Entwined With You

to leave. “You know what your wife told me once? She said you’re indifferent. Instead of waiting for her to come back, you should just take her back. I think that’s what she wants.”
    He stood when I did, standing over me. “She has chased Cross. I do not think a woman who chases will find a man chasing her attractive.”
    “I don’t know about that.” I pulled a twenty out of my pocket and set it on the table, despite his scowl at the sight of it. “She said yes when you asked her to marry you, didn’t she? Whatever you did before, do it again. Good-bye, Jean-François.”
    He opened his mouth to speak, but I was already halfway out the door.
    A NGUS was waiting beside the Bentley when I exited the wine bar.
    “Would you like to go home, Mrs. Cross?” he asked, as I slipped into the back.
    His greeting made me grin. Combined with my recent conversation with Giroux, it sparked an idea. “Actually, I’d like to make a stop, if you don’t mind.”
    “Not at all.”
    I gave him directions, then sat back and relished the building anticipation.
    I T was half past six when I was ready to call it a day, but when I asked Angus where Gideon was, I learned he was still in his office.
    “Will you take me to him?” I asked.
    “Of course.”
    Returning to the Crossfire after hours was weird. Although there were still people moving through the lobby, it had a different feel from the daytime. When I reached the top floor, I found the glass security doors to Cross Industries propped open and a cleaning crew at work emptying trash cans, wiping down the glass, and vacuuming.
    I headed directly to Gideon’s office, noting the number of empty desks, which included that of Scott, his assistant. Gideon stood behind his, an earpiece in his ear, and his jacket hung on the coat rack in the corner. His hands were on his hips and he was talking, his lips moving rapidly and his face a mask of concentration.
    The wall across from him was covered in flat screens streaming news from around the world. To the right of that was a bar with jeweled decanters on lighted glass shelves that were the only spot of color in the office’s cool palette of black, white, and gray. Three distinct seating areas offered comfortable spaces for less formal meetings, while Gideon’s black desk was a miracle of modern technology, serving as the conduit for all the electronics in the room.
    Surrounded by his expensive toys, my husband looked nothing short of edible. The beautifully tailored lines of his vest and pants showed off the perfection of his body, and the sight of him at his command center, wielding the power that had built his empire, did crazy things to my heart. The floor-to-ceiling windows that surrounded him on two sides allowed the view of the city to make an imposing backdrop, yet the vista didn’t diminish him in any way.
    Gideon was master of all he surveyed, and it showed.
    Reaching into my purse, I unzipped the small pocket and drew out the rings inside it, slipping mine on. Then I stepped closer to the glass wall and double doors that separated him from everyone else.
    Hishead swiveled toward me and his gaze heated at the sight of me. He hit a button on his desk, and the double doors swung open automatically. A moment later, the glass turned opaque, ensuring that no one lingering in the office would be able to see us.
    I went in.
    “I agree,” he said, to whomever he was talking to. “Get it done and report back to me.”
    As he pulled off his earpiece and dropped it on his desk, his gaze never left me. “You’re a welcome surprise, angel. Tell me about your meeting with Giroux.”
    I shrugged. “How did you know?”
    His mouth tilted up on one side and he shot me a look that said,
Really? You’re going to ask?
    “Are you here for a while?” I queried.
    “I have a conference call with the Japanese division in half an hour, then I’m done. We’ll go to dinner afterward.”
    “Let’s get something to take home and eat with Cary. He’s having a baby.”
    Gideon’s brows shot up. “Come again?”
    “Well, he might be having a baby.” I sighed. “He’s messed up over it and I want to be there for him. Plus, he should get used to having you around again.”
    He raked me with an assessing glance. “You’re messed up over it, too. Come here.” He rounded the desk and opened his arms. “Let me hold you.”
    I dropped my purse on the floor, kicked off my heels, and walked right into him. His arms came around