Page 102 of Wedded to the Duke of Seduction

Leo looked up to find not only Dorian but Gerard as well with Noah hovering behind them looking decidedly smug.

“Traitorous bastard,” Leo muttered at Noah.

“Concerned friend,” Noah corrected, pulling up a chair. “I merely suggested you might benefit from additional perspectives.”

Gerard signaled a server for more glasses. “We were worried when Noah told us about your… situation.”

“My situation is perfectly under control,” Leo said, his tone biting.

“Clearly.” Dorian glanced pointedly at the bottle. “Nothing says ‘control’ quite like hiding in a gaming hell while your wife sits alone in your home.”

Leo scowled. “She’s better off without me.”

“Is she?” Gerard asked mildly. “Or is that simply easier for you to believe?”

The server arrived with additional glasses which Gerard filled and distributed. An uncomfortable silence fell as the four men studied their drinks.

“William’s been found,” Leo said finally, breaking the tension. “Matthews traced him to London.”

Gerard and Dorian exchanged glances.

“After all this time,” Gerard murmured. “That’s… unexpected.”

“And fortuitous,” Dorian added, his gaze sharp on Leo’s face. “A perfect excuse to avoid confronting your actual problems.”

Leo’s hand slammed down on the table. “My brother’s return is not a distraction. It’s the conclusion of a decade’s search.”

“Of course, it is,” Dorian agreed too readily. “Just as running from your townhouse had nothing to do with fear.”

“I’m not afraid,” Leo hissed.

“Then you’re a liar.” Gerard’s blunt assessment caught Leo off guard. “We’ve known you since Eton, Leo. We’ve seen you face down angry fathers, jealous husbands, and even a rather memorable charging bull without flinching. The only thing that’s ever really frightened you is the possibility of caring too much.”

Leo glared at his old friend, seething with anger but also a deeper unease at the truth of his words.

“Marina is not Felicity,” Dorian said quietly. “Nor is she using you to get to something else as Felicity used William.”

“You don’t know that,” Leo muttered though his protest sounded weak even to his own ears.

“Actually, we do.” Gerard leaned forward. “We’ve observed her at social gatherings, seen how she looks at you when she thinks no one is watching. There’s no calculation there, Leo. Only a woman who sees past all your carefully constructed barriers.”

“And that terrifies you,” Noah chimed in, “because if she sees the real you and still loves you, then perhaps you’re worthy of that love after all.”

Leo reached for his glass, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. “You’ve all suddenly become experts on my marriage?”

“No,” Dorian replied. “But we’re experts on you, old friend. And right now, you’re making the mistake of a lifetime.”

Leo drained his glass, wishing the alcohol would dull the growing unease in his chest. “What am I supposed to do? Crawl back and beg for forgiveness for being unable to give her what she wants?”

“What exactly does she want that’s so impossible?” Gerard asked. “Your heart? The truth of your feelings?”

“She wants more than I can offer,” Leo insisted though the words rang hollow.

“Or perhaps,” Dorian suggested, “she simply wants what you’re already feeling but refusing to acknowledge.”

The truth of it struck Leo like a physical blow. He stared at his empty glass, memories of Marina flooding his mind—her laughter, her defiance, the way she fit so perfectly in his arms. The thought of losing her permanently created a hollow ache in his chest that no amount of brandy could fill.

“What if she’s already gone?” he asked, voicing his deepest fear. “What if I’ve pushed her too far?”