To her surprise, Gideon opened and shut his mouth several times. She could swear he was having some sort of inner battle. Since he was Gideon, she assumed he was debating whether to tease her or give a serious answer.
"Animals are sensitive," Gideon finally said. "Since they were staring at the corner, they may have been hearing something in your next-door neighbor's apartment. As for the falling picture, maybe your neighbors were doing something directly on the other side of the wall. Sometimes even the slightest vibration can make something fall over."
His explanation made a startling amount of sense.
"And the shadow?" she asked.
"You were already frightened, right?" Gideon said. "A shadow is something easy to imagine when you're freaked out. I think you believe you saw the shadow, but it was likely just a trick of the light."
For a moment she didn't say anything. Her next-door neighbors, Mrs. and Mr. Gibbs, had always been a little weird. It was reasonable to assume that they were doing something strange her animals could hear but she couldn't. Plus, a wall would vibrate if they were moving furniture or exercising. And hadn't she thought about how her own mind played tricks on her? Gideon's explanation made perfect sense. She couldn't believe it, but she was glad she'd confided in him.
After all, his logical explanation was a lot more believable than the paranormal theory she'd conjured up. Fallen angels? How ridiculous was she to think that was the explanation? She clung onto Gideon's logic like it was an island in the middle of a churning sea. It felt like all of the stress from the past twenty-four hours had been drained out of her. Of course there'd been a logical explanation for this. She shouldn't have been so worried.
She let out a relieved laugh.
"Did I say something funny?" Gideon gave her a startled look.
"No, I'm laughing at myself." She clutched her chest. "I'm insane. Do you want to know what I thought was in my apartment?"
"What's that?" Gideon was grinning now too.
"I thought it was a…a…" She snorted, then controlled herself enough to finish a complete sentence. "I thought I was being stalked by a demon."
Gideon laughed, but his fists still remained tight on the steering wheel. After she finally calmed down, she stared out the window. How could Gideon have the ability to affect her emotions so much? When she was with him, she always experienced a whirlwind of feelings. She wondered why that was.
"Hey, Nora," Gideon said.
"Mmm-hmm?" She glanced at him, shocked by his serious expression.
"If anything like this happens again, tell me immediately, okay?" he said.
"Even if it's just the neighbor?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." A vein throbbed in Gideon's jaw.
"Well, okay," she said.
She might as well. The guy had proved effective at calming her this time around.
"You really will?" he said.
"I said I would, didn't I?" She wrinkled her nose.
"Good." He smiled again.
Once the twinkle in his eyes was back, she breathed out a sigh of relief. Boy, he'd been acting weird for a minute there.
"So about this bakery." She looked outside. "We've been driving for ages. Are we almost there?"
"It's still another ten minutes away," he said.
"Oh man." She squirmed in her seat. "Drive faster, will you?"
"Don't you see the cars in front of us?" he asked.
Sure enough, traffic barred their path. Gideon couldn't have gone faster even if he wanted to.
"The other cars should move because of the importance of this mission." She pouted.
"Mission? Wow." He raised an eyebrow. "You take chocolate cake seriously."
"Always." She nodded.
For a moment Gideon stared at her with a strange new glow in his eyes. She'd never seen him look at her like that before.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" She hated it when people stared.
"It's nothing, princess." Gideon sniggered.
"Enough with the nicknames." One more and there would be bodily injury.
"Fine." The strange gleam was still in his eyes as he grinned. "No more nicknames."
Gideon reached for her hand. For once, she let him take it.
Chapter Nine
Gideon held the door of the bakery open for her. She ran inside as fast as her legs could carry her, almost trampling a mother and two children who were standing by the door. The smell of sugar and chocolate permeated her nostrils, making her give a contented sigh. She peered inside the display case, her breath fogging up the glass.
