Entwined with You - Chapter 3

“ANGEL.”
I smelled the coffee before I opened my eyes. “Gideon?”
“Hmm?”
“If it’s not at least seven o’clock, I’m going to kick your ass.”
His soft laugh made my toes curl. “It’s early, but we need to talk.”
“Yeah?” I opened one eye, then the other, so I could fully admire his three-piece suit. He looked so
edible, I wanted to take it off him—with my teeth.
He settled on the edge of my bed, the embodiment of temptation. “I want to make sure we’re solid
before I leave.”
I sat up and leaned against the headboard, making no effort to cover my breasts because we were
going to end up talking about his ex-fiancée. I played dirty when warranted. “I’ll need that coffee for
this conversation.”
Gideon handed me the mug, then stroked the pad of his thumb over my nipple. “So beautiful,” he
murmured. “Every inch of you.”
“Are you trying to distract me?”
“You’re distracting me. Very effectively.”
Could he possibly be as infatuated with my looks and body as I was with his? The thought made me
smile.
“I missed your smile, angel.”
“I know the feeling.” Every time I’d seen him and he hadn’t gifted me with his smile had been
another cut to my heart until I’d been bleeding nonstop. I couldn’t even think of those occasions
without feeling echoes of the pain. “Where did you hide the suit, ace? I know it wasn’t in your
pocket.”
With a change of clothes, he’d transformed himself into a powerful, successful businessman. The
suit was bespoke, and his shirt and tie were immaculately matched. Even his cuff links gleamed with
understated elegance. Still, the fall of dark hair that skimmed his collar warned others he was far from
tamed.
“That’s one of the things we need to talk about.” He straightened, but the warmth in his gaze
remained. “I took over the apartment next door. We’ll have to make our reconciliation seem suitably
gradual, so I’ll keep up the appearance of using my penthouse for the most part, but I’ll be spending as
much time as possible as your new neighbor.”
“Is it safe?”
“I’m not a suspect, Eva. I’m not even a person of interest. My alibi is airtight, and I have no known
motive. We’re just showing the detectives some respect by not insulting their intelligence. We’re
making it easy for them to justify their conclusion that they’re at a dead end.”
I took a sip of coffee, giving me time to contemplate what he’d said. The danger might not be
immediate, but it was inherent in his guilt. I felt the pressure of it, no matter how he tried to reassure
me. But we were working our way back to each other, and I sensed his need for reassurance that we
were going to recover from the strain and separation of the last few weeks.
I deliberately took a light tone when I replied, “So my former boyfriend will be on Fifth Avenue,
but I’ve got a hunky new neighbor to play with? This could be interesting.”
One of his brows arched. “You want to role-play, angel?”
“I want to keep you satisfied,” I admitted with brutal honesty. “I want to be everything you ever
found in the other women you’ve been with.” Women he’d taken to a fuck pad with toys.
His irises were cool blue fire, but his voice came smooth and even. “I can’t keep my hands off you.
That should be enough to tell you I don’t need more.”
I watched him stand. He took my mug and set it on the nightstand, then caught the edge of the sheet
and threw it deftly aside, exposing me completely.
“Scoot down,” he ordered. “Spread your legs.”
My pulse quickened as I obeyed him, sliding to my back and allowing my thighs to fall open. There
was an instinctive urge to cover myself—the feeling of vulnerability under that piercing gaze was so
intense—but I resisted it. I’d be dishonest if I didn’t admit that it was wildly exciting to be totally
naked while he was irresistibly clothed in one of his sexy-as-hell suits. It created an instantaneous
power advantage for him that was a serious turn-on.
He stroked a finger through the lips of my sex, gliding teasingly over my clit. “This beautiful cunt is
mine.”
My belly quivered at the rasp in his voice.
Cupping me in his palm, he met my gaze. “I’m a very possessive man, Eva, as I’m sure you’ve
noticed by now.”
I shivered as the tip of his finger circled the clenching opening. “Yes.”
