“Because of what you do?”
“There’s that. But there’s who I am.” He shook his head. “Look, I’m not like other guys – like Scott. I’m damaged goods. So you’re better off getting any idea about there being an ‘us’ out of your head. It’s safer for you.”
The sudden hot prick of tears against her eyelids surprised Lainey and she turned away. She leaned against the car door, looking anywhere but at Gideon.
They spent the rest of the drive in tense silence. Aiden woke periodically to ask where they were, or for water or something to eat. It was early evening by the time they finally reached Guatemala City. Gideon took them to a hotel near the US Embassy. Aiden sat up, rubbing his eyes, as Gideon parked the vehicle in front of the hotel.
“We’re here.” Gideon turned around to talk to Aiden. “You can start the process to get your passport tomorrow and notify the authorities you were kidnapped. You should be able to get flights back to Chicago as well once you explain everything that happened and how you both ended up here.”
There was a strained, awkward silence that was finally broken by Aiden opening the door. “Not sure about you two, but I want a bath, a steak, and a bed, in that order.” He climbed out, stretching as he stood in the gathering twilight.
He turned back, leaning in the open car door. “Thank you, Gideon. I owe you everything.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank your sister. She’s the one bringing you home.”
Aiden smiled, reaching in to pat Gideon on the shoulder. “You both did. Lainey, I’ll meet you inside.”
Lainey nodded, her eyes locked on Gideon, not sure what to expect but not willing to leave things the way they were. What he’d said tore at her heart, and it left an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“You have enough money for rooms and food and all of that?” Gideon glanced at her and she wasn’t sure if he was truly concerned or if the question was automatic. In either case, she met it with her typical reply.
“I have enough. I can take care of myself and Aiden.”
He held up his hands, palms facing her. “Just asking. I wouldn’t want to see either of you stranded. Not after everything you’ve both been through.”
She blew out a sigh, slumping back, some of the tension leaving her body. “I know. Sorry.” She drew a deep breath and forged ahead. “What about you, Gideon? What do you do now?”
Gideon pulled off his sunglasses, and it struck Lainey how weary he looked. There were dark circles beneath his eyes and his face was lined with fatigue. She’d been so overwhelmed with her own physical state and emotions – and worry about Aiden – that she’d never thought about how Gideon might feel. He had seemed like a rock, impervious to everything that they were going through.
“I’ll get a room. It’s late; I really don’t want to drive all the way to Belize in the dark. Mack will still be waiting for me tomorrow.”
She reached out and placed a hand on his arm, his skin warm beneath her fingers. He looked down at her hand and frowned, and she thought for a moment he was going to pull away, but he didn’t.
“Gideon, I’m sorry…about before.” She hurried on before she lost her nerve. “It’s just…I think you’re selling yourself short. And I think you’re lying to me, and to yourself.”
His head jerked up, his eyes meeting hers. The muscles of his arm tensed beneath her fingers, but he remained as still as a statue.
“You don’t know anything about me.”
She shook her head slowly, briefly tightening her grip. “Yes, I do. I know that you’re kind, that you care for people and that whatever was done to you was undeserved. You’re one of the good guys, Gideon. You just have to believe it.”
Before her courage left her or she said something she’d regret, she tugged open the Rover’s door and stepped out into the sticky night air. The sky was dark and thick with clouds, a light rain falling against her face. The city was hot and damp, a confusing mix of smells reaching her nose. She slammed the door, walking quickly to the entrance of the hotel where Aiden waited.
Behind her, the Range Rover roared to life, the squeal of tires a clear sign that she’d struck a nerve with Gideon. The taillights flashed briefly and she watched as he turned the corner. She was pretty sure that was the last she’d see of Gideon Wolfe. With a heavy heart, she turned toward Aiden.
“What’s going on?” He stepped back and raised one eyebrow at her, suspiciously. “Are you okay?”
Lainey looked up at her brother. “I’m fine, Aiden. It’s…complicated. It’s been a long couple of days. And I don’t want to talk about it right now. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
He nodded, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, turning toward the hotel door. “I love you, Lainey.”
“I know. I love you, too.”
They walked through the lobby toward the registration desk, turning heads as they went. Aiden was still sporting streaks of dried blood on his face and shirt, and Lainey knew she looked like hell.
The man behind the desk cleared his throat in a not-too-subtle manner. Lainey sighed, turning toward him, and she began the process of getting rooms for her and Aiden. The desk clerk spoke enough English to accomplish the task and to point them in the direction of a store that sold clothes. Twenty minutes and a short walk saw them back at the hotel with bags of clean clothes and sandals. They found the elevators, rode a creaking machine to their floor, and stood in the hallway outside their rooms.
“Aiden, do you want to meet for dinner?” Lainey took her bags from Aiden.
His yawn was her answer. “I think I better just get out of these clothes, take a bath, eat, and then crawl into bed. Tomorrow, I want to get to the embassy early. I have a feeling it’s going to be a tedious process getting the passport replaced.”
Lainey nodded in agreement. “Yeah, good idea.”
