Page 78 of Wedded to the Duke of Seduction

The sensation frightened him. This was precisely what he had spent a decade avoiding—emotional entanglement, the dangerous territory where control slipped away and pain inevitably followed.

Marina was right. He wanted more from her than he had any right to expect, more than their arrangement had ever intended.

Abruptly, Leo stepped back from the terrace doorway.

“Don’t stay out too long. The night air grows chilly,” he called out.

Without waiting for her response, he retreated into the house, missing the flash of disappointment that crossed Marina’s face at his sudden withdrawal.

It was better this way, he told himself. Better to maintain the boundaries they had established than to risk the fragile equilibrium they had achieved.

Yet as he strode toward his study, Leo couldn’t silence the voice that whispered he was a coward—not for facing down William’s betrayal or society’s condemnation but for running from the one thing he might truly want. A genuine connection with the woman who had become his wife.

CHAPTER 28

“The new Duchess of Blackmere continues to surprise society,” Leo overheard Lady Jersey remark to her companion as he entered the Rutherford ballroom. “Who would have imagined the quiet widow would transform so dramatically? That gown is positively daring.”

Leo followed her gaze across the crowded room. His steps faltered when he spotted Marina.

For the past two weeks, they had maintained a careful distance—polite at meals, cordial in public, but with none of the intimacy they had briefly shared. When he had abruptly left the garden that night, it had created a silent barrier, and neither of them had attempted to overcome it.

But tonight… Leo’s breath caught as he studied his wife.

Marina wore a gown of deep crimson silk cut lower across the bodice than anything she had worn before. The rich color against her fair skin drew every eye in the room. The fitted waist and flowing skirts emphasized her curves in a way that made his mouth go dry. Her hair was arranged in an elegant knot, adorned with ruby pins that caught the light with every slight movement of her head.

She was stunning, and from the admiring glances she was receiving, he wasn’t the only man who thought so.

“Your duchess appears determined to set tongues wagging tonight,” Noah remarked, appearing at Leo’s elbow with two glasses of champagne. “That shade of red is practically scandalous for a respectable matron.”

Leo accepted the glass, but his eyes never left Marina as she conversed with Seraphina and Alice across the room.

“Marina has never been one to follow convention.”

“Clearly,” Noah agreed, his tone amused. “Though I suspect her choice of gown has a specific target in mind.”

Leo tore his gaze away to glance at his friend. “What are you implying?”

“Only that I have noticed a certain coolness between you these past weeks.” Noah sipped his champagne. “Perhaps the Duchess has decided to remind you of what you’ve been neglecting.”

Leo didn’t have time to reply; Dorian arrived, his face etched with worry.

“Thank God you’re both here early. Alice has been fretting all day about the seating arrangement for tomorrow’s dinner party. Apparently, the Austrian ambassador’s wife cannot be seated near Lady Rothmore because of some incident involving a Pomeranian and a pot of jam.”

“The challenges of diplomatic relations,” Noah replied with mock solemnity. “How fortunate that I remain blissfully unmarried and free from such concerns.”

“You will attend, of course?” Dorian asked Leo. “Alice is really hoping everyone from our circle of friends will be there.”

“We wouldn’t miss it,” Leo assured him as his gaze drifted back to Marina.

Her laugh carried across the room, musical and unrestrained in a way he rarely heard. The sound created a tightness in his chest.

“Excellent.” Dorian followed Leo’s line of sight, his expression turning speculative. “Your wife looks striking tonight.”

“Marina has excellent taste,” Leo replied neutrally though he couldn’t suppress a spark of pride at the admiration his wife was receiving.

“Indeed, she does.” Dorian gave him a pointed look. “In literature, fashion, and apparently in husbands, despite your recent behavior.”

Leo’s eyebrows rose. “My behavior?”

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