Page 87 of Nothing to Fear

“I mean, you’re special to me.” He brushed her jaw with his knuckles, and the wave of anxiety receded. “You’re so beautiful.” The smooth heat in his voice almost made her believe him.

“I know I’m not. I’m the ugly duckling who never fits in.” That’s what Laurel used to call her. Among other things. “You don’t have to—”

He silenced her with a scorching kiss. Her toes curled, her body squeezed with yearning.

“The ugly duckling was a gorgeous swan who needed to find where she belonged. You have no idea how beautiful you are. I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.” He slipped his hands in her hair, cupping her head. “I love your sensitivity. How you’re fragile yet strong.”

Each sweet word stole oxygen from her lungs and only deepened the craving for him.

“I love how extraordinary you are. You have such talent others envy.” His words sparked a strange delight, and for as long as she lived, she’d never forget a single one. “I love your singing.” He stroked the hollow of her neck. “I love this spot. Whenever you touched your pearls in a briefing, you always drew my eye right here. Delicate. Sensual. The first part of your body I fell in love with.”

She was overwhelmed and had no idea how to respond.

“I love that you don’t dream. It means you can’t have nightmares. So when you sleep, I know you’re at peace.”

Lightness tickled her chest at how he remembered the small passing details.

“I love when you relax and let go.” A hot whisper against her lips. “You can be so free, you make me want to let go too. Make me want to join Control Freaks Anonymous. Hi, my name is Gideon. I’m a control freak.”

She laughed. “Hi, my name is Willow. I’m a control freak too.” She had to organize everything a certain way, from spices to the dishes in a dishwasher. If only there were a CFA.

The only thing keeping her from losing her mind with her rigid schedule obliterated was this new routine with him.

His lips hitched in a smile, and he kissed her. In the hot rush from his mouth, she sensed her Gideon, the one from the boat.

“I love touching you, being inside you, and it has nothing to do with pity. Okay?”

She nodded, her heart clenching under the upsurge of emotion. The way he caressed her and spoke to her, as if he more than liked her. As if he loved her.

He opened a window, followed by another, letting in fresh air. Her heart beat a little faster, a little harder. He started stripping, leaving a trail of clothes on the way back to her. She kicked off her shoes, marveling at the stunning sight of him. Still seemed she was lost in a fantasy. He desired her, unmistakable how she aroused him, but maybe that was how it was for a man.

“Are you like this with other women?”

Tossing his jeans to the side, he glanced at her. “Like what?”

“Interested in sex all the time? Or am I lucky?”

He sauntered closer, his eyes pale-blue flames, setting her heart on fire. Placing the gun on the nightstand, he said, “I’m the lucky one. I’ve never been like this with anyone.”

Running her palms up his chest, she kissed the wrinkled patch near his shoulder where he’d suffered a burn. Lebanon, two years ago. A light scar from a switchblade across his lower abdomen while on assignment in Nigeria the summer she began at the Gray Box. She lowered to her knees and kissed the two bullet wounds on his thigh that he’d taken on exfiltration from Venezuela.

In every kiss, every lick of her tongue, she showered him with tenderness. Every blemish she loved because they all added up to make him this amazing man capable of extraordinary things.

He cradled her face, bringing her to her feet. Stroking her lips with the pad of his thumb, he smiled, nothing between them besides warmth and anticipation. Gideon laid her down, pressing flush against her, heavy and full between her legs. The masculine heat from him erased her worries and fears about everything.

A breeze rustled the curtains, skimming her skin. She ran her hands over the chiseled landscape of his chest while he commanded her body to soften and grow slick from his touch. He drew one of her knees up, opening her, and then she was engulfed in sensation. He stretched her, groaning, seeming to lose himself as her body yielded, giving way to his.

When he touched her, thresholds disappeared and limits ceased to exist. There was only the agonizing sweetness between ecstasy and oblivion.

“Open your eyes.” The dark velvet whisper brushed her mouth.

She met his penetrating gaze, and a deep flutter winged through her.

“No one’s ever looked at me the way you do.” He kissed her, stealing her breath.

She trembled under the reverence of his touch. Was this love? Lust? Both? It was the most powerful force she’d ever experienced.

“Am I hurting you?” His terrified gaze probed her face, hand cupping her cheek.