“Role-play, restraints, modes of transportation, and varied locations … I look forward to exploring
all of that with you.” Eyes glittering, he slid a finger oh-so-slowly inside me. He made a low purring
noise and caught his lower lip between his teeth, a purely erotic look that told me he felt his semen
inside me.
Being penetrated and so gently pleasured left me unable to speak for a moment.
“You like that,” he said softly.
“Umm.”
His finger went deeper. “I’ll be damned if plastic, glass, metal, or leather will make you come.
B.O.B. and his friends will have to find other amusements.”
Heat swept over my skin like fever. He understood.
Bending over me, Gideon placed one hand on the mattress and lowered his mouth to mine. His
thumb pressed against my clit and rubbed expertly, massaging me inside and out. The pleasure of his
touch spread, tightening my stomach and hardening my nipples. I clutched my bare breasts in my
hands, squeezing as they swelled. His touch and desire were magic. How had I ever lived without
him?
“I ache for you,” he said hoarsely. “Crave you constantly. Snap your fingers and I’m hard.” He
traced my lower lip with his tongue, inhaling my panting breaths. “When I come, I come for you.
Because of you and your mouth, hands, and insatiable little cunt. And it’ll be that way for you in
reverse. My tongue, my fingers, my cum inside you. Just you and me, Eva. Intimate and raw.”
I had no doubt I was the focal point of his world when he was touching me, the only thing he saw or
thought of. But we couldn’t have that physical connection all the time. Somehow, I had to learn to
believe in what I couldn’t see between us.
Shameless, my body writhed as I rode his plunging finger. He added another and I dug in my heels,
arching up to meet his thrusts. “Please.”
“When your eyes turn soft and dreamy, I’ll be the one who put that look on you, not a toy.” He
nibbled my jaw, then moved to my chest, nudging my hands aside with his lips. He claimed my nipple
in a gentle bite, his mouth surrounding the tender peak and sucking softly. The ache he created was
needle-sharp, my hunger spurred by the sense that there was a lingering gulf between us, something
that hadn’t yet been recognized and resolved.
“More,” I gasped, needing his pleasure as much as my own.
“Always,” he murmured, his mouth curving in a wicked smile against my skin.
I groaned in frustration. “I want your cock inside me.”
“As you should.” His tongue curled around my other nipple, flickering teasingly over it until it
ached for suction. “Your craving should be for me, angel, not an orgasm. For my body, my hands.
Eventually, you won’t be able to come without my skin touching yours.”
I nodded frantically, my mouth too dry to speak. Need was coiled like a spring in my core,
tightening with every circle of Gideon’s thumb on my clit and every thrust of his fingers. I thought of
B.O.B., my trusty Battery-Operated Boyfriend, and knew that if Gideon were to stop touching me
now, nothing would get me off. My passion was for him, my desire inflamed by his desire for me.
My thighs quivered. “I’m g-going to come.”
His mouth covered mine, his beautiful lips soft and coaxing. It was the love in his kiss that pushed
me over. I cried out and shuddered through a quick, hard orgasm. My moan was long and broken, my
body quivering violently. I pushed my hands under his jacket to grip his back, holding him close, my
mouth claiming his until the wracking pleasure eased.
Licking the taste of me from his fingers, he murmured, “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
I consciously tried to slow my racing heart. “I’m not thinking. I just want to look at you.”
“You don’t always. Sometimes you close your eyes.”
“That’s because you’re a talker in bed and your voice is so sexy.” I swallowed hard with
remembered pain. “I love to hear you, Gideon. I need to know that I’m making you feel as good as you
make me feel.”
“Suck me off now,” he whispered. “Make me come for you.”
I slid from the bed in a breathless rush, my hands reaching eagerly for his fly. He was hard and
thick, his erection straining. Lifting his shirttail and pushing down his boxer briefs, I freed him. He
fell heavily into my hands, the thick length already glistening at the tip. I licked the evidence of his
excitement away, loving his control, the way he reined in his own hungers to satisfy mine.
