Crossfire 03 Entwined with You (9 page)

I took a swig from my bottled water and swallowed just in time to recite the next line from
Kindergarten Cop
. “My dad’s a gynecologist and he looks at vaginas all day long.”

His laughter made me so happy I felt as if I could float away. He was bright-eyed and more relaxed than I’d seen him since forever. Some of that had to do with the straight-to-the-point blowjob I’d given him on the couch, followed by a long, slow, slippery hand job in the shower. But a lot of it came from me, I knew.

When I was in a good mood, he was, too. It amazed me that I had a profound influence on such a man. Gideon was a force of nature, his magnetic self-possession so powerful it put everyone around him in his shadow. I saw flashes of it every day and was awed by it, but not nearly as much as I was by the charming, wryly amusing lover I had entirely to myself in our private moments together.

“Hey,” I said, “you won’t be laughing when your kids tell their teachers the same things about you.”

“Since they’d have to hear it from you, I’d know who it was that really needed the spanking.”

He turned his head to resume watching the movie, as if he hadn’t just knocked the wind out of me. Gideon was a man who’d lived an entirely solitary life, and yet he’d accepted me into it so completely that he could envision a future I was afraid to imagine. I was so scared I’d only be setting myself up for a heartbreak I couldn’t survive.

Noting my silence, he set his hand on my bare knee and glanced at me again. “Still hungry?”

My gaze remained trained on the open Chinese take-out boxes on the coffee table in front of us, and the black magic roses, which Gideon had brought home from work so we could enjoy them over the weekend.

Not wanting to make more of his statement than he’d intended, I said, “Only for you.”

I put my hand in his lap, feeling the soft heft of his cock within the black boxer briefs I’d allowed him to wear for dinner.

“You are a dangerous woman,” he murmured, leaning closer.

Moving quickly, I caught his mouth with my own, sucking on his lower lip. “Have to be,” I murmured, “to keep up with you, Dark and Dangerous.”

He smiled.

“I need to check in with Cary again,” I said with a sigh. “See if Mom’s left yet.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” I leaned my head on his shoulder. “There’s nothing like a little Gideon therapy to make things look up.”

“Did I mention I make house calls? Twenty-four-seven.”

I sank my teeth into his biceps. “Let me take care of this, then I’ll make you come again.”

“I’m good, thanks,” he shot back, clearly amused.

“But we haven’t played with the girls yet.”

He bent down and buried his face in my cleavage. “Hello, girls.”

Laughing, I shoved at his shoulders and he pushed me backward until I sprawled on the floor between the sofa and coffee table. He hovered above me, his arms tight and hard from supporting his weight. His gaze roamed, caressing my bra, then my bare tummy, then my thong and garters. The ensemble I wore post-shower was fire-engine red, chosen to keep Gideon revved.

“You’re my lucky charm,” he said.

I squeezed his biceps. “Really?”

“Yep.” He licked the upper swell of my breast. “You’re magically delicious.”

“Oh my God!” I laughed. “Cheesy.”

His eyes smiled at me. “I did warn you about me and romance.”

“You lied. You’re the most romantic guy I’ve ever dated. I can’t believe you hung those CrossTrainer towels in your bathroom.”

“How could I not? And I wasn’t kidding about you being lucky.” He kissed me. “I’ve been working on offloading my share of a casino in Milan. Those black magic roses arrived just as a bidder threw in a small winery in Bordeaux that I’ve had my eye on. Guess what it’s called … La Rose Noir.”

“A winery for a casino, huh? So you remain the god of sex, vice, and recreation.”

“Endeavors that help me satisfy you, my goddess of desire, pleasure, and corny one-liners.”

I ran my hands down his sides and slid my fingers beneath his waistband. “When do I get to try the wine?”

“When you’re helping me brainstorm the advertising campaign for it.”

With a sigh, I said, “You don’t give up, do you?”

“Not when I want something, no.” He rose to his knees and then helped me sit up. “And I want you. Very, very much.”

“You have me,” I said, using his words.

