The Gideon Affair

by Halliday, Suzanne

  Where the hell had he left his suit jacket last night?

  Scanning the deck outside the big windows, then sweeping the kitchen and living room, he dashed for the pile of expensive fabric he’d left in a crumpled mess on the floor.

  Searching the inside pocket, he caught the velvet pouch with his fingers and pulled it out. To the sound of a heart that was wildly beating, he pried open the little jewelry bag and felt around inside till he felt the ring.

  In seconds, he was back in the study. Stumbling to a halt when he caught sight of her, his heart quieted. She was his perfect match. The missing piece. This felt right. Fate had brought them together. Love would keep them from ever parting.

  “I love you, Paige, and I want more than anything for you to be happy.”

  Her soft smile gave him hope.

  Well, there was nothing to do but to throw down and hope he wasn’t screwing the pooch.

  Going to a knee in front of her, he went for broke. “No outside noise, babe. It’s just you and me, right?”

  She nodded jerkily, her eyes going huge. Clearing his throat, he let his heart choose the words then got the hell out of the way.

  “Paige Marie Turner … my life changed forever the day we met, and I’m not talking about Gideon Shaw or your part in his creation.”

  “Edward,” Paige mumbled, but he cut her off.

  “Let me finish, love, and then I promise, it’ll be your turn.”

  “I love you,” she hastily blurted.

  “Hold that thought, okay?”

  He took another deep breath and let it fly. “You’re my best friend and the only person I think about calling when good shit happens. Or the bad stuff, too. You make me laugh when I don’t want to and think when I’m out of control. I love that you have a never-ending supply of wintergreen breath mints and that you imagine for even half a second that you need to work out. Each morning when I go to work, I can’t wait to see what you’re wearing and look forward to your bitching about the piss poor service at your local Starbucks.”

  That got a nervous laugh out of her. She lived to complain about the ubiquitous coffee chain.

  “For years, I’ve dreamed of crossing that invisible line we thought would stop us from fucking up our friendship. You’re in my thoughts all the time, and I’m hoping the same is true for you.”

  He opened his hand and picked up the delicate Art Deco ring by the band. With it held in the space between them, he kept this part short and simple.

  “I’ve never loved anyone before you, Paige, and now … after everything, I know for sure I’ll never love anyone else. It’s that simple. So, just you and me, babe. No one else is here, and no one else matters. Will you marry me? For really real. I swear to you by all that’s holy that your happiness means more to me than my own, but if you say no, I won’t stop asking. We’re meant to be in this together, sweetheart.”

  He had more words, but the tears leaking from her eyes stopped him cold. His whole life passed before his eyes. Oh, shit. She was going to turn him down.

  There were no fireworks or marching bands. A flock of bluebirds wasn’t chirping on the deck, and she was dressed in nothing but one of Edward’s white shirts with her hair in a sloppy bun on top of her head. She wasn’t even wearing makeup.

  Happiness exploded inside her. Yep. This was the perfect moment.

  She maybe saw the ring he held but those sexy eyes of his had her on ocular lockdown, and the only thing filtering through the disbelief in her brain was his expression.

  Edward Banning loved her and wanted to get married. She started to cry but didn’t know why.

  “Yes, yes, yes,” she cried, jumping from the sofa into his surprised embrace. Kissing his face, she declared between smooches, “This is crazy, but I love you and … and … oh, fuck it! Just kiss me.”

  And he did. Thoroughly. Then, while she shook from head to toe, he solemnly motioned for her hand, which she offered with trembling grace. She sighed softly when he turned it over so he could place a kiss in the center of her palm.

  “This was my grandmother’s ring,” he told her as the sparkling diamond slid on her finger. When it was in place, they went silent, staring at the symbol of their love for one another. “Do you like it?” He sounded unsure, and she thought his hesitation was completely adorable.

  “It’s beautiful,” she croaked, and then without warning, she burst into tears.

