Gideon arrived just as dinner was coming out of
the oven. He had a garment bag in one hand and
a laptop case in the other. I’d worried that he
would try to go home alone after his session with
Dr. Petersen and was relieved when he’d called
to say he was on his way. Still, when I first opened
the door and saw him on the threshold, a shiver of
unease slid through me.
“Hey,” he said quietly, following me back into
the kitchen. “Smells delicious in here.”
“I hope you’re hungry. There’s a lot of food and
I’ll be surprised if Cary joins us to help eat it all.”
Gideon dropped his stuff on the breakfast bar
and approached me cautiously, his gaze
searching my face as he neared. “I brought some
things with me to stay the night, but I’ll go if you
want. At any time. Just tell me.”
I blew out my breath in a harsh rush, determined
not to let fear dictate my actions. “I want you here.”
“I want to be here.” He paused beside me. “Can
I hold you?”
I turned into him and squeezed him hard.
“Please.”
He pressed his cheek against mine and
hugged me close. The embrace wasn’t as natural
and easy as we’d grown used to. There was a
new wariness between us that was different from
anything we’d felt before.
“How are you doing?” he murmured.
“Better now that you’re here.”
“But still nervous.” He pressed his lips to my
forehead. “Me, too. I don’t know how we’re ever
going to fall asleep next to each other again.”
Pulling back slightly, I looked at him. That was
my fear as well, and my earlier conversation with
Cary didn’t help matters. He’s a ticking time
bomb…
“We’ll figure it out,” I said.
He was quiet for a long moment. “Has Nathan
ever contacted you?”
“No.” Although I had a deep-rooted fear that I
might see him again one day, whether
accidentally or deliberately. He was out there
somewhere, breathing the same air…“Why?”
“It was on my mind today.”
I pulled back to search his face, a knot forming
in my throat at how tormented he looked. “Why?”
“Because we’ve got a lot of baggage between
us.”
“Are you thinking it’s too much?”
Gideon shook his head. “I can’t think that way.”
I didn’t know what to do or say. What
assurances could I give him, when I wasn’t sure
my love and his need would be enough to make
our relationship work?
“What’s going through your mind?” he asked.
“Thoughts of food. I’m starving. Why don’t you
go see if Cary wants to eat? Then we can get
started on dinner.”
Gideon found Cary sleeping, so he and I ate a
candlelit dinner for two at the dining table, a
somewhat formal meal while lounging in the worn
T-shirts and pajama bottoms we’d put on after our
respective showers. I was worried about Cary, but
spending quiet downtime alone with Gideon felt
like just what we needed.
“I had lunch with Magdalene in my office
yesterday,” he said after we’d enjoyed a few initial
bites.
“Oh?” While I’d been ring shopping, Magdalene
had been enjoying private time with my man?
“Don’t take that tone,” he admonished. “She ate
a meal in an office covered in your flowers, with
you blowing kisses from my desk. You were as
much there as she was.”
“Sorry. Knee-jerk reaction.”
He lifted my hand to his mouth and pressed a
quick, hard kiss to the back. “I’m relieved you can
still get jealous over me.”
I sighed. My emotions had been all over the
map all day; I couldn’t decide how I felt about
anything. “Did you say anything to her about
Christopher?”
“That was the point of the lunch. I showed her
the video.”
“What?” I frowned, remembering my phone had
died in his car. “How’d you do that?”
“I took your phone up to my office and pulled the
video off via USB. Didn’t you notice I brought it
back last night, fully charged?”
“No.” I set my silverware down. Dominant or not,
Gideon and I were going to have to work on which
lines crossed over into my freak-out zone. “You
can’t just hack into my phone, Gideon.”
“I didn’t hack into it. You haven’t set a password
yet.”
“That’s not the point! It’s a serious invasion of
my fucking privacy. Jesus…” Why in hell did no
one in my life understand that I had boundaries?
“Would you like me rummaging through your
stuff?”
“I’ve got nothing to hide.” He pulled his
smartphone out of an inner pocket of his sweats
and held it out to me. “And you won’t either.”
I didn’t want to get into a fight now, things were
too shaky as it was, but I’d let this go long enough.