My eyes were on him as my open mouth slid over the plush head. I watched his lips part on a
sharply indrawn breath and his eyelids grow heavy, as if the pleasure were intoxicating.
“Eva.” His hooded gaze was hot on my face. “Ah … Yes. Like that. Christ, I love your mouth.”
His praise spurred me on. I took him as deep as I could. I loved doing this to him, loved the
uniquely masculine taste and smell of him. I ran my lips down the length of him, suckling gently.
Worshipfully. And I didn’t feel wrong for adoring his virility—I deserved it.
“You love this,” he said gruffly, pushing his fingers into my hair to cup my head. “As much as I
do.”
“More. I want to do this for hours. Make you come over and over again.”
A growl rumbled in his chest. “I would. I can’t get enough.”
The tip of my tongue traced a pulsing vein up to the head, and then I took him in my mouth again, my
neck arching back as I lowered to sit on my heels, my hands on my knees, offering myself to him.
Gideon looked down with eyes that glittered with lust and tenderness.
“Don’t stop.” He widened his stance. He slid his cock to the back of my throat, then pulled back
out, coating my tongue with a trail of creamy pre-ejaculate. I swallowed, savoring the rich flavor of
him. He groaned, his hands cupping my jaw. “Don’t stop, angel. Suck me dry.”
My cheeks hollowed as we found a rhythm, our rhythm, the syncing of our hearts and breaths and
drive to pleasure. We had no problem overthinking our way into trouble, but our bodies never got it
wrong. When we had our hands on each other, we both knew we were in the one place we needed to
be, with the one person we needed to be with.
“So fucking good.” His teeth ground audibly. “Ah, God, you’re making me come.”
His cock swelled in my mouth. His hand fisted in my hair, pulling, his body shuddering as he came
hard.
Gideon cursed as I swallowed. He emptied himself in thick, hot bursts, flooding my mouth as if he
hadn’t come all night. By the time he finished, I was gasping and trembling. He pulled me to my feet
and stumbled to the bed, settling heavily with me tucked into his side. His lungs labored, his hands
rough as he pulled me closer.
“This wasn’t what I had in mind when I brought you coffee.” He pressed a quick, rough kiss to my
forehead. “Not that I have any complaints.”
I curled into him, beyond grateful to have him in my arms again. “Let’s play hooky and make up for
lost time.”
His laugh was husky from his orgasm. He held me for a while, his fingers sifting through my hair
and gliding gently down my arm.
“It ripped me apart,” he said quietly. “Seeing how hurt and angry you were. Knowing I was causing
you pain and that you were pulling away from me … It was hell for us both, but I couldn’t take the
risk that you might become a suspect.”
I stiffened. I hadn’t thought of that possibility. It could be argued that I was Gideon’s motive to kill.
And it could be assumed that I was aware of the crime as well. My complete and utter ignorance
hadn’t been my only protection; he’d made sure I had an alibi, too. Always protecting me—whatever
the cost.
He pulled back. “I put a burner phone in your purse. It’s preprogrammed with a number that will
put you in touch with Angus. If you need me for anything, you can reach me that way.”
My hands clenched into fists—I had to reach my boyfriend through his chauffeur. “I hate this.”
“So do I. Clearing my way back to you is my number one priority.”
“Isn’t it dangerous for Angus to be put in the middle?”
“He’s former MI6. Clandestine phone calls are child’s play for him.” He paused, then said, “Full
disclosure, Eva: I can track you through the phone and I will.”
“What?” I slid out of bed and stood. My thoughts bounced back and forth between MI6—British
secret service!—to geotracking my cell, unsure of what to latch on to first. “No way.”
He stood, too. “If I can’t be with you or talk to you, I at least need to know where you are.”
“Don’t be this way, Gideon.”
His face was composed. “I didn’t have to tell you.”
