? Can my hero 'spread the joy' before he and the heroine commit themselves to each other? Or do I need to make him use some self-restraint?

Thanks for your comments. Here's how the story goes:

They meet and they don't have any idea 'true love' is in their future. He hasn't been with anyone in about a year since he started this mission/quest thing. When they are riding (before he got her her own horse), her tight, tempting bottom was right against him and both felt urges, but it was just lust. Now she's playing a bar-game with some ruffians throwing daggers (she hopes to beat them out of some gold). He wants a professional so he can scratch his itch and there won't be any emotional attachments from the female and he can find out what he wants to know. I took out actually going to the brothel, but have left the 'wench' in the story and she dry-humps him in the tavern (other 'wenches' are plying their trade openly) where it's so crowded, people don't really notice. However, he keeps his eyes on the heroine the whole time. The hooker knows it and encourages him to think about his 'lady' and how he can do things with the prostitute 'a gentleman dare not do with a lady.' When it's over (his kind doesn't 'spill' except with their mates), the heroine happens to catch his eye and he feels a little guilty. She teases him about his escapade later in the tub.

Since it's a fantasy set in an indeterminate place and time that exist only in the pages of a book (or so the heroine thinks at the time), and the hero can't get sick (not in the nature of his race), and all these crappy diseases don't exist in this world, getting the jack wasn't a consideration. I can take it out, but I honestly never thought of it as an issue until someone else brought it up. As a reader, I like heroes who have healthy appetites.

As for erotica, no. I've written that and this isn't it at all. I actually had to remember to put some sex in the book. I'm much more into bloody battles and such.

OK; thanks to everyone. I'll take it out.

I never thought of it as problematic to the hero and these 2 judges were the first out of a large number who have read this same scene (it's gone through several different permutations and been read by critters as part of a larger work for a couple of years now) who ever mentioned it as a negative. To me it seemed quite natural for the setting and soccial structure of the world I built. Maybe I'm too jaded and such things don't faze me. But, if it won't fly with readers, it's cut.

Thanks again.

Thank you for your candidness (is that a word?). Since it seems to be objectionable to so many, I'll take it out. As I said, I'm probably just jaded and way more liberal than the average romance reader. However, if the market demands certain conventions, then I'll just have to bend to them. I will always have the version with the scenes that likely aren't palatable to the audience, but it won't be the one I send out.

Thanks again for all your help and insight.

Going back into exile, now.