I gritted my teeth, taking a deep breath and counting to ten. It was better than the alternative.I don’t need another social media scandal.“That girl is hurting, Gideon. I was all for playing the part for you, but damn.” Hannah returned from ‘checking in’. I ran my hand over my face and tension coiled itself down my body. “I’m pleased to attend, but you should go talk to her. I don’t mind, really. This is a huge favor for me, being here.”
“I owed Tate,” I barked out. Fiona’s face was burned into my mind. Her crestfallen expression, the slight shake of her chin…Why couldn’t she say what she wanted to?“Would you mind going to check us in at the registration table?”
“Not at all. Go talk to her. I’ll meet you inside.”
I nodded, pinched the bridge of my nose and entered the business center of the elegant hotel. It amused me—the image of Fiona wearing a lethally sexy midnight-blue dress with her crazy blonde hair hanging in waves and sitting next to a relic of a computer. She tapped the machine with her hand, yelling at it, but nothing happened. She let out a small groan and pressed a button on the side of her headset.
“Yes,boss. I am working on getting the hard copies. Also, fuck you for not telling me Gideon brought a date. No. No. You’re dead to me. Dead. D-e-a-d.”
If I wasn’t so pissed at her, I would’ve laughed. She flipped off the computer, letting her limbs fall at all angles. It was as if the air had completely left her body and she spoke in such a soft tone, I had to lean forward to catch it all. “Obviously, I have feelings for him, Jade. It just took time for me to accept it. I was too late. He has a new sidepiece. I’m not doing this feel-y shit with you right now. The computer isn’t letting me log in for the originals. Let’s just have the attendants write the information down by hand and get it to the tech guys to program into the system. It’ll be fine.”
She paused, snorting at something Jade said, before she stood. “You want me to let Gideon know where to go? How about hell fucking no. I’ll check in with the silent auction. I’m turning this thing off if you think I’m going to talk to—”
“To me?”
She gasped and spun around so fast I swore she pulled a muscle in shoulder. “I gotta go, Jade.”
I gestured to the headset and couldn’t hold back my grin. “You can tell Jade not to worry about finding me.”
“Thanks for pointing that out.” She bit her bottom lip, her gaze darting at everything but my face. A small blush crept up her neck, enflaming her face. Her eyes were bluer than I remembered, and a sharp reminder of how she’d left everything between us. “How much, er—what did you hear?”
“Oh, the entire thing.” I stepped closer and enjoyed the way her chest heaved with each breath. It pleased me to hear she had feelings for me, but I wasn’t about to make it easier for her. I crossed my arms and did my best to remain expressionless. “Are you mature enough to talk like real adults?”
She blinked, her hands forming two fists at either side.Good. Maybe she hurts like I do.“It doesn’t matter.”
“It all matters, Fiona.”
“I have to run back and help,” she stuttered and tried to move past me. I blocked the exit and let myself enjoy her perfume for a couple of seconds. “Gideon, please.”
“No. Look at me.”
And she did. With her trembling bottom lip, wide, scared eyes, and chin jutted out, she met my gaze. All the air left my lungs at her beauty—I needed her back in my life and I wouldn’t let her leave until she told me. I knew she felt it. I had done back when she crushed my heart, but I understood her.
We had no chance if she wasn’t the one to take the first step. It had to be her and waiting sucked. “What did you want to tell me?”
She ran her tongue over her mouth, her back straightening. My chest tightened when I watched her walls fall down. “I-I… It was real. For me. Everything.”
“What was real?”
She swallowed quite loudly, her throat bobbing. “What’s the point? I need to protect myself here, Gid.”
“Isn’t that what you did ten days ago? Protect yourself from getting hurt, by ignoring the truth. This isn’t different. I put it all on the line for you.” My pulse raced and I swore my adrenaline had never been this high before. I took her hand and put it on my heart. “I’m not going to give you another shot. I need to think about myself, too.”
She dug her nails into my chest, her cherry-red lips pursing twice before opening. “I want to try. You and me. Being together. I’m a mess. I’ll scream and fight with you—relationships aren’t my thing. But, Gid—” She paused and glanced over my shoulder. “You’re here with an-another woman. I shouldn’t be saying any of this.”
“Yes. You should. It’s perfect.”
I cupped her jaw with my left hand, bringing her mouth to meet mine. I didn’t wait another second before kissing her. Her arms wrapped around me, her heartbeat pounding into me. She tasted sweet, her tongue greedily trying to get inside. I obliged and deepened the kiss, tipping her head back. She moaned and all the pieces inside me fell back together. “I missed you,” I whispered between kissing and caressing her sides. “Hannah is a friend. I promise.”
Fiona shoved my chest away and her swollen lips sent a wave of desire through me. It had been too long and my cock tightened against my pants. “You’re not sharing a room with her?”
“Hell, no.” I chuckled and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. The silky blonde hair was soft and I wanted it spread across my bed. “I may have insinuated it just to rile you.”
“Excuse me? You didwhat?” She took a step back and stared at me with a bemused expression. “You asshole. Look who’s immature now.”
“I’m not ashamed. It got a reaction out of you, and yeah. I wanted to hurt you. You let me walk away in that parking lot without a word. Never again. Okay?” I cupped her face and pressed a soft kiss on her mouth.
“Okay.”
