Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
GIDEON
T he phone rings in my hand, and it barely finishes before I answer it. “Emerson?”
“Gideon, this is risky.” It sounds like she’s in the car, and I’m guessing her driver Charlie is with her.
“I need to see you.” I’m running out of time, and there’s no need to pretend I don’t want her.
“I can’t. I’m having dinner at the wedding hotel tonight with our families, and him.” She says the word him softly, but we both know she means Conner.
“Where?” I squeeze the phone tighter in my hand.
She hesitates and then lets out a long breath. “Maybe it’s not a good idea for us to see each other again.”
“Where?” I say again, this time with a demand behind it.
“The Crowned Saint on Fourth Street,” I hear Charlie say in the background.
“Charlie,” Emerson hisses at him before coming back to me. “Gideon, please. What happened between us was a mistake.”
The words are like a knife to my heart. “You’re lying.” I close my eyes and force myself to breathe. “If you don’t want me, Emerson, then say it. But don’t you dare say what we did was a mistake. Not when that was one of the greatest moments of my life.”
“One of the greatest?” The question comes out quietly.
“After meeting you,” I say, my heart beating faster. “And kissing you in the dressing room.”
“Gideon.”
“Every moment I’m with you is the greatest,” I tell her.
“But don’t lie to me and don’t lie to yourself.
I know that you’ve had to protect your heart all these years by keeping things from your family, but I’m not them.
I’m not trying to make you trade one cage for another, Emerson. I’m trying to set you free.”
There’s a long pause on the other end, and I wish I could see her face, read her expression.
“This is the last time,” she finally says, and I grin.
“If that’s what you have to tell yourself.”
“We’re here, Emerson,” Charlie says in the background.
“I’ve got to go,” Emerson tells me.
“I’ll find you, precious girl.” That’s all I say before I end the call.
When I walk out of my office, I go in search of Spencer. He’s in our shared office space with Landon going over the case he’s been working on. He’s been in court the past couple of weeks, but I talked to him yesterday about what I wanted.
“Did you get it done?” I ask Spencer, who exchanges a glance with Landon.
“Are you sure about this?” Spencer looks reluctant, but surprisingly Landon doesn’t seem fazed. Maybe because he’d do the same if he was in my shoes.
“I’ve signed all the documents, so yes, I’m sure.” When I asked him to draw up the contract, I gave him the option to refuse to be the mediator on this. I didn’t want to get my best friends involved, but I needed someone I could trust.
“It’s all set to go. All she has to do is sign on the dotted line,” Spencer says. “But as your legal counsel?—”
“You’re not representing me,” I remind him.
“He’s sure.” Landon taps his knuckles on the table and turns to Spencer. “And I’m betting it’s going to blow up in his face, but you know how much I love other people’s drama.”
“That’s the best kind,” Spencer agrees.
Ignoring them, I turn to leave and call over my shoulder, “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
“At her wedding?” Spencer says, poking me one last time. I can’t wait until he meets the one, because she’s going to ruin him.
Once I’m outside, I hail a cab to The Crowned Saint. Deciding that it’s better if it looks like I’m here as a guest, I check in and pay for a room. The hotel is buzzing with people, and I wonder how many are here for the wedding.
“Are you here for business or pleasure?” the clerk asks as she slides me the keys.
“A little of both.” I glance back and see a small white sign with Emerson's and Conner’s names in golden script. “But business first.”
I thank the clerk and take the keys before going in the direction the sign pointed. There are dozens of ballrooms in this hotel, but I’ve been here for meetings before, and I remember there are private dining rooms in the back for more intimate dinners.
Up ahead, I see servers going in and out of one of the private rooms, and then I notice another sign that was similar to the one in the lobby. I can’t go straight in where everyone can see me, so I go around and look for another entrance.
There’s a service entrance in the back and curtains that separate the space. There’s also a restroom in this direction, so it’s the perfect spot. I sneak a look at the table inside, and sure enough, Emerson is there.
Her head is down, and she’s poking at the food on her plate as the other people at the table animatedly talk over her.
They could care less if she’s there or not, and it shows.
Anger boils inside me because she doesn’t deserve to be treated like an afterthought.
I want to go in there and demand that she come with me, but I’m reminded of Landon’s words and how one wrong move could ruin her reputation.
As much as I want to, I control myself and go find a server. After a quick exchange and a few hundred dollars, I go back to the service entrance and wait. I peek through the curtains and watch as the server comes to refill Emerson’s glass and whispers something in her ear.
Emerson’s head pops up, and she looks directly where I’m standing.
I’m so well hidden that I know she can’t see me, but it’s like she knows exactly where I am.
She nods to the server and then waits for them to leave before excusing herself from the table.
No one seems to notice her absence as she gets up and walks in my direction.
The urge to meet her halfway is strong, but I stay where I’m at until she’s out of their sight. Once she’s through the curtains, she’s in my arms, and I’m kissing her like I’ve spent the last ten years at sea.
“Gideon,” she moans between kisses.
“Don’t you dare tell me to stop,” I say, pinning her against the wall behind me. We’re surrounded by dark curtains, and unless someone was purposely sifting through them, they'd never be able to find us.
“Don’t stop.” She kisses me back, her tongue tasting mine. “I need you.”
“I’m right here.” Her legs wrap around my waist as I push her dress up. My fingers reach for the center of her panties, and I groan in pleasure when I feel her wet heat.
“Just thinking about you being here got me wet.” Her words are like a confession, and it makes my cock throb.
“I need to taste you again.” I push a finger inside her before I pull it out and bring it to my mouth. My mouth waters as I suck off her desire.
“I’ll be right back.”
The sound of Conner’s voice so close to us makes me freeze. I was so lost in Emerson that I forgot where we were and what she’s supposed to be doing. Emerson lets out a little whimper of fear, and I put my finger over her lips, silently telling her not to make a sound.
As carefully as I can, I pull back the curtain and see Conner on the other side with his back to us. He’s reaching into his coat pocket for something, but before I can wonder what he’s doing, his body shifts, and I see everything.
He’s got a tiny glass bottle that he tips powder out of onto the back of his hand.
Then he leans down and sniffs it off. I let the curtain drop and meet Emerson’s eyes.
She looks completely shocked, but I’m not surprised.
He was a fucking cokehead back in college too, but I’d hoped he’d grown up and gotten his shit together.
I wait for the sound of him rejoining the dinner before I turn my attention back to Emerson. “That’s the man you’re going to marry?”
“I didn’t know.” She’s defensive as she tries to push at my chest, but I’m not letting her go.
My shoulders sag because I’m not mad at her. I’m mad that he’s got a claim to her that I don’t. “I’m sorry.” Her body goes soft too, and I rest my forehead against hers. “Come to my room after this is over.”
“I’ll try.” She looks into my eyes, and I see the indecision.
I reach in my pocket and take out the extra key. Instead of giving it to her, I grab the edge of her panties and tuck the room key there. “Promise me.”
She bites her bottom lip but then nods. “I promise.”
When I put her back on her feet, her legs are shaky, but she squares her shoulders and walks back to the dining room.
I want to tell her not to go, to run away with me, but this has to be her choice. I can’t force her to choose me, but I can make it really fucking hard for her not to.