“I have your heart and your insanely sexy body. Now, I want your brain. I want everything.”

“I need to save something for me.”

“No. Take me instead.” Gideon’s hands reached around to cup the bare cheeks of my ass. “Not an even trade in quality, I’m sorry to say.”

“You’re bargaining like mad today.”

“Giroux was happy with his deal. You will be, too, I promise.”

“Giroux?” My heart thudded. “No relation to Corinne?”

“Her husband. Although they’re estranged and facing divorce, as you know.”

“No way. You do business with
her husband
?”

His mouth twisted ruefully. “First time. And likely the last, although I did tell him that I’m involved with a special woman—and she’s not his wife.”

“The problem is that she’s in love with you.”

“She doesn’t know me.” He cupped the back of my head and rubbed our noses together. “Hurry up and call Cary. I’ll clean up dinner. Then we’ll suck face.”

“Fiend.”

“Sexpot.”

I scrambled up to head to my purse for my phone. Gideon grabbed a garter and snapped it, sending a shock wave of sensation across my skin. Surprisingly aroused by the nip of pain, I slapped his hand away and hurried out of reach.

Cary answered on the second ring. “Hey, baby girl. You still doing okay?”

“Yes. And you’re still the best friend ever. Is Mom still hanging around?”

“She bailed a little over an hour ago. You stayin’ over at loverman’s?”

“Yeah, unless you need me.”

“Nah, I’m good. Trey’s on his way over now.”

That news made me feel a lot better about spending a second night away. “Say hi to him for me.”

“Sure. I’ll kiss him for you, too.”

“Well, if it’s from me, don’t make it too hot and wet.”

“Spoilsport. Hey, remember how you asked me to do some digging on the Good Doctor Lucas? So far, I’ve come up with a whole lotta nada. He doesn’t seem to do much else besides work. No kids. Wife is a doctor, too. A shrink.”

I glanced at Gideon, cautiously ensuring that he didn’t overhear. “Seriously?”

“Why? Is that important?”

“No, I guess not. I just … I guess I expect psychologists to be astute judges of character.”

“Do you know her?”

“No.”

“What’s going on, Eva? You’re all cloak-and-dagger lately, and it’s starting to piss me off.”

Climbing onto a bar stool, I explained as much as I could. “I met Dr. Lucas at a charity dinner one night, then again when you were in the hospital. Both times he said some nasty things about Gideon and I’m just trying to figure out what his deal is.”

“Come on, Eva. What else could it be besides Cross banged his wife?”

Unable to reveal a past that wasn’t mine to share, I didn’t answer. “I’ll be home tomorrow afternoon. I’ve got that girls’ night out. You sure you don’t want to come?”

“Go ahead, change the subject,” Cary bitched. “Yes, I’m sure I don’t want to come. I’m not ready to hit the scene. Just thinking about it gives me hives.”

Nathan had jumped Cary outside a club, and Cary was still recovering physically from that. Somehow, I’d forgotten that it was the mind that took longer to heal. He played it so cool, but I should’ve known better. “The weekend after next, you want to fly out to San Diego? See my dad, our friends … maybe even Dr. Travis, if we’re up for it?”

“Subtle, Eva,” he said dryly. “But yeah, sounds good. I may need you to front me some money, since I’m not working right now.”

“No problem. I’ll make the arrangements and we can square up later.”

“Oh, before you hang up. One of your friends called earlier—
Deanna. I forgot to tell you when we talked before. She has news and she wants you to call her back.”

I shot a look at Gideon. He caught my eye and something on my face must have given me away, because his eyes took on that familiar hard gleam. He headed toward me with that long, agile stride, the remnants of dinner carted neatly in the original delivery bag.

“Did you tell her anything?” I asked Cary in a low voice.

“
Tell
her anything? Like what?”

“Like something you wouldn’t want to tell a reporter, because that’s what she is.”

Gideon’s face took on a stony cast. He passed me to drop the trash in the compactor, then came back to my side.

“You’re friends with a reporter?” Cary asked. “Are you nuts?”

