LUCY HAD EVERY intention of staying awake to greet Gideon. If nothing else, she was sure nerves would keep her alert until he arrived. She hadn’t counted on the long day.
It had started at 5:00 a.m. when she’d gotten a call from the office that there was a new client on retainer and that Lucy was needed at the woman’s home immediately. Things had only gone downhill from there. The client—accused of money laundering—was as high maintenance as they came, so Lucy’d had her work cut out for her.
Throw in the partners dragging her into a boardroom for a progress report the second she’d set foot in the office, and she was exhausted. Her other clients couldn’t be shoved to the back burner, no matter how important the new one was, so she’d worked late to ensure she was ready for court on Monday.
All of it had added up to an exhaustion she couldn’t fight, no matter how entertaining the newest episode of her favorite medical drama. Her blinks became longer and longer, and the next thing she knew, she roused to the feeling of strong hands sliding up her thighs.
That alone should have scared the crap out of her, but Gideon’s scent wrapped around her, setting her at ease even before she was fully awake. She blinked down at him as he hooked his arms beneath her and lifted her off the couch. “I can walk.”
“Humor me.” He strode down her hallway without turning on any lights and toed open the door to her bedroom. She hadn’t bothered leaving lights on in her room and Lucy regretted that when Gideon set her on the bed and stripped in quick, efficient movements. She moved to do the same, but he beat her there, carefully pulling her oversize T-shirt off. Since Lucy had been expecting him, she hadn’t worn anything else.
His quick intake of breath was a reward in and of itself. She ran her hand up his chest. “Hey.”
“Hey.” He guided her to lie on the bed, quickly put on a condom and covered her with his body. “You looked comfortable on the couch.”
“I was.” She wrapped her legs around his waist and arched up to kiss his throat. “This is better.”
“Agreed.” He laced his fingers through her hair and guided her mouth to his, kissing her lazily, as if he had no idea of the need already building in her core. Need that only Gideon seemed to be able to sate. He took his time reacquainting himself with her mouth before he moved to her neck and collarbone. “I was going to wake you up in a very specific way.”
“Mmm.” She reached between them to stroke him. “This is better.” She notched his cock at her entrance. “I need you.”
He slid into her in a single move and kissed her again with them sealed as closely as two people could be. Pressure built between them, but his big body kept Lucy pinned in place so she couldn’t do anything more than shake. Even that tiny movement ratcheted up her desire until she couldn’t stop a whimper of need from escaping. “Gideon, stop teasing me.”
“I know I’m not supposed to say it, but I missed the fuck out of you this week.”
Her breath got tangled somewhere between her lungs and throat. The words she was supposed to say lingered on the wrong side of her lips. That’s not what we are. It might be the correct thing to say, but it wasn’t the right thing to say—or the truth. “I missed you, too.”
He finally moved, rocking against her. It wasn’t enough, but that made it all the hotter. She did her best to arch, fighting against the weight of his body and loving every second of it. “More.”
“Demanding,” he murmured against her lips. “I waited seven fucking days to be inside you again, and I’m going to take my time and enjoy it.” He dragged his mouth down her throat, his whiskers rasping against her sensitized skin. “I like having you like this.”
“Furious?”
He chuckled, the low sound vibrating through her. “Needy. Wanting. As close as you’ll ever come to begging.”
“Would begging make a difference?”
His lips brushed the shell of her ear. “No.”
Lucy shivered, her breath releasing in a sob. It felt too good and she needed more. But he was right—she loved every second of this. Their bodies slicked with sweat as he kept up those slight rocking movements, every single one inching her closer to oblivion. His pelvis created delicious friction against her clit, and she found herself talking without having any intention of doing so. “That feels so good, Gideon. Don’t stop. Never stop.” She dug her fingers into his ass, loving the way he growled against her neck. “I love this.”
“I know.” He slipped one arm beneath the small of her back and the other up her spine to cup her head. She’d thought they were as close as two people could be. He proved her wrong. Lucy slid her feet down to hook around his calves, grinding against him. Gideon kissed her as if he couldn’t help himself. His tongue stroked hers, plunging deep, the way she wanted him to elsewhere. Right when she caught his rhythm, he withdrew and then stroked deep again, starting the process over. It made her crazy—crazier.
