Page 105 of The Danger of Desire

“So her brotherwasn’tlooking for Niall to get revenge on him because of the duel.”

“I doubt it. But he might have had another equally disastrous reason. Delia and I recently learned that Niall and Reynold’s widow knew each other before Reynold married her. And you know how men can be with rivals for their wives’ affections.”

“Oh, I do. Just look at how much my good-natured flirtations with your wife irritated you.”

Warren shot him a sharp glance. “Don’t flatter yourself. Delia wouldn’t even consider you as a lover.”

“Of course not. She’s in love withyou. Even if she hadn’t said so, any dolt could see it. I would kill to have a woman look at me the way she looks at you.”

“Which is how?” Warren asked hoarsely.

“As if you are the key to paradise.”

Warren frowned. “Not today, she doesn’t.”

“No, but she will again. As long as you show her,tellher, that you’re in love with her, too.”

“But... what if I’m not?”

Hart snorted. “Don’t be an idiot. Of course you’re in love with her. I can see how you look ather,too. As if you need her. Want her. Are desperate to be with her. If that isn’t love, I don’t know what you’d call it.”

“You don’t understand,” Warren choked out. “Loving her means I could hurt her. Worse than you can possibly imagine.”

“And not loving her means you might lose her. Which would you prefer?”

Warren gritted his teeth. He didn’t want to lose her, that was certain.

“Besides, from what I understand, loving someone isn’t really a choice. You either do or you don’t. And you do. Don’t you?”

“Yes.”

It was true. What had Delia said last night after he’d told her she shouldn’t love him?Can’t help it.

Neither could he. He didn’twantto be in love with a woman who drove him mad. Who made him do things he feared, risk things he shouldn’t, desire things he’d never desired before. But he did. It was a simple, undeniable fact.

Perhaps it was time he accepted it. And that meant he had to show her that hedidtrust her, that hecouldbe the husband she needed. That he was at least willing to try.

But how?

“Tell me what to do,” Warren rasped.

“You’re askingmyadvice?”

“You’re my brother. It goes both ways.”

“About damned time you realized that,” Hart muttered.

“I don’t want her suffering alone through whatever truths she finds out about Reynold and Brilliana. I need to be there, but she doesn’t want me there.”

“Shedoeswant you there, but as the husband who loves her—not as the Marquess of Knightford who wants to fix everything for her. So only go if you can stand beside her, not in front of her. Can you do that?”

“Yes. I think so.”

He had to. So he could tell her that he loved her before she gave up on him. Because if she did that, life would simply not be worth living anymore.

Twenty-Five

Delia arrived at Stoke Towers just as most of the guests were rising. As she entered the breakfast room, Clarissa waylaid her. “My dear, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?”