Aiden reached out, pulling Lainey into the familiar bear hug he’d been giving her since they were kids. When he pulled back to look at her, she saw that his eyes had darkened, tears pooling in them. She’d never seen him like this and for a moment, it scared her. Aiden went through life always finding the good, seeing the bright side, coming through everything unscathed. She pulled him back into a hug, surprised to find him trembling slightly.
“You going to be okay?” she mumbled her words against his shoulder.
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” He squeezed her hard then let her go. “Food, bath, bed, and tomorrow is a brand new day.”
“Everything will be okay, Aiden. And I’ll be just down the hall if you need anything.”
“Okay, mom.” His smile was back, tears receding.
She swatted his arm. “I’m being serious…you know, if you want to talk or anything.”
“I know. And if I haven’t said it enough…thanks, Lainey. Really.”
It was Lainey’s turn for tears and she waved, walking to her room and fumbling with the key card. She glanced back as the door to Aiden’s room closed.
Dumping her bags on the bed, she headed straight for the shower, dropping her dirty clothes along the way. The bathroom was small and the water pressure was low, but Lainey didn’t care. The water was hot and she’d bought a small bottle of shower gel, something overpoweringly floral and bubbly.
She stood under the hot water for a long time, letting it run through her hair and over her shoulders, the steam and floral scent relaxing her. And for the first time, she cried, letting out the emotions she’d held in check since she’d gotten the call from Aiden, the emotions complicated by Gideon.
Eventually, she got out of the shower, dried off, and wrapped a clean towel around herself. She flipped on the overhead light against the darkness outside. The hotel had a small restaurant on the lower level, and after a confusing phone call with the front desk, she managed to order what she hoped was chicken and a salad for delivery to her room.
The brief thought crossed her mind to go see what Aiden was doing, but she thought better of it. He was tired and she knew from pa
st experience he’d be grouchy if she woke him. Better to let him get a good night’s sleep.
She wished she’d thought about buying pajamas or at least a robe. Her old clothes were beyond hope, but getting fully dressed for room service seemed like too much of a hassle. Then she decided she’d deal with room service when they arrived. At that moment, she was too tired to care.
She sat on the edge of the bed. It was actually quite comfortable and she lay back, telling herself she’d just close her eyes until room service arrived.
It seemed a long time later that she heard, as if from a great distance, the sound of someone knocking on her door. She sat up, groggy and disoriented. It must be room service with her food. Aiden was probably in his room, comatose from exhaustion. She climbed off the bed, clutched the towel around her, and called through the door.
“Just leave it in the hall. I’ll get it.”
The knocking continued and she shook her head. Probably the room service person didn’t speak English or they were hoping for a tip. Sighing, she opened the door.
It wasn’t room service, nor was it Aiden. Gideon stood in the hall, minus the ever-present sunglasses and hat, wearing clean clothes.
“You shouldn’t open the door unless you know who it is, Lainey. Especially dressed in just a towel. And especially in a country like Guatemala.”
Stepping past her into the room, he closed the door.
“Gideon…”
He turned and Lainey took a step backward, holding the front of her towel. Something in his eyes, the strange intensity she hadn’t seen before, sent her heart into overdrive. His hands were clenched in front of him, and for a moment, she thought he was going to just reach out and grab her.
“Why are you here?” Her voice was just above a whisper.
He took a step toward her and she backed up, bumping against the door.
“Gideon. You’re scaring me.”
He stopped abruptly, relaxing his hands with obvious effort, still held in front of him as if he suddenly didn’t know what to do with them. Or as if he wanted to reach out for her.
“Lainey, I’m sorry. That’s the last thing I want to do.” He ran his hands through his hair.
“What do you want then?”
He turned, pacing across the room. Lainey stepped away from the door, moving around to the edge of the bed. Gideon stood by the window, looking out over the lights of the city, his back to her. From where she stood, she read the tension in his body, from the hunched shoulders to the hands on his hips. He was silent for a long time.
“I drove around awhile and then got a room in a different hotel, tried to eat something, took a shower…but I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I was angry at you, furious really. Then I decided this wasn’t the place I wanted to be in.” His voice was low, his speech strangely hesitant, as if he were searching for each word, choosing them with care. As if he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.
“So I left. I checked out and drove out of Guatemala City. Got pretty far actually. But the further away I got, the more I realized I couldn’t just leave. I couldn’t leave you. I thought about what you said…how you feel about me.”
When he turned back to her, the intensity was still there, but it was now mixed with desire, passion…and vulnerability she never thought she’d see in Gideon Wolfe’s eyes. He stood motionless, hands at his sides. For a long moment, Lainey was lost in the power of his gaze, the emotions playing across his face almost overwhelming. Her mouth went dry, throat clicking as she swallowed. What the hell was happening?
“And that brought you back?” Her heart thumped erratically and a shiver ran down her spine. She tried to control her breathing. Gideon was unpredictable, a loose cannon. There was no way she could read his mind, much less try to understand him. Or what he wanted from her.
“Yeah, it did.”
“Why?” Lainey had the urge to cross her fingers behind her back.
“You, Lainey. You brought me back.”
She was no longer afraid. She couldn’t be. Something she’d said had gotten through to him and made him come back. He’d come back for her.
