minute.
Long enough for his brow to arch over those piercing blue eyes in a look that said take it or leave it.
"Don't you think that's a little extreme?" I prodded.
"I'll have Cary with me."
"You'll forgive me if I don't trust him with your safety after last night."
As he drank his coffee, his posture made it very clear that the conversation was done in his mind.
He'd given me his acceptable options.
I might've gotten bitchy about that kind of high-handedness if I didn't understand that taking care of me was his motivation.
My past had vicious skeletons, and dating Gideon had put me in a media spotlight that could bring Nathan Barker right to my door.
Plus, controlling everything around him was just part of who Gideon was.
It came with the package and I had to make accommodations for that.
"Okay," I agreed.
"Which hotel is yours?" "I have a few.
You can take your pick."
He turned his head to look out the window.
"Scott will e-mail you the list.
When you've decided, let him know and he'll make the arrangements.
We'll fly out together and return together."
Leaning my shoulder into the seat, I took a drink of my coffee and noted the way his hand was fisted on his thigh.
In the tinted window's reflection, Gideon's face was impassive, but I could feel his moodiness.
"Thank you," I murmured.
"Don't.
I'm not happy about this, Eva."
A muscle in his jaw twitched.
"Your roommate fucks up and I have to spend the weekend without you."
Hating that he was unhappy, I took his coffee from him and set our travel mugs in the backseat cup holders.
Then I climbed into his lap, straddling him.
I draped my arms around his shoulders.
"I appreciate you bending on this, Gideon.
It means a lot to me."
He caught me in his fierce blue gaze.
"I knew you were going to drive me insane the moment I saw you."
I smiled, recalling how we'd met.
"Sprawled on my ass on the lobby floor of the Crossfire Building?" "Before.
Outside."
Frowning, I asked, "Outside where?" "On the sidewalk."
Gideon gripped my hips, squeezing in that possessive, commanding way of his that made me ache for him.
"I was leaving for a meeting.
A minute later and I would've missed you.
I'd just gotten into the car when you came around the corner."
I remembered the Bentley idling at the curb that day.
I'd been too awed by the building to take note of the sleek vehicle when I arrived, but I had noticed it when I left.
"You hit me the instant I saw you," he said gruffly.
"I couldn't look away.
I wanted you immediately.
Excessively.
Almost violently."
How could I not have known that there'd been more to our first meeting than I'd realized? I thought we'd stumbled across each other by accident.
But he'd been leaving for the day .
which meant he had deliberately backtracked inside.
For me.
"You stopped right next to the Bentley," he went on, "and your head tilted back.
You were looking up at the building and I pictured you on your knees, looking up at me that same way."
The low growl in Gideon's voice had me squirming in his lap.
"What way?" I whispered, mesmerized by the fire in his eyes.
"With excitement.
A little awe .
a little intimidation."
Cupping my rear, he urged me tighter against him.
"There was no way to stop myself from following you inside.
And there you were, right where I'd wanted you, damn near kneeling in front of me.
In that minute, I had a half dozen fantasies about what I was going to do to you when I got you naked."
I swallowed, remembering my similar reaction to him.
"Looking at you for the first time made me think about sex.
Screaming, sheet-clawing sex."
"I saw that."
His hands slid up either side of my spine.
"And I knew you saw me, too.
Saw what I am .
what I have inside me.
You saw right through me."
And that was what had knocked me on my ass - literally.
I'd looked into his eyes and realized how tightly reined he was, what a shadowed soul he had.
I had seen power and hunger and control and demand.
Somewhere inside me, I'd known he would take me over.
It was a relief to know he'd felt the same upheaval over me.
Gideon's hands hugged my shoulder blades and pulled me closer, until our foreheads touched.
"No one's ever seen before, Eva.
You're the only one."
My throat tightened painfully.
In so many ways, Gideon was a hard man, yet he could be so sweet to me.
Almost childishly so, which I loved because it was pure and uncontrolled.
If no one else bothered to look beyond his striking face and impressive bank account, they didn't deserve to know him.
"I
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