Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
“We hoped,” Paul corrected, unfazed by her bad attitude.
Gideon jerked his chin toward the door, and the others went out, leaving him alone with his woman. “Red, you don’t have to do this. You can take more time to think about it. I’ll tell them they can’t railroad you.”
She lifted her arms up, and he pulled the mint green blouse over her head. She preferred to wear clingy blouses and swirling skirts to jeans and tees, and Gideon had to admit he was fond of her way of dressing. She always looked classy and feminine to him, although when she did wear jeans and a tee, she managed to look just as elegant.
Her little laugh escaped. “I think you just like the way I look.”
He bent his head down to nuzzle the valley between her full breasts. “I know you’re right about that. I love the way you look, but I meant what I said, Rory. I want you to allow Paul to look at your lungs because he thinks he can remove the obstruction, but I want you to get to a place of feeling confident in Paul’s judgment.”
Rory froze, her hands on the zipper of her skirt. “Did I sound like I wasn’t confident in him?” She looked and sounded horrified. “I must have hurt his feelings. I don’t feel that way at all, Gideon.” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “I haven’t been around people other than my friends from the apartments for so long, I don’t think I know how to act properly. You should have stopped me.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Rory. You expressed your concern for someone you care about. That came through.” Gideon unzipped her skirt and helped her step out of it. “I’m sure you made Paul feel good.”
“You won’t leave the room, will you? If anything goes wrong, if Whitney did set a trap for a doctor, you’ll get Paul out.” Rory made it a statement, as if she had every confidence in him.
Gideon covered his wince by moving around her to unhook her bra. He would be saving Rory before anyone else. He wasn’t making promises unless he knew he could keep them.
“I forgot to tell you, your boss called again,” he said, deliberately changing the subject. “Lydia is working full-time and holding her own. He said whenever you’re ready to go back, the job’s waiting. He loves Lydia and thanks you a thousand times for recommending her. She’s a major asset to him.”
Rory’s eyes lit up. “I’m so glad. They all love the new apartment building. Cindy raves about it. Thank you for giving them such a deal on the rent. I know those apartments can’t possibly go for the same we were paying at the other building. They’re so much nicer and roomier. The security is better.”
“You haven’t been there.”
“They send me pictures all the time. The fundraisers brought in enough money for new furniture as well for them. And they all had renter’s insurance. So when they get a payout on that, they’re going to be fine,” Rory said. “I know you had a huge hand in that, Gideon.”
“The team played a big part, Rory. It wasn’t all me.”
He helped her into the gown. The moment she had it on, the look of apprehension returned. To distract her, he caught her around the waist and lifted her onto the bed. The moment she was up on the edge of the bed, he gripped the back of her hair in his fist and tipped her head to take her mouth.
Sparks flew. Rockets went off. Not little sparklers. The full-blown sending-rockets-to-the-moon space-age powerful streams of white-hot energy. Lightning streaked through his bloodstream, aiming straight at his groin. Thunder roared, drowning out the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. She took him to another place with just her kisses, setting him on fire.
Abruptly he pulled back, knowing what they were doing was dangerous. He had slept beside her night after night, waiting for her to gain strength. Waiting for her body to heal. It was getting to the point where he could barely stay in control. Now wasn’t the time, and tempting fate was pure stupidity.
Her arms remained around his neck, her green eyes moving over his face with that look she reserved for him alone. Her expression got to him every time.
“Thank you for finding me, Gideon. When they kidnapped me, I was afraid Whitney had caught up with me and was trying to hurt you, or he wanted Rose’s little boy. I was never going to give you up. I would have died first.”
His heart squeezed down hard like a vise in his chest. He’d felt that absolute resolve in her. When Rory made up her mind, she could be like Paul, or like Gideon; she had a will of iron. She wouldn’t have given him up. Or Rose’s son. That was his woman—soft, compassionate and kind, yet with a core of absolute steel.