Page 70 of Tempting Devil

“From what I remember, after your death, your ownership interest in Cloud Hero went to Liam.”

His jaw ticked, but he eventually nodded. “It did.”

“Right, so…”

“I invested in Henry’s company early on. After I showed up on his doorstep, he paid me for my ownership interest.”

“And all the talk about being a venture capitalist?”

“Oh, but I am.”

With a wink, he walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water, loosening the cap before handing it to me. It was something Samuel always did for me. I couldn’t help but smile at the idea that, despite his argument to the contrary, there were still parts of Samuel inside him.

Even if they were buried far below the surface.

“Come on. I’ll show you around,” he offered, escorting me out of the living area and giving me a brief tour of the library, game room, and movie theater on the lower level before heading up to the second floor, where all of the bedrooms were.

As beautiful as the house was, it lacked personality. All the artwork adorning the walls was impersonal, making this place feel more like a museum than a home. Even Liam’s many residences had personal touches, mostly in the form of photos of him posing with various notable people, along with a few of us together.

But Gideon had nothing in this house that gave me a clue as to who he truly was. The entire building felt hollow, devoid of personal connection or memories. A pristine façade desperately struggling to conceal the past.

“I had Henry bring some of your things here,” Gideon stated as he led me into yet another bedroom decorated with a sophisticated beach vibe.

This one was much more luxurious and expansive than the others, although they were all spacious in their own right. A massive bed stood in the center of the room, draped with a pristine white duvet and decorative pillows in various hues of blue and coral. There was even a reading nook with a large wingback chair and a perfect view of the ocean. I could picture myself curled up in that spot with a good book and a glass of wine, watching as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon.

As I padded across the lush carpeting and toward even more floor-to-ceiling windows, a partition slid open.

“If you ever want to go out onto the balcony, just click this.” Gideon pointed to a panel by the bed. “It will open the door for you.”

I nodded and stepped onto the terrace, drawing in a deep breath of the briny ocean air. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, it is,” Gideon replied. But when I stole a glance at him, his gaze wasn’t focused on the horizon. It was glued to me.

The heat in his stare reminded me of the way he looked at me all those years ago.

Of the way Samuel looked at me all those years ago.

I turned toward him, my eyes tracing over the face that was foreign yet familiar at the same time. The atmosphere crackled with electricity as I stepped closer, my gaze never straying from his.

But before I could erase the final space separating us, he took a step back and cleared his throat.

“You should get some sleep. If you need anything, I’ll be right across the hall.”

“Samuel, I?—”

“I told you,” he cut me off, all traces of the man I fell in love with years ago disappearing in a heartbeat. “It’s Gideon.”

He turned sharply, his posture rigid and straight as he strode through the room and into the hallway.

The second he disappeared behind the door, I exhaled a long sigh, trying to push down the confusion swirling inside me from his abrupt departure. Maybe I should have insisted on staying at my place, regardless of the memories of Ollie that would surround me.

After dragging myself back inside and closing the doors, I moved toward the ottoman at the foot of the bed where my suitcase rested. I quickly changed into a t-shirt and pair of sleep shorts, then padded across the room toward a door I assumed led to the ensuite bathroom.

Instead, I found myself in a massive closet, bigger than my entire bedroom. Dozens of pristine suits lined the walls, each of them identical to the ones I’d seen Gideon wear over the past few weeks. Why would his suits be in here? Was this his bedroom?

I headed toward the dresser along the far wall of the closet and opened one of the drawers. As expected, it contained the same brand of boxer briefs he preferred, all but confirming this was his closet.

But why?