Chapter 217

"Come in for a bit," Gideon said. "Even just 15 or 20 minutes." Giselle avoided his eyes. "I already promised my staff I'd be at a meeting. It's important, and I'm running late as it is." "Then I'll go with you and drop you off at the shop," he pressed. "No need. It's almost rush hour, and traffic will be bad. I'm more concerned about your injury. It's not good for you to be running around. And I just overheard your call earlier. You've got company matters to deal with. Don't let me hold you up." Gideon's expression dimmed. "We're already talking about marriage, yet you're still this polite with me, like we're strangers." He reached for her hand, fingers closing around her slender ones, his gaze intent. "Before I met you, I was never afraid of anything. Not when my mother died. Not when my foster parents abandoned me. But meeting you after more than 20 years… for the first time, I'm afraid. I'm afraid of losing you, even though, truth be told, I never really had you." When a man