Gideon said, rubbing the small
of his back.
I saw plenty when you
kissed him. Hannah’s gaze wandered from Gideon’s lips to his torso. God, he was gorgeous.
Even grumpy and disheveled, he could turn her bones to liquid. “You didn’t seem
to have trouble carrying him, even up the stairs,” she said quickly, trying to
head off her own thoughts.
Gideon shrugged. “I’m a bouncer at one of the most popular clubs
in the city. It’s in my job description.” He rubbed his eyes tiredly. “And I
work out a lot. Keeps my mind occupied.”
“You work too hard.”
He shrugged again. “If I didn’t, I couldn’t handle the drunks as
easily. And my size intimidates people. It cuts down on the number of fights I
have to break up.”
Hannah made a face, thinking of the boozed up men they both had to
deal with at the bar. Whatever. “Eric and Johnny are going to wonder where we
are.”
“I’ll text them.” Gideon pulled out his cell phone.
She watched him type in a message, mentally sighing. Nothing she
could do about missing work now. Alaric lay slumped and still on her couch as
if someone had sucked out his soul.
“He’s still out cold. What’s wrong with him?” She reached out to
touch his face, then pulled back before her fingertips made contact. What was
she thinking, touching a strange man like that? But he kissed you, she thought,
confused. He didn’t feel like a stranger to her. He’d kissed Gideon too. Maybe
he got off on kissing random people. She went over the past half hour in her head. For a few minutes, I could feel Alaric’s
emotions. He felt aroused. Angry. Not a casual man at all.
“He’s not what you think he is,” Gideon said slowly. “He’s not
safe. Not even close.”
No kidding . “Yeah. I already figured that one
out on my own.”
Gideon glanced at her and examined her apartment more closely. “We
probably shouldn’t have come here.” He stared at the door next to her bed.
She’d attached an antique wrought-iron hook to the top and hung her fluffy pink
bathrobe from it.
“That’s not an exit. It’s just my bathroom.”
“I figured.” He stood up and paced to her kitchen, opening cupboards
and closing them again, seemingly at random.
“What are you doing?”
Gideon sighed and stopped messing with her cabinets. “He’s not a
man.” He closed the cupboard door and walked back over to the sofa, staring
down at Alaric with an indecipherable expression on his face.
Hannah frowned and took in Alaric’s strong form. His leather
jacket had fallen open, showing a tight sweater clinging to defined muscles.
His jeans hugged his hips and she licked her lips, suddenly remembering what it
had felt like to kiss him. He looked terribly pale, though, and she was
worried.
“He certainly looks like a man to me,” she said, finally tearing
her gaze away. Her attention landed on Gideon. He’d taken off his hoodie. He wore
his usual uniform, a Club Trinity’s security t-shirt. Her eyes trailed down his
muscular arms and she blushed, remembering how all the girls in high school
used to talk about Father Keegan’s physique. Even under the formal clothes he
wore as a teacher, his body had obviously been in shape, though she had to
admit, she hadn’t known he was this ripped during her student days. “You must
lift a lot,” she said, like an idiot.
“Yeah. Like I said before, it keeps my brain occupied.” He looked
like he wanted to smile at her, but couldn’t quite manage it. “It was a hobby,
before. When I was just a teacher, it filled my spare time. Now…” He trailed
off, frowning as he looked back down at Alaric.
“He doesn’t look very good. Maybe we should have taken him to the
hospital,” she said, not sure what to do. “I can get some water. Maybe that
will help.” She turned toward her kitchen, but Gideon grabbed her arm before
she could move.
“Believe me, a hospital won’t help him. Neither will water.”
Her skin tingled where his fingers held
of his back.
I saw plenty when you
kissed him. Hannah’s gaze wandered from Gideon’s lips to his torso. God, he was gorgeous.
Even grumpy and disheveled, he could turn her bones to liquid. “You didn’t seem
to have trouble carrying him, even up the stairs,” she said quickly, trying to
head off her own thoughts.
Gideon shrugged. “I’m a bouncer at one of the most popular clubs
in the city. It’s in my job description.” He rubbed his eyes tiredly. “And I
work out a lot. Keeps my mind occupied.”
“You work too hard.”
He shrugged again. “If I didn’t, I couldn’t handle the drunks as
easily. And my size intimidates people. It cuts down on the number of fights I
have to break up.”
Hannah made a face, thinking of the boozed up men they both had to
deal with at the bar. Whatever. “Eric and Johnny are going to wonder where we
are.”
“I’ll text them.” Gideon pulled out his cell phone.
She watched him type in a message, mentally sighing. Nothing she
could do about missing work now. Alaric lay slumped and still on her couch as
if someone had sucked out his soul.
“He’s still out cold. What’s wrong with him?” She reached out to
touch his face, then pulled back before her fingertips made contact. What was
she thinking, touching a strange man like that? But he kissed you, she thought,
confused. He didn’t feel like a stranger to her. He’d kissed Gideon too. Maybe
he got off on kissing random people. She went over the past half hour in her head. For a few minutes, I could feel Alaric’s
emotions. He felt aroused. Angry. Not a casual man at all.
“He’s not what you think he is,” Gideon said slowly. “He’s not
safe. Not even close.”
No kidding . “Yeah. I already figured that one
out on my own.”
Gideon glanced at her and examined her apartment more closely. “We
probably shouldn’t have come here.” He stared at the door next to her bed.
She’d attached an antique wrought-iron hook to the top and hung her fluffy pink
bathrobe from it.
“That’s not an exit. It’s just my bathroom.”
“I figured.” He stood up and paced to her kitchen, opening cupboards
and closing them again, seemingly at random.
“What are you doing?”
Gideon sighed and stopped messing with her cabinets. “He’s not a
man.” He closed the cupboard door and walked back over to the sofa, staring
down at Alaric with an indecipherable expression on his face.
Hannah frowned and took in Alaric’s strong form. His leather
jacket had fallen open, showing a tight sweater clinging to defined muscles.
His jeans hugged his hips and she licked her lips, suddenly remembering what it
had felt like to kiss him. He looked terribly pale, though, and she was
worried.
“He certainly looks like a man to me,” she said, finally tearing
her gaze away. Her attention landed on Gideon. He’d taken off his hoodie. He wore
his usual uniform, a Club Trinity’s security t-shirt. Her eyes trailed down his
muscular arms and she blushed, remembering how all the girls in high school
used to talk about Father Keegan’s physique. Even under the formal clothes he
wore as a teacher, his body had obviously been in shape, though she had to
admit, she hadn’t known he was this ripped during her student days. “You must
lift a lot,” she said, like an idiot.
“Yeah. Like I said before, it keeps my brain occupied.” He looked
like he wanted to smile at her, but couldn’t quite manage it. “It was a hobby,
before. When I was just a teacher, it filled my spare time. Now…” He trailed
off, frowning as he looked back down at Alaric.
“He doesn’t look very good. Maybe we should have taken him to the
hospital,” she said, not sure what to do. “I can get some water. Maybe that
will help.” She turned toward her kitchen, but Gideon grabbed her arm before
she could move.
“Believe me, a hospital won’t help him. Neither will water.”
Her skin tingled where his fingers held
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