Reflected in You(76)

I'd never forget it.


It was the night Gideon and I first made love.


"I'm certain Cary slept with a blonde he danced with that night -  while they were there! They disappeared and when they came back .


Well, I know what a satisfied man looks like.


I would be surprised if he knew her name."


I remembered what Cary had said before he fell asleep.


"You think this attack has something to do with someone he slept with?" My mother blinked at me, seeming to remember that I didn't know anything.


"Cary was told to keep his hands off 'her' - whoever 'her' is.


The detectives will be coming back later today to try to pull some names out of him."


"Jesus."


I scrubbed at my eyes, needing my face wash badly and a cup of coffee even more.


"They need to talk to Tatiana Cherlin."


"Who's that?" "Someone Cary's been seeing.


I think she'd get a kick out of something like this.


Cary's boyfriend caught them together and she ate it up with a spoon.


She loved being the cause of the drama."


I rubbed at the back of my neck, then realized the tingle I felt was for another reason entirely.


I looked over my shoulder and saw Gideon approaching, his long legs closing the distance between us with that measured stride.


Dressed for work in a suit, with a large cup of coffee in one hand and a small black bag in the other, he was exactly what I needed at just the moment I needed him.


"Excuse me."


I walked toward Gideon and straight into his arms.


"Hey," he greeted me, with his lips in my hair.


"How are you holding up?" "It's awful.


And senseless."


My eyes burned.


"He didn't need another disaster in his life.


He's had more than his share."


"So have you, and you're suffering along with him."


"And you're doing the same with me."


I pushed up onto my tiptoes and kissed his jaw, then stepped back.


"Thank you."


He handed me the coffee.


"I brought some things for you - a change of clothes, your cell and tablet, bathroom stuff."


I knew his thoughtfulness had to come at a price - literally.


After a weekend away, he should be digging his way out of a small mountain of work worth millions, not running around taking care of me.


"God.


I love you."


"Eva!" My mother's startled exclamation made me wince.


She advocated withholding the words I love you until the wedding night.


"Sorry, Mom.


Can't help it."


Gideon brushed coffee-warmed fingertips down my cheek.


"Gideon," my mother began, coming up right beside us, "you should know better than to take Eva away without any means of calling for help.


You do know better."


She was clearly referring to my past.


I wasn't sure why she thought I was so delicate that I couldn't function on my own.


She was far more fragile.


I shot a sympathetic glance Gideon's way.


He held out the bag he'd brought for me, the calm and confident look on his face conveying his total comfort in dealing with my mother.


So I left him to it.


I didn't have it in me to deal with her until I'd caffeinated myself.


I slipped back into Cary's room and found him awake.


Just the sight of him made the tears well and my throat close up tight.


He was such a strong and vibrant man, so full of life and mischief.


It was the worst pain to see him looking so broken.


"Hey," he muttered.


"Quit the waterworks every time you see me.


Makes me feel like I'm gonna die or something."


Hell.


He was right.


My tears didn't do him any good.


Instead, what little relief they gave me just put more of the burden on him.


I needed to be a better friend than that.


"I can't help it," I said, sniffling.


"It sucks.


Someone beat me to it and kicked your ass before I could."


"Is that right?" His scowl faded.


"What'd I do now?" "You didn't tell me about Brett and Six-Ninths."


"Oh yeah ."


A bit of his old sparkle came back into his eyes.


"How'd he look?" "Good.


Really good."


Very hot, but I kept that thought to myself.


"Although right now, he might not look much better than you."


I told him about the kiss and the resulting fight.


"Cross threw down, huh?" Cary shook his head, then winced and stopped.