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And if he kissed her, he’d be completely lost.
* * *
Gideon and the boys went to pick up the pizzas, leaving Rosie alone for a little while.
Alone and buzzing from that almost-kiss.
At last, he’d been about to give in to the sizzle between them. She’d almost been able to taste his lips. Feel the heat of his body against hers. And if Jorge hadn’t called them, she couldn’t have made herself pull back. Not when she wanted Gideon so badly.
Of course, when they came back with the pizzas, Gideon acted like the moment had never happened. She wasn’t surprised by his reaction. Nor was she hurt. How could she be, when she was still floating on a cloud of hope that he’d let himself get that close to her in the first place? She was still his friend first and foremost, but she wasn’t planning to lie to either of them by denying her longing for him.
They played card games after pizza. Gideon was a fountain of old games from bygone eras—snap and spoons and spit—and the boys were fascinated with every new one he taught them. Who needed an iPad or a video game or even a TV when you had Gideon?
He was so good with Jorge and Noah, exactly the way she imagined he’d been with Ari when she was six. And even if he sat as far away from her as possible and directed nearly all his comments to the kids, she had a great time.
; Then Noah yawned. Caught by the contagion, Jorge yawned too.
“I believe it’s bedtime,” she said.
Gideon nodded, gathering the cards together into a pile. “We’ll get out of your hair.”
“Can I come with you guys, Gid?” Jorge begged.
“Yeah, Uncle Gideon, can we have another sleepover?”
Thankfully, Gideon read her face and said, “Not tonight, guys.”
“But, Gid,” Jorge started, until Rosie shot him a look, which made him immediately clamp his lips.
Last night’s phone call had unsettled her, and though she knew Gideon would take special care with the boys, she wanted Jorge with her. She wanted to be able to walk into his bedroom after he’d fallen asleep, pull the covers up, though he would inevitably kick them off, and know without a shadow of a doubt that he was safe.
“We’re going to meet up for a hike tomorrow morning,” she told the kids. She and Gideon had already planned it. “So you’ll see each other again very soon.” Which meant she’d get to see Gideon again. Very soon. Though somehow it didn’t feel like soon enough.
Jorge knew when not to push. “Okay.” He couldn’t help the tiny pout. Neither could Noah, as he and Gideon packed his Lego pieces into his backpack.
“Thanks for the pizza,” she said. She tapped Jorge on the back, and he repeated, “Yeah, thanks, Gid, it was yummy.”
The boys did a complicated handshake good-bye, then she kissed Noah’s cheek, finishing off with a hug while Gideon scooped Jorge up for a big squeeze. Then the boys were racing for the door, following the beep of Gideon’s key fob as he unlocked the car door.
For a moment, Rosie and Gideon were alone. She felt the heat of the night around them, the scent of lavender in the air and the lingering sweetness of their almost-kiss.
She could feel him battling with himself as he considered whether or not to say something. Finally, he said, “My complex has a pool. You and Jorge could come for a swim after the hike, if you’d like.”
She beamed. She would move at whatever speed he was comfortable with—but she wouldn’t hide her pleasure at being with him. “Sounds great. I’ll pack our bathing suits.” For a moment, she swore heat flared in his eyes, turning them smoky.
When he and Noah drove away a few minutes later, she could only hope that if just the thought of her in a bathing suit could heat him up, then the reality of it would finally spark him into full-on flames.
* * *
Gideon knew he was playing with fire. He shouldn’t have come so close to kissing Rosie. But he didn’t know how to stop. Not when every self-control trick in his arsenal was failing.
Back at his apartment, he sent Noah to get ready for bed. The kid needed a little independence, rather than having his uncle hanging over him while he brushed his teeth. Besides, Noah wanted to arrange all his Lego creations and toys and books that he’d brought with him. He’d been so tired after all the excitement of the wedding that there hadn’t been a chance, and last night, he’d stayed with Jorge.
For years, Gideon had lived in junky apartments. It hadn’t mattered to him where he lived—not when his sister, and Karmen, were both lost to him. But when Ari had asked him to watch Noah while she and Matt were on their honeymoon, he’d realized he couldn’t bring Noah to a dive in a sketchy neighborhood.
So he’d found this complex with a pool and a second-floor apartment with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a vaulted living room, and a workable kitchen. The complex wouldn’t take Noah’s new puppy, but in all other ways, he’d tried to make it great for his nephew. He’d bought cookware and metal utensils and porcelain crockery because paper plates and plastic forks wouldn’t cut it anymore. Fortunately, he already knew how to cook—he’d had to learn as a kid when their mom no longer had the capacity.
