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 Shane, 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 Shane was doing, but she thought better of it. He was tired and she knew from past 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 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. Shane 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 Shane. 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, a 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 shift.

“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 a vulnerability she never thought she’d see in Gideon Hunt’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…” He sucked in a strangled breath. “I need you.”