Reflected in You: A Crossfire Novel

lips softly to mine. “Don’t you know, angel?” he breathed. “There’s no one I trust more.”
    Sliding my arms beneath his jacket, I hugged him, soaking up the warmth of his lean, hard body. I couldn’t help but worry that we were beginning to drift from one another.
    Gideon pressed the advantage, his tongue dipping into my mouth, lightly touching and teasing mine with velvet licks. Deceptively unhurried. I sought a deeper contact, needing more. Always more. Hating that aside from this, he gave me so little of himself.
    He groaned into my mouth, an erotic sound of pleasure and need that vibrated through me. Tilting his head, he sealed those beautifully sculpted lips over mine. The kiss deepened, our tongues stroking, our breaths quickening.
    The arm he’d banded beneath my back tightened, pulling me closer. His other hand slid beneath my shirt, cradling my spine in his warm palm. His fingertips flexed, gentling me even as the kiss grew wild. I arched into the caress, needing the reassurance of his touch against my bare skin.
    “Gideon . . .” For the first time, our physical closeness wasn’t enough to calm the desperate wanting inside me.
    “Shh,” he soothed. “I’m here. Not going anywhere.”
    Closing my eyes, I buried my face in his neck, wondering if we’d both be too stubborn and stay, even if it turned out that it would be best to let go.

Chapter 4
     
    I woke with a cry that was muffled by the sweaty palm mashed over my mouth. A crushing weight cut off my air as another hand shoved up beneath my nightgown, groping and bruising. Panic gripped me and I thrashed, my legs kicking frantically.
    No . . . Please, no . . . No more. Not again.
    Panting like a dog, Nathan yanked my legs apart. The hard thing between his legs poked blindly, ramming into my inner thigh. I fought, my lungs burning, but he was so strong. I couldn’t buck him off. I couldn’t get away.
    Stop it! Get off me. Don’t touch me. Oh, God . . . please don’t do that to me . . . don’t hurt me . . .
    Ma-ma!
    Nathan’s hand pressed down on me, squashing my head into the pillow. The more I struggled, the more excited he became. Gasping horrible, nasty words in my ear, he found the tender spot between my legs and shoved into me, groaning. I froze, locking in a vise of horrendous pain.
    “Yeah,” he grunted. “. . . like it once it’s in you . . . hot little slut . . . you like it . . .”
    I couldn’t breathe, my lungs shuddering with sobs, my nostrils plugged by the heel of his palm. Spots danced before my eyes; my chest burned. I fought again . . . needing air . . . desperate for air—
    “Eva! Wake up!”
    My eyes snapped open at the barked command. I heaved myself away from the hands gripping my biceps, gaining my freedom. I clawed away . . . fighting the sheets that bound my legs . . . tumbling down . . .
    The jolting impact of hitting the floor woke me fully, and an awful sound of pain and fear scraped up through my throat.
    “Christ! Eva, damn it. Don’t hurt yourself!”
    I sucked in air with deep gulps and scrambled toward the bathroom on all fours.
    Gideon scooped me up and gripped me to his chest. “Eva.”
    “Sick,” I gasped, slapping a hand over my mouth as my stomach roiled.
    “I’ve got you,” he said grimly, carrying me with brisk, powerful strides. He took me to the toilet and tossed up the seat. Kneeling beside me, he held my hair back as I heaved, his warm hand stroking up and down my spine.
    “Shh . . . angel,” he murmured, over and over. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”
    When my stomach was empty, I flushed the toilet and rested my sweat-drenched face on my forearm, trying to focus on anything but the remnants of my dream.
    “Baby girl.”
    I turned my head to find Cary standing in the threshold of my bathroom, his handsome face marred by a frown. He was fully dressed in loose jeans and a henley, which made me aware that Gideon was fully dressed, too. He’d lost the suit earlier when we’d first come back to my apartment, but he wasn’t wearing the sweats he had put on then. Instead he was in jeans and a black T-shirt.
    Disoriented by their appearances, I glanced at my watch and saw it was just after midnight. “What are you guys doing?”
    “I was just coming in,” Cary said. “And caught up with Cross on his way up.”
    I looked at Gideon, whose concerned frown matched my roommate’s. “You went out?”
    Gideon helped me to my