Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

D avid 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.

He lowered his mouth to hers once more. This time, his lips gently coaxed hers open, allowing their tongues to explore each other. He was careful not to put his full weight on her. She felt so fragile under him that once again doubt crept into his mind. He shifted again, hoping it took more of his weight off her.

Jenny pulled her face away, breaking their kiss. "What are you doing?" Her voice was breathy and playful.

"I, um, I don't want to hurt you." David tucked his chin.

"Oh, that." Jenny let out a light laugh. "I know all about that. I'm ready."

David's cheeks reddened.

Good God, am I blushing?

"No. I mean, I'm a great deal bigger than you. I don't want to crush you on my sofa."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "I won't break, David. I promise."

She narrowed her eyes at him. He knew that look—she was thinking.

"Here. Let me prove it."

Without warning, she wiggled out from underneath him, pushed him to a seated position, and climbed into his lap, straddling him.

"Miss Bennett, this is very forward of you," David said cheekily.

Jenny flashed him a bright smile. "I was told I'm a quick learner, and I had the most excellent teacher when it comes to learning what the opposite sex likes in certain situations."

It was at that moment, looking up at this beautiful creature who had met his challenges day after day, that David realized that no matter who she claimed to belong to after tonight, she would always be his. Even if it meant he never saw her again.

That deuced Dovegrove didn't know how lucky he was. Jenny was more than a wife, or a mother. She was the very essence of a woman. She was graceful and wickedly intelligent. She had a beauty that could steal a man's breath and could give someone life with one look. She was everything . And if she was his for only one night, then he would do his damnedest to show her that.

He reached up and cupped her cheek in one hand. She nuzzled it, her eyes becoming heavy-lidded with lust.

David sat up and pulled her down, bringing their mouths together. The shift in her weight had her sitting in the perfect position, coaxing a growl from him and a gasp from her.

He pushed up into her body, and her gasp turned into a moan. He opened his eyes just in time to see the most beautiful pink color on her cheeks. He watched in awe as she discovered what movements she liked.

She started out slow, gently rocking her hips back and forth. David grabbed her hips and fought the incessant need to control her movements and give them both what they wanted.

But this was about her. It had always been about her. He watched as her eyebrows rose and fell with each new sensation. His need grew when her lips formed the shape of a perfect little ‘o' when she found the spot that brought her more pleasure.

She opened her eyes to find him watching her, and the pink in her cheeks darkened to red.

"I'm sorry. I'm getting carried away." She shifted her weight, but David held her still on his lap.

"Never apologize for finding your pleasure, Jenny."

She looked down at him with a warm smile. "You always make it so easy to be myself."

David played with a curl that brushed her shoulder. "There is no one else I would want you to be."

Mine. I want you to be mine.

His heart settled with that thought. Knowing that could never be, he could at least give both of them tonight.

Yours. I want to be yours. And if that is not me, then I want to be whomever it is.

Jenny chewed on her lower lip, debating whether or not to voice her thoughts.

"And all I want for you is to be happy, Jane."

His use of her Christian name startled her. There was something in his voice that cautioned her, a vulnerability in his words that led her to believe this really would be their last night together in any capacity.

The reality of tomorrow was marching towards them with every tick of the clock. This wasn't a lesson—those days were long gone. This was goodbye .

She furrowed her brow as he once again shifted beneath her. He pulled her to the side and stood up. Then he extended his hand to help her stand up.

She slid her hand into his, her heart racing.

Please, please, please don't walk me to your door.

Jenny bit her lip as she silently followed him out of the study, down the hallway, and up the stairs. She breathed a sigh of relief, only to become suddenly aware of what was about to transpire between them.

She took a deep breath with each step that brought her closer to his bedroom door.

She remained silent when he ushered inside and led her to his bed. She watched as he removed his shirt and tossed it on the desk next to a grand window.

Her mouth went dry as her eyes raked over his naked torso. He was tall with lean muscles that flexed and moved in a way she never witnessed before. Her fingers itched to touch his skin, so different than hers.

She kept her eyes on him as he strode back to her, reaching up to loosen the ties of her dress. She focused on the dark pools of green as he gently tugged her dress down, leaving her in just her shift.

Only when she felt his feather-light touch on her neck did her eyes flutter shut.

