A Prince for Jenny by Peggy Webb

Jenny.
    "Now we can go."
     o0o
    Standing outside her bedroom door, he gathered her into his arms. "This is the best part of my day," he whispered before his lips descended on hers.
    He was gentle with her, sweet, and she loved every minute of it. But lately she'd felt how he was holding back. The muscles in his upper arms were tightly corded and his neck and back were stiff.
    He was even careful to pull his hips back as soon as she began to feel the wonderful, mysterious changes in his lower body.
    "Good night, my love," he whispered.
    "Good night, Daniel."
    Already bruised from her encounter at the party, she felt a crushing sense of defeat when he handed her into her room and shut the door. She leaned against it, listening to his footsteps in the hall. She could hear when his door opened, hear when he entered the room next door.
    Didn't he want her the way a man wanted a woman? Gwendolyn had told her how it would be ... under duress, of course. And Jenny had felt all that swollen flesh.
    She remembered Gwendolyn's exact words. Sweaty, tangled coupling. Why couldn't she have the sweaty, tangled coupling?
    Jenny undressed and put on her gown. The changes in her body were evident. Her breasts were fuller, heavier, the nipples puckered and hard. And oh, that sweet heat between her thighs. It was wonderful and terrible at the same time. And it happened every time Daniel kissed her.
    So many of her dreams had come true, was she selfish to be dreaming of more?
    Her mind swung back to the party. Had her dream become Daniel's nightmare?
    Jenny knew of only one thing to do, and that was find out the truth. Without design or forethought, she pushed opened the connecting door.
     o0o
    "Daniel?"
    He was standing beside the window with his back to the door. Every nerve in his body tensed when he heard her call his name. He turned slowly, and the sight of her made him catch his breath.
    She couldn't have looked more desirable if she'd planned a midnight seduction. Her hair was loose and disheveled, her white cotton gown hung off one shoulder, and her cheeks were pink with excitement.
    Desire slammed into him so hard, he almost reeled.
    "I'm glad I didn't wake you," she said.
    "You didn't." Sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. Standing there clad in nothing but his shorts and his passion, he was grateful for the darkness.
    She came straight to the window, wrapped her arms around his waist, and laid her head on his chest. He bit back a groan.
    Easing his hips sideways, he put his arm around her shoulders. Her thin gown was no protection. His skin felt seared where her body touched his.
    "Having a restless night, Jenny?" Was that desire-clogged croak his voice?
    "Yes."
    No matter what was happening in his life, he could count on Jenny to cut right to the heart of the matter. One of the hallmarks of the truly innocent was total honesty.
    Daniel thought of the news article resting in his wastebasket. Where did you draw the line between being protective and being dishonest?
    Jenny held on a moment longer then stepped out of his embrace. "I know about the newspaper stories. Did you know?"
    "Yes. I wanted to spare you that."
    "I don't want to be protected." She squeezed her hands tightly together, praying for the right words. "I'm no longer a child. I'm a woman."
    "There was never any doubt in my mind that you're a woman, Jenny."
    "Would you have told a normal woman?"
    Would he? Would they have laughed together over bad press, or would his male ego have demanded that he play the role of protector and hero?
    "I honestly don't know, Jenny."
    "Would a normal woman be sleeping in a separate bedroom?"
    Caught off guard by her sudden veering of topic, Daniel couldn't come up with a quick answer. The truth was he would definitely not be sleeping in a separate bedroom. But how could he say that without hurting her? Another truth was that he loved Jenny more than he'd ever loved another woman. And yet, because she was special, he felt an urgent