“No, I’m not friends with her. I have no idea how she got my home number, unless she called up from the front desk.”

“What the hell does she want?”

“An exposé on Gideon. She’s starting to get on my bad side. She’s all over him like a rash.”

“I’ll blow her off if she calls back.”

“No, don’t.” I held Gideon’s gaze. “Just don’t give her any information about anything. Where did you tell her I was?”

“Out.”

“Perfect. Thanks, Cary. Call if you need me.”

“Have a banging good time.”

“Jesus, Cary.” Shaking my head, I killed the call.

“Deanna Johnson called you?” Gideon asked, his arms crossing his chest.

“Yep. And I’m about to call her back.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Shut up, caveman. I’m not into that ‘me Cross, you Cross little woman’ bullshit,” I snapped. “In case you’ve forgotten already, we made a trade. You got me, and I got you. I protect what’s mine.”

“Eva, don’t fight my battles for me. I can take care of myself.”

“I know that. You’ve been doing it your whole life. Now, you’ve got me. I can handle this one.”

Something shifted over his features, so swiftly I couldn’t identify whether he was getting pissed. “I don’t want you to have to deal with my past.”

“You dealt with mine.”

“That was different.”

“A threat is a threat, ace. We’re in this together. She’s reaching out to me, which makes me your best shot at figuring out what she’s up to.”

He threw up one hand in frustration, then raked it through his hair. I had to force myself not to get distracted by the way his entire torso flexed with his agitation—his abs clenching, his biceps hardening. “I don’t give a shit what she’s up to. You know the truth, and you’re the only one who matters.”

“If you think I’m going to sit around while she crucifies you in the press, you need to revisit and revise!”

“She can’t hurt me unless she hurts you, and it’s possible that’s what she’s really after.”

“We won’t know unless I talk to her.” I pulled Deanna’s card out of my purse and dialed, blocking my number from showing on her Caller ID.

“Eva, damn it!”

I put the phone on speaker and set it on the counter.

“Deanna Johnson,” she answered briskly.

“Deanna, it’s Eva Tramell.”

“Eva, hi.” The tone of her voice changed, assuming a friendliness we hadn’t yet established. “How are you?”

“I’m good. You?” Studying Gideon, I tried to see if hearing her voice had any effect whatsoever. He glared back, looking deliciously pissed off. I’d become resigned to the fact that whatever his mood, I always found him irresistible.

“Things are churning. In my line of work that’s always good.”

“So is getting your facts straight.”

“Which is one of the reasons I called you. I have a source who claims Gideon walked in on a ménage composed of you, your roommate, and another guy, and flew into a rage. The guy ended up in the hospital and is now pressing assault charges. Is that true?”

I froze, my hearing drowned by my roaring blood. The night I’d met Corinne, I’d come home to find Cary in a four-body sexual tangle that included a guy named Ian. When Ian had lewdly—and nakedly—propositioned me to join them, Gideon had refused the offer with his fist.

I looked at Gideon and my stomach cramped.
It was true.
He was being sued. I could see the proof of it in his face, which was devoid of all emotion, his thoughts hidden behind a flawless mask. “No, it’s not true,” I answered.

“Which part?”

“I have nothing further to say to you.”

“I also have a firsthand account of an altercation between Gideon and Brett Kline, allegedly over you being caught in a hot clinch with Kline. Is that true?”

My knuckles whitened as I gripped the edge of the counter.

“Your roommate was recently assaulted,” she went on. “Did Gideon have anything to do with that?”

Oh my God …
“You’re out of your mind,” I said coldly.

“The footage of you and Gideon arguing in Bryant Park shows him being very aggressive and physically rough with you. Are you in an abusive relationship with Gideon Cross? Is he violent with an uncontrollable temper? Are you afraid of him, Eva?”

Gideon spun on his heel and walked away, striding down the hallway and turning into his home office.

“Fuck you, Deanna,” I bit out. “You’re going to rip an innocent
man’s reputation apart because you can’t deal with casual sex? Way to represent the sophisticated modern woman.”

