Chapter 39 #2
Her breathless “I’m yours” had detonated the last thread of his control.
It blew straight through his self-control, left nothing but ash. He wasn’t built to hear those words and stay sane, not from her. Not when the world was closing in.
Gideon exhaled hard. He flexed his knuckles and forced himself to take a step back, then another.
The space between them was physical now, but it didn’t matter. She was in his blood.
And now? There was no more pretending.
Arden Rivers was his.
And heaven help anyone who tried to take her from him.
Arden had paused in the doorway, still on edge from that alley, and from Gideon’s last words at her door.
Go inside like a good girl.
She’d almost flared up at the command, but she was also spellbound.
Her sass had kicked on instinctively, I’m not a good girl—half-rebellion, half-truth.
Then his voice at her ear, low and sinful: I prefer it that way.
That whisper had sent a shiver winding down her spine, reigniting every spark they’d set off against the door. Her heart throbbed from it all.
By the time she crossed the threshold, the door clicked shut with a soft snick. And the silence vacuum-sealed around her.
She stood there, back against the wood, trying to get her breathing under control.
Part of her still rattled, the memory of being followed scraped raw. Another part felt nothing but gratitude that Gideon had appeared in the alley right on time. And a third? A third couldn’t stop replaying every single word he’d murmured against her skin.
Kicking off her boots, she drifted into the living room. She turned on a lamp, tossed her keys on the table, and caught sight of herself in the hallway mirror.
Hair wild. Lips flushed. Ravaged. Radiant.
The worst part? She wanted more.
But beneath the heat still pulsing in her skin, a chill crept in.
How did he find me in that alley?
He’d been intense ever since the rose. Since the car. Since the glass.
But that timing? That wasn’t a coincidence.
She grabbed her phone. Hesitated only once before her fingers flew.
You left me at my door all heated. But I’m curious… how’d you know I was in that alley?
She tossed the phone on the couch and started pacing.
The light buzzed.
Gideon: I’m guessing “Hey, are you okay?” is out of the question first?
She huffed. Typical. Deflective.
I’m fine. Answer me.
Gideon: Arden…
Don’t “Arden” me. Spill it: how’d you know I was there?
Beat.
After the rose petals, the broken windows… I couldn’t shake the feeling someone was targeting you.
I asked Christian’s team to keep tabs. For your safety.
She stared at the words.
So he’d… had her followed?
Her stomach knotted.
Her mouth went dry.
No. No, no, no.
She wasn’t doing this again. Not with him.
Not with someone she was beginning to let in.
Her phone trembled in her hand as she paced the room, heart beating out a warning she hadn’t wanted to hear. The heat from the alley hadn’t even cooled before this new kind of fury rose up, blistering and raw.
Not paranoid. Not imagining things.
Watched.
And the worst part? He hadn’t said a word.
Her fingers flew across the screen, messy and fast, edits abandoned halfway through.
Are you fucking kidding me?
You had people watching me and didn’t think I deserved to know?
Do you have any idea what that does to someone like me?
She deleted the last one, retyped it with shaking hands.
If I feel like I’m being watched, and I am being watched because you decided to keep me in the dark, then it’s not paranoia.
I deserve to know the difference.
She watched the three dots appear on his side, then quickly sent another message.
You had me followed. And you didn’t think to TELL me?
I’m sorry. But after seeing you spooked, after your car got hit, I couldn’t just let it go. If anything happened to you…
She exhaled, heartbeat climbing. The alley came back to her in sharp flashes. The silence. The shadow. Then Gideon, breathing hard, arm sliding around her shoulders like armor.
So Christian’s people texted you? And you rushed over?
Exactly. They sent me a pin the second they spotted trouble.
A warmth spread through her chest, reluctantly. He’d dropped everything. He’d come like a storm.
You should have told me sooner. Damn it.
I know. I didn’t want you looking over your shoulder constantly. I wanted you safe. Not scared. That wasn’t my intention.
The knot in her chest loosened.
Controlling? Yes. But also... undeniably hers.
God, he meant it.
She sank into the couch.
Says the guy who told me “Go inside like a good girl.”
His reply came fast.
So, you do listen sometimes.
She barked a laugh, scrubbing a hand over her face.
In your dreams, Blackwell.
This time the pause felt longer. When the message finally arrived, it was stripped down. Bare.
Arden, I am sorry I kept it from you. But I can’t handle letting you face this alone.
She sat with that one. Let it fill the quiet.
I get it. Doesn’t mean I like it. But yeah… you helped.
Thank you.
Another buzz.
If you need me. Anytime. Call or text. Especially if you feel followed again. No hesitation.
She bit her lip. Her fingers hovered. Then tapped.
So you really think I’m a good girl?
She didn’t know why she sent it. Maybe to feel the heat again. Maybe to watch him squirm.
His answer was immediate.
Not for a second. I prefer it that way, remember?
She closed her eyes; that reckless smile tugged at her lips.
Oh, she remembered.
Thanks for having my back, Blackwell. I’d say don’t pull that secret spy stuff again, but… I suspect you’re not good at following orders.
Gideon: I follow them when they make sense.
Gideon: Lock your door, Rivers.
She rolled her eyes.
And she locked it.
But that other door, the one inside her? The one she’d kept sealed shut for years?
It was cracked open now.
And God help her… she wasn’t sure she wanted it closed again.