“It doesn’t matter whether or not I have something I
don’t want you to see. I have a right to space and
privacy, and you need to ask before you help
yourself to my information and my belongings. You
have to stop taking whatever you want without my
permission.”
“What was private about it?’ he asked with a
frown. “You showed it to me yourself.”
“Don’t be like my mother, Gideon!” I shouted.
“There’s only so much crazy I can handle.”
He jerked back at my vehemence, clearly
surprised by how upset I was. “Okay. I’m sorry.”
I gulped down my wine, trying to rein in my
temper and unease. “Sorry I’m mad? Or sorry you
did it?”
After the length of several heartbeats, Gideon
said, “I’m sorry you’re mad.”
He really didn’t get it. “Why don’t you see how
weird this is?”
“Eva.” He sighed and shoved a hand through
his hair. “I spend a quarter of every day inside
you. When you set limits outside of that I can’t help
but see them as arbitrary.”
“Well, they’re not. They’re important to me. If
there’s something you want to know, you need to
ask me.”
“All right.”
“Don’t do it anymore,” I warned. “I’m not kidding,
Gideon.”
His jaw tightened. “Okay. I get it.”
Then, because I really didn’t want to fight, I
moved on. “What did she say when she saw it?”
He visibly relaxed. “It was difficult, of course.
Even more difficult to know I’d seen it.”
“She saw us in the library.”
“We didn’t talk about that directly, but then, what
was there to say? I won’t apologize for making
love to my girlfriend in a closed room.” He leaned
back in his chair and exhaled harshly. “Seeing
Christopher’s face on the video—seeing what he
really thought of her—that hurt her. It’s hard to see
yourself being used that way. Especially by
someone you think you know, someone who’s
supposed to care about you.”
To hide my reaction, I busied myself with
refilling both my glass and his. He spoke as if
from experience. What exactly had been done to
him?
After a quick gulp of wine, I asked, “How are
you doing with it?”
“What can I do? Over the years, I’ve made every
attempt to talk to Christopher. I’ve tried throwing
money at him. I’ve tried threatening him. He’s
never shown any inclination to change. I realized
long ago that I can only do damage control. And
keep you as far away from him as possible.”
“I’ll be helping you with that, now that I know.”
“Good.” He took a drink, eyeing me over the lip
of his glass. “You’re not asking me about my
appointment with Dr. Petersen.”
“It’s none of my business. Unless you want to
share.” I met his gaze, willing him to do just that.
“I’m here to listen whenever you need an ear, but
I’m not going to pry. When you’re ready to let me
in, you will. That said, I’d love to know if you like
him.”
“So far.” He smiled. “He talks me around in
circles. Not many people can do that.”
“Yes. Talks you back around and makes you
come at it from a different angle that has you
thinking, ‘Now why didn’t I see it like that?’”
Gideon’s fingers stroked up and down the stem
of his glass. “He prescribed something for me to
take at night before bed. I filled it before I came
over.”
“How do you feel about taking drugs?”
He looked at me with dark, haunted eyes. “I feel
it’s necessary. I have to be with you and I have to
make that safe for you, whatever it takes. Dr.
Petersen says the drug combined with therapy
has been successful for other ‘atypical sexual
parasomniacs.’ I have to believe that.”
I reached over to squeeze his hand. Taking
medication was a big step, especially for
someone who’d avoided facing his problems for a
long time. “Thank you.”
Gideon’s grip tightened. “Apparently there are
enough people with this problem that there have
been sleep studies on it. He told me about a
documented case where a man sexually
assaulted his wife in his sleep for twelve years
before they sought help.”
“Twelve years? Jesus.”
“Apparently part of the reason they waited so
long was because the man was a better lay when
he was asleep,” he said dryly. “And if that’s not a
killer blow to the ego, I don’t know what is.”
I stared at him. “Well, shit.”
“I know, right?” His wry smile faded. “But I don’t
want you to feel pressured to share a bed with
me, Eva. There is no magic pill. I can sleep on the
couch or I can go home, although of the two
choices I’d prefer the couch. My whole day is
better after getting ready for work with you.”
