Page 71 of Gideon's Gratitude

Enough procrastinating.

I knocked lightly on the bedroom door.

No answer.

The door was cracked, so I pushed it open and poked my nose into the space.

Gideon lay on his side, curled into a ball, and fast asleep.

Well, that was one solution to a whole pile of problems.

I eyed my shirt and jeans. Yeah, not the most comfortable.

Do I have the right to scoot in half-dressed? Or naked?

Get over yourself.

I wasn’t going to act on the attraction.

Gideon made it clear he sought friendship and companionship.

So I’d be the best friend and companion a man could ask for. I stripped down to my underwear and laid the clothes on a chair. I scooted under the covers, turned off the light, and slowly maneuvered myself behind Gideon.

Said man pushed back against me.

I wrapped my arms around the slumberer.

He sagged into the embrace. Awake or asleep, his body knew what he needed. To be held. To be protected.

Well, I can do that much.

Chapter Eleven

Gideon

Awareness came gradually. I was warm. Deliciously warm. And safe. Even without full consciousness, I knew I was safe. Strong arms banded around me, holding me in place. I glanced at the clock radio. Nearly six-thirty. Lucky’s likely good for another hour or two.And if he wasn’t, he’d let his needs be known. The dog never held back.

I rested my hand against Archer’s left forearm. The hair was soft, but the muscle underneath was hard. We were as close as two men could be while spooning, but I longed for more. I longed to crawl inside Archer and stay protected forever. This man could slay dragons. He seemed to have demons of his own, but reading him was proving difficult. We were polar opposites.

I was the proverbial introvert, preferring my own company or that of just a handful of loved ones. Other people were exhausting.

Archer put on a good show about finding his family annoying, but clearly he was an extrovert and fed off other people’s energy. He basked in the attention. Would have to, in order to be a talented lawyer.

What if he can help me?

Hope flared like a burning flame within me. Kennedy seemed to feel I should keep trying. Archer offered to help. Was it worth getting my hopes up, only to have them dashed again? Leo was resolute—of that I had no doubt. The man was known for being stubborn. Had to be to get that far in his profession as a surgeon.

Leo was also rarely willing to give up fighting. More than one patient who should’ve died was alive because of Leo’s fortitude. He believed every problem could be solved by willpower. The few times he lost patients, he took that loss deeply. He might be setting himself up for failure.

Patients were going to die. Life cycled that way. People passed away. Leo’s will of iron couldn’t keep someone alive if their time had come.

A tightening of Archer’s arms yanked me from my introspection. I closed my eyes as the bigger man pulled me closer.

“I could get used to this.” The words were spoken softly—a whisper across my ear.

“Yeah, I like it too.” And I did. More than I might’ve admitted. But here, in this space and in this time, being honest was the only way to react. “I wish…”

“Wish…” Archer’s prompting came out as a lazy drawl.

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