Page 79 of The Big Bad Duke
And if last night proved anything, it was that she trusted him. He could see it in the way she slept so peacefully beside him—completely vulnerable, completely open.
She was vulnerable with him in ways he suspected she’d never been with anyone else.
And she had given herself to him.
Openly.
Willingly.
Without holding back.
The memory of her hands on his skin, her soft cries of pleasure, the way she had whispered his name made his chest tighten with something that felt dangerously close to tenderness.
She didn’t need his tenderness, though.
She was strong. She was resourceful. Quick-witted and brave.
She could take care of herself.
She wasn’t a delicate flower that needed watering, coddling, or gentle treatment.
She was someone who would feel at home in his rough, grey world. Someone who would brighten it with her fire and determination. Someone who could share the burden of the darkness he carried.
She was perfect.
Perfect for him.
He waited for the familiar stab of guilt—the voice in his head that would condemn him for betraying Sarah’s memory.
He thought he’d feel guilty that, for the first time in fifteen years, he was developing feelings for someone else; that he was somehow betraying Sarah. But the guilt didn’t come.
Instead, there was only a strange sense of peace.
Sarah would have wanted him to find happiness again.
Oddly, this—moving on—was exactly what she would have wished for him, not the path of vengeance he had chosen.
What he felt for Leila, what they had together, was different from what he’d shared with Sarah.
With Leila, he felt almost joyous, exhilarated.
With Sarah, he had lived in a constant state of quiet contentment.
But of course, their marriage had been different.
Calm.
Uneventful.
Built on years of gentle affection and shared routine.
He was never without happiness for long in those days; it had become a way of life, as natural as breathing.
He didn’t want to compare them.
He quickly realized he had enough space in his heart for both women.
Sarah had been perfect for him then, in that other life, when he was a different man.