“For me, too.”
Reaching over, Gideon caught my hand and
lifted it to his lips. “I never imagined I could have
this…Someone in my life who knows what you do
about me. Someone who could talk about my
fuck-ups over dinner because they accept me
anyway…I’m grateful for you, Eva.”
My heart twisted with a sweet pain in my chest.
He could say such beautiful things, the perfect
things.
“I feel the same way about you, ace.” Deeper,
maybe, because I loved him. But I didn’t say that
aloud. He’d get there someday. I wasn’t going to
give up until he was absolutely, irrevocably mine.
With his bare feet propped on the coffee table
and his computer on his lap, Gideon looked so at
home and relaxed that he kept distracting me
from my television shows.
How did we get here? I asked myself. This
extravagantly sexy man and me?
“You’re staring,” he murmured, his gaze on his
laptop screen.
I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Is that a sexual suggestion, Miss Tramell?”
“How do you see me while staring at whatever
you’re working on?”
He looked up then and caught my gaze. His
blue eyes blazed with power and heat. “I’ve
always seen you, angel. From the moment you
found me, I’ve seen nothing but you.”
Wednesday started with Gideon’s cock pushing
into me from behind, my new favorite way to wake
up.
“Well, then,” I said hoarsely, rubbing the sleep
from my eyes as his arm hitched around my waist
and hauled me closer to his warm, hard chest.
“You’re frisky this morning.”
“You’re gorgeous and sexy every morning,” he
murmured, nibbling on my shoulder. “I love waking
up to you.”
We celebrated a night of uninterrupted sleep
with a handful of orgasms between us.
Much later in the day, I had lunch with Mark and
his partner Steven at a lovely Mexican restaurant
tucked beneath the street. We descended a short
set of cement stairs into a surprisingly spacious
restaurant with black-vested waitstaff and plenty of
light.
“You’ll need to bring your man back here,”
Steven said, “and have him buy you one of the
pomegranate margaritas.”
“Good stuff?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah.”
When the waitress came to take our orders,
she flirted outrageously with Mark, fluttering
enviously long lashes. Mark flirted back. As the
meal progressed, the exuberant redhead—whose
name tag introduced her as Shawna—became
bolder, touching Mark’s shoulders and the back of
his neck every time she came by. In return, Mark’s
banter became more suggestive, until I eyed
Steven nervously, watching his face redden and
his scowl deepen by the moment. Shifting
uncomfortably, I was counting down the minutes
until the tension-fraught meal was over.
“Let’s get together tonight,” Shawna said to
Mark when she brought the check. “One night with
me and I’ll cure you.”
I gaped. Seriously?
“Seven o’clock work for you?” Mark purred. “I’ll
ruin you, Shawna. You know what happens once
you go black…”
I inhaled my water down the wrong pipe and
choked.
Steven leaped to his feet and rounded the
table, pounding me on the back. “Hell, Eva,” he
said, laughing. “We’re just playing with you. Don’t
die on us.”
“What?” I gasped, my eyes watering.
Grinning, he came around my shoulder and
tossed his arm around the waitress. “Eva, meet
my sister, Shawna. Shawna, Eva here is the one
who makes Mark’s life easier.”
“That’s good,” Shawna said, “since he’s got you
to make things harder.”
Steven winked at me. “That’s why he keeps me
around.”
Seeing the brother and sister pair so close
together, I finally caught the resemblance I’d
missed before. I sagged into my seat and
narrowed my eyes at Mark. “That was rotten. I
thought Steven was going to blow a gasket.”
Mark held up his hands in a show of surrender.
“It was all his idea. He’s the drama queen,
remember?”
Rocking back on his heels, Steven grinned and
said, “Now, Eva. You know Mark’s the idea man in
this relationship.”
Shawna dug a business card out of her pocket
and handed it to me. “My number’s on the flipside.
Gimme a call. I’ve got the inside dirt on these two.
You can pay ’em back really good.”
“Traitor!” Steven accused.
“Hey.” Shawna shrugged. “Us girls have to stick
together.”
After work, Gideon and I went to his gym. Angus
dropped us off at the curb and we headed inside.
