Book 5 - Page 133 (1/2)

“You should take a nap,” I told him. “You look tired.” And that troubled me. I couldn’t recall when I’d ever seen him so wiped out.

“Do you see me?” he asked hoa.r.s.ely. “Are you looking at me and seeing me?”

My frown deepened. I looked him over from head to toe. Oh. He’d dressed for me. Thinking of me. “Yes.”

He reached out and touched my face. His tormented gaze held mine. “I feel like I’m invisible to you.”

“I see you.”

“I …” He breathed hard, his chest working as if he’d just run miles. “I’m sorry, Eva. Sorry about Anne … about last night …”

“I know.” Of course I knew that.

He was so upset. Much more than I was. Why? My self-control was never as good as his. Except for now. From the moment I learned the truth, I’d felt an icy resolve form somewhere deep inside me. I didn’t understand it, but I used it. To deal with the police. And my dad and Cary, who needed me to be strong for them.

“d.a.m.n it.” He came to me and cupped my face in his hands. “Yell at me. Hit me. For G.o.d’s sake—”

“Why?”

“Why?” He stared at me as if I were crazy. “Because this is my fault! Anne was my problem and I didn’t manage her. I didn’t—”

“You’re not responsible for her actions, Gideon,” I said crossly, frustrated he would think that way. “Why would you believe you were? That doesn’t make any sense.”

His hands went to my shoulders and he gave me a little shake. “You’re not making sense! Why aren’t you mad that I didn’t tell you about your mother? You lost it when I hired Mark and didn’t tell you. You left me—” His voice broke. “You’re not leaving me over this, Eva. We’ll work through it … we’ll figure out how to get past it.”

“I’m not leaving you.” I touched his face. “You need to sleep, Gideon.”

“G.o.d.” He caught me up and took my mouth, his lips slanting over mine. I put my arms around him, stroking his back to try to calm him down.

“Where are you?” he muttered. “Come back to me.”

Cupping my jaw, he pressed gently with trembling fingers, urging my mouth to open. The moment it did, his tongue swept inside, licking desperately. With a groan, he pulled me up hard against him, urgently f.u.c.king his tongue into my mouth.