“Seriously?” I stalked to the closet to grab a robe. “And you said warning someone about
ridiculous behavior isn’t an excuse for it.”
“Cut me some slack.”
Glaring at him, I shoved my hands into the sleeves of a red silk dressing gown and yanked the belt
into a knot. “No. I think you’re a control freak who likes having me followed.”
He crossed his arms. “I like keeping you alive.”
I froze. After a moment, my brain rewound to look at the events of the last few weeks again—with
the addition of Nathan in the picture. Abruptly, everything made sense: the way Gideon had freaked
out when I’d tried to walk to work one morning, why Angus had shadowed me around the city every
day, Gideon’s fury when he commandeered the elevator I was riding …
All those times I’d almost hated him for being an asshole, he’d been thinking about keeping me safe
from Nathan.
My knees weakened, and I sank inelegantly to the floor.
“Eva.”
“Give me a minute.” I’d figured out a lot of it already during the time we’d been apart. I’d realized
Gideon would never allow Nathan to simply stroll into his office with photos of me being abused and
violated, then just stroll back out again. Brett Kline had only kissed me and Gideon had beaten him
up. Nathan had raped me repeatedly for years and documented it with pictures and video. Gideon’s
reaction to meeting Nathan the first time had to have been violent.
Nathan must have visited the Crossfire Building the day I’d found Gideon freshly showered with a
crimson stain on the cuff of his shirt. What I’d originally suspected was lipstick was Nathan’s blood.
The sofa and sofa pillows in Gideon’s office had been skewed from a fight, not from a lunch quickie
with Corinne.
Scowling fiercely, he crouched in front of me. “Damn it. Do you think I want to micromanage you?
There have been extenuating circumstances. Give me credit for trying to balance your independence
with keeping you safe.”
Wow. Hindsight didn’t just make things crystal clear; it smacked me upside the head and knocked
some sense into me. “I get it.”
“I don’t think you do. This”—he gestured impatiently at himself—“is just a fucking shell. You’re
what drives me, Eva. Can you understand that? You’re my heart and soul. If something ever happened
to you, it would kill me, too. Keeping you safe is goddamned self-preservation! Tolerate it for me, if
you won’t do it for yourself.”
I surged into him, knocking him off-balance and onto his back. I kissed him hard, my heart pounding
and blood roaring in my ears.
“I hate to freak you out,” I muttered between desperate kisses, “but you’ve got it real bad for me.”
Groaning, he squeezed me tightly. “So we’re okay?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Maybe not about the burner phone. The cell stalking is nuts. Seriously. Not
cool at all.”
“It’s temporary.”
“I know, but—”
He put a hand over my mouth. “I put directions on how to track my phone in your purse.”
That news left me speechless.
Gideon smirked. “Not such a bad idea on the flip side.”
“Shut up.” I slid off him and smacked his shoulder. “We are totally dysfunctional.”
“I prefer ‘selectively deviant.’ But we’ll keep that to ourselves.”
The warmth I’d felt bled away, replaced by a flare of panic at the reminder that we were hiding our
relationship. How long would it be before I saw him again? Days? I couldn’t repeat the last few
weeks of my life. Even thinking about going without him for any length of time made me feel sick.
I had to swallow past a painful lump to ask, “When can we be together again?”
“Tonight. Eva.” His beautiful eyes were haunted. “I can’t bear that look on your face.”
“Just be with me,” I whispered, my eyes stinging all over again. “I need you.”
Gideon’s fingertips glided softly down my cheek. “You were with me. The whole time. There
wasn’t a second that passed when you weren’t on my mind. You own me, Eva. Wherever I am,
whatever I’m doing, I belong to you.”
I leaned into his touch, letting it soak into me and chase the chill away. “No more Corinne. I can’t
stand it.”
“No more,” he agreed, startling me. “I’ve told her already. I’d hoped we could be friends, but she
wants what she and I used to have, and I want you.”
“The night that Nathan died … she was your alibi.” I couldn’t say more. It hurt to think of how he
might have filled the hours with her.