The place was hopping and the locker room
crowded. I changed and stowed my stuff; then met
Gideon in the hallway.
I waved at Daniel, the trainer who’d talked to
me on my first visit to CrossTrainer, and got a
smack on the ass for it.
“Hey,” I protested, swatting at Gideon’s
chastising hand. “Cut it out.”
He tugged my ponytail and gently urged my
head back, tilting my mouth up so he could mark
his territory with a deep, lush kiss.
The way he pulled my hair sent electricity
sweeping across my skin. “If this is your idea of a
deterrent,” I whispered against his lips, “I have to
say it’s much more of an incentive.”
“I’m quite willing to take it up a notch.” He
nipped my lower lip with his teeth. “But I wouldn’t
suggest testing my limits that way, Eva.”
“Don’t worry. I have other ways to do it.”
Gideon hit the treadmill first, affording me the
pleasure of seeing his body glistening with
sweat…in public. As often as I saw him that way in
private, it never ceased to be a major turn-on.
And God, I loved the way he looked with his hair
tied back. And the flex of his muscles beneath
lightly tanned skin. And the graceful power of his
movements. Seeing such an elegantly urbane
man shed the suits and show off his animal side
hit all my hot buttons.
I couldn’t stop staring and was happy I didn’t
have to. He was mine, after all; a fact that sent
warm pleasure sliding through me. Besides, every
other woman in the gym was checking him out,
too. As he moved from station to station, dozens
of admiring eyes followed.
When he caught me ogling, I shot him a
suggestive glance and ran my tongue along my
lower lip. His arched brow and rueful half-smile
made me tingly. I couldn’t remember the last time
I’d been so motivated while working out. An hour
and a half just flew by.
By the time we got back in the Bentley and
headed to the penthouse, I was squirming in my
seat. My gaze slid repeatedly to Gideon in silent
invitation.
He linked his fingers with mine. “You’ll wait for
it.”
That pronouncement startled me. “What?”
“You heard me.” He kissed my fingers and had
the nerve to give me a wicked smile. “Delayed
gratification, angel.”
“Why would we do that?”
“Think of how crazed we’ll be for each other
after dinner.”
I leaned closer so Angus didn’t overhear me,
although I knew he was professional enough to
ignore us. “That’s a given, waiting or not. I say we
go with not.”
But he wouldn’t budge. Instead, he tortured us
both. Having us undress one another for a steamy
shower, our hands petting and caressing the
curves and hollows of each other’s bodies; then
dressing for dinner. He went all out in black tie, but
skipped the tie. His crisp white shirt was
unbuttoned at the collar, revealing a flash of skin.
The cocktail dress he selected for me was a
champagne silk Vera Wang with a strapless
bustier bodice, an open back, and a tiered skirt
that ended a few inches above my knees.
I smiled when I saw it, knowing it was going to
drive him nuts seeing me in that dress all night. It
was gorgeous and I loved it, but it was a style
meant for tall, slender models, not short curvy
girls. In a pitiful bid for modesty, I left my hair down
to hang over my breasts, but it didn’t help much if
Gideon’s expression was any indication.
“My God, Eva.” He adjusted himself in his
slacks. “I’ve changed my mind about that dress.
You shouldn’t wear it in public.”
“We don’t have time for you to change your
mind.”
“I thought there was more material than that.”
I shrugged with a grin. “What can I say? You
bought it.”
“I’m having second thoughts. How long could it
possibly take to remove it?”
Sliding my tongue along my lower lip, I said, “I
don’t know. Why don’t you find out?”
His eyes turned dark. “We’d never get out of
here.”
“I wouldn’t complain.” He looked so damn hot
and I wanted him—as always—really damned
bad.
“Isn’t there a jacket or something you can put
over that? A parka, maybe? Or a trench coat?”
Laughing, I grabbed my clutch off the dresser
and wrapped my arm around his. “Don’t worry.
Everyone will be too busy checking you out to
even bother noticing me.”
He scowled as I tugged him out of the bedroom.
“Seriously. Have your tits gotten bigger? They’re
spilling out over the top of that thing.”
