The Duke's Willful Wife by Elizabeth Lennox

with another man until he came along.  That first night together, he’d been so supportive when she’d been upset by their activities and yet at the first test of their relationship, he’d thought the worst, even though he had evidence that she wasn’t promiscuous, wasn’t the type of person to jump in bed with men just to scratch an itch. 
    She fell asleep curled up like that and didn’t feel the strong arms that wrapped around her later that night.  When she felt the soft mattress underneath her, she stretched out like a kitten and pulled the pillow closer, almost purring when the warm blanket covered her, keeping her warm despite the cool night. 
    Dante watched the woman he’d married in such a crazy fashion and wondered again why he hadn’t seen the signs that she was having an affair.  As she pulled the pillow closer, he remembered how she had curled into him every night when he’d come to bed, never pushing him away. 
    Maybe that was why he’d been so duped.  A woman having an affair with another man didn’t need the attentions of her husband but Sasha had never rejected him.  She’d always been just as passionate as that first time together. 
    In the back of his mind, he admitted that he wanted that passion back.  Not with this woman.  No, he’d never trust Sasha again.  Too many accusations had flown between the two of them to go back.  He wanted her, no doubt.  But there wasn’t a man who was breathing who wouldn’t want this seductress with her animated brown eyes and her long hair that floated around him just like her flowery scent.  He wanted desperately to touch her silky skin, to feel her legs wrap around his waist and to sense her need, hear her calls and sighs of happiness as he filled her up. 
    But never again, he told himself, backing up from the bed and closing the door behind himself.  Once a sucker, and never again.  He had to brace himself against her.  She would lure him in just like she did the first time and he didn’t want her anymore.  Not like that. 

Chapter 3
    Sasha looked around, enjoying the sunshine and, although she felt guilty about this part, she enjoyed the relative freedom of the dreary hospital room.  It was exceptionally nice by hospital standards because Rennata had a private room but at a very basic level, there wasn’t much one could do to brighten up a hospital room. 
    She was also exhausted from the worry for Rennata.  While she read out loud, Sasha’s eyes kept glancing up to Rennata’s face, checking the color then moving to all the monitors to make sure her heart was still beating and measuring if her heart rate was increasing, if her blood pressure was adequate, was there enough oxygen mixing through her body to help her heart heal properly ? 
    All the possibilities were wearing her down.  With her creative mind, she kept coming up with the worst case scenario and they all ended in tragedy.  Sasha forced her mind to be positive, but that took a great deal of energy.
    So the sunshine and the open air, the release from the consta nt monitor scanning, was a break that she knew she needed. 
    She had no idea where she was going or what she might do, but even the aimlessness felt good. 
    Sasha smiled as she walked down the sidewalk away from the hospital building.  The spring was slowly creeping into the air.  Along with the sunshine and longer days, the daffodils were starting to pop up from their winter hiding place.  Spring was always an exciting time for Sasha but she honestly couldn’t remember what had occurred during last year’s spring time.  She’d just left Dante and had hidden herself away in her cottage for so long, she wasn’t even sure when it had started and when she’d finally woken up and started painting again. 
    She almost laughed at how life turned around because she was more than making up for her lack of productivity last year by creating wonderful pieces lately.  Even the past week had given her so many