  Edward held her tight, stroking her back over and over, whispering his love and devotion, and vowing to be the husband she deserved. Her emotions were on maximum overload. She needed to catch her breath.

  Gently wiping away her tears, he smiled at her with so much love in his expression that the boo-hoo fest threatened to start up again.

  “There’s just one more thing …”

  She knew bad news when it knocked. The throat clearing and embarrassed expression was starting to freak her out.

  “We, um … I mean, I forgot … not you … it was all me … and well, I don’t want you to worry.”

  Was this one of those Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus moments because she couldn’t imagine what he was awkwardly getting at.

  Forehead creased with a confused frown, she asked, “What am I worrying about?”

  A red flush bloomed on his cheeks. “I’m pretty sure there weren’t any condoms involved this morning.”

  Oooooh. Hold on, then! Paige knew something had been different but why was he falling on the sword when she’d been the one to initiate their wild coupling? She was just as responsible as he was.

  “I told you, though. I’ve been on the pill for years.”

  “I know,” he hastily replied with an adamant headshake. “But it’s up to me to keep you safe, babe, and until I can hand you a doctor’s note, it was fucked up to let things get so out of hand.”

  She struggled not to smile. Struggled even more not to fall over giggling.

  How could she tell him that she knew more about his health than he did? Those physicals he got for every movie? They were obnoxiously thorough, and she read over each and every report. Not only that, but she also trampled all over his privacy rights by sharing the pertinent details with his mom. He was healthy as a thoroughbred horse and just as hearty. Except for an occasional flare-up of seasonal allergies, the man was in excellent condition and probably farted pixie dust.

  For no good reason other than because she could, Paige thought it would be fun to yank his chain a little.

  “Um, well, the thing is, Edward, we might have a small problem now that I think about it. You see, with all the crap that’s been going on, I kind of forgot a pill. Maybe two, actually. But I caught up right away. I think …”

  “What?” he barked, leaping to his feet and sending her onto her ass.

  Before she could laugh at her jest, he went into crazy-man mode. “Oh, my god. We have to get you to a doctor. Immediately.”

  Struggling off the floor, she froze. Maybe rattling his cage hadn’t been such a smart move because if he suggested the morning-after pill or anything even remotely close, this engagement was going to have a shelf life of half an hour. Not only that, but he’d also be wearing her handprint when she smacked the shit out of him.

  “What do we do?” he asked frantically. “Should you take special vitamins? Can you drive? No, wait. Fuck the L.A. freeways. I’m getting you a car and a driver to use. How do you feel? What do you need? Something to drink? A pillow?”

  Mystified by his reaction, she watched him dash around the room, gesturing broadly and talking a string of nonsense until it dawned on her what was going on. This time, there was no holding back the giggling.

  His shocked expression as she dissolved in laughter only made the giggles worse.

  “This is funny?” he asked.

  Choking off the laughter, she fixed him with a mocking frown. “Yes, Edward. It is. Even if that’s how it worked, and one late pill upset the universal balance, I don’t think that pillows and vitamins are necessary for
the first twenty-four hours.”

  “Oh.”

  This guy! Holy Batman and Robin stuck on a Ferris wheel—this guy was a keeper. Oh, and note to self … don’t joke around about stuff like babies. He might not know it yet, but everything about his reaction told her he was going to make a great daddy and an even greater husband.

  “Okay, so … ready? On the count of three, we’ll switch on our phones and let the wild and fucked-up rumpus begin.”

  There was this time in Iraq when intelligence had info about some really bad guys looking to make it to the jihadi top-twenty list. They’d intended to fuck shit up with an attack on his base and to target the convoys and motor vehicles coming and going at the sprawling compound. For days on end, everyone had been on edge. The waiting mixed with fearful anticipation made things … tense. That was how he felt. Knowing there was a shitstorm coming didn’t mean they had any clue in what form or fashion it would be.

  He glanced around the kitchen of his fabulous beach house stopping to stare when she moved into view. All of a sudden, he had a clarity that was something of a game changer. The only thing that mattered was Paige. All the other stuff? Nah.

