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David shook his head. “He’s a good man. He’ll do right by you.”

Jenny tilted her head and sighed. “You don’t get it, do you?”

David looked up at her. “What?”

“I don’t want him. I wantyou.”

David ran his hands through his hair and let out a low growl. “Didn’t you hear me? I will not ruin another life because of my need to prove something!”

Jenny raised her hands. “What is there to prove, David? We’re doing nothing wrong. We both feel this.” She stormed towards him with her finger pointed at him, stopping the words that were about to leave his mouth. “And do not insult my intelligence by lying and saying you feel nothing for me.”

When she reached him, she jabbed her finger into his chest. “You would not be acting like this with someone you had no feelings for.”

David’s jaw ticked, and his fists balled at his sides. She noticed the movement, and he quickly moved his hands behind his back. He didn’t speak, just shook his head.

“David.” She tried to keep her voice even, gentle. “You said if your sister couldn’t have a happy ending, then neither can you, correct?”

He nodded in agreement.

She rested her hands on his chest and leaned into him. She raised her eyes to his. “Would your sister want that for you?”

His eyes widened, and he tried to pull away. She grabbed his shirt to keep him in place.

“David.” Her tone was commanding. “Yes, she was young and naive, and she thought she was in love. You know what that tells me? That tells me that she was adventurous, that she was full of life. She must’ve lived life by her heart, and that’s beautiful. She does not sound like someone who would want her brother to be shut away in some study, not living life to the fullest.”

David opened his mouth to speak, only to close it a second later.

“What would your sister want for you?” Jenny asked softly.

David’s eyes lit up with fire and desire. Before she could comprehend what was happening, he pulled her in and kissed her with an intensity that knocked her off her feet.

She stumbled backward, but he caught her, pulling her towards him. His tongue forced its way into her mouth, fighting hers for control. Her moans only pushed his tongue in further.

His hands fell to the swell of her arse and lifted her. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. Her nails dug into his scalp, causing a low growl to rumble in his chest. The vibrations sent shivers through her.

He walked them to the sofa, where he laid her down, his body falling on top of hers.

He pulled away, and his eyes remained closed as their noses touched. “My feelings for you haunt me. I want you, but I don’t want to take advantage of you. If I do, I’m no better than that bastard who stole my sister.”

Jenny’s breathing was heavy, her core was throbbing, and her heart was aching. “Is that a good enough reason to let me marry another?”

David’s eyes flew open. This close, she could see the conflict in his eyes. There, before her, were the raw emotions he so deftly kept hidden.

“David, if this is to be our last night together, let us help each other. Let me take away some of your pain.”

David brushed the hair from her face. “And what will I help you with?

“I want to know what it’s like to be with someone who sees me for me. I want to know what it’s like to be yours, if only for one night, before I become someone else’s.”

Jenny watched his eyes tighten with heartbreak. He closed them and shook the pain away. When he opened them, some of the hurt had disappeared.

He nodded once. “For one night, you will be mine.”

CHAPTER 18

David no longer cared about what was right and what was wrong. Having Jenny here, underneath him, looking up at him with innocent eyes and a mischievous smile should be wrong. So, why did it feel so right?

He had denied the electric chemistry between them for too long, and finally giving in to it was liberating.