AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She wished it didn’t make a difference, but it, in fact, made all the difference. When you put your life in someone’s hands, as she and Gideon did on a daily basis, you had to have total trust in that individual. What she and Gideon had was as rare as a snowfall in the desert, and she had treasured it above all else. But now that she knew it had all been based on a thousand lies, how could she give her total trust to him again?
As if there was nothing else to say, Gideon stood.
“Will you be going back to OZ now?”
“No,” he said calmly as he walked toward her. “I’ve already told you my plans. They haven’t changed.”
Yes, he’d told her he wouldn’t return until she did. She knew him well enough to know that arguing would do no good. When Gideon decided something, that was it for him.
As he approached her, she saw something in his eyes she hadn’t seen in a very long time. Before she could wonder at it, he leaned over her and cupped her face in his big hands. Beautiful blue eyes locked with hers, he said softly, “I’m very sorry I hurt you, Eve. It’s the last thing I wanted to do, and I sincerely appreciate your forgiveness.”
He leaned closer, so near that she could feel his breath on her lips. “I will earn your trust back. That’s a promise.”
Before she could respond, he touched his mouth to hers. His lips were warm and firm as they gently caressed hers.
It was a kiss of tenderness.
Passion.
Promise.
He then strode to the door and walked out, leaving Eve stunned, breathless, and wanting.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Gideon entered his apartment and shut the door behind him. This would be his home for the next few weeks, but it felt as empty as his heart did. Had he gone too far? Not far enough? When she’d said she’d forgiven him, his heart had leaped, and the relief had been enormous. Seconds later, he’d crashed and burned when she’d told him she wasn’t sure she could ever trust him again.
He had made a statement with that kiss. Had staked a claim. It was up to Eve to make the next move. She’d had plenty of opportunity to avoid his kiss, and though he’d felt her surprise, he’d also felt her response. There had been passion, need, and attraction. He could work with all of those.
He drew in a breath and gazed around the furnished but colorless apartment. It would be a place to sleep and nothing more. She wanted space, and he would give it to her. He would check back in with her in a few days. She wouldn’t be going anywhere, and he agreed with her that she needed time to process all that she’d learned. But no way would he give up on her or them. He’d regain her trust if it was the last thing he did.
The knock on his door had him reaching for his gun, and then he swore softly as he remembered he didn’t have his weapon on him. Perhaps it was just paranoia on his part, but ever since he’d returned to Ile de la Lune, he felt as if he were being watched. It didn’t help that Clement had thrown him in a prison cell for three days. It was more than that, though. He just didn’t know what.
Looking through the peephole, he noted a box had been set on the floor in front of his door. Recognizing the packaging, he nodded his approval. As usual, Ash had come through.
Grabbing the box, he returned to the living room. Placing the package on the coffee table, he tore into it, revealing the satellite phone he’d asked Ash to send. As soon as he’d signed the lease for his apartment, he’d texted Ash his address. Even though they’d been in touch with a few encrypted texts and a couple of brief conversations, they hadn’t had the kind of discussion that needed to take place. He owed his friend an explanation, but he needed the conversation to be as secure possible.
Pleased to see the phone was charged, he dropped into a chair and punched in Ash’s number.
“About time you called,” Ash answered.
“Sorry. Just got the phone. Thanks for sending it.”
“You’re welcome. How’s Eve?”
The hard tone in Ash’s voice told him the man was still pissed.
“She’s recovering well. Already doing some PT. She should be good to go in about six weeks. Maybe less.”
“She’s coming back?”
“We both are.”
He wouldn’t ordinarily speak for Eve, but in this, he was certain. Whether she would agree to continue being his partner was up in the air.
“That’s good to hear. You ready to tell me why you’re in Ile de la Lune?”
He could reveal their location without giving up Eve’s secrets. They were hers to share when she was ready.
