Book 1 - Page 56 (1/2)

His joyful smile was my reward, as was the shower we took to clean up. I loved the intimacy of was.h.i.+ng his body as much as I loved the feel of his palms gliding over me. When I took his hand and put it between my legs, urging two of his fingers inside me, I saw the familiar and very welcome heat in his eyes as he felt the slick essence he'd left behind.

He kissed me and murmured, ”Mine.”

Which prompted me to slide both hands over his c**k and whisper the same claim back to him.

In the bedroom, I lifted my new blue dress off the bed and hugged it to me. ”You picked this out, Gideon?”

”I did, yes. Do you like it?”

”It's beautiful.” I smiled. ”My mother said you had excellent taste...except for your preference for brunettes.”

He glanced at me just before his very fine, very firm na**d a.s.s disappeared into his ma.s.sive walk-in closet. ”What brunettes?”

”Ooh, nicely done.”

”Look in the top drawer on the right,” he called out.

Was he trying to distract me from thinking about all the brunettes he'd been photographed with - including Magdalene?

I left the dress on the bed and opened the drawer. Inside were a dozen Carine Gilson lingerie sets, all in my size, in a wide range of colors. There were also garters and silk stockings still in their packages.

I looked up at Gideon as he reappeared with his clothes in hand. ”I have a drawer?”

”You have three in the dresser and two in the bathroom.”

”Gideon.” I smiled. ”Working up to a drawer usually takes a few months.”

”How would you know?” He laid his clothes on the bed. ”You've lived with a man other than Cary?”

I shot him a look. ”Having a drawer isn't living with someone.”

”That's not an answer.” He walked over and brushed me gently aside to grab a pair of boxer briefs.

Sensing his withdrawal and darkening mood, I replied before he moved away. ”I haven't lived with any other men, no.”

Leaning over, Gideon pressed a brusque kiss to my forehead before returning to the bed. He paused at the footboard with his back to me. ”I want this relations.h.i.+p to mean more to you than any others you've had.”

”It does. By far.” I tightened the knot of the towel between my br**sts. ”I'm struggling with that a little. It's become important so quickly. Maybe too quickly. I keep thinking it's too good to be true.”

Turning, he faced me. ”Maybe it is. If so, we deserve it.”

I went to him and let him pull me into his arms. It was where I wanted to be more than anywhere else.

He pressed a kiss to the crown of my head. ”I can't stand the thought that you're waiting for this to end. That's what you're doing, isn't it? That's what you sound like.”