‘So now she always carries adrenaline?’

Alex nodded. ‘Thank goodness. Although I’m going to tell her that she needs to carry more than one syringe of the stuff.’

Jenny lifted hand and touched his cheek gently. ‘You must feel worn out after that. I can’t imagine what it must have felt like, seeing your sister collapse like that.’

‘It was traumatic,’ he muttered wearily, and she shrugged helplessly.

‘Can I get you anything? A whisky?’

Despite the obvious tension, he gave a soft laugh. ‘You’re actually offering to pour me a whisky?’

She gave a hesitant smile. ‘I think you need to relax. If it didn’t taste so revolting I’d have one myself.’

His blue eyes burned into hers. ‘And what if I prefer to use one of your other methods?’

Her breath caught at the look in his eyes and she felt her legs wobble. ‘Which method did you have in mind?’

He hesitated for a long moment and then he gave a groan and slid his hands into her hair, pulling her hard against him.

She held her breath, aching with anticipation as she waited for his kiss, but he just stared down at her, his expression inscrutable.

‘You are such a gentle, kind person, Jenny,’ he muttered hoarsely, ‘and I am totally wrong for you.’

The blood was pounding in her ears and her insides melted. ‘You’re not wrong for me.’

He stroked her hair away from her face, his eyes devouring hers. ‘I can’t give you a relationship.’

‘I know that.’

His breathing was unsteady. ‘So why aren’t you running?’

‘Because I love you,’ she said simply, and he closed his eyes and gave a groan.

‘Jenny…’

‘It’s OK,’ she whispered. ‘I’m not asking anything of you. I just wanted to be honest with you. I know you don’t love me back. I don’t expect you to.’

Suddenly she didn’t care about his relationship with her sister. Being with Alex felt totally right.

For this one night, they were meant to be together.

He opened his eyes and his hands tightened on her face. ‘You don’t know what you’re saying.’

‘Oh, yes, I do.’ She gave a shy smile. ‘I know exactly what I’m saying.’

Breathing heavily, he lowered his forehead to hers. She could feel the hard bite of his fingers through the thin fabric of her T-shirt and the warmth of his powerful body pressing against hers. The excitement was so intense that it threatened to swamp her.

‘The children…’

‘Athena and Zoe never wake up,’ he muttered, inhaling her scent as he kissed his way down her neck.

‘Alex…’ She gasped his name and lifted her hands, terrified that her legs wouldn’t hold her any longer. But fortunately they didn’t have to. He scooped her up easily into his arms and carried her into his bedroom, laying her gently on his bed before coming down on top of her.

He was all powerful muscle and hard male strength and she felt her heart pound uncontrollably as she placed her hands on his arms in a gesture of pure female surrender.