“He answered the phone,” she hissed, “before he was done. He answered the fucking phone and started talking about an inspection at one of his properties. Midconversation he looked at me lying there waiting for him and he said, ‘You can go.’ Just like that. He treated me like a whore, only I didn’t get paid. He didn’t even offer me a drink.”

I closed my eyes.
Jesus.
“I’m sorry, Deanna. I mean that sincerely. I’ve met my share of assholes and it sounds like he was one to you. But what you’re doing is wrong.”

“It’s not wrong if it’s true.”

“But it’s not.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry you’re in the middle of this, Eva.”

“No, you’re not.” I hit the end button and stood with my head bent, holding on to the counter while the room spun around me.

I
FOUND
G
IDEON
pacing like a caged panther behind his desk. He had an earpiece in his ear and he was either listening or on hold, since he wasn’t talking. He caught my eye, his face hard and unyielding. Even dressed in boxer briefs, he seemed invulnerable. No one would be fool enough to take him for anything else. Physically, his power was evident in every slab of muscle. Beyond that, he radiated a ruthless menace that sent a chill down my spine.

The indolent, well-pleasured male I’d eaten dinner with was gone, replaced by an urban predator who dominated his competition.

I left him to it.

Gideon’s tablet was what I wanted, and I found it in his briefcase. It was password protected and I stared at the screen for a long while, startled to realize I was shaking. Everything I’d feared was happening.

“Angel.”

Looking up, I caught his eye as he appeared from the hallway.

“The password,” he explained. “It’s
angel
.”

Oh.
All the rampant energy inside me vanished, leaving me feeling drained and tired. “You should’ve told me about the lawsuit, Gideon.”

“At this point in time there isn’t a lawsuit, only the threat of one,” he said without inflection. “Ian Hager wants money, I want nondisclosure. We’ll settle privately and be done with it.”

I sagged back into the couch, dropping the tablet onto my thighs. I watched as he walked toward me, drinking him in. It was so easy to become dazzled by his looks, enough that one could fail to see how alone he was at heart. But it was past time he learned to include me when he faced difficulties.

“I don’t care if it’s a nonstarter,” I argued. “You should’ve told me.”

His arms crossed his chest. “I meant to.”

“You meant to?”
I shoved to my feet. “I tell you I’m broken up over my mother not telling me something and you don’t say a word about your own secrets?”

For a moment, he remained hard-faced and immovable. Then he cursed under his breath and unfolded. “I came home early, planning to tell you, but then you told me about your mom and I thought that was enough shit for you to deal with in one day.”

Deflating, I sank back onto the couch. “That’s not the way a relationship works, ace.”

“I’m just getting you back, Eva. I don’t want all the time we spend together to be about what’s wrong and fucked up in our lives!”

I patted the cushion beside me. “Come here.”

He took a seat on the coffee table in front of me instead, his spread legs bracketing mine. He caught my hands in both of his, lifting them to his lips to kiss my knuckles. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t blame you. But if there’s anything else you have to tell me, now would be the time.”

He pressed forward, urging me to stretch out on the couch. Coming over me, he whispered, “I’m in love with you.”

With everything going wrong, that was the one thing that was totally right.

It was enough.

W
E
fell asleep on the couch, wrapped up in each other. I drifted in and out of consciousness, plagued by anxiety and thrown off my schedule by our earlier long nap. I was awake enough to sense the change in Gideon, hear his fast breathing, followed by the tightening of his grip on me. His body jerked powerfully, shaking me. His whimper pierced my heart.

“Gideon.” I wriggled around to face him, my agitated movements waking him. We’d drifted off with the lights on and I was grateful that he woke to the brightness.

His heart was pounding beneath my palm, a fine mist of sweat blooming on his skin. “What?” he gasped. “What’s wrong?”

“You were slipping into a nightmare, I think.” I pressed soft kisses over his hot face, wishing my love could be enough to banish the memories.

He tried to sit up and I clung tighter to hold him down.

“Are you okay?” He ran a hand over me, searching. “Did I hurt you?”

“I’m fine.”

