"I thought the beach would be a good distraction for you. You said you and your mom used to come here, right?" Gideon glanced at her. "Plus, there's a pharmacy down the road. I already checked online. We can buy everything you need there."
"I don't know." She glanced warily over her shoulder, certain that she was going to see Amon creeping around the side of the truck. "Leaving you apartment freaked me out more than I thought it would. I'm not sure I can handle a crowded beach right now."
Gideon gazed at her with sad eyes and took her hand.
"Okay, I have an idea," Gideon said. "Let's stay at the beach for one hour. If I haven't managed to get your mind off of Amon by then, we'll buy what you need and head straight back home. How about that?"
"One hour?" She guessed she could handle that. After all, she wasn't some sort of coward.
"Yeah, just one hour." Gideon pressed his hand to the small of her back and smoldered at her.
One hot stare was all it took for her mind to go fuzzy. She wondered whether there would come a day when his magical gaze didn't work on her. Probably not, she decided. Gideon could smolder at a corpse and get a reaction.
"I guess one hour wouldn't be so bad." She sighed.
"Great." Gideon grinned triumphantly. "Let's go."
The man seized her injured hand, only to make her squeal in pain and surprise. It felt like her limb had been struck by lightning. The man immediately let go, looking so ashamed she was half frightened he would jump into the lake to drown himself.
"I'm so sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I forgot that your hand was burned."
"It's fine." She shook off the pain. "It's easy to forget."
When Gideon's self-disgust didn't fade, she realized he had a terrible habit of blaming himself way too much. She wondered how much the woman who'd died in the earthquake still haunted his mind. Poor Gideon. She shook her head as her heart was overcome with pity.
"Here." Determined to make things right, she held out her uninjured hand.
After a moment's hesitation, Gideon grabbed her hand. As they meandered along the beach, she noticed that women kept gawking at Gideon. Her self-esteem took a lethal hit. Most of these women were in bikinis and had flawless figures. Each of them appeared impossibly tanned too as if they spent every day in the sun. Nora hadn't had the confidence to wear a bikini in years and her pale skin turned the color of a turnip whenever she tried to sunbathe.
She frowned at Gideon, wondering whether he noticed all the beautiful women who were looking his way. Nope, he wasn't paying attention to them. In fact, he was still studying her face, likely worried about the incident with her hand. Despite his over-the-top concern, she found herself in a much better mood than before.
Read 'em and weep, ladies. This man is mine.
The fact that she was so territorial made her gasp. Was she really the same woman who'd once thought eating a cow's spleen would be a better option than kissing Gideon? A few days had gone by and her opinion of the man had changed forever. Despite that, she couldn't help but whistle in glee. Gideon made her feel like she was the most important woman in the world. Never in her entire life had she experienced such a phenomenon.
"The beach trip is working already," Gideon said. "You're already happier."
"Am I?" She laughed nervously, having no intention of telling Gideon about the ogling women and what she thought of them.
"Yeah." Gideon nodded. "This is exactly what you needed."
"Maybe." She was still worried Amon might be right behind her. "What are your plans anyway? You took me here but never said what you wanted to do."
"For now, let's just walk awhile." Gideon led her closer to the water's edge. "I kind of like walking with you."
She glanced at him, surprised by how serious his expression was.
"I like walking with you too," she said.
"Why, Nora, I'm shocked," he said. "You usually return my compliments with insults."
"I don't insult you that much," she said.
The guy shook his head in disbelief.
"Okay, I insult you quite a bit," she admitted. "But you deserve it."
"Now that's more like what I was expecting from you." Gideon chuckled.
I forgot he likes to rile me up on purpose. She shot him a dark look and fell silent.
As they walked, a gentle wave devoured the shore. She came to a stop. Another tiny wave rolled in, caressing the golden sand with gentle fingers. Children were splashing in the shallows, laughing. At that moment she remembered playing in the waves with her mom. The woman would always yell, "Help me, Nora! Help me!" After that, Nora would plunge into the lake without fail to save her parent from drowning.
