Page 13 of Tempting Devil

“Remember what I said. Special place in hell.” She gave me an exaggerated wink, then slipped behind the wheel, closing the door behind her.

“Special place in hell?” Gideon asked once her car disappeared down the street.

I fully faced him, draping an arm along his shoulder and toying with a few tendrils of hair that fell over his collar.

“Melanie claims there’s a special place in hell for people who interfere with others getting some good dick.”

He stared at me for several moments. Then he threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing in the night sky.

For a brief moment, as I stood on my front porch with Gideon’s arms wrapped around me, everything felt right. This was exactly what I’d needed since overhearing Liam and James’ conversation.

Sure, Melanie talked some sense into me, made me realize the chances of Samuel still being alive were nonexistent. But being with Gideon — hearing his laughter and feeling his warmth — it reminded me of what was important.

And it wasn’t my past.

“She’s quite the character, isn’t she?” he remarked with a twinkle in his eye.

“She certainly is. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He leaned down and brushed a kiss to my forehead. “Either would I.”

With a gentle hand on the small of my back, he guided me into my townhouse. As we stepped inside, his sudden stop caught me off guard and I turned to see what had stolen his attention. His eyes were fixated on the box with Samuel’s name emblazoned on the outside.

“Should I be concerned?” He blew out a nervous laugh.

“I’m sorry.” I rushed toward the coffee table, hastily gathering up the papers and returning them to the box, securing the lid to it once more.

“Taking a trip down memory lane?”

“It’s not that. I just…” I exhaled a deep breath, unsure how to explain this without sounding like I was crazy. “I went over Liam’s after I heard about Alton.”

“How did that go?” He removed his suit jacket and draped it over the barstool in the kitchen.

The gesture filled me with relief that he wasn’t going to leave after walking in and finding a box devoted to my ex.

“It didn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I was there, I overheard him talk to James about a glass found at Alton’s cabin with Samuel’s fingerprints on it.” I laughed to myself. “For a minute, I was convinced he was still alive.”

His eyes widened, and he swallowed hard.

“Thankfully, Melanie made me realize how crazy that was. Samuel’s body may never have been found, but every expert who’s examined the evidence came to the same conclusion. He wouldn’t have survived losing that amount of blood without immediate medical intervention. So…I’m sorry.”

Approaching me, he grabbed my hand in his, rubbing his thumb along my knuckles in a soothing gesture. “Why are you apologizing to me?”

“I’m trying to stop living in the past, yet every time I’m reminded of it, I cling to it like a life preserver. You don’t deserve that.”

“If that’s what you need, it’s okay.” He moved his hands to my cheeks. “Like I told you last night…or, I suppose, this morning…” He pushed out a subtle laugh under his breath, the deep chuckle hitting me in places I’d forgotten existed until this man reminded me what it felt like to live again. “Your past made you into the woman you are right now.” His mouth inched toward mine, making me breathless from the promise of his kiss. “And I’m crazy about you right here. Right now. Scars and all.”

I swallowed hard, staring into his mesmerizing sapphire eyes. If I ignored everything else about him — the crooked nose, high cheekbones, square jawline, well-trimmed facial hair, as well as his perfectly straight teeth — if I only focused on his eyes, he could be Samuel.

But that was absurd. Gideon was not Samuel. As much as it hurt to admit, Samuel was my past. Gideon could be my future…if I would just finally let go of my past.

Finally let go of Samuel, for once and for all.

With a desperate need to feel grounded in the present, I slammed my mouth against Gideon’s, tangling my fingers in his hair and savoring in the silky texture. Any lingering worry or anxiety from today evaporated as I gave myself over to the moment.

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