Page 55 of Ruthless Touch
This feels too good to be true, but I don’t want to ask if it is and hurt his feelings. He’s been so kind these past few days that I might ruin things between us if I let him know I doubt his generosity.
It’s just that I’ve never known anyone to give something for nothing.
“I have another surprise for you tonight. Don’t ask because I don’t want to give it away yet. Just know that I think you’ll like it.”
He walks toward the bedroom as he undresses out of his work clothes. Following him, I say, “Another surprise? Is it dinner again? I loved that shrimp dish the chef made yesterday.”
Looking back at me, Gideon smiles. “Then I’ll have him make it again tomorrow night. But that’s not my surprise. Now no more asking.”
I pout, hating how he won’t let me guess anymore. His surprises have been pretty great, so it’s not that I’m worried that he’s suddenly going to want to dangle me off the edge of the terrace or parade me through the lobby in just my underwear. It’s just that sometimes surprises don’t turn out to be what you expect.
Dinner was delicious, as always. The chef at Villa Aurelia never makes a bad meal, and tonight’s was a particularly good osso buco. I hadn’t expected the dessert of lemon ricotta cake too, but it seems that Gideon wanted to go all out tonight.
“So are you going to give me my surprise now?” I ask, sure I sound like a seven-year-old child on Christmas morning but not caring.
He shakes his head and opens his mouth to say something, but his phone interrupts us. Looking down at the screen, he frowns. “I have to go downstairs for a few minutes. When I get back, we’ll get this night going.”
“Will you have my surprise with you when you come back?”
Gideon stands from the table and leans down to kiss me. “No, but don’t worry. It will happen. In the meantime, why don’t you take a bubble bath and I’ll join you when I return?”
I can’t say no to a bubble bath, and the addition of Gideon to it makes it sound like the perfect way to start our evening. “Okay. I’ll be waiting for you in the bathroom. Don’t be long. You wouldn’t want all the bubbles to disappear.”
That gets me a smile that makes Gideon look even sexier than usual. Maybe he likes bubble baths. Who knew?
Ten minutes later, I’m relaxing in the tub with bubbles and water up to my shoulders. My bathmate is nowhere in sight, though. Closing my eyes, I slip down into the water until the water comes right up to my chin. I take a deep breath in and let it out slowly, loving how calm I feel.
The bathroom door opens, and I turn to see Gideon standing beside the tub with something in his hand. “Is that my surprise?”
He tilts his head left and right. “Part of it.”
Sitting up out of the water, I reach for whatever it is, but he yanks his hand away. “Not until you get out and dry off.”
I don’t attempt to hide my disappointment he didn’t join me in our bubble bath, pouting up at him. “I thought you would come in and we could take a bath together.”
“Change of plans. Now come on. Get out and dry off so we can get our night going,” he says with more than a hint of impatience to his voice.
Still curious about what he’s holding, I crane my neck to get a look at it, but he leaves before I can see much. It’s black. That I know. It looked like it had a sheen to it of some kind.
As I step out and grab the towel to dry off, my mind races through the possibilities of what it can be. It’s not a jewelry box. It seemed too soft for that. It’s not clothing since it sat in the palm of his hand. Maybe lingerie?
My heart races at the thought that he bought me a black silk teddy. Oooh, I like this Gideon.
By the time I get back out to the bedroom, I’m convinced I’ll see a new piece of lingerie waiting for me on the bed, but there’s nothing there. Not even Gideon is there.
Looking around, I wonder aloud, “Was I supposed to do something that you didn’t tell me about? Where are you?”
From the living room, he says, “I’m out here.”
“Am I supposed to wear something, or can I be in my yoga pants and a T-shirt?” I ask, growing more confused about this surprise by the second.
“Stay in the towel and come out here to join me,” he says, showing that impatience once more.
I walk out to see him sitting on the sofa with two drinks on the coffee table in front of him. “I got a red wine for you and a scotch for me. If you want something else, just let me know.”
Still dressed in his suit pants and dress shirt he had to put back on when he got that call, Gideon pats the cushion next to him and smiles. “Come. Sit next to me.”
I do as he says, even more confused than before. “So I’m going to be wearing a towel for this surprise, and you’re going to be wearing your work clothes? I don’t understand.”