As she sighed, not sure if the memory made her happy or sad, Gideon squeezed her hand.
"You alright?" He studied her face.
"Yeah." She was determined not to be upset by memories.
"Then why did you stop?" He followed her gaze to the children.
"I just wanted to get my feet wet, that's all," she lied. "I love water. It's a shame my bathing suit was probably burned. I would like to go for a swim."
As she took off her sandals so she could walk in the water, Gideon examined her, a wolfish grin on his face.
"What?" She raised an eyebrow, not liking his expression.
"I'd like to see you in a swimsuit," Gideon said. "You know, I could buy you a bikini. Gift shops always have them."
"I don't think so." She could only imagine the kind of bikini Gideon would pick for her. It would be more likely to floss her butt crack than cover it.
"Why not?" Gideon looked disappointed.
"Because my figure doesn't suit a bikini, that's why." She shivered in horror at the thought of wearing one.
"What's wrong with your figure?" Gideon ran his finger along her side, undoubtedly knowing that he was tickling her with a single brush of his fingers. "I love your curves. You feel warm and soft in my arms. I personally wouldn't change a thing about you."
She could tell from his expression that he was picturing her curvy figure—without clothes. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Keep this up and you're going to have to jump into the lake to cool off." If there wasn't a cold shower available, then a freezing lake was the next best thing.
"It doesn't matter how much I need to calm down, I'm staying up here." He shook his head. "I'm not a swimming kind of guy."
"Then what kind of guy are you?" She raised an eyebrow.
"I'm a sun tanning next to my beautiful woman kind of guy." He gave her a suggestive smile.
Somehow she could picture him sitting on a blanket with massive sunglasses.
"Is that so?" She studied him, making sure he was serious.
"Yep." He nodded. "You couldn't pay me to go into that lake."
"This could be entertaining." She was unable to withhold an evil cackle. This was an opportunity to get back at Gideon for his tickling stunt.
"Why's that?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Because I'm going to push you in." She took a step toward him, a devilish grin on her face.
"No, you're not." Gideon took a step back.
"Oh, I am." She laughed, taking another step toward him. "Believe it."
One second the two of them were staring at each other, the next Gideon was rushing away from her. Boy, the guy could run fast. Is revenge really worth making myself sprint? she wondered. She stared after him for a moment before deciding revenge was always worth it. She leapt into action, dashing after Gideon as fast as her legs could carry her. Unfortunately, she could hardly breathe as she chased him. Maybe she needed to sign up for a gym or something. Running shouldn't have been this hard.
Still she was able to push the pain from her mind as Gideon slowed down in front of her. She rushed at him, determined to at least get his pants wet. The man met her eyes and gave her an I-dare-you-to-push-me smirk. Well, she dared to push him and a whole lot more. As she came at him like a charging bull, she prepared for impact.
> Unfortunately, she didn't realize tackling Gideon was the equivalent of running headfirst into a brick wall. She made contact with his chest, trying to make him stagger, and bounced backward like a bouncy ball striking cement. Time slowed down as she stared into Gideon's face and saw his eyes widen in horror. A moment later she landed in the lake with a splash, dousing her clothes with freezing lake water.
For a moment she sat with water soaking through her jeans, too shocked to move. Gideon was at her side within seconds, knee-deep in the lake. He stared down at her in concern.
"Are you okay?" Gideon asked. "If I'd known you were going to ram me like that, I would have tried to catch you and—and—"
Her shoulders shook with laughter, making Gideon pause. This situation was ridiculous. She was sitting with her pants soaked through with lake water as Gideon acted like he'd accidentally allowed her to fall into a sea of hot lava.
"Are you crying?" Gideon looked horrified, misunderstanding the reason her shoulders were shaking.
