Reflected in You (Crossfire 2)

The doors opened.

"Wait."

My eyes closed.

I was stopped by the softly rasped command.

I knew I should keep going as if I hadn't heard him.

I knew it was just going to hurt so much worse if I gave him any more of myself, even a minute more of my life.

But how could I possibly resist? I'd never been able to when it came to Gideon.

I stepped aside so that my co- workers could exit.

Will frowned when I didn't follow, confused, but Megumi tugged him out.

The doors closed.

I moved into the corner, my heart pounding.

Gideon waited on the opposite side, radiating expectation and demand.

As we climbed to the top floor, my body responded to his near- tangible need.

My br**sts swelled and became heavy; my sex grew slick and swollen.

I was greedy for him.

Needful.

My breathing quickened.

He hadn't even touched me and I was nearly panting with desire.

The elevator glided to a stop.

Gideon pulled the key out of his pocket and plugged it into the panel, suspending the car.

Then he came to me.There were only inches between us.

I kept my head bowed and stared at his gleaming oxfords.

I heard his breathing, deep and quick like mine.

I smelled the subtly masculine scent of his skin, and my pulse leaped.

"Turn around, Eva."

A shiver moved through me at the familiar and beloved authoritative tone.

Closing my eyes, I turned, then gasped as he immediately pressed against my back, flattening me to the wall of the car.

His fingers linked with mine, holding my hands up by my shoulders.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed, nuzzling into my hair.

"It hurts to look at you."

"Gideon.

What are you doing?" I felt his hunger pouring off him, enveloping me.

His powerful frame was hard and hot, and vibrating with tension.

He was aroused, his thick c**k a firm pressure I couldn't stop myself from grinding into.

I wanted him.

I wanted him inside me.

Filling me.

Completing me.

I'd been so empty without him.

He took a deep shuddering breath.

His fingers flexed restlessly between mine, as if he wanted to touch me elsewhere but restrained himself.

I felt the ring I'd given him digging into my flesh.

I turned my head to look at it and tensed when I saw it, confused and agonized.

"Why?" I whispered.

"What do you want from me? An orgasm? You want to f**k me, Gideon? Is that it? Blow your load inside me?" His breath hissed out at having those crude words thrown back in his face.

"Don't."

"Don't call it what it is?" I closed my eyes.

"Fine.

Just do it.

But don't put that ring on and act like this is something it's not."

"I never take it off.

I won't.

Ever."

His right hand released mine and he reached into his pocket.

I watched as he slid the ring he'd given me back onto my finger, and then he lifted my hand to his mouth.

He kissed it, then pressed his lips - quick, hard, angry - to my temple.

"Wait," he snapped.

Then he was gone.

The car began its descent.

My right hand curled into a fist and I backed away from the wall, breathing hard.

Wait.

For what?

Chapter 18

When I exited the elevator on the twentieth floor, I was dry-eyed and determined.

Megumi buzzed me through the security doors and pushed to her feet.

"Is everything all right?" I stopped by her desk.

"I have no f**king clue.

That man is a total head trip."

Her brows rose.

"Keep me posted."

"I should just write a book," I muttered, resuming my walk back to my cubicle and wondering why in hell everyone was so interested in my dating life.

When I got to my desk, I dropped my purse in the drawer and sat down to call Cary.

"Hey," I said, when he answered.

"If you get bored - " "If?" He snorted.

"Remember that folder of information you compiled on Gideon? Can you make me one of those on Dr.

Terrence Lucas?" "Okay.

Do I know this guy?" "No.

He's a pediatrician."

There was a pause, then, "Are you pregnant?" "No! Jeez.

And if I were, I'd need an obstetrician."

"Whew.

All right.

Spell his name for me."

I gave Cary what he needed, then looked up Dr.

Lucas's office and made an appointment to see him.

"I won't need to fill out any new-patient paperwork," I told the receptionist.

"I just want a quick consult."

After that, I called Vidal Records and left a message for Christopher to call me.

When Mark came back from lunch, I went over and knocked on his open door.

"Hey.

I need to ask for an hour in the morning for an appointment.

Is it all right if I come in at ten and stay 'til six?""Ten to five is fine, Eva."

He looked at me carefully.

"Everything okay?" "Getting better every day."

"Good."

He smiled.

"I'm really glad to hear that."

We dived back into work, but thoughts of Gideon weighed heavily on my mind.

I kept staring at my ring, remembering what he had said when he'd first given it to me: The Xs are me holding on to you.

Wait.

For him? For him to come back to me? Why? I couldn't understand why he'd cut me off the way he had, then expected me to take him back.

Especially with Corinne in the picture.