A massive chocolate mousse cake covered in delicate swirls of whipped cream was exhibited on the top rack. It was called the 'Devil's Delight Chocolate Cake,' according the sign. The dessert was properly named. After all, a cake so decadent had the devilish side effect of adding two pounds to her butt. As she squirmed in excitement, Gideon appeared behind her and pressed his warm hand against her lower back.
There was something strange about the way he let his hand linger. He acted possessive like she was his and he wanted every other male in the room to know it. But that couldn't be the case. He wanted her for a one night stand. The only reason they were out on a date was because he was trying to seduce her. Probably his hand was on her back because he was so used to touching women it came as second nature. The thought made her blood run cold and her stomach twist. She found herself squirming, confused about why she even cared. It was none of her business who he'd slept with.
She scratched her head, wondering what the heck was going on with her emotions. Lack of sleep, she decided. And right now, lack of chocolate cake too.
"Doesn't it look so good?" She glanced at Gideon, desperate to fight away the strange wave of emotion that overcame her.
Gideon's eyes grew lusty.
"It looks fine, but you look better," he said.
Her face burned.
"Stop it." She couldn't even look at him.
"Ah, come on, Nora." He elbowed her. "Lighten up."
"Humph." She shook her head.
He gave her shoulder a squeeze as the only female worker headed toward them. The woman looked at Gideon with such hungry eyes that Nora feared the man might be in more danger of being devoured than the cake.
"What can I get you?" the worker asked.
"We want the chocolate cake," Gideon said. "Nora, how many slices would you like?"
"Um…" How could she say three without looking like a gluttonous pig?
"You know what, just give us the whole cake," Gideon said before she could answer. "Me and my lady will eat it together."
"I'm not your lady." She glared at him and then turned toward the shop clerk. "I'm really not his lady."
"Sure you are." Gideon chuckled, then handed the worker his credit card.
As the woman shot them a strange look, Nora whispered in his ear, "You said that just to annoy me, didn't you?"
"Bingo." The same dazzling grin was on his face. "You take everything too seriously."
"Well, you take nothing seriously at all." She sniffed.
"I take things seriously," he said.
"Like what?" She raised an eyebrow, trying to fathom what he wasn't willing to joke about.
"I take pleasing women seriously." His words were accompanied by a flirtatious wink.
"You're disgusting." Her eyes narrowed.
"Okay, fine." He leaned against the wall. "I take protecting the ones I love seriously. A little too seriously, sometimes."
"Oh." Protecting loved ones was a noble thing, so she couldn't give a mocking response.
"Just oh?" Gideon grinned down at her.
Well, what was she supposed to say? She shrugged and turned around, but he grabbed her arm and forced her to face him again. In shock, she stared into his face. His eyes were more decadent than any dessert in the bakery.
She gulped, remembering the dream from last night. Despite herself, she wondered whether his lips tasted of chocolate just like in her dream.
As her eyes flickered toward his mouth, she became sweaty all over. Had somebody turned up the heater even though it was mid-summer? Heaven help her, it felt like it. As she sucked in air, she tried to escape Gideon's grip. It didn't work. Deep down, she knew she could have told him to let go if she wanted to. Despite that, she found herself immobile, not uttering a word of rebuke.
"I take you seriously too." Gideon stared straight into her eyes. "You're one of the strongest, most intelligent women I've ever met."
At first she thought he was saying those words to seduce her, but she could tell by the look in his eye that he meant what he said. She wasn't sure how to respond to him. Suddenly, she was flustered on a whole new level. She didn't know how to take compliments because she never received them. Her mom had made it clear that she wasn't worthy of love when she was a child. After she became an adult, she wasn't a stunning beauty, so she hadn't been overwhelmed by flattery from men either.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know what to say," she admitted.
"You?" He looked skeptical. "You always have something to say."
"Well, we usually insult each other. It's much easier to respond to an insult," she said. "I could just punch you in the arm."
"Or threaten to disembowel me," he said.
"Or threaten to disembowel you," she agreed.
