Gideon nodded and walked out into an oasis of flowers and bushes.He’d never seen anything so pretty in his life.There was an abundance of color and texture everywhere he looked.It was a place where he could see himself relaxing after a hard day at work.
His body turned rigid as a fresh wave of mating scent hit him hard.What the hell?Before he could look around more, Bambi and Edward walked out.He nonchalantly took a whiff of her and realized it wasn’t as strong as what he felt at the moment.
He could tell by the way her father had a hold of her upper arm that she’d been trying to run away, and he wished he had let her go so he could leave.
“It’s nice out today,” Edward said.
Gideon nodded.“This is the most beautiful garden I’ve ever seen.”He turned to Bambi when she snorted.“What?”
“Shelikes doing this,” she said and crinkled her nose.
“Who?”
“My sister.”
Gideon’s eyebrows rose.“I didn’t know you had one.”He’d never heard anything in all the years he’d known Edward.
He caught the look of embarrassment on the older man’s face, but then he smiled.“I have two daughters, but this one is my pride and joy.”
Jesus, what a prick.
“I’m so sorry.It looks like you’ll be meeting Jessica,” Edward said and pointed over his shoulder.“I hate that she likes to play in the dirt.Maybe if she tried to be more like her sister...”
Gideon spun around, and the world seemed to stop, and every molecule in his body expanded.Thiswoman was the one who was his mate.The scent on Bambi had only been there because the two lived together in the same house, so it rubbed off on her.
He noticed Jessica seemed to feel something similar from the look in her eyes and the way her body didn’t move at all.
The sound of Edward’s voice finally seeped through.
“This is my youngest, Jessica.”
After he’d finally gotten over the shock, he studied her.She was several inches shorter than her sister, Bambi, and had curves that made his mouth water.She had a light tan, probably because she spent a lot of time outdoors.Her hair was long and very dark, and her eyes made him think of topaz.They were piercing and pretty.Everything about her turned him on.
“Why is it that we’ve never known about her?”Gideon asked as the woman slowly made her way over to their group.
“Because look at her,” Bambi said loudly enough for Jessica to hear.
When he looked at her casual expression, he didn’t know if it was because she seemed to be used to the way her sister talked about her or if she was good at hiding her feelings.
He heard Edward grunt behind him and turned to look at him.The distaste on the man’s face as he looked at his other daughter made him furious.
“What about her?”Gideon asked.
“She’s always dirty, and she doesn’t have anything feminine about her.”Bambi turned to her father.“Right, Daddy?”
“You’re right, sweetheart.”
Jessica stopped a few feet away from them and tried to smile.“Bambi takes after my father’s side of the family, and I look like my mother.”
“She must have been very beautiful,” Gideon said.He almost laughed at all the different expressions on everyone’s faces.Jessica was surprised, but her skin turned rosy with happiness.Edward stiffened and shook his head, muttering to himself.Bambi had a look of pure shock, then confusion and disbelief.
He surmised that Bambi hadn’t heard people talk nicely about her sister.
Gideon held out his hand towards Jessica.“It’s nice to meet you.”
A look of embarrassment came over her face when she held up her hand to show it covered in dirt.
“Oh, my God.That’s disgusting,” Bambi said, horrified.