  All of those things—the stardom and fame, the sweet house, cool car, and hefty bank account were nice, and all but none of it was fucking real. This woman, though, the one with the expressive eyes, whose smirk was like a ray of sunshine, who had shaken up not just his professional life but his inner world as well … she was real. If his Gideon life hurt her in any way, then all bets were off. He’d walk the fuck away tomorrow and never look back. His future was with her. That was what mattered. Not all this other bullshit.

  “Wait a minute, wait a minute.” He stood and ran a hand through his hair, dropping the phone on the island. Snatching hers away, he laid it next to his and pulled her off a stool. She came into his arms with an ease that belied the short nature of their relationship. This part of who they were—the physical connection—might be new, but their closeness already had serious longevity.

  He didn’t want to burst their happy bubble and let in the outside world just yet. Not until he’d kissed her some more. This incessant kissing surprised him. It was never enough. He always wanted more. She did, too. No hardship there.

  With a calm smile, she looked up while wriggling against him and wrapping her arms around his waist. He took her lovely face in his hands and marveled at the chain of unrelated events that got them to this moment. Thank god, they’d lowered the barriers keeping them at a friendly distance before the Gideon show threatened to get messy.

  He didn’t say anything. It wasn’t necessary. She knew what was going on. Softly kissing the corners of her mouth, he breathed her in; he briefly shut his eyes to allow their feelings to soothe his worry.

  At his waist, her hands made little circles that brought a comfort his heart needed. She was good for him. That was part of why they were a forceful team. Paige kept him sane, but what about her? What did he bring to her life?

  Raining more kisses on her nose, cheeks, and eyelids, Edward had a real longing to steal her away, turn his back on whatever was waiting for them, and keep this meaningful moment going. He still had so much he wanted to say. And do.

  Paige hugged him tight. “Are you going to kiss me or not, Mr. Banning, because I have a job waiting for my attention. And my boss can be a real asshole about wasting time when I’m on the clock.”

  Pfff. “I’ll deal with that jerkoff from now on, babe. You’re all mine. Got the ring to prove it. He can get the fuck in line as far as I’m concerned.”

  She went up on her toes and straight to his mouth. Guess she got tired of waiting.

  They excelled at kissing. Well, that and a couple of other things, for sure. But the kissing was off the radar and out of this world. They stood there wrapped around each other, slowly devouring until a new round of pulsing desire threatened to derail even more of their day.

  Shit and fuck. They’d stalled long enough.

  When they separated, she looked at him strangely, moving back to his side with her hand on his back. “What’s wrong?” Humph. Of course, she knew.

  He picked up the hand that wore his grandmother’s ring and kissed it. She’d said yes to his proposal. As far as promises went, that one was a biggie. But hidden inside his big bad Alpha body was a sliver of worry about the bigger picture. He needed her assurance on one more thing.

  “Promise me you won’t let Gideon Shaw and his raft of Hollyweird fuckery shit on what we have going, sweetheart. We’re beyond that, right?”

  “Oh, sweetie,” she quickly replied. “I know what’s real and what’s not.” She bent her knees and maneuvered around his downcast eyes until their gazes locked. “Nothing’s really changed, you know. I’m Gideon’s trusted assistant. Together, we run a business—a brand. Many people do the same. But beyond that, you and I are … more.”

  She’d paused and searched for that word. He liked it. Liked it a lot. They were more. Fuck yeah, they were.

  “Come on, big guy. Let’s just do this and get it over with.”

  Her eyes sparkled with mischief. He was listening.

  “Tell ya what … later, like much later after the day is finished kicking our asses, we’ll go to Tony’s. Scarf down a heartburn special and knock back a pitcher of beer. I’ll call ahead and make sure he gives us the corner booth. Then,” she jested, “if you’re a good boy and don’t misbehave in public, I’ll let you …” She giggled and whispered a string of naughty suggestions in his ear.