“I’m twenty-four years old, Gideon,” I said dryly.
“I stopped developing years ago. What you see is
what you get.”
“Yes, but I’m the only one who’s supposed to be
seeing, since I’m the only one who’s allowed to be
getting.”
We moved into the living room. In the short time
it took us to pass through to the foyer, I relished
the quiet beauty of Gideon’s home. I loved how
warm and inviting it was. The old world charm of
the décor was so elegant, yet it was also
remarkably comfortable. The stunning view out of
the arched windows complemented the interior,
but didn’t distract from it.
The mixture of dark woods, distressed stone,
warm colors, and vivid jeweled accents was
clearly expensive, as was the art hung on the
walls, but it was a tasteful display of wealth. I
couldn’t imagine anyone feeling awkward about
what to touch or where to sit. It just wasn’t that kind
of space.
We caught the private elevator and Gideon
faced me as the doors closed. He immediately
tried tugging my bodice up.
“If you’re not careful,” I warned, “you’ll expose
my crotch instead.”
“Damn it.”
“We could have fun with this. I could play the
role of a bubbleheaded blond bimbo who’s after
your cock and your millions, and you can be
yourself—the billionaire playboy with his latest toy.
Just look bored and indulgent while I rub up
against you and coo about how brilliant you are.”
“That’s not funny.” Then he brightened. “What
about a scarf?”
Once we checked in for the gala dinner benefitting
a new crisis shelter for women and children, we
were directed to a press gauntlet, triggering my
fear of exposure. I focused on Gideon because
nothing distracted me as thoroughly as he did.
And because I was paying such close attention, I
was able to watch the change from private man to
public persona as it happened.
The mask slipped smoothly into place. His
irises chilled to an icy blue and his sensual mouth
lost any hint of curve. I could almost feel the force
of his will enclosing us. There was a shield
between us and the rest of the world simply
because he wished it to be there. Standing
beside him, I knew no one would approach or
speak to me until he gave them some sign that
they could.
Still, the don’t-touch vibe didn’t extend to
looking. Gideon turned heads as we walked to the
ballroom and eyes followed him. I got a nervous
twitch from all the attention he garnered, but he
seemed oblivious and completely unruffled.
If I’d had my heart set on cooing and rubbing all
over Gideon, I would’ve had to wait in line. He was
pretty much mobbed the moment we stopped
walking. I stepped away to make room for those
vying to catch his attention and wandered off to
find some champagne. Waters Field & Leaman
had done the pro bono advertising for the gala,
and I spotted a few people I knew.
I’d managed to snag a glass off a passing
waiter’s tray when I heard someone call out my
name. Turning, I saw Stanton’s nephew
approaching with a broad smile. Dark-haired and
green-eyed, he was around my age. I knew him
from the times I’d visited my mother on holiday
breaks and was glad to see him.
“Martin!” I greeted him with open arms and we
hugged briefly. “How are you? You look fabulous.”
“I was about to say the same.” He eyed my
dress appreciatively. “I’d heard you’d moved to
New York and meant to look you up. How long
have you been in town?”
“Not long. A few weeks.”
“Drink your champagne,” he said. “And let’s
dance.”
The wine was still bubbling nicely through my
system when we moved onto the dance floor to
the sound of Billie Holliday singing “Summertime.”
“So,” he began, “are you working?”
As we danced, I told him about my job and I
asked what he was up to. I wasn’t surprised to
hear he was working for Stanton’s investment firm
and doing well.
“I’d love to come uptown and take you out to
lunch sometime,” he said.
“That would be great.” I stepped back as the
music ended and bumped into someone behind
me. Hands went to my waist to steady me and I
looked over my shoulder to find Gideon at my
back.
“Hello,” he purred, his icy gaze on Martin.
“Introduce us.”
“Gideon, this is Martin Stanton. We’ve known
each other for a few years now. He’s my
stepfather’s nephew.” I took a deep breath and
went for it. “Martin, this is the significant man in my
life, Gideon Cross.”
“Cross.” Martin grinned and held out his hand. “I
know who you are, of course. It’s a pleasure to
meet you. If things work out, maybe I’ll be seeing
you at some of the family gatherings.”
