Moving in with Duke proved easier than Valentina had expected. Her sparse possessions filled a single corner of his closet, her few books finding homes on his shelves. Within days, it felt as if she'd always been there—coffee mugs side by side in the cabinet, her shampoo next to his in the shower, two toothbrushes in the bathroom cup.
Small details, but they filled her with a quiet contentment she'd never known before. This was belonging, not possession. Partnership, not ownership.
"What do you think?" Duke stood in the doorway of his—their—bedroom, watching as she arranged the last of her clothes. "Everything fit okay?"
"Perfect." Valentina smiled, closing the drawer. "I travel light these days."
"Noticed that." He crossed to sit beside her on the bed. "Far cry from the woman who need
