Page 29 of Her Irresistible Husband

Enlarged photographs of Hope Rises lined the space between the ballroom's tall windows, and his chest tightened as his gaze zeroed in on one of the photos in the center of the display.

It was the playroom where he had first seen Samuel with his dark head bent over his children's Bible.

The same playroom where he had first noticed Star.

This was where everything started...but it was all fucking gone now.

When he'd first seen Samuel, he'd recognized himself in the boy. Quiet and self-contained, creating walls of independence because depending on others only led to disappointment. But deep inside, Samuel was likely yearning to have someone to rely on, just like Wynd had when his parents died one after another in the span of five brutal months.

He didn't know whether it was right or wrong, but in Samuel, he'd seen a chance to rewrite the past. Make sure that at least one boy in this world wouldn't end up like him.

But when Star came along...

One look at her, and Wynd had known she was different from everyone else. Not just because of her sunshine-bright dress or those gold hoops that caught the light when she moved.

There were just so many other things.

Things that no other woman had or could do, such as the way she had looked at Samuel...and him.

For almost his entire life, the idea of love had filled Wynd with bitterness and contempt. He'd seen it as nothing but pretense used by weak people like his parents, a pretty lie that fell apart the moment money dried up and circumstances drastically changed.

Love, even if it was real, wasn't what he wanted.

Love only killed.

And that was why, when he'd realized it was what was making his heart pound every time he looked at Star...

"Mr. Sullivan, good evening."

The familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts, and Wynd turned to find Brenda Chopin approaching with her trademark warm smile.

The director of Hope Rises looked elegant in a navy dress that probably came from her own modest salary rather than a designer boutique, but she carried herself with the quiet dignityof someone who'd devoted her life to caring for children who had nowhere else to go.

Wynd schooled his features into a courteous smile as he inclined his head in greeting. "Mrs. Chopin, good evening."

"It's good to see you again. I wish I could stay and chat longer, but I'm needed back at the orphanage."

"I hope nothing's wrong?"

"I'm hoping it's the opposite, actually," Brenda confided. "We have a prospective parent coming in tonight. She's right at the top of our approved list, same as you. But I'm really hoping she'll tell me she's found herself a relationship since we last spoke." She sighed, adjusting the simple gold cross at her throat. "We rarely approve applications from single-parent households, no matter how qualified they are. Children need stability, and that's so much easier to provide with two parents."

The evening continued around him in a haze of polite conversation and orchestrated generosity. Dinner was served, but he couldn't remember what he ate or how it tasted. People started giving speeches, but he heard not a single word. Checks were signed and submitted, and although Wynd donated a large sum himself—

All he could think about was the woman Brenda had mentioned, and the thought had Wynd feeling increasingly desperate.

What if it was Star?

What if his actions had made her desperate herself—perhaps even desperate enough to jump into a relationship with another man, and all to improve her chances of adopting Samuel?

He of all people knew how damn easy it would be for any man to fall for someone like Star.

And it would be just as easy for her to find a man who was better than him. Kinder. And with a lot less baggage.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and the first thing he found himself imagining was Star seated in Brenda's office, and next to him was another man...

Another man who would soon earn the right to claim her as his wife—and Samuel, their son.

No, dammit. No.

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