Page 101 of Finding Gideon
Tension coiled low in my belly, slow and sure, that familiar ache building until I could barely breathe.
“Gideon—” My voice cracked. “I’m—can I?”
His hand slipped between us, fingers curling around my length. One stroke. Two.
I shattered.
Pleasure ripped through me like a tide, pulling me under, making me arch, making me cry out as I clenched around him.
He followed a heartbeat later, groaning my name as he buried himself deep one last time, trembling through his release.
We stayed like that for a moment—bodies tangled, hearts thundering in sync.
Eventually, he withdrew, tied off the condom, then returned immediately, cleaned us both up and gathered me into his arms like he couldn’t stand the distance for even a second.
I let myself melt into him.
His fingers traced circles on my back. Our legs tangled. His nose pressed to my temple.
A sudden sting pricked at my eyes, unexpected, sharp.
Tears welled, but I didn’t hide them.
He noticed. Of course he did.
“Hey.” His thumb brushed my cheek. “Are you okay?”
A watery laugh slipped out. “Yeah. Just…”
He waited.
“I didn’t know I could feel this safe with someone.”
His gaze softened. He kissed my temple, then the corner of my mouth. “You’re safe with me.”
A beat passed.
“And not just here,” he added. “You’re safe with me everywhere. In every way.”
The words settled deep, wrapping around me like his arms did. The room could have vanished, the night could have gone on forever, and I would’ve been content—because in his arms, I already had everything I needed.
Chapter 32
Gideon
Funny how fast life can flip on its head. One minute you’re drifting, trying to outrun everything that hurts. Next minute, you’re knee-deep in spreadsheets, bagging horse feed, and trying to coax a half-blind donkey up the ramp you built with your own damn hands.
It all started the day Junie and her moms walked out of the yard with Toast—him trotting along like he’d always been part of their crew—and left Malcolm and me standing there like two proud uncles who’d just sent a kid off to college.
That was the moment.
The ripple.
The pivot.
Even if we didn’t know it yet.
We’d sent one dog home, and suddenly the town decided we were running a sanctuary.