She stared at him.
He stared at her.
Suddenly, she felt like her heart was in her throat. Did she have to be the most awkward human being on the face of the planet? What was she supposed to do during circumstances like this? A voice screamed in her mind, You compliment him back, you dummy! Duh. She strained her mind to find something nice to say. It was hard, but not because he was without redeeming qualities. He was good looking, but he probably heard praise about his body every day. If she wanted to say something nice to him, it had to be something of value. She chewed her bottom lip.
Finally, she managed to come up with an adequate compliment. Unfortunately, saying the praise out loud was even harder than figuring out what to say in the first place.
"Gideon," she said.
"Uh-huh," he said.
"When you aren't being a jerk, you're a really nice guy," she said.
"Even your compliments sound like insults." Gideon laughed, shaking his head
"Don't laugh at me, you cad," she said.
The guy patted her on the head as if she was a wet puppy deserving of pity. When he stepped away from her, she seized his arm, desperate to redeem herself.
"What I meant to say was, you're a good guy," she said. "You're the only person who's ever cared enough about me to make sure I don't get wet in the rain. I can be a real rat, but you keep coming back anyway. On top of all that, you didn't laugh today when I told you what happened to me. For you, that was probably something small, but for someone who's lived a life like mine…well, your kindness means more to me than you'll ever know."
There. She said it. Suddenly, she found her feet interesting. This giving compliments business was tough. She preferred throwing punches.
"Oh, Nora," Gideon said quietly.
He grabbed her chin and tilted her head back. Even though she resisted, she had no choice but to look at him. When their eyes met, her heart stirred for the first time. Something changed in his face during that moment, making her wonder if he was experiencing something new as well. He still desired her—that much was clear by his lusty expression—but his expression was softer. In a way, he looked awed. She found herself leaning closer, overwhelmed by his features. It didn't matter that she was standing in the middle of a semi-crowded bakery. It felt like she and Gideon were the only ones in the whole room. No, the whole world even. Just as she was reveling in the moment, the worker cleared her throat as she held out the box of cake.
Suddenly, Nora felt like she was being shoved violently back to reality. She wasn't sure what had happened during that brief clash of eyes, but she told herself not to think anything of it. The truth was she knew that if she succumbed to Gideon's charms, she might as well hand him her heart and the hammer to smash it with. Even if he wasn't a playboy who just saw her as a challenge, she was no match for the man. Her hair was too bushy, her teeth were too crooked, and she was too plump. She didn't believe a person like Gideon would ever want her. That was why she refused to let herself be enraptured by him. A gorgeous face could be hard on a heart. Heaven knew her heart was bruised enough already.
She turned away from Gideon, frowning. Her heart pounded and ached at the same time. When she pressed her hand against her chest, she swayed in unease.
"You okay?" Gideon gazed at her as he held the box a cake.
"Uh-huh." She forced a smile on her face.
Gideon looked like he didn't quite believe her, but he nodded anyway.
****
Instead of eating in the bakery, Nora and Gideon took their dessert to the park. The grass tickled her arms as she lay sprawled on the grass, staring at the box of cake. Her mouth watered as she imagined the rich chocolate and the decadent swirls of whipped cream. She couldn't wait to sink her teeth into a moist bite.
As she licked her lips, Gideon let out a deep chuckle. She frowned at him, knowing that he was amused because of her.
"What?" she asked.
"You're quivering with anticipation," he said.
"Well, I want that cake." She scowled at him. "And I still don't see why we couldn't have eaten it in the bakery."
"The sales clerk was going to try to make a move on me," he said. "I could tell because of how she was staring. I wasn't in the mood for it today."
"Well, you'll probably have the same problem here." She looked pointedly at a woman standing on the sidewalk who stared at him with a lusty expression.
Gideon glanced at the woman and shrugged.