Her body soon became overwhelmed with too many sensations. His warm breath on her neck as he leaned in to place gentle kisses on her neck and shoulders. His light touch as he pushed her shift off her body. His hands as they led his kisses down to her stomach, leaving a fiery trail in their wake.

David knelt in front of her, peeling off her stockings one by one. The plush carpet tickled her feet. She felt the air leave her lungs when he looked up at her with such… what? How was he looking at her? Was it love? Was she that naive to think he may feel the same way she did?

Did she truly love him? If they loved each other, could they have a future?

Jenny pushed the intrusive thoughts away. Tonight was not about the future. Tonight was about the here and now, regardless of what she wanted.

Tonight was for them.

She reached down to him and pulled him back up.

He cupped her cheeks and kissed her, then he tilted her head to deepen the kiss. Her hands rose and delved into his hair. She tugged on the strands, unwilling to let this moment end.

David turned them and laid her down on his bed. He settled between her thighs, a smile forming on his lips. "Well, kitten, it seems you're ready for me."

She was thankful for the dark, for it hid her blush, much like the night they first met. Only his words had the ability to make her blush so deeply.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, David."

"Then I will have to make sure it was worth the wait," he said with a devilish grin. He trailed kisses down her body, stopping just at the apex of her thighs. He looked up at her with the most rakish smile. "I've been waiting for this as well, kitten." He nodded towards her center, looking as if he was about to devour her.

Jenny tilted her head in confusion when his lips touched her molten center, coaxing a cry from her lips. Her hands reached out to grab his head. Her first instinct was to push him away, only she found herself holding onto him.

"David" she moaned.

"Yes, kitten?"

She could hear the smile and triumph in his words.

"What are you… ohhhhh." She arched her back.

A new feeling began to grow deep within her. Her body began to move in a way that was foreign to her yet felt as natural as breathing.

David moaned against her sex. "This. I've been waiting for this. You are sweeter than any fruit on this earth."

Any other time, those words would have had her crawling into a hole to hide her embarrassment, but here, underneath the spell he was casting over her body, she felt empowered.

Something in her began chanting, "More, more, more." She dug her fingers into his hair and pulled.

"Careful, kitten. You have sharp nails, and I'd rather keep my hair."

She let out a laugh that turned into a loud moan when his tongue flicked against a particularly sensitive spot.

"Jenny? Look at me."

Jenny looked down at the man between her spread legs. His face was glistening with her arousal, his pupils blown wide.

"Listen to me, I need you to relax for the next part."

She nodded her head frantically. She did not understand what she was agreeing to, but as long as he kept doing what he was doing, she'd be fine with it.

He slid a finger inside her, causing her to jolt. "Shh, kitten. It's alright."

She shook her head. "David. I don't… I don't know. Something is happening."

His kisses continued as his finger slid in and out of her. Jenny dug her heels into the mattress, pushing up into him. Tension was building in her core, and the faster his fingers moved, the faster the tension built.

"Breathe, Jenny. Just feel. There is no tomorrow, there are no rules, there is only you and me. What do you feel?"

Jenny's breathing became labored. "I feel hot, and there's so much happening that I've never felt before," she managed between choppy breaths.

"I know, kitten."

Her hips began to buck.

"That a girl. You're almost there. Keep going. You always follow your instinct—follow it now."

Jenny's body was flooded with emotions and sensations she could no longer differentiate. But one word kept her grounded. David. David. David. David.

His name became her lifeline. Only now, his name was no longer just a thought.

"David. David. David. David."

Her chant started as a breathy whisper, only to grow louder with each thrust of his finger, each flick of his tongue. She chased the high her body was promising her until her core spasmed and hot white light flashed before her eyes.

Her scream echoed off his bedroom walls.

She lay there utterly spent, panting through the haze her orgasm left her in. "What was that?"

David kissed his way back up her body. "That was proof I know what I'm doing." His tone was playful, but there was something brewing behind his eyes that, if she were honest with herself, scared her.

She swatted his shoulder. "Show off."

He looked down at her. "Are you ready?"

Her eyes bulged. "There's more?"

David raised an eyebrow. "That was just the opening act, kitten." He shucked his trousers off before he settled between her legs again. "Get those claws out. I expect to have you scraping my back in a minute."

Jenny let out a laugh. "You're incorrigible. I'll leave scars!"

