“How did they think that would work?” she asked, flabbergasted at the duo’s arrogance.
“They thought they could control me, and tonight they realized they could not,” he said, an edge in his voice that made her shudder.
That scene with the deadly and imposing Don Tempesta….
“You had something on the Mancinis…and you gave it to Don Tempesta,” she deduced. “But what does that have to do with me? What did I do to deserve taking your frustrations out on me?”
Gideon heaved a sigh and tightened his arms around her. “Once again, my belief in my untouchability was shaken. I was pissed, frustrated, hating that they dared to exploit my marriage for their gain…and when I got home, and I saw you, standing in the kitchen, like my greatest treasure and danger in the same adorable package…I just lost it.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I cannot begin to tell you how wrecked I am that I said those things. As true as some of what I said was, you never should have had to find out about our beginnings like that. Yes, it started because I needed a wife, and you fit the criteria of what I thought I wanted, but I know now that even if you hadn’t, even if you hadn’t ticked a single box on my stupid list of traits of my ideal wife, I would have chosen you that evening.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks, but Gideon brushed them away, cupping her face with such gentleness, it only made her cry harder.
“You and I were meant to be, Kendra, it just took me three years to figure that out.”
The last crumbling bricks of the wall keeping him out fell to the ground and broke to pieces.
Wiping her face on a throw blanket tucked under a breast pump box, Kendra met Gideon’s pained gaze.
He was opening himself up, baring himself, giving her all his truths…. She should do the same.
“I knew that night, Gideon, that same night we met. I saw you stride into the room like a panther—all animalistic power and pride in human form, and I fell so hard I’m still reeling from the impact,” she admitted, nuzzling into his chest.
He groaned, then sighed. “And I ruined it.”
She gave a humorless laugh. “Yes, you did, but not at first.”
He hummed, pulled her into his chest and hummed again. “It must have been my charm that reeled you in.”
“It was. You won’t believe this, Gideon, but though you put on this mask of powerful billionaire who’s above it all, I could see that you were heart and loyalty through the little things you did without thinking. You’d open my water bottles, you’d tuck the blanket around me when I’d fall asleep on the couch, you’d make sure my favorite snacks were in your cupboards even though you hate processed foods. Not to mention, you made me feel seen, heard, and attractive—and that was even before you proposed.”
“It was after the wedding that things got real for me; it was no longer about getting you to sign away your life in marriage to me, it was about surviving being married to my own personal hell.”
Kendra snorted, narrowing her eyes. “Well, thank you for that?—”
He kissed her quick and hard, shutting her up. “I meant that having you in my space, all the time, that temptation to give everything to you, to let you in, to show you the real me…it was hell, and I fought myself every day to keep things cold, departed, and under my control.”
“You can’t control your way out of feeling things, Gideon,” Kendra breathed.
“I know that now.” He pressed his forehead against hers, breathing deep. “I’ve learned a hell of a lot over the last week, and I just know that there’s still so much left to learn.” She could feel the warmth of his hand brush over her belly. “And I am willing to learn it all…if you’ll let me.”
She couldn’t speak for the emotions drowning her.
Ever present fear of the unknown.
Susurrating anger at all that had happened—five days ago and tonight with Isabella and her viperous tongue.
Lingering grief at what could be lost if she didn’t offer Gideon the second chance he was begging for.
And the last dregs of humiliation from being in the dark about the origins of their marriage, and Gideon’s words about her being a failure of a woman because she hadn’t conceived.
That still smarted, though she could now point to her belly and give him the finger about that one.
But the most powerful of those emotions was love.
Unfiltered.
Raw.
Bright.
