Page 19 of Prodigal

André’s eyes opened. He did not look happy. Likely still carrying a grudge from earlier.

“Come watch a movie with us.”

“Why aren’t you asleep, Miss Juliette?”

She shrugged. “Couldn’t fall asleep, so Dré said we should watch a movie.” She gazed up at him, light from the movie playing across her face. “Where’d you go? That was you in the helicopter that landed on the roof, right?”

He nodded. “Yes, I had to take care of some business.” The couch was wide and long enough that he took a seat between her and André, who still hadn’t spoken, shaking his head when Juliette offered him popcorn. The bowl was nearly empty. “I’m not staying. I just wanted to check on you.” He lifted his gaze to André, then back to Juliette. “How are you?”

“I’m okay.” Leaning toward him, she lowered her tone. “Stay for a little bit?”

“Sure.”

Somehow Gideon ended up accepting popcorn the next time Juliette pushed the bowl his way, watching some kind of spy movie all while ignoring André’s sullen, heavy gaze. He leaned his head back, allowing the tension to drain from his shoulders.

In the middle of a loud car chase on screen, he closed his eyes.

Just for a little while, then he’d leave.

Only for a little while.

7

Something was pressedagainst his thigh.

André came awake slowly, taking a deep breath. His back ached, and his neck too. He blinked his eyes open, lifting both arms to stretch. Then he glanced down his body and froze.

He was still in Gideon Winters’s insane home theater. On the couch. And Gideon was asleep next to him. His head on André’s thigh.

What the?—

He cast about, looking for Jules, who’d been with them before he fell asleep, but didn’t see her. He didn’t see any of Gideon’s people either. And here André was, thinking Gideon didn’t do anything or go anywhere without his armed guards.

But that didn’t matter because Gideon Winters was fucking sleeping on him. Head turned to face the back of the couch, features serene—something André didn’t think he’d ever see on the other man. His dark blond hair was rumpled. But he looked like he was sleeping deeply and André didn’t want to wake him. But how was he supposed to get away from this position? God knew he didn’t want Gideon to open his eyes and find them like that.

André’s belly cramped at the mere thought.

It was bad enough he’d been forced to stay in the man’s house; he wanted as little to do with Gideon as possible. He’d tried to talk Jules out of inviting Gideon to join them for the movie last night, but his sister was just as stubborn as he was, if not more. She’d taken a liking to Gideon, and André couldn’t talk her out of it.

He just wanted to get the hell out of there already.

He wanted to know when they’d be able to go home, but more than that, he needed Jules to be safe, and unfortunately, Gideon was right. This fortress of his was the safest at the moment.

André didn’t have to like it though.

He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth as he stared down at a sleeping Gideon, trying to figure out how they even ended up in this position in the first place. And how was he supposed to get out of it without waking Gideon? Because the other man appeared to need his rest. In the very short time André had been there, he’d already seen that Gideon was always on the go.

Like a man on a mission.

Did that mission involve André’s father and whatever plans Gideon had for him? Plans that included André?

André needed to know about that, and hewouldquestion Gideon. But first things first, he had to get out of there.

He angled his hips, holding his breath as he tried inching out from under Gideon’s body.

But Gideon’s head jerked up, his gaze zeroing in on André, eyes alert as if he hadn’t just been dead asleep. If he was surprised at their position, he didn’t show it, nor did he move.

“André.”

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