Page 56

WINNOW

“ S o, where does she live?” Gideon’s eyes lift from the sink, where he’s spitting out his toothpaste, to mine in the mirror.

“Virginia somewhere. Other than that, I have no idea where she moved after I broke up with her, and as you probably noticed, she never puts her name and address on her letters.” Gideon watches me for a moment as I scrub my teeth and also spit into the sink.

At my silence, Gideon’s brow hitches, speaking through the toothbrush in his mouth. “Why do you ask?”

With a nonchalant shrug, I lean forward to rinse my mouth.

“Just wondering how close she is.”

My time with Gideon has taught me many things. Among them, are the facts that I am apparently willing to forsake my moral compass for this man, and that I am a better liar than I once thought.

Gideon’s eyes narrow like he doesn’t quite believe me.

“You sure you aren’t gettin’ any bright ideas?”

I feign my most appalled look as I rinse my toothbrush. “Darling, I am but a lamb, I assure you. Innocent and soft with no mind for violent intent or machinations.”

Gideon huffs a laugh. “A lamb with a hard head and a list of very specific questions.”

“I haven’t the foggiest notion of what you’re hinting at.”

“Uh-huh. Is it just a coincidence that you asked me her full name only moments after I got you set up on my computer?”

Damnation.

“Precisely.”

Standing on tip-toes, I press a kiss to Gideon’s cheek before exiting the bathroom. I can feel his eyes trailing me as I leave. And so help me Akash , I’m going to hunt this woman down if it’s the last thing I do.

Gideon’s voice follows me into the closet.

“You don’t need to worry about anything, angel, okay? I’m handling it.”

For the last few days, I’ve attempted to discreetly pepper him with questions so I could find out her identity.

If only I had my magic.

“I know you are, ferion . I trust you.”

I just don’t trust the slow and tedious process of your human limitations.

I was only able to uncover her first name after eavesdropping on Gideon’s phone call with his attorney. Since then, he’s ordered additional surveillance cameras that he and his ranch hands have already installed along his property lines and throughout the forest.

The amount of effort and difficulty humans have to endure in order to accomplish the most mundane of tasks sets my teeth grinding.

All while I quietly, and innocently, bide my time and learn how to help him run his ranch—despite his protest and reassurance that I don’t need to do anything of the sort. If anything, his protests have become part of our morning routine that begins before the sun has risen.

Even now, as Gideon enters the closet behind me, muscles on full display as he slips into a shirt and tucks his half-hard cock into a pair of jeans, I can feel it on the tip of his tongue—the weight of it on his chest–as his eyes pass over me while I also get dressed.

As soon as I’m finished, he appears behind me in the mirror to begin our morning ritual.

The one where he braids my hair.

Fucking swoon.

Gingerly brushing my hair back, his eyes meet mine in the mirror.

“You know you could still be sleeping right now, don’t you?”

I purse my lips at him in the mirror of his closet door. “You know, Gideon Kincaid, if I didn’t know you better, I’d think you didn’t want me out there helping you.“

In the mirror, I watch Gideon’s brows knit tightly together as he finishes neatly weaving my hair into a simple braid and wraps a hair tie around it before turning me around to face him.

“Angel, you have no idea how much I love you being out there with me, taking care of the land and animals that have helped me heal and become a man that is… well, I don’t dare say worthy of you, because I can’t pretend to be more than a tamed beast, but the idea of you forcing yourself to shovel cow shit into a fertilizer pile everyday because of me kinda breaks my heart.

I want you to be my queen, my princess. Queens and princesses don’t shovel shit.

..” pausing his words, he collects the long plait of my strawberry blonde hair over one shoulder as if for emphasis, “… they have beasts like me do everything for them.”

A smirk tilts my lips, despite how scarily accurate his words are.

If he only knew.

Since our episode in the kitchen, Gideon’s been woefully self-controlled.

Incredibly affectionate, but… somewhat distant in a way that makes me anxious.

It makes me feel like he’s waiting for something, but for what I don’t know.

That anxiety is further inflamed by the fact that I can already feel my body’s craving for blood.

Closing the scarce few inches between us, I stand on the tips of my toes to whisper against his lips.

“Is that what you are then? My beast?”

Gideon cradles my waist as he groans into our kiss.

My hands slide up his chest, fingers seeking buttons, and one by one they’re undone until I’m pulling the flannel shirt tails out of his jeans.

We’re both a little breathless as we pull away to catch our breath, and he presses his forehead to mine.

“Angel, you make me something I’ve never been before. ”

“What’s that?”

Gideon hesitates for a moment, pressing kisses along the curve of my jaw as his fingers work to unbutton my jeans.

“A gentleman.”

My heart skips at the declaration.

“And if I want the beast?”

Against my throat, I feel Gideon’s lips part in a smile.

“Oh, angel... You may have tamed the beast, but I’m still a fucking monster.”

His words make my core clench with need.

I want him so fucking badly it causes me physical pain, but I can’t bring myself to deceive him.

I have no idea how to tell him the truth.

