Page 73 of Perfect Harmony

“I can’t, Princess,” he said.

“Don’t call me that!” she said.

“Okay, I’m sorry. Take my jacket, baby.You’re freezing.” He slipped out of his jacket and held it out.

“I don’t need your stupid jacket,” she said.“I’m calling Kira and asking her to pick me up.”

“You’ll have frostbite by the time she getshere.” He took a step toward her, moving slowly and speaking in a soft voicelike she was a skittish mare. “Take my jacket.”

She glared at him before snatching his jacketand putting it on. “You suck and you’re the worst and I don’t like you. Whatthe fuck was that back there, Gideon? Huh? I am not some prized pig you can fightover with another guy. Jesus Christ. Do you have any idea how fucking rudethat was?”

“I know and I’m sorry, baby. Truly.”

Grace’s legendary temper making an appearancewas helping to chip away at the brick of worry lodged in his chest. Seeing hersitting in the ambulance looking so exhausted and afraid had terrified him.

“Don’t call me baby,” she said.

Her teeth were chattering, and her lipswere blue. Gideon pointed to his SUV that was parked close by. “Climb into mycar. You can at least be warm while you wait for Kira.”

She scowled and stomped toward his car. “Fine.”

He unlocked it and opened the door forher. She climbed in, revealing a heart stopping amount of thigh when his jacketand shirt rode up, and folded her arms across her chest as he slammed the doorshut and hurried to climb into his side.

He started the vehicle and turned the heaton high. He was aching to hold her, but he gripped the steering wheel andsaid, “Baby, why don’t I drive you to Kira’s? I have my key to her place. Ican let you in and you don’t have to wake her. Okay?”

“You think I don’t know you’re just goingto drive me to your house?”

He flushed. Okay, so maybe that was hisplan, and maybe it was a bad one, but he didn’t want Grace at Kira’s. Hewanted her at his home where he knew she was safe. Where he could check on herseventeen times in the night, just in case she had trouble breathing and neededto go to the hospital.

“I don’t need you to look after me,” Gracesaid.

He took a deep breath. “Maybe not. But Ineed to look after you tonight. When I got the call that it was your complex…”

He stopped, that terrible all-encompassingfear threatening to take over again despite knowing she was safe. “Please, Princess,let me take care of you. Just for tonight. Okay?”

The fight went out of her like a boxer takinga haymaker to the chin. Her body slumped against the seat and, her lipsquivering, she whispered, “Okay.”

Chapter Fourteen

Letting Gideon take her to his place was a terribleidea. Grace knew that, but she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to be with Gideon.Needed to be with him.

She couldn’t seem to shake the terror she’dfelt when she’d woken to a room full of black smoke and the sound of crackling fireright next to her head. Panicked, and with the effects of the sleeping pillshe’d taken earlier still in her system, she’d spent agonizing minutes crawlingaround on the floor of her bedroom, disoriented, and choking on the smoke whileshe searched for the door.

She followed Gideon into the house and handedhim his jacket before walking into the living room. Tank had thundered downthe stairs the minute he heard the key in the lock, and he bounced around Graceas she walked, his big front paws stopping only inches from her with everyexcited bounce.

“Tank, enough,” Gideon said.

The Dane backed away but when Grace satdown on the couch, he immediately hopped up beside her and flopped his big headagainst her chest.

“Tank, down,” Gideon said.

“No,” Grace cupped Tank’s face, kissing thedog’s bony forehead, “he’s fine.”

She wanted to be touching Gideon. She wantedto climb into his lap, put her arms around him and let him comfort her untilthe terror inside was a distant memory.

But while Gideon might want to take care ofher, that didn’t include touching her. So, she’d settle for the next bestthing – his dog.

She snuggled the big dog close, petting hishead and along his spine as he settled onto the couch beside her. His bodytook up the remaining space on the couch and after a moment, Gideon sat on the armof the loveseat across from the couch.

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