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Chapter 22
Alex’s heart sped up at the heat in Gideon’s gaze. Their race to the compound, heck, all the days since she’d left Evanston, had been stressful. Unnerving. Completely terrifying.
But knowing Gideon wanted her as much as she wanted him?
That took terrifying to a different level.
She wanted this. Wanted something more than a quickie with Gideon. Something more solid.
She hadn’t had a solid relationship since her college boyfriend. And even that didn’t approach the complicated feelings she had for Gideon.
What if she screwed this up with her closed-off, secretive habits? They’d been justified when she was a kid, but her life no longer needed those barriers. Those precautions. Behavior, though, didn’t change by itself. She needed to think about what she said and did. How she treated Gideon.
So instead of backing away, which had been her first response, she leaned closer to him. Brushed her lips against his. “How soon after dinner can we sneak off to our room?” she murmured against his mouth.
He grasped her shoulders and pulled her onto his lap. Ran his hands up and down her arms as he hummed into her mouth, “I think everyone would be shocked if we didn’t go to bed early. You’ve been under tremendous stress for days.”
“You have, too,” she whispered, brushing her mouth over his. “And I’ll continue to be stressed until we lock the door of your apartment behind us.”
“So we’ll plan on retiring early,” Gideon said, his mouth curving against hers. “Then we’ll deal with our stress.”
She leaned back to study his face. Saw nothing but honest need. Desire. For her. “Gonna be hard to wait,” she murmured.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Gideon muttered, shifting on his chair.
They stared at each other for a long moment. It was hard not to read promises in his expression. She wondered if he saw the same promises in her eyes.
Finally Gideon let her go. Straightened in his chair. “Give me a minute, and I’ll give you that tour,” he muttered.
Fifteen minutes later, they stood in the gym. Alex looked around, amazed. And grateful for the distraction of the tour. “This place is better-equipped than my gym, and mine’s a nice place. Expensive. You have all the latest equipment here.”
“That’s because we do serious training,” he said. “We’re all expected to work out every day. A trainer sets up our programs, and we follow her instructions.” He shrugged. “She’s good. I thought FBI training was rigorous, but what Merry put together takes it to another level.”
He nudged her side. “Want her to work up a program for you? She’ll be here day after tomorrow.”
“Might take you up on that,” she said, glancing around the gym to make sure no one was watching them. When she realized it was empty, except for Brynn running on a treadmill with her back to Alex and Gideon, she leaned against Gideon. Kissed his neck beneath his ear. “Unless my muscles are still weak from the night before. And my legs are still wobbly.”
He curled his arm around her waist. “Hmm,” he said, bending close. “That’s a dilemma. Because you’ll absolutely be weak from the night before. And your legs will most definitely be wobbly.”
She pressed her hand against his, splayed against her stomach, and twined their fingers. “Let’s get out of here before I throw you down on the mat.”
He grinned and took his hand away. “You trying to shock Brynn?” he asked, shaking his head. “Can’t be done. She’s the most unflappable person I’ve ever met. So self-possessed that I never have a clue what she’s thinking.”
As they headed toward the door, Alex twined her pinkie with Gideon’s. Squeezed, then let it go. “What was she before she was part of Blackhawk Security?”
“CIA. I have no idea what she did, but Mel knew her. She’s done several jobs for Blackhawk Security, all of them successful.”
As they exited the gym, Alex saw an SUV waiting at the gate. Two guards -- probably the guys who watched the security cameras -- approached the gate, open just enough for them to walk through.
The guards ran a long stick with something at the end -- a mirror? -- beneath the car. Then they opened the back doors of the car and scanned the rear seat, then opened the hatchback. Slammed it down and slapped the roof of the car. The gate opened wider, and the SUV drove off toward the office building.
“Looks like Lainey,” Gideon said. “Our accountant.”
“She’s the accountant and they still check her car?” Alex watched as it disappeared around a corner.
“Every time,” Gideon said. “The guards inspect every car and truck that drives into the compound. Even though they know all the drivers by now.”
“Good to know. It’s reassuring.”