Though Gideon appeared uncaring, Nora felt uncomfortable. The beautiful stranger had more of a right to hang around Gideon than she did. Nora couldn't stop comparing herself to her. While that woman was thin, Nora was pleasantly plump. The woman had long hair that flowed even in the slightest breeze. Nora had barely managed to wrestle her bushy hair into a ponytail. Heck, even the woman's skin was perfect. There wasn't a blemish on her face. Nora, on the other hand, was covered with an assortment of moles, freckles, and blotches that even the best concealer in the world couldn't hide.
Nora let out a morose sigh and realized that Gideon was watching her.
"What's up?" He cocked his head.
No way was she sharing her moment of low self-esteem with Mr. Gorgeous. He'd never understand. Besides, she didn't like that she was beating herself up because she wasn't perfect. Who cared if she wasn't as beautiful as a model? It had never bothered her before. At least, not until Gideon showed up.
"I want cake and you aren't giving me any," she lied. "That's what's up."
No wonder she didn't look like a model. She ate her feelings.
"Alright. I'll feed you." Gideon handed her a plastic spoon he'd taken from the bakery. "Here you go."
As she clutched her spoon to her chest, Gideon opened the box, revealing the chocolate cake in all of its glory. In the direct sunlight, the frosting glistened. The chocolate shreds curled delicately over the swirls of whipped cream. The smell of fudge frosting, more decadent than even the most expensive truffle, tantalized her nostrils, making her mouth water.
As she licked her lips, she gazed at Gideon's face.
"Are we cutting it?" she asked.
"Nope." He shook his head
"Then how are we supposed to eat it?" If he said the cake was just to look at, she was going to shove the plastic spoon up his nostril.
"Let's eat it straight out of the box," Gideon said.
Without even caring about how he looked, Gideon buried his spoon into the cake. He scooped up a massive chunk and winked at her. Even as the biggest chocolate fan in the entire world, this was the first time she'd ever eaten a cake without bothering to cut it first. S
he was intrigued by the whole ordeal. After all, it was the perfect binge opportunity. Maybe Gideon's naughty ways weren't so bad after all. She could get used to eating cake straight from the box.
"Want to try?" Gideon asked.
"Naturally." Did he expect her, the cake addict, to just watch him eat?
Gideon raised an eyebrow and dangled his spoonful of cake in front of her mouth.
Does he want me to eat the cake off of his spoon? she thought, horrified.
She looked at the hunk of delicious chocolate cake less than an inch from her face and then back at Gideon again. Her palms grew sweaty at the thought of him feeding her. Such an act was intimate, right? She wasn't sure she was ready for intimate. Heck, she'd had enough trouble keeping her heart from shooting out of her chest when he had his hand on her lower back.
"I'm not a little kid," she said. "You don't have to feed—"
Gideon stuck his spoon into her mouth.
While she sputtered, he removed his now empty spoon and smirked. As she glared at him, chewing the delicious bite he'd forced upon her, he stuck the utensil into his mouth and licked the remaining frosting from the plastic. That spoon had been in both of their mouths. She couldn't help herself. She blushed. And not a cute, a little-pink-in-the-cheeks blush. No, she was ninety-nine percent sure her face was the color of a ripe tomato.
She swallowed the bite of cake.
"Did you have to do that?" She was going to have an aneurism.
"You should have just eaten the bite," he said. "Then I wouldn't have had to shove the spoon into your mouth like that."
"I don't need you to feed me," she said.
"I'm perfectly aware of that." He buried his spoon in the cake again. "But this is a date and I love the expression you make when you indulge yourself."
Somehow he made those words sound dirty.
"Hmph." Maybe she shouldn't eat chocolate cake around him anymore.
Gideon held out a spoon filled with chocolate cake yet again. With a grin, he pressed the moist morsel against her lips. The frosting made her upper lip sticky and the smell of frosting had the potential to make her drool like a dog, but she kept her mouth firmly closed.
"Oh, come on," he said. "You're no fun."
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