She looked into his face, still laughing hysterically. Twice in one day Gideon had made her laugh until her stomach hurt—and this time, he hadn't even meant to do it.
"You're laughing?" Gideon's shoulders slumped with relief.
"Of course I'm laughing." She glanced down at herself. "It's all I can do after what just happened. Due to my ridiculous stunt, I've managed to make the only pair of clothes that weren't burned in the fire soaking wet."
"It serves you right." Gideon cracked a grin now too. "And I thought you were only joking about trying to push me into the lake."
"A woman never jokes about pushing the man she loves into a lake," she said with a grin.
Snorting, Gideon offered her his hand and she took it. After he pulled her to her feet, he surprised her by pinning her against him, even though she was soaking wet. His hand journeyed to her lower back as his caramel eyes glistened.
"I'm getting you all wet." She noted how damp her pants were.
"That's okay." He nuzzled her hair.
"Really?" Her skin tingled where his mouth brushed.
She knew that they were being stared at by sunbathers, but she didn't care.
"Uh-huh." The man laid a kiss against her ear, making her skin cover with goosebumps. "Say it again."
"Say what again?" Her brain was mush, making it hard to remember her own name, let alone what she'd said moments ago.
"Say that I'm the man you love." His voice was husky. "I liked hearing it."
"But I told you I love you yesterday." Her cheeks grew hot.
"Just one more time," he said.
He sounded so earnest that it was impossible to tell him no.
"Okay, fine." She was embarrassed, but she liked how much he wanted to hear her say that she cared for him. "You're the man I love."
He cupped her cheeks, gazing deep into her eyes. The rush of emotions that raced through her made her dizzy enough to fall right back into the water again. As if Gideon sensed her sudden inability to stand, he steadied her with his arms. That was one thing she loved about Gideon. He always seemed to know what she needed, even when she didn't know herself.
"You know, we aren't in bed anymore," he said huskily.
"Uh-huh." Where is he going with this?
"That means bed rules no longer apply," he said.
Now she knew exactly where he was going with this. He was going to kiss her. She didn't mind in the slightest. Heck, she even owed him one. She'd just tackled the poor man in the middle of a crowded beach. As Gideon's breath tickled her face, she presented him with her lips.
During that moment, she felt like the rest of the world melted away. She cocked her head and shut her eyes as Gideon claimed her mouth. And that wasn't all he claimed. When he tightened his arms around her, she felt like he was claiming her whole body and her very soul. She groaned as her lips danced with his. His hand, which had been resting on the small of her back, roved everywhere. He explored her hips, her thighs, her stomach, and even the nape of her neck. A shudder of desire rushed through her. One kiss filled her with such relentless longing that she swore she was going insane.
He pulled back and smirked.
"You're the most amazing, infuriating woman I've ever met," he said.
Before she could reply to his words, he scooped her up as if she was a bride and carried her out of the water. When he reached the shore, he lowered her onto the sandy beach and then sat down himself. Still he never stopped touching her. Already his hand ran down the length of her arm, making a typhoon of desire overwhelm her pounding heart. As he searched her face, he picked up her bandaged hand and kissed the back of her knuckle. She noticed for the first time that the bandage was soiled.
"Did you hurt your hand when you fell?" Gideon asked.
"No, I think my butt received the brunt of the damage," she said.
Gideon threw back his head and laughed, a sound that was sure to attract women from miles around. Even she was dazed as she watched his eyes light up. A rush of desire electrocuted her body, causing her to shiver.
"You're cold," Gideon said, misunderstanding why she shivered.
She wasn't cold at all, but when Gideon pulled her close, she didn't complain. Nor did she complain when he tugged her harder against him, enveloping her with his warm body. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her again. His fingers journeyed down her side, making her give a tiny laugh. She could feel him smirk against her mouth even as they kissed. If the man had time to tickle her mid-embrace, then she didn't believe he was putting all of his effort into kissing her. She forced his mouth harder against her own, telling him of her desire without using words. Let's see you tickle me now, she thought, running her fingers down the length of his spine. She felt him tremble and was astounded she had such an effect on him.
