Page 68 of The Big Bad Duke

Although the relentless pulsing in her head had eased, her lungs burned, and her muscles ached.

She was in no condition to walk any farther.

“I don’t want to risk starting a fire,” he said, taking the cloak off her shoulders and spreading it out on the ground again. “I don’t want anyone to spot our location.”

Leila nodded.

“Sit here and rest.”

Leila sank onto the cloak and wrapped her arms around her knees, curling into a ball.

She was cold, and she was tired. She wanted to lean against Gideon and draw strength from the heat of his body.

But he walked away. A few moments later, he returned with a flask of water and then went foraging for berries.

He brought them to Leila, and she examined them with a practiced eye.

She had once been a healer—now a poisoner. She knew which berries were safe to eat and which weren’t.

Nearby, she spotted plants that were effective for soothing aching joints, while others were useful for treating burns.

Neither of them had been badly burned in the fire, but small patches of skin here and there had taken the brunt of the heat.

After they had eaten and prepared for the night, Gideon lay down beside her and drew her close. She pressed her forehead to his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat lulling her to sleep.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled the cloak over them both.

Leila was warm. She was comfortable. And she was safe.

This is what safety feels like, she realized with surprise. She hadn’t felt that way in over a decade.

Now, in the arms of the man she was supposed to kill, she found peace.

They lay there in what should have been companionable silence, but she could sense the tension in his body. His head turned with every sound—every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, and every distant birdcall.

She was grateful he remained vigilant, but he needed sleep, too.

If he didn’t rest, he wouldn’t be able to walk far tomorrow. He wouldn’t be able to protect them.

She decided to distract him, giving his mind something else to focus on besides the dangers that might be lurking in the woods. If she was being honest with herself, she also wanted to know more about him.

“What are you going to do when it’s over?” she asked softly.

He shrugged, the movement shifting her slightly against his chest. “Disappear.”

“How can a duke disappear?” she asked, genuine curiosity in her voice. She had spent her life in the shadows, while he lived under the brightest spotlight English society could offer. Every move he made was noted, commented on, and dissected by gossips.

“To be completely honest with you,” he said after a long pause, “I’ve never looked that far ahead. Until recently, I didn’t think I had a future.”

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “What made you change your mind?”

He was quiet for a long moment, his thumb tracing slow, gentle circles on her arm through the fabric of her shirt.

“There was a time not so long ago when I thought I could never feel anything again,” he said finally, his voice so low she had to strain to hear it. “That I couldn’t feel attraction. Passion. Need for another woman.” He paused, and when he continued, there was something raw and vulnerable in his tone. “But if I can feel… maybe I can live.”

“And you feel that now?”

“I feel the pull toward you,” he admitted, his voice low and intense, making her pulse quicken. “And I know that it is unwise to pursue it right now.”