Bared to You

Rolling Stone,
maybe?”
“I can live with that.” He extended his arm to me.
“Would you like to dance?”
I glanced over to where Gideon was standing at
the foot of the stairs that led to the stage. He was
surrounded by people eager to talk to him, many
of whom were women.
“You can see he’ll be awhile,” Christopher said,
with a note of amusement.
“Yes.” I was about to look away when I
recognized the woman standing next to Gideon—
Magdalene Perez.
I picked up my clutch and managed a smile for
Christopher. “I’d love to dance.”
Arm-in-arm we headed into the ballroom and
stepped onto the dance floor. The band began the
first strains of a waltz and we moved easily,
naturally into the music. He was a skilled dancer,
agile and confident in his lead.

---

“So, how do you know Gideon?”
“I don’t.” I nodded at Cary when he glided by
with a statuesque blonde. “I work in the Crossfire
and we’ve run into each other once or twice.”
“You work for him?”
“No. I’m an assistant at Waters Field and
Leaman.”
“Ah.” He grinned. “Ad agency.”
“Yes.”
“Gideon must really be into you to go from
meeting you once or twice to dragging you out on
a date like this.”
I cursed inwardly. I’d known assumptions would
be made, but I wanted more than ever to avoid
further humiliation. “Gideon’s acquainted with my
mother and she’d already arranged for me to
come, so it’s just a matter of two people going to
the same event in one car rather than two.”
“So you’re available?”
I took a deep breath, feeling uncomfortable
despite how fluidly we moved together. “Well, I’m
not taken.”
Christopher flashed his charismatic boyish grin.
“My night just took a turn for the better.”
He filled the rest of the dance with amusing
anecdotes about the music industry that made me
laugh and took my mind off Gideon.
When the dance ended, Cary was there to take
the next one. We danced very well as a couple
because we’d taken lessons together. I relaxed
into his hold, grateful to have him as moral
support.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” I asked him.
“I pinched myself during dinner when I realized I
was sitting next to the top coordinator for Fashion
Week. And she flirted with me!” He smiled, but his
eyes were haunted. “Whenever I find myself in
places like this…dressed like this…I can’t believe

---

it. You saved my life, Eva. Then you changed it
completely.”
“You save my sanity all the time. Trust me, we’re
even.”
His hand tightened on mine, his gaze
hardening. “You look miserable. How’d he fuck
up?”
“I think I did that. We’ll talk about it later.”
“You’re afraid I’ll kick his ass here in front of
everyone.”
I sighed. “I’d rather you didn’t, for my mom’s
sake.”
Cary pressed his lips briefly to my forehead. “I
warned him earlier. He knows it’s coming.”
“Oh, Cary.” Love for him tightened my throat
even as reluctant amusement curved my lips. I
should’ve known Cary would give Gideon a big
brother threat of some sort. That was just so like
him.
Gideon appeared beside us. “I’m cutting in.”
It wasn’t a request.
Cary stopped and looked at me. I nodded. He
backed away with a bow, his gaze hot and fierce
on Gideon’s face.
Gideon pulled me close and took over the
dance the way he took over everything—with
dominant confidence. It was an entirely different
experience dancing with him than with my two
previous partners. Gideon had both the expertise
of his brother and Cary’s familiarity with the way
my body moved, but Gideon had a bold,
aggressive style that was inherently sexual.
It didn’t help that being so close to a man I’d so
recently been intimate with seduced my senses
despite 
my 
unhappiness. 
He 
smelled
scrumptious, with undertones of sex, and the way
he led me through the bold sweeping steps made
me feel the soreness deep inside me, reminding

---

me that he’d been there not long ago.
“You keep running off,” he muttered, scowling
down at me.
“Seemed like Magdalene picked up the slack
quick enough.”
His brow arched and he drew me closer.
“Jealous?”
“Seriously?” I looked away.
He made a frustrated noise. “Stay away from
my brother, Eva.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
My temper ignited, which felt good after all the
self-recrimination and doubts I’d been drowning in
since we’d screwed like feral bunnies. I decided
to see if turnabout was fair play in Gideon Cross’s
world. “Stay away from Magdalene, Gideon.”
His jaw tightened. “She’s just a friend.”
“Meaning you haven’t slept with her…? Yet.”
“No, damn it. And I don’t want to. Listen—” The
music wound down and he slowed. “I have to go. I
brought you here, and I would prefer to be the one
who takes you home, but I don’t want to pull you
away if you’re enjoying yourself. Would you rather
stick around and go home with Stanton and your
mother?”
Enjoying myself? Was he kidding or clueless?
Or worse. Maybe he’d written me off so
completely that he wasn’t paying attention to me
at all.
I pushed away from him, needing the distance.
His scent was messing with my head. “I’ll be fine.
Forget about me.”
“Eva.” He reached for me and I stepped back
quickly.
An arm came around my back and Cary spoke.
“I’ve got her, Cross.”
“Don’t get in my way, Taylor,” Gideon warned.

---

Cary snorted. “I get the impression you’re doing
a smokin’ job of that all by yourself.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “You
gave a wonderful speech, Gideon. It was the
highlight of my evening.”
He sucked in a sharp breath at the implied
insult; then shoved a hand through his hair.
Abruptly, he cursed and I realized why when he
pulled his vibrating phone out of his pocket and
glanced at the screen.
“I have to go.” His gaze caught mine and held it.
His fingertips drifted over my cheek. “I’ll call you.”
And then he was gone.
“Do you want to stay?” Cary asked quietly.
“No.”
“I’ll take you home, then.”
“No, don’t.” I wanted to be alone for a bit. Soak
in a hot bath with a bottle of cool wine and pull
myself out of my funk. “You should be here. It could
be good for your career. We can talk when you
get home. Or tomorrow. I’m going the couch
potato route all day.”
His gaze darted over my face, searching. “You
sure?”
I nodded.
“All right.” But he looked unconvinced.
“If you could go out and ask a valet to have
Stanton’s limo brought around, I’ll run to the ladies’
room real quick.”
“Okay.” Cary ran his hand down my arm. “I’ll get
your shawl from the coatroom and see you out
front.”
It took longer to get to the restroom than it
should have. For one, a surprising number of
people stopped me for small talk, which had to be
because I was Gideon Cross’s date. And two, I
avoided the nearest ladies’ room, which had a
steady flow of women pouring in and out of it, and

---

I found one located farther away. I locked myself in
a stall and took a few moments longer to finish my
business than absolutely required. There was no
one else in the room besides the attendant, so
there was no one to rush me.
I was so hurt by Gideon it was hard to breathe
and I was so confused by his mood swings. Why
had he touched my face like that? Why had he
gotten mad when I didn’t stay by his side? And
why the hell had he threatened Cary? Gideon
gave new meaning to the old adage about
“running hot and cold.”
Closing my eyes, I shored up my composure.
Jesus.
I didn’t need this.
I’d bared my emotions in the limo and I still felt
horribly vulnerable—a state I’d spent countless
therapy hours learning to avoid. I wanted nothing
more than to be home and hidden, freed from the
pressure of acting like I was completely pulled
together when I was anything but.