Before I can think any further of it, his teeth sink into the delicate flesh of my neck as he yanks the open waist of my jeans down over my hips and pulls down the white lacey panties he procured for me on a place he simply referred to as online.

One hand dives between my thighs and presses two fingers against my entrance.

His teeth release me and his mouth parts in another grin when my pussy greets his fingers with slick arousal.

“Already so wet for me, angel…”

“Always, ferion .”

With a growl of approval, Gideon licks and sucks away the pain.

Small bruises are peppered all over my neck, breasts, thighs, and stomach—little markings, evidence of his claim.

And while I love seeing them, the sight of them is also threaded with fear because it’s also evidence that my magic is well and truly waning.

It’s not even been two weeks. Violette told me I had at least a month, but perhaps she meant I’d die or be lost to blood lust by then, and she just didn’t clarify when my symptoms would begin.

My gut churns with anxiety just as Gideon straightens. Holding my gaze, he brings those two wet fingers to his mouth and sucks them clean. “You trust me, sweet girl?”

The words send a tendril of excitement coiling through me—one that helps to alleviate my fears. “Yes, sir.”

Gideon reaches for something on the top shelf above my head as his neck cranes down to capture my lips. His tongue works in sensual, leisurely passes against mine, in between taunting my lips with his teeth as his free hand teases my nipple beneath the fabric.

Distracted by his kiss, I hardly notice him collecting my wrists in one hand until he raises them all the way above my head and begins wrapping a silky fabric around them.

I look up to see him wrapping a dress tie around them, and I can’t help but smirk.

“Hard for me to imagine you in a tie, Gideon Kincaid.”

“I’ve only ever worn it to court.”

Court?

The image that comes to mind is holding court among the lords, ladies, dukes, and duchesses… Surely, that can’t be right?

Gideon draws the binding around until my wrists are fastened firmly against the mostly empty clothing rod, about a foot above my head.

Gideon pauses, studying me, suddenly looking very shrewd and all business. “Comfortable?”

With a sultry nod, my heart pounds a nervous but no less excited beat. “Yes, sir.”

“You ever used a safe word?”

I give him an honest answer. “Never needed one.”

The look on his face is one of purely masculine satisfaction.

“You’ve never submitted to anyone before, sweetheart?”

“Never.”

Gideon leans in to press lingering kisses to my lips and cheeks. “I’m honored to be the first, angel. Thank you. For now, we won’t need one, but if at any point, something hurts or you want me to untie you, just say so. Promise?”

I give him another nod. “Yes, sir.”

He only hesitates briefly, searching my gaze.

Satisfied, he pulls up the form-fitting, strappy camisole to reveal the matching white bralette he got me and pulls each triangle of fabric to one side.

The taught fabric of the camisole, and now the bra, pushes my breasts up while squeezing them together in a way that even I can admit is enticing.

My heart is a riot of anticipation in my chest.

Gideon takes his time teasing one nipple into a turgid point, all the while watching me. His heated gaze rakes over my bared body as I try, and fail, to resist squirming and rubbing my thighs together.

He shakes his head at me, turning to close the closet door so I can see myself in the mirror. “God damn it, angel… Look at you.”

My lips part at the sight. I look… salacious .

My jeans are still gathered snugly just below my hips, and because they’re rather tight and form-fitting, all my curves blossom over the fabric.

Between that and my buxom breasts being pushed up and out, I look every bit the part of the goddess of fertility I am.

“You see how fucking perfect you are?”

Gideon punctuates the question by cupping my breasts and takes a turn sucking the tip of each one into his mouth and teasing it with teeth and tongue until I’m writhing.

“You have no idea the things you inspire me to do to you, Winnow.”

His fingers slide through the wet mess between my thighs, turning my words into a whimper as he begins to stroke my clit.

“Tell me. Please.”

Clearly in no rush, Gideon withdraws his fingers, sucking me clean from them before he smacks my left ass cheek. “Please, what?”

“Please, Daddy?”

His hand smooths over the sting in gentle circles that make my core clench, hesitating to respond.

“… I’m not sure you’re ready for me to divulge my intentions toward you, angel.”

“Then you have clearly underestimated my intentions toward you. ”

Gideon’s gaze lifts to mine, lips curling but I still see a flicker of his vulnerability.

“What will you give me if I tell you?”

He punctuates the question by lowering himself to one knee. Due to his sheer height, it only places his head near my diaphragm. This stunning male staring up at me from where he’s kneeling at my feet, makes me forget his question entirely.

His fingers return to my pussy, lazily slicking back and forth from entrance to clit. “Hm? What’re you gonna give me, sweet girl?”

My hips rock in counter to his movements, and I’m so wet that it causes honeyed noises to fill the still air. “Whatever you want.”

Gideon gives a deep hum of approval.

“I already warned you that I want all of you…”

Sweat beads on my forehead as the beginnings of my orgasm begin to rise already. “Gods, yes… I want to give you everything. All of me.”

Gideon pushes two thick fingers into my entrance and begins to thrust them inside me in long, gentle strokes that tease my clit with each pass. “I’ll hold you to that, angel.”