A Most Excellent Midlife Crisis - Robyn Peterman Page 0,63
ready,” I replied. “Or something like that.”
Gideon grabbed my hand and led me to his car.
“Where are we going?” I asked as he got in and started the ignition.
“To our house,” he replied. “We need to have a little chat.”
My heart sank. I hated that he was upset with me. I should have shared my thoughts about someone planting the wrong story in Gram’s head with him privately, but I hadn’t. My protective instincts for Gram took a front seat. However, trust was a two-way street and I was driving on the wrong side.
“Gideon, I didn’t think you did it.”
“I know.”
“You’re not mad?”
“I’m not mad.”
“I was an idiot not to tell you what I was thinking.”
He nodded. “I’d have to agree.”
Shit.
We drove the rest of the way in silence—lost in our own thoughts. My brain came up with a hundred ways to apologize for not coming clean with him before the fact, but they all kind of sucked. Gram was my world—even dead, she was my world. However, Gideon was my world, too, and I hadn’t been fair to him.
“It’s okay, Daisy,” Gideon said. “Stop beating yourself up. I know Gram and I are both your world.”
“Oh my God.” I gasped and punched his arm. “You can read my mind?”
Gideon chuckled. I didn’t think it was funny.
“Only when you think very loud. Like now,” he assured me.
“Shit,” I muttered. This was not welcome news. “Wait, could you tell I knew you hadn’t planted the thoughts?”
“I could.”
“So, you’re really not upset with me?”
He shook his head. “I’m not upset, but I think we have some work to do.”
My relief was overwhelming. And he was correct. We had work to do, and I was willing to do it. However, I was curious about something. “Can I read your mind if you think loudly?”
“I don’t know,” Gideon said, pulling off the road at the same spot we’d parked before. “You’ve surprised me repeatedly. It wouldn’t shock me to know that you could read my thoughts.”
“Can I try?” I asked, feeling silly.
“Yep,” he said, turning to me and staring straight into my eyes.
His face was expressionless. No clues there. His body was still and there was no sign of nervousness. What I could see visually wasn’t helping. Looking for physical clues was messing me up. Closing my eyes, I almost laughed. If I was going to try, I was really going to try. I could mind dive into the dead. How hard could reading the Grim Reaper’s mind be?
The images were fuzzy at first. I was sure my own imagination had taken over. Wishful thinking was some powerful stuff. As the images grew clearer, I saw me. But not the image that greeted me in the mirror every morning. Nope. I was a freaking goddess. My eyes sparkled gold and my skin glowed. I was also completely naked. My wild dark curls blew around my head and the smile on my lips was so carnal, I giggled.
“You see it?” Gideon asked, amusement in his voice.
“Umm… I see me.”
“You’re seeing you the way I see you,” he said softly.
“That’s what you see?” I asked. “Because if it is, you might need glasses.”
His laugh rang out in the tight interior of the car, and I grinned.
“There’s more, Daisy. Keep searching.”
I did.
Oh my God, I did.
I felt the heat on my cheeks and put my hands on my heart to calm the fluttering. His thoughts were x-rated and hotter than anything I’d ever witnessed.
“Umm… we didn’t do that the other night,” I said in a whispery voice an octave higher than usual.
“No,” he agreed. “Something to look forward to.”
Opening my eyes, I gaped at the man sitting across from me. The man was beautiful, and he found me beautiful too.
“I read your mind.”
“That you did,” Gideon said. “As I said, it doesn’t surprise me at all.”
“You have very naughty thoughts.” I bit back a grin. As crazy as life was, it was also wonderful.
“Only where you’re concerned.”
“Mind reading can’t be great for relationships,” I pointed out, wrinkling my nose.
“Then we have to promise not to do it unless it’s necessary… or sexual,” he suggested with a lopsided grin.
“Why did we come here?” I asked as the blush crept up my neck and landed on my cheeks. “Are we going to… you know…”
Gideon leaned in and kissed me. “That can be arranged,” he said. “However, we came for another reason.”
“Okay,” I said, following his lead and getting out of the car.