Page 117 of Ruthless
“Come here first.”
Her heart fluttering like a schoolgirl’s, she went to his side and said, “What?”
“Could you grab me a Danish, too?”
Before she could give a sarcastic reply, he laughed softly and pulled her in for a kiss. She forgot everything except the warmth of his mouth and the solidness of his body as she leaned into him. She could have so easily lost him.
Raising her head, she whispered, “I love you, you know.”
“And I love you,” he said gruffly.
She stepped back, feeling infinitely better. Things weren’t resolved between them by any means, but to be able to say that to each other so easily was both freeing and incredibly empowering. Together, they could handle anything.
“I’ll grab us some coffee and you a pastry. Be right back.”
It took longer than she’d anticipated to get the coffee and pastry since the cafeteria was on the other side of the hospital. When she walked back into Gideon’s room, she was thrilled to see that several OZ team members were there.
Serena, Ash, and Liam all gave her smiles and waves. Both Jazz and Xavier came to her for hugs. It had been much too long since she’d seen them.
Her happy eyes roamed over some of her favorite people in the world. “It’s like an OZ homecoming.”
“Gideon was just telling us that he’ll be up and around within a week or so,” Ash said. The dryness of his tone told her he knew that was a stretch.
Her eyes narrowed in on the man lying on the bed. He was still much too pale, and the tension around his mouth told her he was in pain. “Is that right? Our interpretations of what the doctor said are vastly different.”
“Yeah,” Liam said, “I thought that sounded a little too good to be true.”
“It just gives me more incentive to prove both of you wrong,” Gideon said. The statement would have sounded more convincing if he hadn’t shifted his body and then groaned in pain.
“Here,” Eve said, “drink your coffee, eat your Danish, and then take your pain meds.”
“I’m liking this bossier Eve,” Xavier said.
“Must come with the title,” Serena said.
Eve’s eyes went to Gideon, who gave a subtle shake of his head, letting her know he hadn’t told them anything. She wasn’t ready to share everything, but they all should know what she had been keeping from them.
“Okay, guys,” she started. “There are some things you need to know about me.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
The morphine was doing its job, and Eve was healthy and within touching distance. He wasn’t always a glass-half-full kind of guy, but right now he felt pretty damn good. Eve’s confession to the team about her family and background had been anticlimactic. Serena and Ash had already known, and the rest of the team had picked up details here and there that had made the telling of it all easier for her.
No one was looking at her differently than before, and he figured that had been her biggest worry. You never knew how someone would treat you once they knew the full story of who you really were.
Of course, the full story still hadn’t been told. She hadn’t mentioned anything about what her future held. He figured she was waiting to talk to him about it.
Everyone had left for their hotel. He’d given Ash a heads-up that they might want to wait a day or two before heading home. He hadn’t given him a reason, and he appreciated his friend’s trust in not insisting on an explanation. Especially when he knew the OZ leader was eager to get back to Jules and their son.
Not only had Eve spilled the truth of her identity, but she’d also included a tidbit she hadn’t mentioned to him. Alexandre was dead. Supposedly by suicide, though she clearly didn’t believe that was the case. Neither did Gideon. It would be naïve to assume that all the traitors within the palace were gone. Threats would continue until all enemies were found and dealt with. Which was another good reason for her to take the crown when the king decided to step down. She would see what others might miss.
He didn’t like that danger would still surround her, but Eve was one of the most dangerous people he knew. The people of Ile de la Lune didn’t know how lucky they would be to have her as their queen.
It was late afternoon, edging into early evening. Eve had left to grab some dinner, giving Gideon a chance to come to terms with what she was sure to tell him. He didn’t yet know how she saw them going forward. He had his own ideas, but he wanted to hear from her first.
They had come so far. They loved each other, and whatever happened, that wasn’t going to change.
She came into the room, and her tension was back in full force. Her shoulders were stiff, and the little worry line between her brows had deepened.