All Chapters of A LADY FOR A DUKE : Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

Anger flared in Susan like a spark hitting dry kindling. She stood abruptly, her voice rising. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?” she shot back, her frustration and pain bubbling to the surface. “Why the hell did you even bother coming here tonight if the idea of having a baby disgusts you so much? You could’ve just left me alone! You didn’t have to come all the way here to confirm if the baby is yours.” She paused, her chest heaving. “Why did you come, Leo? Why?”Leo’s jaw tightened, his hands flexing at his sides. “Because I had to, dammit,” he growled, his voice rising to match hers. He stepped closer, his eyes blazing with something raw and unfiltered. “You think I’ve been able to think straight since I saw you this afternoon? You think I could concentrate on the house you were showing us or that I could process anything Francesca was saying? You think I’d be able to just walk away and pretend this doesn’t exist?” He gestured between them. “Knowing you’re pregnant—knowing ther

The warm aroma of garlic and olive oil greeted Susan as she stepped out of the bathroom, her robe swapped for a comfortable pair of black leggings and a loose sweater that hugged her small baby bump. She padded softly into the kitchen, drawn by the rhythmic clatter of utensils and the unmistakable sizzle of something hitting a hot pan.There he was, Leo Spencer—out of place yet oddly at ease in her modest kitchen. She couldn't quite believe that he was actually here. He had rolled up the sleeves of his black shirt, revealing his forearms, and tied a dish towel around his waist as a makeshift apron. His intense focus was fixed on the task at hand: slicing tomatoes with surprising precision.Susan crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. “I honestly didn’t peg you as the cooking type,” she said, her voice light but laced with curiosity.Leo glanced up briefly, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “I didn’t peg you as the type to doubt me,” he countered, sliding the tomatoes into a

“It’s getting late,” Susan said abruptly, her voice cool and distant as she avoided his gaze, her fingers toying with the edge of her sweater. Leo’s brow furrowed. He leaned back, studying her with that piercing gaze that always seemed to see straight through her. He could tell immediately that something was wrong. “Okay,” he said slowly, his tone calm but probing. “What did I do this time?”Her heart clenched at his question. The fact that he didn’t already know was proof of how little he truly understood her—or cared to. Explaining it would only make her feel more foolish, and she didn’t have the energy to fight anymore. This was simply who he was, and nothing she could do or say would change him. “Nothing,” she replied curtly, keeping her tone flat. “Did I say you did anything?”Leo didn’t buy it for a second. “Suzy, come on. I know you. Something’s bothering you.”“Well, you’re wrong,” she snapped, her voice sharper than she intended. “I’m fine.”He sighed deeply, dragging a han

“You do need me, Suzy,” he countered levelly, his libido reacting to the buzz of sexual energy in the atmosphere so that he had to fight the urge to simply grab her. All those years of sexual practice and sophistication, he thought grimly, and all he wanted to do was flatten her to the seat like a marauder and have her any way she would let him. For the first time ever with a woman he was being cautious.“No, I don't!” Susan yelled back at him furiously in one of the sudden explosions of temper that always took him by surprise.“Susan, I'm not a monster … You’re carrying my baby—”“You mean, the blob?” she snapped nastily.Slight colour tinged his exotic cheekbones and his handsome mouth folded. “It did look like a blob in that picture. Was I supposed to lie to the woman who once told me she valued honesty?”Out of nowhere a surge of stinging tears assailed Susan eyes and she blinked them back hurriedly. She wasn't fast enough though. “You’re crying!” Leo noticed, aghast at the devel

Leo reminded himself for the hundredth time why he was with Susan.She was pregnant. She was having his baby, and she wanted a Christmas tree in her home. That was why he was here today. Not to have fun, but it was just so damn easy to lose himself in her company, and he had to admit, he was thoroughly enjoying walking around the city with her, buying trees, discussing where and where to eat, probably looking to all the world like a pair of happy lovers. He felt more comfortable with Susan than he should have, and he liked her more than he should have.She was more comfortable in her own skin than most of the women he’d ever known, and her comfort with herself made it easy for others to be at ease with her. He couldn’t help thinking, in another time, another place, another world…in a perfect world, things would have been better between them, and not so damn complicated. But as soon as the thought formed in his head, he banished it. He knew too well the dangers of wanting what he coul