Page 46 of Ruthless Touch

We lie there silently with just the sound of our breathing between us until she says, “Tell me about her.”

I close my eyes as the instant urge to pull away washes over me. I don’t want to be that way with Aria, though, so I stop myself and let the memory of Gia fill my head.

“She was kind and gentle, and the person who was supposed to love her most took her life because she loved someone else,” I say, the words feeling like knives stabbing me with each syllable that leaves my lips.

Aria doesn’t say anything for a long time as the memory of that day I learned Gia was gone from this world makes my chest hurt. She died because I didn’t do enough to protect her. I swore I’d never make that mistake again.

“Didn’t you love her more than him, though?”

I turn my head and see Aria waiting for my answer. I won’t lie to her. She asked, and I want to answer.

“Yes, but I didn’t make sure she was safe, so maybe I didn’t love her enough.”

“Is that why you paid Franco? To get me away from him? I know you said you didn’t that first night I was here, but did you?” Aria asks in a soft voice, her warm breath drifting over my chest.

There’s no point in lying to her. Her protection was more important than any of the other reasons why I paid that shithead ex-boyfriend of hers to take her for my own.

As I stare up at the ceiling, I answer, “Yes. I couldn’t let what happened before happen again.”

She falls silent again, so after a minute or so, I look over to see her watching me. I know what she’s thinking, but she’s wrong. She needs to know that.

“You aren’t a replacement for her, Aria. I don’t care that you resemble her or what my brother said to you. You aren’t, so don’t think that.”

With a nod, she tries to smile, but it never reaches her eyes. Taking a deep breath in, she lets it out in a rush before pulling away from my body. “Please don’t make me a substitute for another woman, Gideon. If that’s all this is, then let me go. I can get away from Franco on my own and find happiness for being me.”

I roll over onto my side next to her, shaking my head as I try to find the words to make her understand that’s not what this is. Cradling her face, I look deep into those eyes that never fail to enchant me and see she truly believes I’ve brought her here because she reminds me of another woman.

“You’re here because of you, no one else. I fell in love with you in the past few weeks. I’m not reliving some memory through you, Aria. I’ve spent years alone because I didn’t want to take a chance on feeling what I felt for her, but you changed that. Gia is my past. You’re the only woman I think of now.”

“I want to believe that, Gideon. I just can’t stop thinking about what your brother said.”

Fucking Alex. All he had to do was not be a dick. Too bad he couldn’t even do that for me just this once.

“Don’t listen to him,” I say before kissing her softly. Against her lips, I whisper, “Listen to me. I want you here for you.”

“Promise?”

The way she says that makes my heart feel like she’s got it in a vice. At this moment, I’d promise her anything to see her happy.

“I promise.”

I’m rewarded by a genuine smile that reaches her eyes and makes them light up. So beautiful and mine.

“Gideon, can I tell you something?”

Nodding, I hope it’s not that she hated what we just did because I enjoyed it more than she knows. “Yes.”

“I think Sasha likes me more than just someone who wants to be nice to her boss’s girlfriend.”

As the urge to laugh at how innocent she sounds right now comes over me, I pull her to my chest and hold her tightly. “I think you’re right.”

Aria leans back and looks at me with worry in her eyes. “How do you feel about that?”

“I’ve told her to stop. She has a mind of her own when it comes to things like that, but if you want me to, I’ll make her stop.”

A blush makes her cheeks turn pink, and she averts her gaze from mine. “No, it’s okay. I guess it’s better than thinking she wants you all the time.”

I softly press a kiss to her forehead and sigh. “Don’t worry about Sasha. All that matters is you and me. Remember that.”

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