She was so busy being pleased with herself that she was stunned when Gideon crawled on top of her, his gaze hot and feral. The man pinned her to the warm sand, using his torso as a human blanket. His heavy body pinning her to the earth made her feel vulnerable and yet excited at the same time. She gasped against his lips as he continued to kiss her urgently. All too soon, the man broke free. His fingers curled in her hair as he breathed in her ear, making her yearn for him. It was impossible that she could be soaked through with lake water and yet still be so darn hot at the same time.
"Everybody is staring," she said as he ran his hands over her hips.
"I don't care." Gideon grinned naughtily. "Do you?"
"Nope," she said, mirroring his mischievous expression.
"It looks like you no longer worry about public displays of affection." He laid kisses along her shoulder, pushing her t-shirt out of the way so he could kiss bare skin.
"I've become desensitized due to prolonged exposure." She was stunned she'd managed to speak so logically when Gideon was sucking on her neck.
"Hmmm." Gideon kissed the spot right below your earlobe. "I suppose I'll have to find a new way to discipline you when you misbehave other than threatening you with PDA."
"Discipline me?" She scowled at him.
Though she tried to sit up, Gideon stopped her with an impassioned kiss. As his tongue expertly traced the corner of her mouth, she laid back down, realizing she wasn't that annoyed. At least, not enough to stop.
****
Nora walked beside Gideon while wearing a new pair of jeans and an oversized tank top he'd bought her at a beach store. She wasn't the only one who donned something new. Gideon had traded his damp clothes for shorts and a t-shirt, yet he still managed to look gorgeous even as his shirt bagged around him. It wasn't fair that Gideon could look handsome no matter what he wore.
When Gideon saw her looking at him, he beamed and squeezed her hand.
"Aren't you glad you decided to stay for more than an hour?" he asked.
"Yeah." She nodded. "Though it was nice when you finally took me to the pharmacy to buy me toiletries. I've never been so happy to brush my teeth in my entire life. I could have spen
t the morning licking the inside of a dumpster and my breath wouldn't have stunk worse."
"I didn't think your breath stunk when I was kissing you." He nudged her playfully.
"Oh." Darn it all, she hated being flustered.
Gideon laughed at her reaction and glanced down the sidewalk.
"I'm hungry, how about you?" he asked.
"I'm always hungry." She forced her embarrassment from her mind.
"Then how about we get some ice cream?" He pointed to a food stand a few feet away.
"Ice cream sounds great." She licked her lips at the thought.
After the two of them joined the ice cream line, she leaned against Gideon, grinning, only to feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She turned to see a woman staring her down. The woman had a river of golden blonde hair running down her back and her dark brown eyes were so dark that they were almost black. Nora frowned, wondering why the person looked so darn familiar.
And then she realized where she'd seen her.
She was the woman from the bar as well as from the pizza parlor. Both times, Nora hadn't paid much attention to her because Gideon was always attracting female stares. The hair on the back of her neck prickled again. She shouldn't have been this uneasy—she was always being glared at by women as long as Gideon was around—but something about this inhumanely beautiful female made her sick to her stomach.
"Nora." Gideon tugged on her sleeve.
She didn't respond. The blonde had yet to look away and Nora found herself being hypnotized by her stare. To her surprise, the woman smiled at her and the evilness of her gaze was enough to make Nora want to run screaming down the street. Was this woman after Gideon? Was that why she was watching her like this?
"Nora, the line is moving." Gideon tugged on her sleeve yet again.
Reluctantly she stopped staring at the beautiful blonde, her heart thundering in her chest. Great. This is just what I need. Now there's a psychotic blonde stalking us as well. Her nerves were so frayed that she was surprised she was still standing upright.
Tempting Nora Page 24