“Now what, Gideon? What do you want?”
He took a step toward her. “I want…you, for one thing.”
“What else?” Her voice was breathy and a low thump of arousal sounded deep inside her.
Gideon was standing in front of her now. The heat of his body brushed against her damp skin and she drew a shaky breath.
“Fewer questions.” His voice was the familiar growl she’d come to expect from him.
“And if I don’t stop?” She held his gaze, lifting her chin.
He shrugged, mouth curved into a seductive smile. “I’d have to think of some way to shut you up. Maybe like this.”
He finally reached for her, pulling her against him. The towel fell away, dropping to the floor. His mouth was on hers, and she was surprised by the gentleness of his lips despite his tough words and gruff growl.
His hands slid down, cupping her ass, pulling her hard against his body. They stood like that for a long time, her body pressed to his, the hardness of his erection clearly evident against her stomach. The kiss made her weak, his lips and tongue driving her wild.
Slowly he began walking her backward until her legs hit the edge of the mattress. With his mouth still on hers, he tipped her backward, his hand behind her as he lowered her onto the bed.
Breaking the kiss, he straightened and she looked up at him as he stood watching her. He took a step back and she rose up on her elbows, frowning. But he’d moved across the room, flipping off the overhead light. The room was bathed in the glow from the windows, soft shadows filling the corners.
With feline grace, he shed his shirt. As he came back to her, she heard the soft snap of the buttons on his pants coming undone, watching as he stopped to step out of them. The glow from the window gave her enough light to see him, lighting his broad chest and narrow hips, but his eyes were hooded, almost unreadable. But there was just enough light to see exactly how aroused he was. A thrill went through Lainey at the thought it was all for her.
He climbed onto the bed and she pushed herself back, opening her arms to him as he settled between her legs. Everything about this moment was both perfect and unreal. As he buried his head against her shoulder, she ran her fingers through his hair. His arms slid beneath her body, holding her tightly against him. He held her for a long time as she ran her hands over his back, down to his buttocks, loving the feel of his warm skin beneath her hands.
Finally he spoke. “I’d given up on ever having anything like this again.” Gideon lifted his head, looking down at her, his gray eyes almost silver. Lainey reached up and trailed her fingers across his face and against the stubble on his cheek. Turning his head, he kissed the palm of her hand.
“It’s not impossible, you know. People do change. You’re not the same person you were.”
He shook his head, breathing out a deep sigh. “Lainey, you don’t know how tired I am of all of it. Tired of the work. So tired of being alone when I get home. After my last job, I decided I was finished. I was ready to pack it up, head to Baja, and live in some villa on the beach. If I was going to be alone, at least I’d be alone someplace warm, not in Chicago in the winter.”
Gently he brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead. “Then Scott called. He’d gotten me out of a few jams; I owed him. I couldn’t say no.”
“Maybe fate had something else in mind instead of letting you run away to that villa in Baja.”
“I’m not sure I believe in fate. Or at least I didn’t before now. Maybe you’ve changed my fate.”
He bent his head, kissing her softly but firmly. His lips moved over hers, his tongue sliding between her lips, brushing against hers. Lainey closed her eyes, letting the warm rush of sensations wash through her body. The passion she’d felt had blossomed, flaming into full-blown arousal.
Their kiss deepened and Lainey sensed any hesitation Gideon might have
felt lessen. He kissed her like he had before, with passion and power, and she responded. Desire and arousal flowed through her body and she arched up beneath Gideon, pressing herself against his hard, muscled body.
For the first time since she’d met him, Lainey felt him open up, trying to let her in through the walls he had spent seven years building up around him.
Gideon bore down on her with his hips, pressing her into the mattress, his cock resting on her stomach. Lainey wiggled her hips, rubbing back and forth beneath him, increasing the contact and the heat between them.
She felt Gideon smile against her mouth before he lifted his head. In the gathering darkness his face was cast in shadow, but she felt a change in his body, his arousal heightening, matching the rising tide in her body. It was time and she was ready, and she knew he was ready as well.
Wordlessly she shifted beneath him, rolling her hips, her legs parting. Gideon was there instantly, sliding into her smoothly, quickly. Lainey drew a sharp breath as he flexed his hips forward, filling her completely.
Every emotion she felt, every sensation flooding her body was heightened knowing how much it took for Gideon to be here with her, to come back to her knowing how he felt, about himself…and about her.
From then on, everything spiraled upward for Lainey as he began thrusting himself into her, his low groans against her shoulder matching her moans and cries. He was different, somehow more present, responding to her as they moved together. Everything seemed to fit, every movement and thrust and counter-thrust working to bring her closer to her climax.
Gideon raised his body, knees braced, as he continued thrusting hard into Lainey. She reached up, caressing his face, hands sliding down to his chest. She could just make out his face, lips parted, head thrown back. For an instant he was outlined in the light from the window, and she saw the passion and lust she felt mirrored in his face. It was enough to send her over the edge.
She bucked up hard beneath him, her body twisting as she took her release. Wave after wave of ecstasy washed through her and she arched her back, her fingers twisting in the sheets. There seemed no end, her body taking on a life of its own, writhing beneath Gideon.
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