Chapter 66
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Jessica’s chest tightened as she tried to calm herself. After struggling for a long while, she went to the walk–in closet and pulled out one of the nightgowns she used to wear back at her
old rental.
She had so many. They had been gifts from Elsa’s previous business partners. The fabric was minimal and consisted mostly of spaghetti straps. Some barely reached her thighs, and the shortest one clung tightly to her waist, barely covering her hips.
She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes, picking one at random before heading into the bathroom. Of course, she ended up with one that barely reached past her hips, leaving her underwear almost exposed. The top was a simple spaghetti strap with no padding, and the back was cut out.
She stood in front of the mirror, feeling a rush of nervousness, as if she were about to step onto a battlefield. She patted her flushed cheeks and gave herself a mental pep talk. “Breathe.”
She stepped out of the bathroom and walked toward the study. Zachary sat at his computer, typing with the top three buttons of his shirt undone. His black tie was loosened and tossed over one of his shoulders, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.
The tailored fabric clung to his strong muscles, outlining every line of his body, even the crease of his trousers. It gave him a rare, effortless charm, making his usual intensity feel surprisingly casual.
The room echoed with the rapid click of the keyboard, letters dancing under his long fingers. Zachary was so focused that he didn’t notice Jessica at all until she stood beside his chair, just about one foot away. His gaze lifted from the keyboard to her, and he froze mid–motion.
In that instant, a wild heat coursed through him, and desire flared to life in a single, blazing moment. The overwhelming reaction rattled him, and his fingers tightened over the keyboard so strongly that the veins on the backs of his hands bulged.
His throat bobbed, and even the veins in his arms seemed to strain, barely holding back the fire within.
Jessica didn’t realize that even if she were wrapped in a heavy coat, hiding every curve, her presence alone was enough to stir a man’s desire. All the more now, when the flimsy scraps of fabric she wore could be torn away with a single tug.
Zachary forced himself to look away. He rose from his chair, lifted the jacket draped over it, and gently settled it around her shoulders before guiding her toward the door. Jessica froze, startled by the sudden gesture,
She didn’t dare to move. His hands rested heavily and hot on her shoulders, the heat spreading
Chapter 66
from her skin to the rest of her body. What did he mean by this?
The pressure of his grip tightened, and it hurt. Zachary was barely holding back.
“Zachary…” she murmured, her voice trembling as her whole body shook.
She drew in a shaky breath and whispered, “I’m ready…”
Her words were soft and fragile, laced with a charm that carried its own dangerous allure.
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Zachary understood exactly what she meant, but he didn’t want her this way. He hadn’t heard Derrick’s words, but he had read enough from the movement of his lips to know.
Jessica was terrified. The thought of being abandoned gnawed at her, and the fear that Zachary’s feelings were nothing more than a fleeting impulse left her desperate. That was why she pushed herself toward that step, hoping to prove where she stood.
However, this wasn’t what Zachary wanted. If they crossed that line now, he would be no different from any other man driven by desire, and love would have no place in what they had. Zachary longed for a love that was real, overflowing, and unshakable.
He had gone through everything to bring Jessica into his life, and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel trapped by him.
“Not tonight,” he said quietly. “I might have to work late. You should get some rest.
Zachary guided her back to her room, then turned away and returned to the study, sinking
into the seat at his desk.
He buried his face in his hands, torn apart inside. He knew that a love taken by force could never be sweet. It might dull the ache, but it would never satisfy him. What he longed for was the unyielding sweetness that only true love could bring.
Elsewhere, Jessica stood frozen, her fingers tightening around the hem of her clothes. A strange mix of emotions stirred inside her. She felt a flicker of happiness, yet it was quickly drowned by a deeper wave of disappointment.
Why did the sadness outweigh everything else?
She slipped back under the covers, curling into a small ball at the edge of the bed. A heavy ache pressed against her chest, sharper than the pain of leaving Derrick.
Doubts whispered through her mind. Was she simply not attractive enough? Or had he already grown tired of her before they had even begun?
Her chest tightened once more, and before she could stop it, tears slid down the bridge of her nose, sinking silently into the sheets beneath her. Without realizing it, she drifted into sleep.
Chapter 67
