The convoy rolled out of the iron gates of the Clemons estate. As soon as they hit the main road, a mechanical whir filled the cabin. The privacy partition between the driver and the passenger compartment slid up, locking into place.
Silence descended.
Alivia watched, paralyzed, as the dynamic in the car shifted instantly.
The "husband," Finn, slumped in his seat, ripping off the leather gloves. "Jesus, Boss. That guy is a slimeball. I wanted to punch him."
"Boss?" Alivia whispered.
Next to her, the bodyguard moved.
He reached up and pulled the earpiece from his ear, letting it dangle. Then, he took off the aviator sunglasses.
Alivia stopped breathing.
Eyes. The bluest eyes she had ever seen. Like the center of a gas flame. They were framed by thick, dark lashes that made his gaze intense, almost predatory.
He wasn't just handsome. He was devastating.
He unbuttoned his tactical jacket, revealing a bespoke dress shirt underneath that strained against his shoulders.
Finn opened a mini-fridge and handed a bottle of Evian to the bodyguard. "Water, Gideon?"
Gideon.
Alivia's head snapped toward him. "You..."
Gideon Blackburn took a sip of water, his throat working. He turned those blue eyes on her. The intensity was physical, like a weight on her chest.
"You're not the bodyguard," she said, her voice trembling.
"No," he said. His voice was smooth now, the pain from the migraine gone, leaving only authority.
"And he..." She pointed at Finn.
"Finn Thomas. My COO," Gideon said calmly.
"But... the rumors. The monster. The bald..." Alivia gestured vaguely at Finn's receding hairline.
Finn chuckled. "Hey, I'm sensitive about the hair."
"Why?" Alivia demanded. Anger began to override her fear. "Why the lie?"
"Because I wanted to see who I was buying," Gideon said. He leaned forward, invading her personal space. "And I wanted to see if you were like them."
"And?"
"You're not."
The car slowed, turning into an underground garage in Tribeca. They bypassed the lobby, taking a private elevator that opened directly into a penthouse that spanned the entire 55th floor.
The view was staggering. Manhattan lay spread out below them like a bed of diamonds.
But Gideon didn't look at the view. He backed Alivia up until her legs hit the edge of a velvet sofa.
"Welcome home," he said.
"This is crazy," Alivia shook her head. "I can't... I don't know who you are."
"I told you last night," Gideon stepped closer. He reached out.
Alivia flinched, expecting a blow.
Gideon paused. His jaw tightened. "I will never hit you, Alivia. Do you understand?"
He reached out again, slower this time. His fingers hooked around the stems of her thick, black glasses.
"And you don't need to hide from me."
He pulled the glasses off her face and tossed them onto the sofa.
Alivia felt naked. Exposed. Without the frames, her face was open to him.
Gideon stared at her. His gaze dropped to her mouth, then back to her eyes.
"I am Gideon Blackburn," he said, his voice low and rough. "I am your husband. And in this house, there is only one rule."
He placed his hands on the sofa back, caging her in.
"Never lie to me."
Alivia looked up at him, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs. This man was dangerous. More dangerous than the monster she had imagined, because the monster she could hate.
This man... this man she could want.
"I won't," she whispered.
"Good." Gideon pushed off the sofa. "Alfred will show you to your room. Dinner is at eight."
He turned and walked toward a set of double doors, his stride long and commanding.
Alivia let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, her knees finally giving way as she sank onto the velvet cushions.