“No, the kitchen fire was my alibi. It took most of the night dealing with the FDNY, the insurance
company, and making emergency arrangements for food service. Corinne stuck around for some of
that, and when she left, I had plenty of staff on hand to vouch for my whereabouts.”
The surge of relief I felt must have shown on my face, because Gideon’s gaze softened and filled
with the regret I’d seen so many times now.
He stood and held his hand out to help me up. “Your new neighbor would like to invite you over
for a late dinner. Let’s say eight o’clock. You’ll find the key—and the key to the penthouse—on your
keychain.”
I accepted his hand up and tried to lighten the mood with a teasing reply. “He’s seriously hot. I
wonder if he puts out on the first date?”
His returning smile was so wicked it revved me up a notch. “I think your odds of getting laid are
pretty good.”
I gave a dramatic sigh. “How romantic!”
“I’ll give you romance.” Pulling me into him, Gideon dipped me with consummate ease.
Pressed against him from hip to ankle and bowed backward in a yielding curve, I felt my robe slide
apart, exposing my breast. He deepened my arch, until my tender sex hugged his hard thigh and I
couldn’t help but be hyperaware of the power of his body as he supported my weight and his.
That quickly, he seduced me. Despite hours of pleasure and a very recent orgasm, I was primed for
him in that moment, aroused by his skill and strength and self-assurance, his command of himself and
of me.
I rode his leg with a slow slide, licking my lips. He growled and surrounded my nipple with the
wet heat of his mouth, his tongue worrying the hardened point. Effortlessly he held me, aroused me,
possessed me.
I closed my eyes and moaned my surrender.
BECAUSE of the heat and humidity, I chose a lightweight linen sheath dress and pulled my blond hair
back in a ponytail. I accessorized with a small pair of gold hoop earrings and kept my makeup light.
Everything had changed. Gideon and I were back together. I was now living in a world without
Nathan Barker in it. I was never going to turn a corner and run into him. He was never going to appear
on my doorstep out of the blue. I no longer had to worry that Gideon would learn things about my past
that would drive a wedge between us. He knew it all and wanted me anyway.
But the budding peace that came with that new reality was accompanied by fear for Gideon—I
needed to know that he was safe from prosecution. How could he definitively be proven innocent of a
crime he actually did commit? Were we going to have to live with the perpetual fear that his actions
would come back to haunt us? And how had this changed us? Because there was no way we could be
what we’d been before. Not after something so profound.
Leaving my room, I headed out for work, looking forward to the hours of distraction I’d find at my
job with Waters Field & Leaman, one of the leading advertising firms in the country. When I went to
grab my purse off the breakfast bar, I found Cary in the kitchen. He’d clearly been as Busy with a
capital B as I had.
He was leaning back into the counter, his hands gripping the edge as his boyfriend, Trey, cupped
his face and kissed him passionately. Trey was fully dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, while Cary wore
only gray sweats that hung low and sexy on his lean hips. They both had their eyes closed and were
too lost in each other to realize they were no longer alone.
It was rude to look, but I couldn’t help it. For one, I’d always found it fascinating to watch two hot
men make out. And two, I found Cary’s pose very telling. While his handsome face was markedly
vulnerable, the fact that he was holding on to the counter instead of the man he loved betrayed his
lingering distance.
I picked up my purse and backed out as quietly as I could, tiptoeing from the apartment.
Because I didn’t want to be totally melted by the time I got to work, I hailed a cab instead of
walking. From the backseat, I watched Gideon’s Crossfire Building come into view. The gleaming
and distinctive sapphire spire was home to both Cross Industries and Waters Field & Leaman.
My job as assistant to junior account manager Mark Garrity was a dream come true. While some—
namely my stepfather, megafinancier Richard Stanton—couldn’t understand why I’d take an entrylevel
position considering my connections and assets, I was really proud to be working my way up.
Mark was a great boss, both hands-on and hands-off, which meant I was learning a lot both by
instruction and from doing it myself.