Gideon’s arm slid around my shoulders. “Count
on it.”
Martin was hailed by someone he knew and he
leaned forward to kiss my cheek. “I’ll call you
about lunch. Next week maybe?”
“Great.” I was highly conscious of Gideon
vibrating with energy beside me, although when I
glanced at him, his face with calm and impassive.
He pulled me into a dance, with Louis
Armstrong singing “What a Wonderful World.”
“Not sure I like him,” he muttered.
“Martin’s a very nice guy.”
“Just so long as he knows you’re mine.” He
pressed his cheek to my temple and placed his
hand within the cutout back of my dress, skin to
skin. There was no way to doubt that I belonged to
him when he was holding me like that.
I relished the opportunity to be so close to his
scrumptious body in public. Breathing him in, I
relaxed into his expert hold. “I like this.”
Nuzzling against me, he murmured, “That’s the
idea.”
Bliss. It lasted as long as the dance did.
We were exiting the dance floor when I caught
sight of Magdalene off to the side. It took me a
moment to recognize her because she’d cut her
hair into a sleek bob. She looked slender and
classy in a simple black cocktail dress, but was
eclipsed by the striking brunette she was
speaking to.
Gideon’s stride faltered, slowing fractionally
before resuming his usual pace. I was looking
down, thinking he’d avoided something on the
floor, when he said quietly, “I need to introduce
you to someone.”
My attention shifted to see where we were
going. The woman with Magdalene had spotted
Gideon and turned to face him. I felt his forearm
tense beneath my fingers the moment their gazes
met.
I could see why.
The woman, whoever she was, was deeply in
love with Gideon. It was there on her face and in
her pale, otherworldly blue eyes. Her beauty was
stunning, so exquisite as to be surreal. Her hair
was black as ink and hung thick and straight
almost to her waist. Her dress was the same icy
hue as her eyes, her skin golden from the sun, her
body long and perfectly curved.
“Corinne,” he greeted her, the natural rasp in his
voice even more pronounced. He released me
and caught her hands. “You didn’t tell me you were
back. I would’ve picked you up.”
“I left a few messages on your voice mail at
home,” she said, in a voice that was cultured and
smooth.
“Ah, I haven’t been there much lately.” As if that
reminded him I was next to him, he released her
and drew me up to his side. “Corinne, this is Eva
Tramell. Eva, Corinne Giroux. An old friend.”
I extended my hand to her and she shook it.
“Any friend of Gideon’s is a friend of mine,” she
said with a warm smile.
“I hope that applies to girlfriends as well.”
When her gaze met mine, it was knowing.
“Especially girlfriends. If you could spare him a
moment, I’ve been hoping to introduce him to an
associate of mine.”
“Of course.” My voice was calm; I was anything
but. Gideon gave me a perfunctory kiss on the
temple before he stepped closer to Corinne and
offered his arm to her, leaving Magdalene
standing awkwardly next to me.
I actually felt sorry for her, she looked so
dejected. “Your new hairstyle is very flattering,
Magdalene.”
She glanced at me, her mouth tight, and then it
softened with a sigh that sounded filled with
resignation. “Thank you. It was time for a change.
Time for many changes, I think. Also, there was no
reason to imitate the one who got away now that
she’s back.”
I frowned in confusion. “You lost me.”
“I’m talking about Corinne.” She studied my
face. “You don’t know. She and Gideon were
engaged, for over a year. She broke it off, married
a wealthy Frenchman, and moved to Europe. But
the marriage fell apart. They’re now getting
divorced and she’s moved back to New York.”
Engaged. I felt the blood drain from my face, my
gaze shifting to where the man I loved stood with
the woman he must’ve once loved, his hand
moving to the small of her back to steady her as
she leaned into him with a laugh.
As my stomach twisted with jealousy and sick
fear, it struck me that I’d assumed he had never
had a serious romantic relationship before me.
Stupid. As hot as he was, I should’ve known
better.
Magdalene touched my shoulder. “You should
sit down, Eva. You’re very pale.”
I knew I was breathing too fast and my
speeding pulse rate was dangerously high.