David kissed her neck, sucked on it. Each little pull of his mouth elicited a sigh from her. "I'll gladly live with your scars for the rest of my life."

His words were like a balm on her soul.

David reached down between them and guided his cock to her entrance. With one more look for approval, he slid into her.

She yelped at the intrusion.

"Are you alright?" His voice was full of concern, his body still above hers.

She opened her eyes and shook her head. "Yes. I'm fine, please, just, um… move?"

Jenny cringed at her na?veté. She had no idea if his moving would help ease the burn or make it worse. But her instinct told her to move, and David told her to trust her instincts.

David clucked his tongue. "Ever the bossy one."

She looked up to find his lips curling into a teasing smirk. And that's when the dam inside her broke.

She knew, without a doubt, she was in love with him. Funny it happened when he called her bossy, but it was so perfectly them. Even when she was at her most vulnerable, he was able to evoke her strength and help her see her worth.

She was bossy, she knew what she wanted, and David was the first person who truly made her feel like that was something to be proud of. That alone was enough to make her love him.

"I know what I want, and I want you, David."

He leaned down and kissed her. "Then it's me you shall have."

His hips began to move, slowly at first, allowing her to become accustomed to his girth.

She raised her hips, meeting his thrust with one of her own.

His smile grew. "My, my, my, kitten, you are a fast learner."

She preened under his compliment. "Move faster, David."

The sensation she chased earlier was building again, and she now understood why Thomas and Frances were never around those first months of their marriage. If she could feel this every day, she'd never leave her bedroom either.

"As you wish, kitten."

David began to move faster. Jenny wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer with a squeeze of her legs.

Her moans mixed with his groans, making the most beautiful symphony she had ever heard. She raked her nails down his back.

"That's it, kitten. Mark me."

His scandalous words emboldened her. She locked her legs around him, lifted herself, and began to nibble on his neck as his thrusts quickened. His moans of ecstasy fueled the fire growing inside of her, and she bit hard.

David growled in her ear in response.

She leaned back, worrying her lip with her teeth. "Too much?"

He captured her mouth, his tongue matching the frenzied pace of his hips. "Nothing is too much when it comes to you, kitten."

Heavy emotions swirled inside her, getting caught up in the building storm within her.

"David," she pleaded. "Please, I need to… I need… David. David."

Once again, his name was her lifeline to navigate the pressure her emotions and feelings were putting her through.

"Look at me, kitten."

His eyes were dark pools of green, holding her captive. She couldn't look away even if she tried.

"Go after what you want."

His words were a lightning bolt straight to her core, and her heart. She squeezed her legs together, and her fingernails dug into his back as she arched.

With a slight tilt, David hit the aching spot within her, and her world exploded. Her euphoric scream dried out her throat and left her head spinning.

David frantically thrust into her another time before following with his own orgasm.

Her legs relaxed, but she refused to let him roll off her. "Please, David. Not just yet."

She cringed. She tried to keep the desperation out of her voice. Just as quickly as her orgasm hit her, so did the reality that whatever they had between them was over.

David said nothing. His body molded to hers, letting their skin touch in the most intimate and vulnerable way for just a little longer. He placed soft kisses on her throat and then on her cheek, where his mouth met a lonely tear.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Jenny. I?—"

Jenny vigorously shook her head. "No. Please, don't. I can't hear how we cannot be together. Not now. Not after… not after…" Her breath hitched in her throat, and she sniffled.

He rested his forehead on hers, before placing one last kiss there and rolling off her.

The cool air hit Jenny's body, making her shiver. David rose from the bed and collected his clothes. "Stay here. I'll go get a towel and some water." His voice was void of emotion, which hurt her even more.

Jenny silently shook her head, wiping the tears that were falling faster now.

David walked out into the hallway, leaving the door slightly ajar. Jenny looked around the room, feeling bereft and more heartbroken than ever. She had intended to come here to put this arrangement behind her, but it only made her realize she was in love with him.

She looked at the door. She couldn't face him again. She couldn't handle saying goodbye.

She scrambled out of his bed, collecting her clothes as quickly as she could. Through her blurry vision, she threw her dress and shoes on, then stuffed her stockings in her coat pocket.

With a quick look up and down the hallway, she sprinted down the steps and towards the front door.

As she ran out the door, she heard her name being called out, followed by the sound of glass shattering.