Page 32 of His Forever Princess

"Of course." She might wish she'd hired a better personal trainer, but she would.

He flew down the hallway, propelling her with him. François was at their heels.

He stopped at the elevator, mashed the button.

Gideon never chose an elevator. He'd once claimed you could never know who was waiting when the door opened.

Were things this desperate?

The doors opened, the car was miraculously empty.

Gideon pointed to some kind of card reader on the panel as they stepped inside. “Scan your pass.” He aimed his words at François.

The guard took a key card from an inner pocket. Her security team had been granted access to every space in the hotel. The guard stepped off the elevator as Gideon pushed the button for a basement floor. Why there?

The doors closed, and they were alone.

"What are you even doing here?" she asked, still breathing hard, clutching the elevator railing with one hand.

Her husband had the grace to look slightly sheepish. Was he blushing beneath his tan?

"Please don't tell me you only came to protect me."

Not that she was ungrateful for his protection right now. If he hadn't followed his instinct and gotten her away from that hotel room, she would've been stuck inside—possibly facing—the barrel of a gun.

And then his expression changed to determined. "We've got some unfinished business between us, don't we?"

Her heart leaped. "There are a lot of things I need to tell you."

The elevator's motion started to slow. Gideon glanced at the numbers flashing on the wall display. "Tell me when we're safe."

"No."

She surprised him. Surprised herself.

"I'm not waiting to tell you I still love you."

He only had a beat to stare at her in surprise before the doors opened on a long utilitarian hallway. Not a space open to the public.

Gideon went right back into soldier mode. He escorted her off the elevator then nodded to the first set of doors, a swinging double door.

She followed him inside to a busy kitchen.

And a whole heap of security guards filing in from the opposite side.

Pure relief that made her burst into tears.

* * *

Gideon watched as Alessandra lost control of her emotions in a spectacular way. His wife usually had iron control over herself. The fact that they were in public made it even more surprising.

He was aware that the attacker could still be out there, but when she turned into his arms, he scooped her in close. He turned his shoulder to shield her from anyone who might use their phone as a camera. She took a hitching breath and shuddered.

I love you.

His heart was pounding, but not from the danger. Not when Alessandra had just told him the words he longed to hear.

He and his wife were surrounded by royal guards almost instantly. He recognized Roberto, a man only a few years younger than himself, with whom he'd worked closely years ago. The man tapped his cheek, drawing Gideon's attention to the earpiece.

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