AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I take it things went well?” Evan asked.
Her joy was written in her smile that wouldn’t quit. “Absolutely. My ex is one hundred percent neutralized.”
“Excellent. I’ll forward all the evidence Rafe found to my contact at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“And thank you, again.” Gideon said. “For everything.” He shook Evan’s hand, and in the next moment they were doing one of those guy backslap hugs. It was adorable. Rosie and Paige joined in so that all four of them made one big group hug.
“Okay,” Paige said, “I have the biggest favor to ask. I know you’ve been through a lot, and you’re probably worried about not having Jorge right by your side. But is there any chance you could let us keep them for the night? It’s just that we’re having such a great time today. And I wanted to show them how to make ice cream with my new Ice Cream Ball.” Paige oozed excitement while Evan looked on fondly. “We’ve got extra toothbrushes, and I promise they won’t want for anything while they’re here.”
“Paige, you are such a doll.” Rosie had needed to touch her son, kiss him, hug him. But he was safe here with Paige and Evan. Safe with his Maverick family. And he would always be safe with Gideon.
Before she answered, she looked at Gideon. After all, they were a team now. When he nodded, she smiled and gave her blessing.
“That’s so wonderful.” Paige clapped her hands as Evan hooked a hand around her nape and pulled her close, his expression so loving, so tender. “Evan and I will have a great time with them.”
Evan nodded his agreement, then looked at Gideon. “About the painting. I don’t want to rush you to make a decision—”
Gideon held up a hand. “I just need to confirm a couple of things first, but if everything works out the way I hope it will, it’s a go on the auction. And when we have more time, Rosie and I would like to talk with you about using the proceeds to set up a nonprofit foundation to help veterans and foster children.”
“I’d be more than happy to help however I can with setting up a nonprofit. Although, if you decided to keep some of the proceeds from the auction, no one would begrudge you that.”
Gideon shook his head. “I don’t need the money.” He lifted Rosie’s hand, kissed her knuckles. Then he looked at Jorge in the dining room, his eyes a shining sky blue. “I’ve already got everything I could ever want or need.”
Rosie was beaming as she hugged Paige, then the boys, who gave them hugs and kisses after they found out the fun news that they were going to spend the night with Paige and Evan.
Rosie and Gideon walked hand in hand to his SUV. Once in the car, waving good-bye, Rosie said, “Paige is pregnant.” After all the terrible things that Whitney, Evan’s ex, had done, it would be so wonderful for Evan and Paige to finally have the family they longed for. “She’s already nesting—baking cookies, buying puzzles and Legos, getting an ice cream maker, asking for a kid sleepover.”
“I’m really happy for them,” Gideon said. “They’ve both traveled a rough road before finally getting to where they’re supposed to be.” He turned, looking into her eyes. “Just like my road to you.”
Her heart melted, even as her body heated up knowing they had a whole night to themselves.
A night in which they could be as loud as they wanted…
Chapter Twenty-Six
The moment Gideon closed the apartment door, Rosie kissed him with all the unexpressed love, all the suppressed emotion, all the pent-up need she’d felt for months now. Gideon’s kiss was just as ravenous, just as desperate, his hands everywhere.
He pulled back long enough to say, “I was terrified today.” Then his mouth was on hers again, stealing any response she could have given him. Until he backed off to take a breath and said, “I know you’ll always do whatever needs to be done, no matter how hard. But I’m always going to go a little crazy while you’re doing it.”
It was a remarkable thing for such a strong man to admit. But she understood. He would always need to protect her, he would always need to protect Jorge. Just as she would always need to protect her son, and now Gideon. Their insatiable need for each other was an affirmation of all the fear as much as it was a celebration of their love.
“I’ll never take foolish risks,” she said. “I promise.”
He framed her face with his callused hands. “I know that. But you need to know that you mean everything to me.”
“I do. Because you’re everything to me too. You and Jorge.”
“I want to be his father,” Gideon said, his face as solemn as a vow, his voice grave with meaning. “I want to be the father he’s never had. The kind of father that I never had.”
“I need that too,” she replied, emotion welling up in her voice. “And more than that, Jorge needs you.”
He picked her up in his arms, carried her into the bedroom, laying her on the bed, coming down against her, blanketing her body with his. “I want to make love to you every day, every night, every hour, every minute.”
“Yes. Please.” Because making love wasn’t just about the physical. It was all the little things he would do to make her happy every day, every hour, every minute. And everything she would do to show him how loved he was.
He slid his hands under the blouse she’
d worn to confront her ex. It wasn’t sexy. It was utilitarian. So was the bra and everything she had on. Now she wanted everything off, shredded, gone, never to be worn again. “Tear it off, Gideon. All of it.”
