Page 22 of Bastard In A Suit, Vol. 3

The last of my words clog up in my throat. I’m sure my emotion is thread bare under the spotlight of the overhead fluorescents. Duke puts his hands together, and begins to clap. Everyone in the crowd joins his applause until it becomes a thunderous clap. It beats against my heart.

When it dies down, the moderator calls for a short recess.

I step down from the stage and take a deep breath. Friends, old colleagues, even strangers approach to wish me congratulations or compliment me on my answers. When Alan Prentiss works his way through the cluster, I’m already flushed.

“An excellent job,” he says, shaking my hand.

“Thank you, sir.”

He glances behind to the growing line of well-wishes and smiles. “I won’t keep you from your fans.” He returns my smile with a proud grin. “I hope to see your signed contracts come across my desk very soon.”

My chest blossoms. I want to tell him he’ll have it, that it’s already signed. But the truth is, I still haven’t made a decision. “Very soon, sir,” I say with a conviction I don’t believe.

As a reporter whisks him away, I inhale a deep breath. It hitches when I spot Duke making his way toward me. For more than a week, I’ve avoided looking at pictures, slowly weaning myself off him. The withdrawal period has been tough, but I thought I’d made good progress.

That progress begins to unravel with each step he takes toward me.

His gaze is unwavering, determined.

I’m overcome with emotion so intense it takes away my breath.

“Hailey,” he says.

That’s it. One word and my knees buckle. I lift my chin in false defiance. I will not cry in front of this man. Not here, not ever. “Mr. Kingston.”

He shoves his hands in his pockets, as if not sure what to do with them. Even now, I ache for them to wrap around me and hold me close. He licks his lips. My throat goes raw with need.

“You look beautiful,” he says.

There’s no aggression in his voice. Just simple sincerity that makes my legs tremble. My voice drops to a whisper. “Thank you.”

My head fills with questions. Why didn’t you fight for me? Why did you come here? To taunt me? I blink away the threat of tears and my throat swells. “Why?” I ask simply.

The question could refer to so many things and somehow, Duke answers without asking for clarification. “It was wrong of me to keep you all to myself. The more time I spent with you, the more drawn to you I became. But I’m not the kind of guy to ride in on a white horse—I’m no knight.”

My voice cracks. “I never expected that.”

“I’m weak,” he says.

“You’re not!”

He shakes his head. “Yes. When it comes to you, I am.” He pulls his hands out of his pockets and holds them at his side. “I’m messed up,” he says. “I use control to mask my fears and insecurities. It’s a formula that works…has always worked. Until you,” he says. I can tell he’s struggling not to touch me.

I can’t—won’t—give in.

A tear breaks free and trickles down my cheek.

Duke brushes it clear with his thumb. “Don’t cry,” he says, a shy smile cresting his lips. “This is supposed to be your moment. I just wanted to tell you…” He blows out a breath. “I’m so proud of you. These past two weeks haven’t felt right without you.”

My body aches with the need to touch him.

“Letting go was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” he says. “But maybe, in time, you’ll come back to me. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove to you that I’m a changed man.” His eyes brim. “I’m in love with you, Hailey.”

“Duke…” The tears fall fast, hard. I’m making a scene but I don’t even care. My heart is so full I’m afraid it might explode. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you, being with you, since the day we met. I…” My lips tremble. “The truth is, I love you too. I’m in love with you.”

Duke’s eyes burn with emotion, and once again, I find myself trapped under that liquid gaze. No, not trapped—mesmerized. And yet, somehow, I’ve never felt more free.

I lean into him and cup the back of his neck, pulling his mouth close to mine. Our eyes connect, and in them, I see all of the things I’ve been too afraid to dream. His lips press against mine, softly, with a tenderness that makes my breath hitch and my skin tingle. I sigh and he pulls me closer, threading his hands into the hair at the back of my neck. He kisses me fully, passionately. My head starts to spin.

I’m completely lost in him, tasting, exploring, reconnecting, and completely unaware of anyone else in the room.

Until we’re pulled apart by a raucous cheer from the room.

Embarrassed, I bury my head in Duke’s chest. It hides my crimson cheeks, but nothing will ever again shield me from Duke Kingston, my true knight in shining armor.