He knew. He always seemed to know exactly how close to the edge she was.
Gideon began to move. His hips mirrored the movements his tongue had made, stroking deep and then withdrawing before slamming home again.
Lucy couldn’t think, couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe. Her entire existence boiled down to the places Gideon touched her and his cock between her thighs. Pressure wound tighter and tighter, turning her into a wild creature with no thought but her own pending orgasm.
It hit her like a freight train and she let loose a keening cry that didn’t sound human to her ears. Lucy couldn’t do more than cling to Gideon as his strokes became more and more ragged and rough until he orgasmed with a curse. He dropped slightly to the side of her, but shifted to pull her leg up and over his hip, keeping them close.
She tried to get her racing heart under control. “That was some wake-up.”
“It’s good to see you, Lucy.” Such a polite thing to say considering their current position.
I think I prefer hearing that you missed me.
With the post-orgasm bliss numbing her common sense, she couldn’t quite shut that thought down. She crossed the line they’d drawn in the sand. “Stay.”
“What?”
She ran her hand up his arm. “Stay. It’s almost morning and there’s no point in you cabbing back to your place and turning around to do it again in a few hours. Just...stay here with me.”
“You sure that’s what you want?” There wasn’t a single thing in his voice to indicate what he wanted.
“Yes. If you want to, of course.” Maybe I misheard him and I’m wrong about this entire situation.
Gideon delivered a devastating kiss and climbed off the bed. “Give me a few.”
“Sure.” She waited for him to walk into her bathroom and shut the door before she relaxed and sighed, staring at the ceiling. What am I doing?
He was back before she could muster the energy to second-guess herself. Gideon pulled down the comforter and waited for her to climb beneath it before he followed suit. She tensed, waiting for the inevitable awkwardness, but he just slipped in behind her and guided her so he could spoon her. He kissed the back of her neck. “Sleep.”
Lucy thought it impossible, but the heat of him and the feel of safety being tucked against his big body lulled her circling thoughts to a standstill. Between one breath and the next, she slipped into a deep sleep.
* * *
Gideon woke to the smell of bacon. For one disorientating moment he didn’t know where he was, but then the events of the night came rushing back to him. Lucy. Her apartment. Sleeping here. He sat up and scrubbed a hand over his face. I told her I missed her and then I stayed the night. For all his intentions of respecting her intentions, Gideon was doing a piss-poor job of following through.
Worse, he’d been so focused on himself, he hadn’t stopped to ask her how she was doing after seeing Jeff again—a week ago. Fuck me. He stopped in the bathroom to brush his teeth as best he could with a finger and pulled on his pants.
He found Lucy in the kitchen, opening a series of take-out containers. She looked fresh and happy, her hair back in a low-key ponytail, and wore black leggings and a blue sweater that matched her eyes. She smiled when she saw him. “Morning.”
“Morning.” He took in the spread. “What’s all this?”
“I think we can both agree that cooking isn’t one of my strengths, so I popped out and grabbed something edible.” She grabbed two mugs from one of her cabinets. “Coffee, however, I am capable of throwing together.”
“Survival skill.”
“Exactly.” She passed him a full cup and her expression turned serious. “Can we have today?”
Gideon took a careful drink of the scalding liquid and contemplated her. For all that she appeared relaxed on the surface, there was an underlying tension there. “And after today?”
“I figure we’re due a conversation, but we have plans today and I don’t want to ruin them by talking this to death. I’m happy and I want to hold on to that.”
Meaning that this talk wouldn’t make her feel happy—or him, for that matter. Gideon already knew what was coming. He’d muddied the waters by showing up last night, and taken it a step further by staying and holding her while they’d slept. They hadn’t talked about lessons after that first time they’d had sex, which was supposed to be the whole purpose of this exercise. She’d also been on exactly one date.
He had to fix that.
