LOGINLaura still found herself instinctively thinking of Phoebe as Connor's wife. And when she accidentally addressed Phoebe as "Mrs. Russell", Connor had never corrected her.She tried her best to catch herself, though.What puzzled her most was how, after the divorce, Connor's food preferences became less extreme. He used to be super picky, but he now puts up with anything that wasn't downright horrible.Of course, anything that was expected of Laura, she still needed to do. Connor was in the study; she made him a cup of tea.When she pushed the door open, she found him turning a beautiful pine-tree glass over in his hands. It jogged her memory at once. It was the glass Phoebe had smashed in two. Connor had sent it for restoration and now kept it here in his study.He only noticed Laura when she set the tea on his desk. He frowned. "Why didn't you knock?""I-I did," she stammered.His frown deepened, and his expression darkened. He set the glass down and picked up the teacup instea
Being with Gideon made Phoebe understand that she'd never really dated before.In a real relationship, one was supposed to be able to say when they were happy and when they were hurt. They weren't supposed to swallow everything because they were afraid the other person wouldn't respond at all.Because Gideon always responded to her. He gave her the comfort and reassurance that she needed as fast as he could. In this relationship, Phoebe had gotten to know herself better and seen just how emotionally closed off she'd been in the past.She'd never said these things out loud before, but under Gideon's gently nudging and encouragement, she finally took that step. She looked into his eyes and said, "Fine. I was staking my claim."Once she said it, she let out a long breath. Honestly, saying it felt pretty good, so she added, "I wanted Jacqueline to know that you're mine. It's fine if she has a crush on you, but that's all it can ever be because I'm not going to let her take you from me.
Gideon fell silent for a beat. Then, he took Phoebe's hand and pulled her up from the couch. "Are you really going to be this bad to me?"Phoebe shot back, "Yes, I am!"He grabbed her other hand and slid them both around him to rest behind his waist, taking the chance to wrap his arms around her as well. He slowly stroked her back in a blatant invitation. "Come on, then. Show me just how bad you can be."Her skin was nowhere near as thick as his. The fact that someone normally so proper was suddenly saying such shameless things made it even harder to handle. She buried her face in his chest and pinched his back.He chuckled and just held her for a while. "I can't bear to leave you. Don't kick me out, okay?"She burrowed even deeper against him. After a moment, she lifted her head. "Bend down."He obediently dipped his head.Phoebe cupped Gideon's face in both hands, her gaze dropping to his lips. She rose on tiptoe and kissed his soft lips. Whenever they were pressed against her
Gideon had just gotten what he wanted, so he was now on his best behavior and saying exactly what Phoebe wanted to hear. "Don't worry. I won't do anything."Right now, he'd pulled himself back into that proper, ascetic mode she knew so well—the clean, controlled version of him, cool and restrained. An air of abstinence was written all over him. His attention was focused entirely on her wrist and forearm as he carefully massaged them.No matter what he did, that steady, composed presence of his made others feel like they could rely on him. But just now…Damn. Phoebe really did like that other side of Gideon, but he'd definitely blown past what she thought she could handle.She stared at him, unconvinced. "I don't think I can just take your word for it."Gideon actually thought about it seriously, then gave her an answer. "I can control how long it takes."She shot back, "And did you do that just now?"He said casually, "You were helping me, and I got excited. If I handle it mysel
Phoebe pointed at Gideon and warned, "Don't you dare make fun of me."Her tone was meant to be stern, but she was in such a good mood that it came out more like a playful whine. That only made her face turn redder.Gideon didn't say a single word. He just pulled her close and lowered his head to seal her lips with his. The kiss was wild, and they tumbled all the way to the couch.She ended up pinned beneath him. She could clearly feel him losing control, which only thrilled her more. So, he really did have a weakness for her acting cutesy.His hand slid under the hem of her shirt. He kneaded and pressed; his grip wasn't exactly gentle. His lips brushed her ear as he murmured, voice low and rough, "Can I kiss you there?"Phoebe's eyes flew open when she heard how deep his voice had gone. His gaze was so scorching that it made her whole body go weak. She cupped his face, her fingertip tracing over his lips. She liked Gideon—really liked him. And so, even though she was scared, she c
Phoebe felt like she'd been struck by lightning again. This time, the bolt was even worse. She went rigid and stammered, "T-That's impossible. Isn't it?"Gideon was clearly in a great mood; he radiated it from head to toe. He said huskily, "Doesn't happen every day."Then, he deliberately added, "You've been extra clingy since we got home."Phoebe followed his train of thought. Ever since they'd gotten home, she'd been wrapped around him, stuck to him like a conjoined twin. Thinking back on it now…She suddenly felt so embarrassed that her cheeks burned. She muttered stubbornly, "I wasn't being clingy."But the more she denied it, the less confident she sounded. The clinginess was just what it looked like on the surface. The truth was, she really relied on Gideon.Normally, she would never act like this. Most of the time, she just went along with what he wanted. He was the one who loved being intimate and loved kissing her everywhere.So… was this technically all thanks to Geral
Phoebe didn't doubt Gideon for a second. She remarked, "What a coincidence, then."She had actually been worried earlier when Connor came storming back. She thought that she might not get away from him. She was relieved that Gideon had shown up when he did.They chatted a little more, and Gideon's
The clerk had just been thinking that Connor and Phoebe felt nothing for each other when they started tearing into each other mere seconds later. Their demeanor was so fierce that the atmosphere grew oppressive, and the people in line behind them instinctively took a step back.The clerk rushed thr
The reason Phoebe and Gideon had managed to get along peacefully until now was entirely due to him actively tolerating her. It had nothing to do with who the secretary was. If it were anyone else in the role, he would've done the same.When two people genuinely couldn't get along, they didn't have
Phoebe instinctively took a step back.Connor stormed over to her, seized her wrist in a vise grip, and roared, "Am I your fucking toy, Phoebe? You fall for me, so you have to marry me. You fall out of love, so you kick me to the curb. Who the hell gave you the right to treat me like that?"Her mi







