Page 75 of Worth the Risk

‘If I must deal with him, he can wait until I’m back in London.’

‘For fuck’s sake, ten minutes is all I need,’ Damian interjected.

Gideon didn’t respond, and the two men eyed each other.

My phone blared to life. Thankful for the reprieve, I tugged my hand from Gideon’s.

‘Who’s that?’ he asked.

‘It’s business,’ I replied.

‘Ten minutes, then I’m coming to find you. You and I need to talk, too.’

I hurried away, lifting the phone to my ear as I entered my cabin.

It took a couple of seconds for Laurent’s heavily accented English to make sense.

‘Wait, can you repeat that?’

‘Oui. C’est Andrea. She had the bébé a few hours ago.’

‘What? But that’s too early.’

‘Oui, but the bébé...mon fils...is okay. Andrea also. She wanted me to tell you.’

‘Merci, Laurent. And congratulations to you both!’

The moment I hung up, my thoughts immediately zeroed in on Gideon. God, the man’s effect on me was all-encompassing.

Was I making a mistake by not walking away now? I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to grapple with the push and pull of my emotions. But even before I opened my eyes again I knew that I couldn’t let go. Not yet. Gideon wanted me. I wanted him. I was in for as long as it played out.

But with Andrea officially on maternity leave, I needed to make a quick visit to the office, if only to make arrangements to transfer my office temporarily onto the yacht.

I tossed my overnight case on the bed and started packing. But even the thought of the short absence from Gideon tore at my insides. I dropped to the corner of the bed, fighting tears because I knew it was too late.

I was in love with Gideon.

And he...he was shredded from a double betrayal he might never recover from and a cruelly thwarted promise of fatherhood. My heart broke all over again thinking of what he’d been put through.

Even if Damian’s presence today brought him closure, could he move on, or was this sizzling sexual attraction all we’d ever have?

Questions weighed heavy, but I pushed them aside. Again.

Flowers and a gift for Andrea’s newborn sorted with a few phone calls, I touched up my make-up, slipped into my favourite heels and left my cabin.

Gideon had promised to find me in ten minutes. That was twenty minutes ago. Despite the fireworks arching between them, I’d seen the looks on both men’s faces. A bond remained between them. One they might be able to salvage.

But as I neared Gideon’s office and heard raised voices, that possibility grew bleak.

Gideon’s was hoarse with pain. ‘What the hell does it matter? I trusted you more than I’ve ever trusted anyone else. You took that trust and trashed it.’

‘She lied, Gideon. About everything. You saw what she wanted you to see because she’s a manipulative bitch.’

‘Are you saying you didn’t sleep with her?’

My breath caught as Damian hesitated. ‘I don’t fucking know. I was completely out of it. She knew that. She claims we did. Dammit, I don’t remember.’

‘Let me refresh your memory. I came home to find you both bare-ass naked in my guest bedroom. And she was damned sober when she told me you fucked her.’

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