Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
SADIE
Marswood Security was housed in a three-story glass building on the edge of town. The first floor was all glossy reception and sleek conference rooms. Lots of gray, white, and black, with the company’s logo subtly displayed on walls, stationery, and screens.
Gideon guided me up the stairs to the second floor.
He pressed his finger to a security pad, waited for the beep and the click that told us the lock had disengaged, and then opened the door to a high-tech lair.
His brothers were sitting at a command station along with Connor, the whiz-kid cousin, and a couple of people I didn’t know.
All of them buff men with an air of no-nonsense industry.
“What have you got?” Gideon asked when Jack stood to greet him.
“Nothing so far,” his brother replied, grimacing. He nodded at me. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay,” I said, which was the truth. Surprisingly.
Gideon’s hand pressed against my shoulder blades in response.
He led me to a chair, then grabbed the arm of it to roll it closer to him as he took a seat next to me, never more than two feet away from me.
After my experience with Henry, it should’ve felt suffocating, but instead, it felt nice.
Comforting. Safe. Gideon’s hand moved from the armrest to my knee as he spoke to Jack.
“I drove by about fifteen minutes before I called you, and the car was intact. That gives us a time frame.”
Jack grunted in response, running a hand through his hair and making it stand up on end.
“We have limited coverage down that road. Our closest camera is at Fletcher’s shop at the end of Marswood Drive,” he said, naming the cross street two blocks away from where I’d parked.
“That leaves a big area that’s unsurveilled.
Connor, you think you can get us eyes anywhere closer? ”
“I’ll work on it,” the teenager replied, tapping furiously on a keyboard.
To my left, Knox was staring at a sped-up security feed from a traffic camera on Main Street. There was no sign of the mirth he’d shown with Caroline—and no sign of the donut. I watched his screen for a moment, then asked, “How did you access that? Wouldn’t that belong to the DOT?”
Knox glanced at me. He wore glasses, which he hadn’t had on any of the other times I’d seen him. His lips twitched in response, barely a movement in his stoic face.
“Knox doesn’t like divulging his secrets,” Jack answered with a grin. Connor let out a cackle from across the room, his hands flying over his keyboard as his eyes stayed trained on his screen.
Gideon’s hand gently squeezed my knee, and I turned to see him watching me. “You want something? Tea? Coffee? Water? Food?”
I shook my head. My stomach was one big writhing mass of stress. Putting anything in it was out of the question.
His eyes were intent. “We’ll find out who did this,” he vowed.
I believed him. He held my gaze for a long moment, and it became harder to breathe.
His eyes were intense, but the anger in them was gone.
He cared. It made my heart swell, which was so typical of me and so utterly disastrous.
I just couldn’t help myself from falling for him, even though I knew he didn’t want me that way.
Every time he touched me, he wrenched himself away from me. And still, I wanted more. I was a fool.
But here he was, directing every member of his company to find out who had keyed my car. When was the last time someone had cared so much about my safety? When was the last time someone had recruited any amount of resources to helping me with a problem?
I couldn’t remember. I’d been on my own for so long, even when I’d been in a relationship.
Gideon sighed, stood, and extended his hand toward me. “Come with me,” he said gently.
I slipped my palm against his, and he threaded his fingers through mine.
He turned to toss the flash drive I’d procured to Jack, then tugged me up to my feet and kept hold of my hand as he guided me toward a closed door on the other side of the room.
Holding his hand felt natural and thrilling all at once. I never wanted him to let go.
But he did let go when we got inside the room. It was a small meeting room, with a couch, two armchairs, a low table, and a big screen on the wall. Gideon sat me down on the couch and took a seat next to me, his expression serious.
“You didn’t sign up for this,” he started without preamble. He licked his lips and swallowed thickly, gaze sliding away from mine for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and met my gaze again. “I’ll understand if you just want to grab your stuff and go, Sadie. No hard feelings.”
I reared back. “What?”
“I’ll find out who did this either way. But I know this isn’t what you thought you were getting when you agreed to marry me. We can rip up that certificate, go our separate ways. I know this changes things.”
