Doubling Down on a Duke (Wagering on Love Book 5) by Rachel Ann Smith

Author:Rachel Ann Smith [Smith, Rachel Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penford Publishing
Published: 2024-06-14T00:00:00+00:00

Heart racing. Palms sweating. Helen looked directly into Bryce’s intelligent blue-green eyes. This. This is the reason why she had avoided him for years. The man hated the unknown and always opted for the truth even when it could result in disappointment or pain.

She inhaled slowly. “Before I answer, define love.”

Brows slashed downward, Bryce replied, “Since you seem rather adamant that I don’t love you, perhaps it would be best if you shared with me what your definition of love is, so that we are clear on the matter.”

Hmmm. The four-letter word represented a myriad of emotions for Helen that all stemmed from her fond memories of her parents, who’d had her later in life. Her mama had left this earth before her tenth birthday, leaving Helen with faint memories of warm hugs and kisses on the forehead, both of which she equated to the deep affection that others call love. Her papa had showered her with unconditional support up until his demise the year she turned sixteen. Since then, she’d been shuffled between her three older siblings, who were all twelve-plus years her senior and all had loving families of their own.

Helen closed her eyes for a moment. How was she to put the intangible connections she had witnessed and experienced into words for Bryce to understand? He didn’t come from a loving family. He didn’t have siblings.

When she opened her eyes once more, Bryce was still staring at her intently. The fluttering in her heart she always experienced when he looked at her had her jaw slackening and her mind desperately searching for the right words to express the connection she could no longer ignore. He wanted them to be honest with one another. To be fair, she did too.

She exhaled and said, “Love is…it’s when you have a strong bond for another that is woven out of affection, devotion, benevolence, and desire. Desire to be close to them. You worry about them when they are not within sight.” As the words slipped from her lips, she realized she couldn’t hide from the truth any longer. She was in love…in love wholeheartedly with Bryce.

With a sadness she didn’t recognize, her normally astute husband said, “Then…by your own definition, you are not in love with me.”

She could remain silent and let him believe he was right, except that wouldn’t be fair. With a small shake of the head Helen admitted, “That’s not true. I may have hidden from you, but the desire to be with you still existed along with the hope that you would eventually…one day find me.” In order to prevent the tear that threatened to escape from trickling down her cheek, she blinked and lowered her gaze. Upon a sigh she added, “And since you never found me, coupled with your reputation as a rake, it’s only logical for me to assume that you are not in love with me.”

Bryce fell to his knees and bowed his head. “I apologize for my past actions.” He lifted his watery eyes up to look up at her.

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