Page 19 of Forbidden Games

Lucy gave him a brilliant grin, her plum-colored lips mirroring the darkness of her hair, which she’d left in waves down around her shoulders. “Then it’s doing its job. Now, if you’d please get out of my way, I can take it from here.” She strode past him and through the door to the restaurant.

Jealousy flared, hot and poisonous, down the back of his throat. He didn’t have a right to it any more now than he had before, but it was a thousand times more powerful now that they’d put sex on the table. Gideon followed her inside and hooked a hand around her elbow, towing her sideways into a small hallway that led to the coat check.

It was dimmer there than in the main entrance—more intimate. He pressed his hands to the wall on either side of her shoulders. “You make me fucking crazy.”

“That makes two of us.” She poked him in the chest. “You might be calling the shots in some things, but you have to give me enough space to breathe. The compressed timeline is already going to play havoc on my instincts—I don’t need your constant presence doing the same.”

He’d think about how his presence affected her later. Right now all he could focus on was the first part of the sentence. “If the timeline is too tight, then extend it. The only person who put this deadline in place wasyou.”

“And it stands.” She lifted her chin. “I’m already late for this date. I don’t want to have this conversation for the seventh time. Just give me some space to breathe.”

He pushed off the wall even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. The truth was that he wanted Lucy, and it was fucking up his head space and messing withhisinstincts. He knew better than to push her, but he couldn’t help doing it all the same. He wanted her and she wanted him—at least physically.

What if it could be more than just physical?

What if I actually played for keeps?

The thought stopped him in his tracks.

He watched Lucy greet the hostess and follow her deeper into the restaurant, but he couldn’t move. This whole time, he had been letting Lucy take the wheel and guide things—at least to some extent. Gideon had handled her so goddamn carefully because he was well aware of the damage Jeff had caused her and he blamed himself, at least a little, because of it. That guilt was the same reason he hadn’t pushed her to face the fact that there was more than just friendship between them.

But what if he did?

He couldn’t hit this head-on—Lucy would tell him to get lost, and with good reason. She had her eye on the prize and she wouldn’t be deterred by an outside force, even if it was Gideon.

If he could get her to change her mind, that would be a different story.

Gideon smiled.

Let her have her date with Mark. The guy was nice enough, but Gideon fully intended to take her to bed until she was so wrapped up in him that she forgot Mark’s fucking name.

A man looked up as Lucy approached the table the hostess had indicated. He was cute in a hipster sort of way, his close-cropped beard and glasses a combination that would have been strange five years before. Now it seemed like everyone had them. The only thing missing was suspenders or a bow tie. Instead, he wore a nice button-up shirt and a pair of slacks. When he rose to pull her chair out for her, she got an eyeful of his broad shoulders and clearly outlined muscles.

Too many muscles. Too much facial hair.

Oh, my God,stop. What is wrong with me?

He resumed his place and grinned at her, his teeth white and straight. “Lucy, I presume. Otherwise, this is about to get incredibly awkward.”

That startled a laugh out of her. “Yes, I’m Lucy.” She extended her hand. “That would make you Mark.”

“The very one.” He gave her a firm handshake, which she appreciated. Too many men—especially men who worked in corporate jobs—tended to give handshakes like they thought they’d break her. It drove her crazy.

Mark leaned back, his gaze roaming over her face.

Another mark in his favor—not ogling my chest.Lucy gave herself a shake. She had to stop overanalyzing every second of this date. Mark was most definitely not Gideon, and that didn’t have to be a tally in the negative column.

It was just hard to focus when she could still smell Gideon’s cologne from where he’d pressed her against the wall a few short minutes ago. It wasn’t musky and strong like so many men she knew—it was light and clean and reminded her of... She couldn’t place it.

Focus.

She gave a polite smile. “Thank you for agreeing to the date.”

“When Gideon called me and explained the situation, I’ll admit I didn’t believe him.” The corner of his mouth hitched up. “And then I asked him what was wrong with you.”

She tensed and then admonished herself for doing so. He was joking. He didn’t really think there was something wrong with her. “As you can see, I’m in possession of all my teeth.”

“Not to mention beautiful and successful.” Mark’s easy smile made the words fact rather than a throwaway compliment. “I’ve heard of marriages of convenience, but I assumed they were the stuff of fiction. This whole situation is kind of strange.”

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