Violent Ends

Climbing into his car, he made his way across town to Emma’s apartment, which she shared with her brothers. The moment he parked, he was pissed off. He didn’t have time to get out of his car before Emma had opened the door. He’d spotted her waiting on her apartment steps. Anything could have happened.

Now he was pissed.

“Why didn’t you wait for me inside your apartment?” he asked.

“Why would I do that? My brothers are inside.”

“I can handle your brothers.”

“I don’t want you to get pulled into playing their fighting game. They like you, Gideon, and they don’t like me dating, so it means they’re going to try and stop this date.”

He saw her cheeks were heating. “You want to go on this date?”

“Yes. Of course, I do. Why wouldn’t I want to? You promised me a good date. I’m kind of excited about it.”

“Okay, good.” He gripped the steering wheel. “It’s not safe for you to be waiting on the doorstep like that. I’d have liked to be the perfect gentleman and helped you.”

She shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I do worry.” He reached out, taking her hand. He held her hand against his lips and kissed her knuckles. “This was not how I intended to start our date.”

“How did you intend to start it?” she asked.

He loved her curiosity.

Reaching into the backseat, he pulled out the flowers he had delivered to the house before he got changed and had his little conversation with his sister. Over a dozen red roses.

“Oh, my … they are so beautiful,” she said.

“They are for you. A woman should be given plenty of roses in her life.”

“Now that is sweet and kind of sexy.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek and immediately pulled away. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what this is.” She covered her mouth.

“This is?”

“Is it an actual date? A friend date? A date for family? I guess I assumed it was a date-date.”

He smiled. “I wouldn’t bring my sister flowers. To be honest I wouldn’t even take my sister out on a date, nor would I take any of my sisters-in-law out on a date. This is a date-date.”

“I’m so embarrassed right now. I don’t know what to do.” She held the roses and breathed in their scent.

He watched her.

For so long he’d been watching her from afar. Letting her go on dates with other men had been a nightmare. He’d been determined to let her spread her wings, at least in the realm of dating, but in no other part.

She was all his.

“I like you being here with me,” he said. “I want you to see this as a date. You’re a woman, and I’m a man. Simple as that.”

The truth was, his cock was so hard right now. He wanted to take her back to his place, or at least a hotel, and show her in every single way that counted that she belonged to him.

“I’d like that. A date-date.”

“I think we’ve said date a lot in the past couple of minutes. Here, let me put the roses back.”

He placed them on the back seat and pulled away from the curb.

“Where are we going?”

“I was thinking a nice meal, some dancing, and maybe a walk beneath the stars.”

“That sounds so wonderful.”

He knew it was because it was every woman’s dream date.

The restaurant he took her to wasn’t anything fancy or expensive. There was parking to the back, and it was a place he came to whenever he wanted to get away from it all. There were times when life and expectations were too much.

Opening her door for her, he held his hand out, waiting for her to take it. “I’ve surprised you?” he asked.

“I don’t know what I was expecting in all honesty. I…”

“Something fancy? More than anyone could afford? A valet to take my car and all the celebrities that make it a maze for the press?” he asked.

“Something like that, yes,” she said.

“You have the cutest smile.”

“You don’t have to flatter me, Gideon.”

“I’m not. You’ll soon learn that I don’t say anything I don’t mean.” He looked toward the restaurant. “Come on, they have the best food. It’s always busy here, but it’s a quiet place, safe, and far away from everything that is our city life. Everything I know you’ll like.”

Chapter Three

Seated inside the restaurant, Emma was surprised to see that it was indeed quiet and sweet. It was busy, but no one paid them any attention.

“How do you know about this place?” she asked.

Gideon seemed to be a man of many secrets.

“I stumbled upon it several years ago. I was hungry. Stopped by to eat here. It was doing a little worse for wear, so I put some money in to invest in it. Best thing I ever did.”

“Do they know you did?”

“Nope, and I like to keep it that way. It’s always busy, and I make sure to pay for any refurbishment costs through a private company. It all works out in the end. I get good food and now great company.”