“God.” He fell back and covered his eyes with his forearm. “I can’t keep falling asleep with you. And I forgot to take my prescription. Goddamn it, I can’t be this careless.”

“Hey.” I propped myself up on my elbow and ran my other hand down his chest. “No harm done.”

“Don’t make light of this, Eva.” He turned his head and looked at me, his gaze fierce. “Not this.”

“I would never.” God, he looked so weary, with dark smudges under his eyes and deep grooves framing that wickedly sensual mouth.

“I killed a man,” he said grimly. “It’s never been safe for you to be with me when I’m sleeping, and that’s even truer now.”

“Gideon …” I suddenly understood why he’d been having his nightmares more frequently. He could rationalize what he’d done, but that didn’t alleviate the weight on his conscience.

I brushed the thick strands of hair off his forehead. “If you’re struggling, you need to talk to me.”

“I just want you safe,” he muttered.

“I never feel safer than when I’m with you. I need you to stop beating yourself up for everything.”

“It’s my fault.”

“Wasn’t your life perfectly uncomplicated before I came along?” I challenged.

He shot me a wry look. “I seem to have a taste for complicated.”

“Then stop bitching about it. And don’t move, I’ll be right back.”

I went to the master bedroom and swapped my garters, stockings, and bra for an oversized Cross Industries T-shirt. Pulling the velour throw off the foot of the bed, I went to Gideon’s room and grabbed his medicine.

His gaze followed me as I dropped off the throw and prescription before heading to the kitchen for a bottle of water. In short order, I had him settled in, the both of us huddled together beneath the blanket and the majority of the lights turned off.

I snuggled closer, hooking my leg over his. The medication prescribed for Gideon’s parasomnia was no cure, but he was religious about taking it. I loved him all the more for that dedication, because he did it for me. “Do you know what you were dreaming about?” I asked.

“No. Whatever it was, I wish it were you instead.”

“Me, too.” I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat slow. “If it had been a dream about me, what would it be like?”

I felt him relax, sinking into the sofa and into me.

“It would be a cloudless day on a Caribbean beach,” he murmured.
“A private beach, with a cabana on the white sand, enclosed on three sides with the view in front of us. I’d have you spread out on a chaise longue. Naked.”

“Of course.”

“You’d be sun-warmed and lazy, your hair blowing in the breeze. You’d be wearing that smile you give me after I’ve made you come. We would have nowhere to go, no one waiting. Just the two of us, with all the time in the world.”

“Sounds like paradise,” I murmured, feeling his body growing heavier by the moment. “I hope we swim naked.”

“Umm …” He yawned. “I need to go to bed.”

“I want a bucket of iced beer, too,” I said, hoping to detain him long enough that he’d fall asleep in my arms. “With lemons. I’d squeeze the juice over your eight-pack and lick it off.”

“God, I love your mouth.”

“You should dream about that, then. And all the naughty things it can do to you.”

“Give me some examples.”

I gave him plenty, talking in a low soothing voice, my hands stroking over his skin. He slipped away from me with a deep exhalation.

I held him close until long after the sun rose.

G
IDEON
slept until eleven. I’d been strategizing for hours by then and he found me in his office, his desk littered with my notes and drawings.

“Hey,” I greeted him, lifting my lips for his kiss as he rounded the desk. He looked sleep-mussed and sexy in his boxer briefs. “Good morning.”

He looked over my work. “What are you doing?”

“I want you caffeinated before I explain.” I rubbed my hands together, excited. “Want to grab a quick shower while I make you a cup of coffee? Then we’ll dig in.”

His gaze slid over my face and he gave me a bemused smile. “All right. However, I suggest I grab
you
in the shower. Then we’ll have coffee and dig in.”

“Save that thought—and your libido—for tonight.”

“Oh?”

“I’m going out, remember?” I prodded. “And I’m going to drink too much, which makes me horny. Don’t forget to take your vitamins, ace.”

His lips twitched. “Well, then.”

“Oh, yeah. You’ll be lucky if you can crawl out of bed tomorrow,” I warned.

