Page 59 of Once Upon A Bear

Gideon laughed, then offered his hand. “May I have this dance?” he asked.

Guinevere took a deep breath. If only she didn’t have to second-guess whether she was willing to dance with him. But she nodded and placed her hand in his, and a wave of elation swept through Gideon. He just had to convince her to say yes enough times, and she would realize that he was right for her.

Hopefully there was still the chance that she would change her mind, that she would decide he was worth it—a chance that she wouldn’t let her fear get the best of her. Because that was all it was…it was fear.

If there was one thing Gideon knew how to press through, it was fear.

He swept her onto the dance floor, pulling her close. She fit in his arms like she belonged there. All he had to do was get her to see that.

They swept around the dance floor, and for someone who supposedly didn’t have any dance experience, she was quite light on her feet.

“You’re very good at this,” he murmured, dipping her backward as the dance slowed for a moment.

“It’s easy when you have a good partner,” she said, her eyes sparkling.

“I agree.”

Gideon focused on the feeling of her in his arms, committing it to memory—the way her hair smelled of vanilla and honey, the way his fingers splayed against her

rib cage, the way her hand rested on his shoulder, the way she smiled up at him as if he was her favorite thing in the world.

“Is it as bad as you thought it would be?” he teased.

Guinevere let out a puff of air. “No,” she said, sounding incredibly frustrated. “It’s not, which makes me seem like I’m simply being a frightened child.”

“You are,” he said with a soft shrug. “It doesn’t mean it’s not valid, but it’s the fear that has been ingrained in you since you were young. It is normal to not give that up easily. But it doesn’t mean you should let it hold power over you, because you deserve to live freely, and you deserve to feel loved. And fear will hold you back. And if there’s one thing I want least of all, it’s for you to be held back by your fear. Not just because it’s trying to keep you away from me,” he added as an afterthought, “but because you, Sunshine, should live free.”

The music drew to a close, and they stopped moving. Her eyes met his with an intensity that should have surprised him, but this was Guinevere, and everything she did was intense.

“I don’t know that I believe you,” she whispered, “even if I want to.”

Gideon led her off the dance floor toward the drinks. “Can I offer you some punch?” he asked, in an attempt to keep himself from wondering why she wouldn’t trust him. He knew why she was scared, and that was natural, even if it felt like a betrayal.

“Yes, please,” she said.

Gideon poured them both a drink, then led her away from the ballroom, down the hallway toward the family’s sitting room. She visibly relaxed as they left the chaos behind, and Gideon sighed inwardly. He shouldn’t have pushed her to come. He should have known she wouldn’t be at home here, but it didn’t mean he didn’t want her to be at home here.

But perhaps her being at home at the Rendon estate was different than her being at home at a ball, when the room was full of nobility and she was afraid of being discovered.

Or perhaps he was being foolish, and he should let her go.

But everything in him argued that would be wrong—that she was the one.

“Taking me off somewhere alone?” Guinevere teased.

“Absolutely,” he said as he closed the door behind them. “I wanted a moment with you before I have to share you with everyone else.”

He pulled her into his arms once more. She felt so right. She brought her hands up to rest on his chest, and he leaned down to rest his forehead against hers.

“Thank you,” he whispered, hoping she’d understand all the things he was thankful for, before leaning down and gently pressing his lips against hers.

If holding her in his arms in the ballroom had felt right, kissing her felt like perfection, and he never wanted to let her go. He poured all his emotions into their kiss, promising with more than words that he would choose her again and again.

Whether she knew it or not, he already had.

Chapter twenty-three

Guinevere