“No, I’m sorry.” He stroked a hand through her hair, the move so tender, her stomach tried to tie itself in knots. His dark eyes took on a distance as he looked at something she couldn’t see. “I knew Jeff was an asshole, but if I’d known what a piece of shit he was, I would have warned you off before he got his hooks into you.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered.” Six years ago, in the midst of her headlong rush into adulthood, she was so sure that she knew better, she hadn’t listened to anyone. Not her sister, not her friends, not her fledgling instincts. As nice as it was to think otherwise, she wouldn’t have listened to Gideon, either.
Being this close to him, talking like this while her body still sang from the pleasure he’d given her... It was too intimate. Too revealing. Just plain too much.
She slid off the couch and stood. A quick look at the front of his slacks confirmed that he was still, in fact, painfully hard. Nice job, Lucy. Bask in your post-orgasmic bliss and ignore the fact he’s still in need. “Do you want me to...?”
“These lessons aren’t about me.” He sat up. “They’re about you. And you need space.”
Yeah, she did. His airy living room was suddenly too small, the walls closing in even as her heart beat too fast. “I asked for this.”
“You don’t have to explain.” He gave her a half smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “We poked at some old wounds tonight. If that means you need some distance from the whole thing, then so be it. You’re being honest, and fuck if I’m going to punish you for that.” He grabbed his phone off the coffee table. “But if you’re headed home, I’m calling you a cab.”
She should push back. She was more than capable of calling her own damn cab and the subway would be running for hours yet. But if Gideon could respect her need to flee without his pride being injured and throwing a fit, she could respect his need to get her home safe. “Okay.”
He made the call quickly and set the phone down. “What’s your schedule look like tomorrow?”
The change in subject left her discombobulated. “I have court in the afternoon, so I’ll be doing last-minute preparations beforehand.” It was as close to an open-and-shut case as such things got. The cops had mishandled the evidence and the lead detective had an established vendetta against her client. She had every intention of getting the whole damn thing thrown out.
“I know that look on your face. You have this one in the bag.”
Her stomach gave another of those flutters that wasn’t altogether uncomfortable. He’d said that with such confidence, as if there wasn’t a single doubt in his mind that she would win. Lucy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I should be free in the evening.” For another lesson? She didn’t know if she’d look forward to it or dread it. Liar. You haven’t even left yet and you’re already craving another hit.
“Good.” He stood, suddenly taking up too much space. She tensed, half expecting him to touch her. But Gideon headed for the door. “I’ll have a list of preliminary candidates ready for you, and we’ll go over them at dinner.”
“That I’ll pay for.” She cast a pointed look at the way his jaw tensed at her words. “Don’t be like that. If I was a normal client, I’d pay and you wouldn’t blink because that’s how things are done.”
“You aren’t a normal client, Lucy. There’s nothing normal about this.” He motioned between them.
She couldn’t really argue that, but that didn’t mean he’d win this battle. “I’ll handle the reservations and text you the details.”
“Stubborn.”
The twisting in her stomach took on a sour edge. Jeff had thrown that word at her like a curse more often than she could count. Stop it. Oh, my God, stop. He’s in the past and he’s staying there. “It’s my best trait.”
“I wouldn’t dream of arguing that.” He held the door open for her. “Until tomorrow.”
“See you then.”
She headed for the elevator, stopping several steps down the hallway and leaning against the wall as she tried to calm her racing heart. She hadn’t known it could be like this. He’d just...taken care of her. Both physically and emotionally. Bringing her to orgasm and recognizing and respecting the panic driving her to leave. Lucy hadn’t expected that. She didn’t know what to do with a version of Gideon who was different than she’d expected.
What did I get myself into?
“YOU’RE FUCKING CRAZY.”
Gideon didn’t look up from his computer. “You don’t have to tell me that.”
“And yet I’m telling you all the same. What the hell are you doing? Matchmaker? For Lucy Baudin?” Roman Bassani paced from one side of the room to the other, his restless energy irritating as fuck.
“I know we’re supposed to have lunch, but this came up and can’t wait. I’m going to have to take a rain check.” Gideon wrote down another name and moved to the next candidate on his preliminary list. When Roman paced another lap around the office, he cursed. “Sit down or get out. You’re distracting me.”
“You need the distraction. Hell, you need a goddamn intervention.” Roman threw himself into the chair across from the desk and slouched. He would have been at home in some artsy perfume ad with his brooding good looks and the way he seemed to pose without noticing he was doing it. On any other man, the affected attitude would have pissed Gideon off, but with Roman it was just... Roman. He was too honest, too brash, too comfortable in any space. It was part of what made him so good at his job—he had never met a challenge he wasn’t fully confident he could tackle.
Whether his confidence was misplaced or not was an argument for another day.
“Gideon, why are you doing this? Wait—don’t tell me. You’re not still feeling guilty because you didn’t tell her what a douche Jeff was immediately? Look, we all fucked up. You’re the only one who stepped in, and that’s something I have to live with.” He made a face. “I convinced myself that it wasn’t my place or my business.”
“Jeff’s good at spinning any situation to benefit him.” He’d sure as hell laid on the guilt and idiotic bro code heavy enough to give even Gideon pause at the time.
“Changes nothing.” Roman shrugged. “Including the fact that you are not qualified to be a matchmaker, let alone for Lucy. She’s a good girl and, damn it, she deserves a professional. I know a few in the city. I can call in a favor and get her shoved to the top of the list and wrap this whole thing up without anyone crossing any lines.”
He tried to be rational and actually consider it. He fucking failed. The line had been crossed last night and there was no going back now. “No. She asked me, so I’m the one who’ll do it. And don’t get any funny ideas, Roman. You meddle in enough people’s lives. I have no interest in being added to the list.”
“As if you’d let me.” Roman affected a sigh. “You’re as mean as a junkyard dog.”
“And
