An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons, #3)

by Julia Quinn

“You’re very quiet,” Benedict said softly. “I was just thinking.” “About?” “About what I’d miss—and what I wouldn’t miss—should my life drastically change.” His eyes grew intense. “And do you expect it to drastically change?” She shook her head and tried to keep the sadness out of her voice when she answered, “No.” His voice grew so quiet it was almost a whisper. “Do you want it to change?”

“I want—” His voice dropped to a whisper, and his eyes looked vaguely surprised, as if he couldn’t quite believe the truth of his own words. “I want your future. I want every little piece of you.”

They said eyes were the windows to the soul. If he’d truly found the woman of his dreams, the one with whom he could finally imagine a family and a future, then by God he ought to know the color of her eyes.

“I have been adrift all my life,” she whispered, and she felt the traitorous sting of tears prick her eyes. God above, she didn’t want to cry in front of this man. Not now, not when she felt so off-balance and weak. He touched her chin. “Let me be your anchor.”

“I can live with you hating me,” he said to the closed door. “I just can’t live without you.”