“I’ll make sure to stay hydrated, then.”

“Good idea.” I returned my attention to his tablet, but had to look when he walked his very fine ass out of the room.

When I saw him again, he was damp-haired and wearing black sweats that hung low enough on his hips that I knew he was commando underneath. Forcing myself to focus on my plans, I gave him the desk chair and stood next to him.

“Okay,” I began, “following the adage that the best defense is a good offense, I’ve been taking a look at your public image.”

He took a sip of his coffee.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I admonished. “I didn’t pay any attention to your personal life, since
I’m
your personal life.”

“Good girl.” He gave me an approving pat on my behind.

I stuck my tongue out at him. “I’m mostly thinking of how to combat a smear campaign focused on your temper.”

“It helps that I haven’t previously been known as having one,” he said dryly.

Until you met me …
“I’m a terrible influence on you.”

“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

That earned him a quick, smacking kiss to the temple. “It took me a ridiculous amount of time to find out about the Crossroads Foundation.”

“You didn’t know where to look.”

“Your search optimization really blows,” I countered, pulling up the website. “And there’s only this splash page, which is pretty, but ridiculously bare. Where are the links and info about the charities that have benefited? Where’s the About page on the foundation and what you hope to accomplish?”

“A packet detailing all of that information is sent out to charities, hospitals, and universities twice a year.”

“Great. Now, let me introduce you to the Internet. Why isn’t the foundation tied to you?”

“Crossroads isn’t about me, Eva.”

“The hell it isn’t.” I met his raised brows with my own and shoved a to-do list in front of him. “We’re defusing the Deanna bomb before it blows. This website needs to be overhauled by Monday morning, with the addition of these pages and the information I’ve outlined.”

Gideon took a cursory glance at the paper, then picked up his mug and leaned back in his chair. I studiously focused on the mug and not his amazing torso.

“The Cross Industries site should cross-link with the foundation from your Bio page,” I continued. “Which also needs an overhaul and updating.”

I slid another paper in front of him.

He picked it up and began reading the biography I’d drafted. “This was clearly written by someone in love with me.”

“You can’t be shy, Gideon. Sometimes you just have to be blunt and say, ‘I rock.’ There’s so much more to you than a gorgeous face, hot body, and insane sex drive. But let’s focus on the stuff I don’t mind sharing with the world.”

Flashing a grin, Gideon asked, “How much coffee have you had this morning?”

“Enough to take you to the mat, so watch out.” I bumped my hip into his arm. “I also think you should consider a press release announcing
the acquisition of La Rose Noir, so that your name and Giroux’s are linked. Remind people that Corinne—who you’ve been seen around with so much lately—has a husband, so Deanna can’t paint you as a total bad guy for cutting Corinne off.
If
she decides to go that route.”

He caught me unawares and pulled me into his lap. “Angel, you’re killing me. I’ll do whatever you want, but you need to understand that Deanna has nothing. Ian Hager isn’t going to risk a nice settlement to publicize his story. He’ll sign the necessary releases, take the money, and go away.”

“But what about—”

“Six-Ninths isn’t going to want their ‘Golden’ girl linked with another guy. Ruins the love story of the song. I’ll be speaking to Kline and we’ll get on the same page.”

“You’re talking to Brett?”

“We’re in business together,” he pointed out, with a twist to his lips, “so yes. And Deanna’s using Cary’s attack as a bluff. You and I both know there’s nothing there.”

I considered all that. “You think she’s yanking my chain? Why?”

“Because I’m yours, and if she had a press pass to any event we attended together, she knows it.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “I can’t hide how I feel around you, which is what’s made you a target.”

“You hid it well enough from me.”

“Your insecurity made you blind.”

I couldn’t argue with that. “So she freaks me out with the threat of the story. What does she achieve?”

He leaned back. “Think about it. The lid is about to blow on a scandal involving you and me. What’s the swiftest way to defuse it?”

“Stay away from me. That’s what you’d be advised to do. Distancing yourself from the source of a scandal is Crisis Management 101.”

“Or do the opposite and marry you,” he said softly.