Page 70 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
Magnus was standing by the hearth, staring into the flames like he could command them to speak.
She stopped in the doorway, and although her footsteps were audible, he didn’t turn around.
“You sent Nathan running,” she said softly.
He didn’t answer right away.
“Wasn’t difficult. The boy crumbles under pressure,” he murmured, his voice low.
She stepped closer, tilting her head. “He challenged you to a duel.”
She had no idea how Summer knew that, but she was grateful for the information, nonetheless.
Magnus turned to look at her, the ghost of a smile crossing his face. “Yes. I was deeply wounded by the idea.”
She managed a small smile. “You could’ve said yes. Ended the Medlin name once and for all.”
Magnus sobered up. “I have no interest in ending your name, Lily.”
Although their tones were light, she didn’t miss the emotion in his last words. She felt it, deep in her heart.
“Why did you do it then?” she asked after a beat, trying to regain her composure.
“Bailey is a vulture,” Magnus continued. “And your brother, God help him, isn’t clever enough to know the difference between a contract and a cage. I stepped in because I had to.”
“You didn’t have to marry me,” Lily said quietly.
His eyes searched hers. “Didn’t I?”
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
What could she say?
Magnus took a step closer, butshe remained standing in the doorway, needing it solid presence to keep her wits about her..
“Don’t mistake me,” he said, taking another slow, deliberate step. “This is not charity, and it’s not a sacrifice. I am not a good man Lily and I need you to remember that.”
“You’re not,” she said softly. “But you are something else entirely.”
She stepped away from the door, shrinking the space between them.
The corner of his mouth twitched. “And what’s that?”
She didn’t answer.
They stood close now, close enough that she only had to extend her hand to touch him. The firelight cast shadows along his jawline, collar, and lashes.
Damn, he was an absolutely beautiful man. She hated that she noticed things like that. Worse, she hated that her heart had developed a language it spoke only when he was near.
She looked away, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. “This isn’t going to be easy.”
“No,” he agreed. “But it will be real.”
Lily’s eyebrows drew together. “Real?”
His gaze didn’t waver from her face. Not even once. “I’m not a man of half-measures, Lily. If I give you my name, I won’t be giving you a ghost with it. You’ll have a husband. A partner. Someone who will keep you safe… and seen.”
A rush of heat spread from her belly to her limbs at his words that were rife with meaning. He couldn’t possibly mean those words, could he? It was too easy to believe him ssince he had done naught but protect her since but there was one more thing she wanted to ask.