He would rather chew off his own arm than set her up on any more dates, but that was what he’d given his word he’d do. Lucy trusted him and he couldn’t betray that trust. Not again.
Gideon forced an easy smile onto his face. “Sure, we can have today.” He didn’t want to have that talk any more than she appeared to want it, so he wasn’t going to worry about a few hours spent without overthinking things. “I thought you had lunch with your sister?”
“She got called in to cover a class and had to cancel.” Lucy gave him a small smile. “I know we had planned for this afternoon, but I’m free all day if you are.”
“I’m free.” Gideon had been looking forward to this date all damn week, so he hadn’t put anything else on his schedule.
Because that was exactly what this was, even if Lucy didn’t realize it. A date.
Maybe she does realize it and that’s why she’s asking to shelve the conversation we obviously need to have until tonight.
She gave him a sunny smile. “Good. In that case, eat up while I jump in the shower.” She pushed the food toward him, grabbed her mug and strolled out of the kitchen.
He spent half a second considering following her and making the shower one to remember, but if Gideon read the signs correctly, Lucy needed time. It had been that way with them from the start of this—she’d take a step forward and need time to acclimate. He could respect that. He would respect that. If he pushed too hard, too fast, she’d bolt, and this time he’d never hear from her again. It wasn’t a risk he was willing to take, especially now when it felt like they were close to something that could actually be real.
If she’d take that leap of faith with him.
He ate quickly and cleaned up the containers. By that time, the shower had turned off, so Gideon grabbed the bag he’d brought in the night before and hauled it into her room.
Lucy glanced over from where she’d just walked through the bathroom door. She had a fluffy towel wrapped around her, and though it hid her curves, the exposed skin of her shoulders and calves had him craving the feel of her. She narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t go home last night, did you?”
There was no use in denying it. “Nope.” He’d wanted to see her—had needed to see her—and the extra forty minutes it would have taken were forty minutes too many. He nodded at the bathroom door. “Mind if I use your shower?”
“Of course not. Go for it.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. Gideon showered quickly, pausing long enough to wish he had time to shave, but he wasn’t likely to see anyone he knew professionally today. He paused in front of his suitcase. Lucy had been wearing casual clothes earlier, and it might make her uncomfortable if he used his last suit. The other option wasn’t as comfortable for him, but he’d make do.
He had promised her, after all.
When he walked out of the bathroom, she froze. “You...” She gave herself a shake. “Sorry, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you rumpled-looking before—not even in college.”
He glanced down at his designer jeans and the flannel shirt he’d thrown over a white T-shirt. “I’m not rumpled.”
“You are most definitely rumpled.” She moved closer, taking him in as a small smile pulled at the edges of her lips. “You look like you should be standing on a porch on some mountainside, a steaming cup of coffee in hand while you contemplate whatever it is that lumberjacks contemplate.” She ran her hands up his chest and over his shoulders. “I like it.”
“Rumpled suits me.”
“You don’t have to sound so cranky when you say it.” She smoothed down his shirt, actually leaning forward a few inches before she seemed to remember herself and took several steps back. “I’m ready when you are.”
She wore a different variation of what she’d had on earlier: dark leggings, a long black T-shirt and a slouchy knitted cardigan thing. Her pants were tucked into a sleek pair of knee-high boots. Rumpled was not a word he’d use to describe her, but with her hair falling in careless waves to her shoulders, she looked relaxed. Almost peaceful.
He liked it.
Gideon pulled on his shoes and then they headed down to the street. Lucy paused on the sidewalk. “It’s such a nice day.”
He could pick up a clue as obvious as that one. “We could walk. It’s only a handful of blocks.”
“Are you sure? We didn’t really talk about what your other plans are for the day and—”
“There are no other plans.” He cut in before she could talk herself out of the whole day. “I worked all week. I cleared today for you, Lucy.”
“Oh. Well...oh.” She managed to look everywhere but at him. “I’m sorry—is this weird? It didn’t feel all that strange when I suggested it earlier, but I think common sense has taken hold.”
“More like nerves.” He pressed his hand to the small of her back. “Walk with me, Lucy. What’s the harm that could come of it?”