His mouth was on hers before she had a chance to react. Unlike last time, he didn’t give her the chance to say no. He simply took what he seemed to want urgently, if his ravenous kiss was any indication.

Jenny flattened her hands against his chest and pushed him back. “No,” she said, sputtering with outrage and despair. “You can’t do this to me. I won’t allow it. You sent me away like I meant nothing to you.”

“You never meant nothing to me. You meant too much. That was the problem.”

“Well, great. That makes me feel so much better.”

“I love you desperately. I’ve missed you more than I’ve ever missed anyone in my entire life. Every day I had to force myself to stay away from you when everything in me yearned for you.”

Okay, she had to admit that was some pretty good groveling. And it was a tremendous comfort to know he’d been every bit as miserable.

He focused on something over her shoulder. “I was embarrassed. For the first time since my mother got sick, what she did… I was embarrassed by her.” He released a deep sigh. “And I was furious with her. I’d never felt either of those things in all the time we’ve been dealing with her illness, but it wasn’t about me anymore. It was about you and how it affected you. So I figured if I pushed you away, I could protect you from getting hurt.”

“Just FYI, that strategy totally backfired.”

“I know that now.”

“So what changed?”

“Nothing other than I’ve run out of willpower. I guess I’m a selfish bastard after all, because I don’t care anymore if I’m being fair to you by bringing you into my chaotic life. I don’t care if it’s fair that my mother basically called you a whore in front of your parents. I don’t care about anything other than finding a way to spend as much of every day with you as I possibly can.”

Jenny stared up at him, trying to decide if this was really happening or if she was having one of her vivid dreams.

And then he smiled, and she melted. “I’m just a guy, standing before a girl, asking her to love him.”

Jenny’s composure broke, and she stepped into his embrace. “She does love him every bit as desperately as he loves her.”

He hugged her so tightly she could barely breathe. “I’m so sorry I freaked out. Once the dust settled and I realized how stupid I’d been, I drove everyone crazy until Paul begged me to come cut the grass and fix this with you, if I still could. And he said to tell you he needs you at the store as badly as I need you in my bed.”

Jenny raised a brow. “Was that a direct quote?”