Page 47 of Lethal Salvation

He held her hand as he wandered over to his desk and packed up his laptop and any important documents he might need, including grabbing his passport from the safe in the corner of the room. “Why the sweatpants?”

Her lips turned up at the corners. “I’ll explain on the flight.”

Gideon shrugged. “Okay, now I’m intrigued.”

“Not as much as I am.”

He knew she was deflecting away from her mother’s death but if that was what she needed, he was happy to give it to her. “I need to call Damon, really quick.”

“That’s fine, I need to grab my bag and fix my face.”

He cupped her chin and tipped her eyes to him. “Your face is as beautiful as ever.”

“You have to say that because you want in my pants.”

“No, I said it because you are the most breathtakingly beautiful woman I’ve ever met, and I am getting in your pants eventually. I just need to wear you down.” He grinned and kissed her again because keeping his hands and mouth off her was almost impossible.

“Sweet talker.”

He smacked her ass and let her go and she winked at him. He suspected she might fall apart again when she was alone, but she needed that and he’d give her anything she wanted.

When he was alone, he dialled his brother and waited for him to answer. He knew Lotus would be monitoring the call but that didn’t matter to him.

“Hey, Gideon, I just heard. How is she?”

A twinge of jealousy pinched his belly and he had to bite down the irrational feeling. “She’s hanging in there, but obviously upset.”

“Yeah, I bet. Is there anything I can do?”

“Yes. I’m going to Italy with her. I need you to handle any face-to-face meetings here.”

Silence met his announcement and he waited for yet another warning not to hurt Nadia.

“Just be careful. I know you closed yourself off to love but I can also see the chemistry between you two. Her job won’t make life easy for the two of you to have a relationship.”

“A relationship?” He was stalling and mentally panicking at the thought but then he pictured her face earlier and knew he could do it for her.

“Yes, a relationship. I see the way you look at her and you’ve never looked at a woman like you do her. When you love, Gideon, you do it with your whole heart. Just be careful.”

“You make me sound like a fucking Care Bear.”

“You are a big old Care Bear.”

“Jerk.”

Damon chuckled. “Takes one to know one.”

“Asshole.”

“Yeah, well, this asshole has your back and I’ll handle anything here. Just look after her and give her my love.”

Gideon gritted his jaw. “I’ll do no such thing.”

His brother’s deep laugh filled his ear as he hung up. Despite the way the day had turned out, he felt hope crowd his mind. His life was a mess, but he had Nadia, a woman he could see himself having a real future with, and his relationship with Damon was as tight as ever. Before long, Carter and Marsha would be a distant memory and his father would be out of his life for good, too.

A pang of regret filled him at that, and he considered what Nadia was going through and if he’d lament cutting his dad from his life. It was a lot to think about and not something he needed to decide right now.

Nadia walked towards him, her face washed free of the makeup her tears had smeared, and his heart hitched in his chest. She was so beautiful it hurt to look at her for too long. Like looking into the sun and wanting to keep doing so forever but knowing you had to look away or it would be too much.