  Wow. She was good. “I’m going to hold you to some of that, babe.”

  Paige grinned like a horny lunatic, grabbed his hand, squeezed, and wriggled up and down on her toes. “Oh, goody,” she chirped. “In that case, wear the black tie today. It’ll come in handy later.”

  He laughed and shook his head at her. “You’re a bad girl, m’lady.”

  “Thank god, huh?”

  “All right, stalling over. Resuming countdown?”

  She grabbed their phones, gave him his, and made a face. “Yikes.”

  Worry for her grabbed his balls and yanked. “I love you, Paige.”

  “Mmmhmm. Better start doing the math for that bonus check you’re going to owe me.”

  This right here was why she was so awesome. He made a quirky half-grin and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

  “Oh, okay, you big baby. I love you, too. Better?”

  “Indeed.” He chuckled. “Here we go, then. Three, two, one, and …”

  The phones immediately fired up and just as he’d suspected, there was a lifetime of activity logged for the past eighteen or so hours. Ignoring the extensive texts, he jumped to his emails and surveyed the various accounts. His eyes widened when he saw two emails in his private personal account, both from his father, each sent about an hour apart. The subject line for both read, ‘Son, you have some ’splaining to do.’

  Oh, shit. There was one from Marsh as well that was labeled simply, ‘Dude.’ The rest was a lot of nothing.

  Now, in his work accounts—where Gideon lived his life—the fucking mailboxes were overflowing. Nice.

  Priorities, his mom had always said. Work the priorities and leave everything else. His eyes scanned the list finding the most recent email from Mickey. Opening it, his stomach dipped at the message. "Overlooking the ignored texts, but email too? I’m giving you till noon and then I’m sending in the Russians to break down your door. Understood?"

  It was eleven fifteen. Whew. He was cutting it close. Without reading anything else, he’d texted M. Stand down, old man, and hang tight. My fiancée will be in touch soon. He figured that he’d said a lot with less than fifteen words. The crazy Russian would get the message.

  Paige was being awfully quiet. He watched as she scrolled and scrolled, her mouth in a tense line. With each passing second, her posture became more rigid. Her hand shot out so quickly it was almost a blur as she snatched her mints off the island. Using her thumb to pop one into her mouth, she never stopped
scrolling—throwing the roll back onto the cold marble where it rolled, wobbled at the edge, and then fell to the floor with a plunk. She never reacted—just kept scrolling.

  Silent scrolling … the new waterboarding. If she didn’t look up or say something soon, he was going to freak.

  Harry Potter chose that moment to join the fun when her phone started ringing. At any other time, it might have been funny, or ironic, or both. Right then, it had the chilling effect of a death knell. And so it began …

  She looked at the screen, went still, and then growled real low. “Rrrr, damn.” Without so much as a half glance in his direction, she tapped the call button, turned away from him, and rested a hip against the island.

  “Hi, Mom,” he heard her say. “I was going to call you and …” Pause. A long silent one. “Uh-huh. I know.” Another pause. She reached up and massaged the back of her neck. “Yes, that part is true, but …”

  Edward swallowed hard. He didn’t exactly know Paige’s parents. Not like she knew his, but he had met them once or twice. Briefly. They were good people. Her dad, Mark Turner, was a textbook, middle-aged, Southern fried good ol’ boy complete with a modest beer belly and a recipe for smoked pork butt that earned him a coveted BBQ cook-off trophy. They got along well enough. Edward’s military record and the fact that they were both vets made up for their very different lifestyles.

  Her mother, on the other hand, was a bona fide piece of work. Rose Turner’s ability to deliver a shocking slap in the face disguised as a glowing compliment and her, well … there was no other way to say it except, her balls. Her balls were legendary and made her very, very scary; those two things alone put the Redneck Queen of Blueberry County in a category all her own.

  Humph. And the daughter hadn’t fallen far from that tree.

  “Mom,” Paige snapped. “It’s not like that. Why are you even reading … what? What do you mean they called you? Who called you?”