Page 52 of Ireland

“They are very specificallycelebrities,” she argued.

“So are both of you,” Jeanette said with a smile.

“We’re not,” Eva retorted. “We’re business owners. And as you all know, we didn’t create Kingsman. We bought the brand, as we’ve bought hundreds of other brands. We can’t be expected to be the face of everything.”

Concerned by his wife’s growing agitation, Gideon moved his chair imperceptibly closer to her.

Mark frowned. “Of course not. For instance, I wouldn’t suggest a campaign with you and the GenTen gaming system. But we’re launching an ultra-premium vodka. Lavish. Sophisticated. Elegant. Buzzwords also used to describe you, Gideon, and your lifestyle. Consumers want the fantasy of drinking what you drink and sharing that part of your life.”

“I don’t want to share my life!”

Everyone froze except Gideon. He pushed smoothly back from the table and rose to address the room.

“You’ve given us a lot to think about,” he said mildly as if ending the planned hour-long meeting after fifteen minutes was not unexpected. It was his company; no explanations were required. Concern for Eva overrode every other consideration. The discussion was triggering her; therefore, it needed to end.

Without looking at him, she stood, too, because they were always a united front. But she continued speaking. “There have to be limits to what people can take from us. I refuse to contribute to the media’s fetishization of Gideon and our marriage!”

“So, we’re all agreed on revising our approach to this campaign,” he said, filing away Eva’s response for closer examination later. “We excel at exploiting unexpected angles to boost sales. It’s one of our strong suits.”

Mark was on his feet, having stood when Eva did. “Yes, it is. Thank you. We had some other ideas, which I worried were a little avant-garde—a remnant of working with too-cautious brands, I’m afraid. I’ll assemble a deck and get back on your schedules as soon as possible.”

“Great work,” Gideon assured him as he slid his arm around his wife’s waist. To support her and soothe himself.

“You’ll be pleased to know,” Mark went on, “that the social chatter for the new ECRA+ campaign is extremely robust. The billboards featuring Ireland launched today here in the city, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles, as well as Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto.”

“Not my favorite campaign,” Gideon said drily.

Eva snorted and bumped her shoulder into him. “Ireland looks amazing. The ads are striking and unforgettable.”

“Obviously not in our liquor wheelhouse,” Edita said with a cautious smile, “but the ads definitely worked on me as a consumer. I contacted the ECRA+ team this morning to snag a bottle of lotion.”

“What more could we ask for?” Gideon urged Eva toward the door with a hand at the small of her back. “Thank you for your hard work on both campaigns.”

“Appreciate that.” Mark shot Eva a concerned look. “We’ll regroup and do great work on the Kingsman campaign, too. And quickly. We won’t lose momentum.”

Edita and Jeanette both nodded their agreement. The two brunettes gathered their folders and notes, then pushed their chairs back to stand. Gideon walked with his wife to the elevator vestibule and pressed the call button.

“Don’t say anything,” she warned, holding Janessa’s card at her side.

His brows lifted. “You’ll be doing the talking, angel. Over dinner. For now, why don’t you take the rest of the day off. Go home and cuddle Lucky.”

“I have meetings.” She stepped before him into the car.

“Anything that can’t be canceled, I’ll manage. We’ve covered for each other many times.” The doors closed, and he cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs running lightly beneath her eyes. “Did you hide these dark circles with makeup this morning? Did you have trouble sleeping?”

“No.” When he just gave her a level look, she straightened and rolled her shoulders back. “I’m not lying. I slept like the dead. And I didn’t have dark circles this morning, so maybe I’m low on iron. I probably just need steak for dinner.”

“Done.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead as the car slowed. Taking her hand, he walked adjacent to her out of the elevator. “The day’s closer to the end than the beginning. I’ll be home before you can miss me.”

“I miss you the moment you leave my line of sight,” she said tiredly.

He smiled at her, but inside he was quiet and focused. Eva was not herself. Figuring out why and handling it was his top priority because he wasn’t himself without her.

Once Ireland reached the Vidal offices, she checked the family location sharing app to see where her father was. When she found that he was still at the hotel, she took a quick sink bath in his office bathroom and changed into the clothes from her overnight bag.

How swiftly things had changed. It felt almost like whiplash. Less than an hour before, she’d relished the scent of Ronan on her skin and the thought of her scent on him. Now, the only fragrance she wore was her perfume. Still, her body wouldn’t let her forget how close they had become before it all went to hell. She tingled all over, especially between her legs. If he’d been who she had believed him to be—a breathtaking stranger with effortless charm and wild animal magnetism who wanted nothing but her—they’d be making love again at this very moment.

But that was never the case when it came to the men she was attracted to. She hated that she couldn’t seem to learn that lesson.

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