I spent the rest of the afternoon going over the last few weeks in my mind, recalling conversations I'd had with Gideon, things he'd said or done, searching for answers.

When I left the Crossfire at the end of the day, I saw the Bentley waiting out front and waved at Angus, who smiled back.

I had issues with his boss, but Angus wasn't to blame for them.

It was hot and muggy outside.

Miserable.

I went to the Duane Reade around the corner for a bottle of cold water to drink on the walk home and a bag of mini chocolates to enjoy once I got through my Krav Maga class.

When I left the drugstore, Angus was waiting just outside the door at the curb, shadowing me.

As I turned the corner back toward the Crossfire to start the trip home, I saw Gideon step out to the street with Corinne.

His hand was at the small of her back, leading her toward a sleek black Mercedes sedan I recognized as one of his.

She was smiling.

His expression was inscrutable.

Horrified, I couldn't move or look away.

I stood there in the middle of the crowded sidewalk, my stomach twisting with grief and anger and a terrible, awful feeling of betrayal.

He looked up and saw me, freezing in place just as I had.

The Latino driver I'd met the day my father arrived opened the back door and Corinne disappeared into the car.

Gideon remained where he was, his gaze locked with mine.

There was no way he missed me lifting my hand and flipping him the bird.Abruptly, I was struck by a thought.

I turned my back to Gideon and moved off to the side, digging into my purse for my phone.

When I found it, I speed-dialed my mom, and when she answered, I said, "That day we went out to lunch with Megumi, you freaked out on the walk back to the Crossfire.

You saw him, didn't you? Nathan.

You saw Nathan at the Crossfire."

"Yes," she admitted.

"That's why Richard decided it would be best to just pay him what he wanted.

Nathan said he'd stay away from you as long as he had the money to leave the country.

Why do you ask?" "It didn't hit me until just now that Nathan was the reason why you reacted the way you did."

I faced forward again and started walking quickly toward home.

The Mercedes was gone, but my temper was rising.

"I have to go, Mom.

I'll call you later."

"Is everything all right?" she asked anxiously.

"Not yet, but I'm working on it."

"I'm here for you, if you need me."

I sighed.

"I know.

I'm okay.

I love you."

When I got home, Cary was sitting on the couch with his laptop on his thighs and his bare feet on the coffee table.

"Hey," he called, his gaze still on his screen.

I dumped my stuff and kicked off my shoes.

"You know what?" He looked up at me from beneath a lock of hair that had fallen over his eyes.

"What?" "I thought Gideon took a hike because of Nathan.

Everything was fine and then it wasn't, and shortly after that the police were telling us about Nathan.

I figured one thing was linked to the other."

"Makes sense."

He frowned.

"I guess."

"But Nathan was at the Crossfire the Monday before you were attacked.

I know he was there to see Gideon.

I know it.

Nathan wouldn't go there to see me.

Not a place like that with all the security and people I know around."

He sat back.

"Okay.

So what does that mean?" "It means Gideon was fine after Nathan."

I threw up my hands.

"He was fine that whole week.

He was more than fine that weekend we took off together.

He was fine Monday morning after we got back.

Then - bam - he lost his f**king mind and went crazy on me Monday night."

"I'm following."

"So what happened on Monday?" Cary's brows rose.

"You're asking me?" "Grr."

I grabbed my hair in my hands.

"I'm asking the f**king universe.

God.

Anyone.

What the hell happened to my boyfriend?" "I thought we agreed you need to ask him."

"I get two answers from him: Trust me and wait.

He gave my ring back today."

I showed him my hand.

"And he's still wearing the one I gave him.

Do you have any idea how confusing that is? They're not just rings, they're promises.

They're symbols of ownership and commitment.

Why would he still wear his? Why is it so important to him that I wear mine? Does he seriously expect me to wait while he screws Corinne out of his system?" "Is that what you think he's doing? Really?" Closing my eyes, I let my head fall back.

"No.

And I can't decide if that makes me na?ve or willfully delusional."

"Does this Dr.

Lucas guy have anything to do with this?" "No."

I straightened and joined him on the couch.

"Did you find anything?" "Kind of hard, baby girl, when I don't know what I'm looking for."

"It's just a hunch."

I looked at his screen.

"What's that?" "A transcript of an interview with Brett that was done yesterday on a Florida radio station."

"Oh? What are you reading that for?""I was listening to 'Golden' and decided to run a search on it, and this came up."

I tried reading, but my angle was bad.

"What's it say?" "He was asked if there's really an Eva out there and he said yes, there is, and he recently reconnected with her and hopes to make it work out a second time."

"What? No way!" "Yes way."

Cary grinned.

"So you've got your rebound man lined up if Cross doesn't get his shit together."