“You’re right.”
Moving to the nearest available chair, I got off
my feet. Magdalene sat beside me.
“You love him,” she said. “I didn’t see it. I’m
sorry. And I’m sorry for what I said to you the first
time we met.”
“You love him, too,” I replied woodenly, my gaze
unfocused. “And at that time, I didn’t. Not yet.”
“Doesn’t excuse me, does it?”
I gratefully accepted another glass of
champagne when it was offered to me and took a
second for Magdalene before the waiter
straightened to move on. We clinked glasses in a
pitiful display of scorned female solidarity. I
wanted to leave. I wanted to get up and walk out. I
wanted Gideon to realize I’d left, to be forced to
leave after me. I wanted him to feel some of the
pain I felt. Stupid, immature, hurtful imaginings that
made me feel small.
I took comfort from Magdalene sitting silently
beside me in commiseration. She knew how it felt
to love Gideon and want him too much. That I
sensed she was as miserable as I was confirmed
what a threat Corinne might be.
Had he been pining for her this whole time?
Was she the reason he’d closed himself off from
other women?
“There you are.”
I looked up as Gideon found me. Of course
Corinne was still on his arm and I got the full effect
of the two of them as a couple. There were, quite
simply, impossibly gorgeous together.
Corinne took a seat beside me and Gideon
brushed his fingertips over my cheek. “I have to
speak with someone,” he said. “Would you like
me to bring you back anything?”
“Stoli and cranberry. Make it a double.” I
needed a buzz. Bad.
“All right.” But he frowned at my request before
he walked away.
“I’m so glad to meet you, Eva,” Corinne said.
“Gideon has told me so much about you.”
“It can’t have been too much. You two weren’t
gone that long.”
“We talk nearly every day.” She smiled, and
there was nothing fake or malicious in her
expression. “We’ve been friends a long time.”
“More than friends,” Magdalene said pointedly.
Corinne frowned at Magdalene and I realized I
wasn’t supposed to know. Was it she or Gideon
or both of them that had decided it was best not to
tell me? Why cover up something if there was
nothing to hide?
“Yes, that’s true,” she admitted with obvious
reluctance. “Although that was some years ago
now.”
I twisted in my seat to face her. “You still love
him.”
“You can’t blame me for that. Any woman who
spends time with him falls in love with him. He’s
beautiful and untouchable. That’s an irresistible
combination.” Her smile softened. “He tells me
you’ve inspired him to start opening up. I’m
grateful to you for that.”
I was about to say, I didn’t do it for you. Then an
insidious doubt drifted through my mind, making a
vulnerable spot inside me fold in on itself.
Was I doing it for her without knowing it?
I twisted the base of my empty champagne flute
around and around on the table. “He was going to
marry you.”
“And it was the biggest mistake of my life
walking away.” Her hand went to her throat, her
slender fingers restlessly stroking, as if toying with
a necklace she’d normally find there. “I was young
and in some ways he frightened me. He was so
possessive. It wasn’t until after I married that I
realized possessiveness is much better than
indifference. At least for me.”
I looked away, fighting the nausea that rose in
my throat.
“You’re awfully quiet,” she said.
“What is there to say?” Magdalene tossed out.
We all loved him. We were all available to him.
In the end, he would make a choice between us.
“You should know, Eva,” Corinne began,
looking at me with those clear aquamarine eyes,
“he’s told me how special you are to him. It took
me some time to gather the courage to come
back here and face you two together. I even
canceled a flight I had booked a couple weekends
ago. I interrupted him at some charity event he
was giving a speech at, poor guy, to tell him I was
on my way and to ask for his help getting settled.”
I froze, feeling as brittle as cracked glass. She
had to be talking about the advocacy center
dinner, the night Gideon and I had sex for the first
time. The night we’d christened his limo and he’d
immediately withdrawn; then left me abruptly.
“When he called me back,” she continued, “he
told me he’d met someone. That he wanted you
and me to meet when I got into town. I ended up
chickening out. He’s never asked me to meet a
woman in his life before.”
Oh my God. I glanced at Magdalene. Gideon
had left me in a rush that night for her. For
Corinne.
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