The cab turned a corner and pulled up behind a black Bentley SUV I knew all too well. My heart
skipped a beat at the sight of it, knowing that Gideon was nearby.
I paid the cabdriver and climbed out of the cool interior into the steamy early-morning air. My eyes
were riveted to the Bentley in the hope that I might catch a glimpse of Gideon. It was crazy how
excited I was by the idea, especially after a night spent rolling around with him in all his naked glory.
Smiling wryly, I spun through the Crossfire’s copper-framed revolving doors and entered the vast
lobby. If a building could embody a man, the Crossfire did for Gideon. The marble floors and walls
conveyed an aura of power and affluence, while the cobalt glass exterior was as striking as one of
Gideon’s suits. Altogether, the Crossfire was sleek and sexy, dark and dangerous—just like the man
who’d created it. I loved working there.
I passed through the security turnstiles and took the elevator up to the twentieth floor. When I exited
the car, I spotted Megumi—the receptionist—at her desk. She buzzed me through the glass security
doors and stood as I approached.
“Hey,” she greeted me, looking chic in black slacks and a gold silk shell. Her dark sloe eyes
sparkled with excitement, and her pretty mouth was stained a daring crimson. “I wanted to ask you
what you’re doing on Saturday night.”
“Oh …” I wanted to spend the time with Gideon, but there was no guarantee that would happen. “I
don’t know. I don’t have plans yet. Why?”
“One of Michael’s friends is getting married and they’re having a bachelor party on Saturday. If I
stay home, I’ll go nuts.”
“Michael’s the blind date?” I asked, knowing she’d been seeing a guy her roommate had set her up
with.
“Yeah.” Megumi’s face lit up for a second, then fell. “I really like him and I think he likes me, too,
but …”
“Go on,” I prompted.
She lifted one shoulder in an awkward shrug and her gaze skittered away. “He’s a commitmentphobe.
I know he’s into me, but he keeps saying it’s not serious and we’re just having fun. But we
spend a lot of time together,” she argued. “He’s definitely rearranged his life to be with me more
often. And not just physically.”
My mouth twisted ruefully, knowing the type. Those kinds of relationships were tough to quit. The
mixed signals kept the drama and adrenaline high, and the possibility of awesomeness if the guy
would just accept the risk was hard to let go of. What girl didn’t want to attain the unattainable?
“I’m game for Saturday,” I said, wanting to be there for her. “What did you have in mind?”
“Drinking, dancing, getting wild.” Megumi’s grin came back. “Maybe we’ll find you a hot rebound
guy.”
“Uh …” Yikes. Awkward. “I’m doing pretty good, actually.”
She arched a brow at me. “You look tired.”
I spent the entire night getting nailed to my bed by Gideon Cross … “I had a tough Krav Maga
class yesterday.”
“What? Never mind. In any case, it won’t hurt to check out the scenery, right?”
I shifted the straps of my bag on my shoulder. “No rebound guys,” I insisted.
“Hey.” She set her hands on her trim hips. “I’m just suggesting you be open to the possibility of
meeting someone. I know Gideon Cross has got to be a hard act to follow, but trust me, moving on is
the best revenge.”
That made me smile. “I’ll keep an open mind,” I compromised.
The phone on her desk rang and I waved good-bye as I headed down the hallway to my cubicle. I
needed a little time to think about the logistics of playing the role of a single woman when I was very
much taken. If I owned Gideon, he possessed me. I couldn’t imagine belonging to anyone else.
I was just starting to play with how to bring up Saturday night to Gideon when Megumi called after
me. I turned back around.
“I’ve got a call on hold to send your way,” she said. “And I hope it’s personal, because holy hell is
his voice smokin’ hot. He sounds like S-E-X rolled in chocolate and covered in whipped cream.”
Nervous excitement raised the hairs on my nape. “Did he give his name?”
“Yep. Brett Kline.”

Categories: Entwined with You