“You’re trying to get rid of me?” My words were breathless.
Gideon’s brows slammed down. “I’m trying to keep you safe. If someone has it out for you, the best thing for you to do is go back to the city.”
I crossed my arms and stuck out my jaw. “Nice try, Gideon. Still isn’t gonna work.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“You’ve been trying to get rid of me since the moment you saw me at the end of the aisle.” An idea dawned. No—not possible. But still, I had to ask. “Did you vandalize my car? You’re trying to scare me off?”
He stared at me, disbelieving and furious. Then in a low voice, he said, “I’ve married a lunatic.”
“That wasn’t a no,” I observed, leaning back on the couch. “You could just tell me you don’t want to stay married to me. No need to cause property damage.”
Then he was there, caging me against the arm of the sofa.
His scent filled my nose. His arms strained against the fabric of his shirt on either side of me, his jaw twitching from how hard he clenched it.
All that existed was him. The heat of his body blazing against me.
The closeness of his features. The feel of his warm breath ghosting across my skin.
“I did not key your car, Sadie,” he enunciated.
“I didn’t slash your tire. And the last thing I’m trying to do is get rid of you. ”
I gulped, heart thudding in my throat. My body was ablaze, even though no part of him touched any part of me.
My gaze dropped to his lips, and I remembered how they felt against mine.
Remembered the way his stubble abraded my skin.
Remembered how badly I wanted to feel the rasp of it against my inner thighs.
“You’ve got a funny way of showing it,” I answered, and it came out as a whisper.
His fingers tightened against the couch, causing the leather to creak in protest. “I’m trying to give you a chance, Sadie. A chance to make the right decision.”
My pulse was still too fast. I narrowed my eyes. “And what’s that?”
“Get away from this town. Find something better for yourself.” He paused. “Someone better.”
I clicked my tongue, shoving his chest so he’d back away.
I stood up, restless and on edge. Crossing the room, I stared out the window at the trees surrounding the building.
It took several long moments for my heartbeat to settle.
Then I turned and found Gideon watching me.
His gaze held an edge of desperate hunger, but the line of his shoulders was resigned.
I lifted my chin. “No.”
He jerked. “What?”
“I’m not leaving.”
Where would I go? I’d closed up shop on my business. I’d moved out of my apartment. My parents’ guest room beckoned, with all the emotional damage that would come along with it.
I was tired. Life in the city was a grind, and most of the time I was pretending to be a savvy, put-together woman that I was pretty sure was entirely false. Marswood Harbor was the first place that had ever felt like home.
And then there was Gideon. He looked at me like he saw right through to the heart of me.
We’d known each other just over two weeks, yet he’d managed to make me feel appreciated in a way that none of my partners or family members had before.
He’d apologized after our horrible wedding night.
Henry had never once apologized like that.
Sure, my ex might’ve told me he was “sorry he made me feel that way,” but he’d never come to me with a half-sweet almond milk matcha latte in his hands and a simple apology on his tongue.
Maybe this wasn’t a love story for the ages—maybe once our six weeks were over, we’d settle into companionship. We’d never truly fall in love. I’d eventually accept that love just wasn’t in the cards for me.
Or maybe not. Maybe this little kernel of connection between us was real.
Didn’t I deserve to find out?
Slowly, Gideon shifted his body and stood.
He crossed the room and came to a stop in front of me, his toes an inch from mine.
My heart began to rattle. I sucked in a hard breath, and Gideon’s lips twitched.
They tugged into a half smile, pulling at the undamaged skin on his right side.
Then he lifted a hand and softly, so softly stroked my cheek with the backs of his fingers.
My heart took off.
I closed my eyes and leaned into the touch, sighing when he turned his hand to cup my cheek with his palm. His thumb rubbed my lips, a gentle brush, and I parted them on an exhale.
“If you stay here much longer, Sadie,” he rumbled, “I’m not going to be able to let you go.
” His thumb pressed down on my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth.
Pupils flaring, Gideon watched the movement.
His chest rose and fell unsteadily, his thumb still holding my lips open. “You should leave,” he whispered.