Page 36 of Ruthless

Scratching the stubble on his jaw, Gideon stifled a giant yawn. He had barely slept a wink. After an hour of trying, he’d gotten up and taken advantage of Eve’s gym. After an hour on the punching bag and a half hour going full speed on the treadmill, his body had been so pumped with adrenaline, he’d spent the rest of the night going over what he planned to tell her today. Despite hours of going back and forth in his mind, he was no closer to knowing what would come next for them. He’d finally decided he would tell her everything and let her figure it out. It was the only way.

The hard questions were coming. She knew the facts—the how and the when. She still didn’t know the why—at least not all of it. Today was sink or swim for him, and he already knew the water was filled with sharks.

He’d heard her stirring around earlier and knew she was likely preparing for battle as well. When she appeared in the kitchen, wearing loose knit pants and an icy-blue cashmere sweater, her long hair in a braid, he was pleased to see that she looked almost normal. If not for the slight bruise on her cheek, the small healing cut on the bridge of her nose, and the crutches she was leaning on, he could almost imagine nothing had happened to her.

As usual, he was torn between kissing her luscious lips and treating her like a good friend and nothing more. He’d been doing the friend thing for years. And now, he wasn’t even sure she’d allow that anymore.

“Sleep well?” he asked.

“Like a log. Thanks for taking me to bed.”

The words were said innocently, but the image in his mind went somewhere completely different. His mouth quirked up, and he noted a slight blush blooming on her face. For some reason, that made him feel better. At least she knew that was a possibility even if that wasn’t what she’d meant.

Letting her off the hook, he turned to plate their breakfast, saying, “You were pretty out of it.”

“I think it was the deep sleep I’d been needing. I feel much better today.”

“Good. Have a seat. Breakfast is ready.”

She seated herself, and the instant he put her plate in front of her, she dug in. It was good to see her eat. She’d lost weight, and though she wasn’t thin, she was naturally slender and needed to keep her strength up to heal.

They sat comfortably for several moments and ate. Having shared thousands of meals with her, it felt good to feel like they were back in some kind of normal routine. He knew this was the calm before the storm, but he would take what he could get.

When she was almost finished, she said, “You were gone a long time yesterday. Did you visit family?”

“No. I don’t have any family left here.”

“So that wasn’t a lie.”

She said it as a statement, not an accusation, but it still stung. He didn’t take the bait. He actually didn’t think she’d meant it as a slap. Usually, when Eve slapped you, you knew it.

“I needed some clothes. All I had were the change I had in my go bag.”

“Did you walk around the city?”

“Some. After I finished shopping, I took a run through town. Not much has changed.”

“See anyone you know?”

“No.”

She took a sip of her coffee and said, “What else did you do?”

He looked away for a moment, knowing once he answered, more questions would come, along with the inevitable argument. He took a breath and answered, “I rented an apartment.”

She jerked at the news. “Why?”

“Because staying here could get awkward. You’re trying to keep a low profile, and a stranger seen coming and going from the castle will eventually raise questions. Besides, I think we both need some space.”

“I see. So how long are you planning to stay in Amelie?”

And here they went.

“Till you’re well.”

“No.”

He arched a brow. “Excuse me?”