Page 94 of Gideon
“Get what off? What is it?” I urged her, trying to pull her away from me. I needed to see her face, to look into her eyes and her look back into mine. I needed her to see the truth in my eyes. I needed her to feel the safety I could provide for her. Even here. Even now.
I finally pulled her off of my chest, my gaze finding hers. My soul broke at the look on her face. Utter agony, fear, and despair etched across her face like one of Zeke’s paintings.
“Tell me,” I urged her as gently as I could, but dammit, I couldn’t handle seeing her break down like this.
“I can’t stop feeling his touch. It’s all over me,” she panted out, hyperventilating in a near panic attack. I nodded my head, taking her hand and leading her towards the stairs. She tugged her hand back, looking at me in question.
“What are you doing?” she uttered, barely able to get the words out.
“I’m fixing the situation,” I explained. “Can I carry you?” I asked her, noting the way her knees literally shook. She looked at me again, her eyes wide, her face crumbling as tears streaked down her cheeks anew.
“I’ve got you,” I murmured, lifting her up into my arms and carrying her up the stairs. Her arms wrapped around my neck, clinging to me like a lifeline. I whispered soothing words as I carried her, my breath fanning against her temple with every word spoken.
“I’ve got you.” I swore to any god that could possibly exist that I would never again let anyone harm this woman. This woman I had grown to love more than anything. Even more than my fucking boat.
CHAPTER23
NAOMI
He had bathed me that night, after that awful experience with the Reverend. He had taken me into the shower, washing my body and my hair with a gentleness I had never known outside of life with Gideon.
Gideon Temple.
The man was a complete juxtaposition of everything I had ever come to expect from Zion, and especially, from a Temple. When I had first become his wife, he had been a complete pain in my ass. And while he still was that, there was this unyielding kindness about him; a gentleness that touched a part of me I refused to acknowledge. At the end of the day, no matter how hard I tried to deny it, I knew what it was.
I was falling in love with Gideon.
His sheer care and understanding as I stood in that shower in a literal panic attack was the singular, most loving thing anyone had ever done for me. We had gone to bed that night, wrapped up in one another. I felt safe. Safe and secure. In the two days that followed, having Gideon leave for work each morning was sheer agony. Being alone in that house, I found myself locking myself in the bedroom for fear that the Reverend would return. He hadn’t shown his face since that day on the road, but I knew that I would have to face him soon. Sunday would be here before I knew it.
It was Saturday now, and as I turned over in our bed to face my still sleeping husband, I felt myself breathe a sigh of relief. He wouldn’t be leaving. That thought alone had me smiling for the first real time in days.
“Mmm, good morning, wife,” Gideon muttered, his voice gravelly with sleep still. He gave me a lazy smile, his eyes still closed as he reached for me. “Come snuggle,” he grumbled, tugging me towards him.
“You’re ridiculous,” I laughed, but went along with him, snuggling into his side, my head tucked up under his chin. I relaxed into his embrace, his hands gently and lazily running up and down along my spine.
That is, until they shifted lower, rounding over the curve of my ass.
“Gideon,” I chastised. “I thought you wanted to cuddle.”
“This is cuddling. Cuddling absolutely includes ass fondling,” he murmured into my hair.
“What dictionary are you reading? It certainly does not!” I chuckled.
“It does in mine,” he chuckled right back, pulling me closer, his leg slipping between my own. His growl of desire reverberated through his chest and against my breasts. My nipples hardened at the feel and I had to work to tamp down the arousal I felt. As much as my body might want him right now, my heart was not in it. Not after the last few days.
“Gideon, come on,” I urged playfully.
“I’m planning on it,” he muttered.
“Huh?” I questioned, not understanding him.
“I’m planning on coming on. Cumming on your tits, I mean,” he groaned, rolling me onto my back as he hovered above me. His eyes were wide open now, filled with lust and desire.
“Gideon, please?” I pleaded with him.
“Okay, okay. Spoil sport,” he grumbled, rolling over onto his back again. “What should we do instead?”
“Well, we certainly can’t go anywhere,” I scoffed, still upset over our ruined adventure into the city. I had really gotten my hopes up, wanting to see this world of his I knew so little about, all for it to come crashing down by the Reverend’s appearance.
