AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mel’s gaze flicked from him to Alex. Back to him. “Alex is staying with you?”
“If you don’t mind,” Alex said before he could answer.
Mel studied Alex for an uncomfortably long time, then she nodded. “Okay. Lunch is at noon. After we eat, I’d like to talk to both of you. Debrief you both on what happened.”
“That’s fine,” Gideon said. “We’ll be there.”
He picked up his suitcase and said to Alex, “My apartment is in the building to the left.”
She nodded and picked up her suitcase again. They walked over the sidewalk between piles of rapidly melting snow and entered the apartment building. He led Alex up the stairs to the second floor, and halfway down the hall, used a key card to open the door. Waved her inside. “It’s bare bones, but make yourself at home.”
He watched Alex assess his place. The living room held a couch and a matching chair, with a television set mounted on the wall across from them. A bookcase stood off to the side, cluttered with books and piles of papers he should have cleaned up before he left. The window looked out at the trees across the road from the compound. He doubted Alex had noticed the view during their final, terrifying rush to the gate.
Past the living area, a tiny island with two stools separated the living area from the kitchen.
“The bedrooms are down that way,” he said, pointing to an open hallway next to the kitchen. “Mine is the first one. There’s a separate bedroom beyond it. Bathroom’s between them.”
Alex held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded. Turned and walked down the hallway with her suitcase and purse. He had no idea what she was thinking. Which bedroom she intended to use.
He heard a door close, and assumed she’d gone into the bathroom. Heard the water running a few minutes later, then the door opened.
She pulled open some drawers. Unpacking? Putting her things in the dresser? Then she was silent for a long time. Finally she returned to the kitchen. “All set,” she said.
He wanted to ask her which room she’d chosen. They’d already discussed that, but maybe she’d changed her mind. Being chased down a Montana road by men intent on killing her could make her want to stay as far as possible from a man whose job involved danger most days.
“I brewed some coffee,” he said, pointing to the coffeemaker. “Put together some cheese and crackers. You hungry?”
She sank down onto one of the stools and sighed. Propped her head on one hand. “I’m starving.” She ate one of the crackers, then stood up and opened his cabinets until she found a glass. Filled it with water, then drank deeply. “No thanks on the coffee,” she said as she returned to the stool on the side of the island. “Maybe I’ll have some with lunch, but I need to eat first.”
She devoured three more crackers, then closed her eyes. Opened them and gave him a strained smile. “Gideon, thank you for everything. You probably saved my life. You got me here, and I finally feel as though I can breathe again. But I’m exhausted. I need to take a nap.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’m tired, too. We were up early.” He glanced at her and smiled. “Didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, but I enjoyed every second of sleeplessness.”
She smiled back. “Me, too,” she murmured. She pressed a kiss to his mouth, then stood up and put their dishes in the dishwasher. “I’m going to lie down.”
“Me, too,” he said. Suddenly he could barely keep his eyes open. And Alex’s eyes were at half-mast. “Go ahead. I’ll put the food away.”
She nodded and stumbled out of the kitchen. He heard her moving around in the bedroom for a moment, then the apartment was quiet.
He needed to sleep, as well. Every molecule in his body cried out for rest. He put the cheese back in the refrigerator, the crackers in the cabinet, then headed for his bedroom.
Would Alex be sleeping in his bed? Or had she chosen the second bedroom?
As he reached his bedroom door, which was open, he took a deep breath. Steeled himself, then walked into the room. Alex slept on her side, facing toward the window.
He exhaled a relieved breath. His shoulders relaxed. He’d been afraid she’d changed her mind about their relationship. She’d been really shaken earlier when she’d realized those two cars had been following them. She’d engineered their escape by directing him through that detour, but he’d seen her clenched jaw. Her fisted hands. She’d vibrated with tension for the last thirty minutes of their drive.
And those gunshots fired at the car? She must have been completely terrified. Maybe she was re-thinking her decision to get involved with him. It was one thing to know that being an FBI agent could be dangerous. It was another thing to have someone firing a gun at you.
Or maybe the sex was a one-night thing. Stress and fear. Adrenaline. And now that she was safe, she’d take a deep breath. Relax. And tell him thanks, but no thanks.
He wouldn’t blame her. They’d only known each other for a week. A very intense week, but still. They hadn’t had any of the usual rituals of a new relationship. No coffee dates. No drinks after work. No dinners. None of that slow, delicious build toward intimacy.
But she was here, in his bed. Thank God. Because right now, all he wanted was to fall asleep with Alex safe and sound, tucked against him in bed.
He set the alarm on his watch for 11:45 so they wouldn’t be late for lunch, then took off his jeans and his shirt. His eyes already fluttering closed, he slid into bed and curled around Alex. Pulling her close against him, he fell asleep almost immediately, inhaling the orange scent of her hair.
* * *
