Page 35 of Ruthless

But who were they now? Now that she knew the truth.

He used to wonder how they fit so well together until he’d realized something. They had nothing in common, and they had everything in common.

Their childhoods couldn’t have been more different. He’d grown up in a large family with a mother and father who’d loved their children unconditionally but also had expected a lot from them. He’d gotten his first job when he was seven years old. His siblings had been his responsibility when his parents hadn’t been around. His education had been of utmost importance to his parents, and he’d worked each day to make them proud.

Eve had lost her mother early, and her father had doted on her. Not unusual, unless your father happened to be the king of a country. She had wanted for nothing materially, but the nurturing and discipline hadn’t always been there for her.

But somehow, once they’d partnered, those differences had no longer mattered. Their life experiences might have made them each their own individual, but together, it somehow made them a whole entity.

He’d never forget the day she’d walked into the lobby of the Carmichael Group to begin her training. If he hadn’t known she was arriving, he wouldn’t have recognized her. The king had told him that she was having problems accepting her new appearance. With a broken nose and a shattered jaw, plastic surgery had been a necessity. Apparently, the princess had frequently asked her father for a nose job, and he had refused to allow it. Instead of asking her if she still wanted a different nose, he’d given her what she’d originally asked for. Unfortunately, it hadn’t worked out the way he’d thought it would. Instead of being pleased about her new nose, the changes had only been a reminder of why she no longer looked like herself.

Gideon had never thought much about her nose. It was part of her, and there wasn’t a time he hadn’t considered her attractive. He couldn’t, however, deny that while Princesse Evangelina had been pretty before, the surgery had made her beyond stunning.

But she’d also been hurting. Blue eyes that had gleamed with life had been dull. Her face had been ghostly pale, and the dark shadows beneath her eyes had indicated sleeping was difficult. She had lost weight she couldn’t afford to lose and had looked like a small puff of wind could knock her off her feet.

Even though Gideon had introduced himself to her that first day, he hadn’t been involved in her training those first couple of months. Others had taken over, ensuring she was given a schedule and a review of what she could expect. Discipline was a must for specialized training, and every single moment was planned out.

By the end of the first month, due to a healthy diet and regular exercise, not only had color returned to her cheeks and she had gained a few pounds, the way she’d walked and talked had been different, too. There had been confidence and life within her again, and Gideon had relished seeing the rebirth of a strong woman who would not be defeated.

When he had taken over her training, everything had changed. Eve had been amazing, soaking up every ounce of knowledge like a sponge and taking to every new skill as if she’d been born to do it. She had excelled at everything thrown at her, and it hadn’t taken him long to realize that Eve Wells, survivor, fighter, and warrior, was the other half of his heart.

Gideon shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. Fatigue tugged at him, and he knew both he and Eve would be better equipped to discuss things rationally in the morning. When he opened the bathroom door and stepped into the bedroom, he saw that Eve had had a different idea. Unfortunately for her, her body hadn’t been as cooperative.

As large as Eve’s personality was and as much as she loved to challenge herself and everyone around her, she often forgot that she was also human. She was only a week out from an accident that could easily have taken her life, still recovering from a concussion and broken bones. And thanks to him, she was also dealing with his lies and what she saw as a huge betrayal.

She was curled up on a chaise lounge in front of the window, her face, though still bruised, one of serene beauty. Tenderness washed through him, and he wanted nothing more than to put her in his bed and hold her close all night long.

Nope, not going to happen. She’d wake up and want to know just what the hell was going on. Neither of them was ready for that particular conversation.

Lifting her gently, he carried her to her bedroom and placed her on her bed. As a testament to her weariness, she never flickered an eyelash. He removed her shoes and then covered her with the blanket folded at the bottom of the bed.

He stood over her for several long moments, staring at the woman who was both his past and his present. And if he had anything to say about it at all, she was also his future.

Whether she agreed with that was another thing.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

She woke to the mouthwatering fragrances of croissants and freshly ground French roast coffee. Her mind muddled and groggy from sleeping so deeply, she smiled at the familiar scents from her childhood. On Saturday mornings, when her brothers were off playing polo or soccer, she and her papa would spend an hour together, eating breakfast and chatting. It had been her favorite time of the week.

She stretched, anticipating the delightful treat that awaited her. At the first stitch of pain, all grogginess left her, and awareness set in. She was no longer a child, and those innocent days were long gone. Gideon had apparently ordered breakfast, and now she needed to get up and face the day.

Glancing around the room, she vaguely remembered she hadn’t fallen asleep in bed. She had been waiting for Gideon to finish his shower so they could continue their argument. He’d taken so long to come out, she’d curled up on the chaise, and that’s all she remembered. Her eyes went to the crutches leaning against the bedpost.

Not only had he carried her into her room and tucked her in, but he’d also brought her crutches back, too. And she’d slept through it all. Even though Gideon could move with the stealthlike quietness of a jungle cat, she had trained herself to be a light sleeper. So much for being ready for danger of any kind. Once she was healed, she was going to have to put herself through refresher training. Not being at the top of her game could never happen.

If she hadn’t gotten injured, she and Gideon would have been headed to Barcelona for a deep-cover op. She had been looking forward to the mission. It had been a couple of years since just the two of them had worked deep cover. There was no one she enjoyed spending that much time with more than Gideon. Despite the confident image she projected, she was still an introvert at heart. With Gideon, she could be exactly who she was.

That was one of the reasons Gideon’s deception hurt so deeply. The rest of the world, even her closest friends, never saw all of her. But Gideon had—and she’d thought she’d seen all of him, too. Instead, she had seen only what he’d wanted her to see.

The knock on her bedroom door didn’t surprise her. She figured he was getting tired of waiting for her to come out.

“I can hear you thinking all the way in here. I have breakfast ready. Do you want me to serve you in bed?”

She glared at the closed door. He knew exactly what those words would do to her. Without answering, she sat up and put her feet on the floor. She was surprised at the lack of pain. Her shoulder was much better, her ribs not nearly as sore as they had been, and her head wasn’t pounding. Maybe the deep sleep had been what she’d needed.

Grabbing her crutches, she hobbled to the bathroom. The instant she was inside, she dropped her clothes and headed to the shower, grabbing the protective wrap for her leg and shoulder on the way. A hot shower and a good breakfast would give her the clarity to face the rest of what Gideon had to tell her. They hadn’t yet touched on the reasons. She knew what he’d done. Now she was ready to know why.

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