A YEAR AFTER THE FIRE AT LIFE’S A STITCH

I pressed on the accelerator and felt the extra weight of my car shift as we sped up. My now armor-plated car with bulletproof glass and extra bull bars front and back. Apparently, they’d had to rebuild the engine and improve the suspension to account for all the extra weight.

Flicking a glance at my husband, I arched a brow. “This seems like a lot. It feels like I’m driving a tank.”

“You’re doing great.”

“I know I’m doing great,” I replied. “But I don’t think anyone’s going to shoot me with a bazooka in Marswood Harbor.”

“Just keep going and park outside your shop.”

“Gideon.”

“I need you to be safe, Sadie.” He said it quietly, but I heard how important it was to him. Henry was in prison, but we were still awaiting his trial. The justice system was moving too slowly, and we were both still skittish after what had happened. This car was a reminder of how close I’d come to disaster.

Despite myself, knowing that I had my own tank to drive around town made me feel better. Gideon had given me that.

“Call it a belated wedding gift,” he said.

“I think this is a gift to yourself.”

In my peripheral vision, I saw the twitch of his lips. “Maybe,” he conceded.

I drove onto Main Street and turned up the hill. The engine handled the extra strain beautifully, and we climbed up toward what used to be Life’s a Stitch. I parked outside the glass-fronted shop, my eyes lingering on the new sign proclaiming it the headquarters of Sadie Bridal. My name in cursive font for everyone to see.

“Ready?” Gideon asked, glancing over at me.

I smiled at my husband and reached over to tangle my fingers with his. He brought my hand to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss there, his eyes full of warmth. I couldn’t believe I’d thought him cold when I first met him. Guarded, yes. Slow to trust, of course. But cold? Gideon was as far from frigid as a man could get.

And when he looked at me like that, it made me feel very, very hot. My thighs clenched, but I forced myself to turn toward my shop. The building had been reconstructed after the fire, and there was no sign of the charred husk that used to sit here.

“Go on,” Gideon murmured.

Throat tight, I slipped my hand out of his and slipped out of the car. Despite the weight of the armor plating, the door was easy to shut with a flick of my wrist, and I stood on the pavement to take in the newly renovated space.

Through the big windows, I could see beautiful hardwood floors and white walls. A small dais had been built in front of angled mirrors, with a reception desk in its original position. My heart thundered. I couldn’t wait to get inside.

The jangling of keys made me look at Gideon. He held up a keyring and smiled as I reached for it. Unable to resist, I tilted my chin toward him and sighed when he pressed a kiss against my lips. His hand came up to stroke my cheek, and I melted against him.

“Thank you for everything,” I whispered, throat tight. Gideon had taken the lead on the renovations. He’d liaised with the insurance company and made sure I was getting exactly what I wanted in the space. And as I unlocked the door and heard a steady beep, I realized he’d gotten exactly what he wanted too.

“The code is 0-7-0-6,” he said as he flipped a plastic piece down to reveal a keypad on the alarm panel. “Press the numbers, then OK.”

I pressed the code and stopped the alarm, then glanced up at him. “Our wedding date,” I whispered.

He smiled. “We’ll have to change it to something more secure, but…”

“It seemed right,” I finished. Warmth flooded my chest, and I inhaled the scent of fresh paint and new flooring. I turned to take in the space, clasping my keys against my chest as tears sprung into my eyes. “Gideon,” I breathed. “I can’t believe it.”

“The couch you ordered will be delivered this week,” he said, nodding to the corner of space behind the dais. “I didn’t set up your gear because I figured you’d want to do it yourself.”

I walked over to the big worktable on the far side of the room, in front of the windows where the light streamed in. My sewing machine was in its box, and stacks of fabric I’d ordered waited for me in their packaging.

My business was reborn.

After everything I’d been through, I had my fresh start. I turned and crashed into Gideon’s chest, unable to hold back my tears. I’d already had two enquiries this week after announcing my business was reopening, and I knew that my wedding dress retreat idea would take off. Ida had already talked to her lawyer about setting up a formal business partnership.

Gideon’s arms came around me, and I was surrounded by warmth and safety and him. I cried against the fabric of his black shirt, clinging to his shoulders, letting his hands coast up and down my spine as I tried to pull myself together.

“I hate it when you cry,” he rumbled when I’d quieted down.

“I can’t help it sometimes.” I looked up, and Gideon smiled softly. His thumb brushed away the last of my tears, and then he kissed the wet tracks they’d left behind.

“Let me show you the rest,” he said, tugging me toward the back of the space. Two doors were set into the back wall. The first opened onto a big, luxurious bathroom that future brides would love. The whole experience of coming into the shop would be exclusive and special. I couldn’t wait to decorate the space and finally open the doors.

“I love it,” I said, trailing my fingers over the white marble vanity.

“There’s more,” Gideon said, and he led me through the second door. I followed him across the threshold—and stopped short.

It was a mini Marswood Security command center. Screens lined the far wall, showing security footage of every single angle of the building, inside and out.

I planted my hands on my hips. “Gideon.”

“We have motion-activated alerts set up for non-business hours, so we’ll know if anything moves in the vicinity after hours. HD cameras, night vision, and sensors that detect smoke, gas, and temperature fluctuations. We’ll set up the smartphone app so you’ll have access to everything. I have a backup battery, so even if the power gets cut off, your system will remain active. The guys have you on continuous monitoring, so we’ll know if anything happens.”

“Gideon,” I said, “That’s creepy.” I stared at the bird’s eye view of myself in one of the monitors, then turned to the corner of the room to see a tiny camera.

“Let me show you how this works,” he said. “Once you arm the system, these sensors go live,” he said, sliding into the rolling office chair and tapping on the keyboard to bring up a dashboard. “There are three settings. Disarmed, Armed, and Work. The work setting is for when you’re here alone.”

I put a hand on his shoulder and listened intently as he walked me through the most high-tech security system I’d ever encountered. This thing could protect a vault of jewels. It was completely over the top.

And…I loved it.

I loved it because I knew that no matter what, Gideon had my back. He would recruit whatever resources he needed to keep me safe. And he wasn’t locking me away in a high tower to do it; he was facilitating the growth of my business. He was encouraging me to grow and pursue what I wanted, making sure I was as safe as could be while I did it.

This man had a heart of pure, twenty-four-carat gold. I was as head-over-heels in love with him as I’d been from the start.

“Any questions?” Gideon asked, glancing up. His eyes were very blue, very earnest, and very serious. My heart squeezed and thumped like a writhing fish on the shore.

I slid my fingers along his jaw, feeling the ridges of the scarred skin on his left side. I traced his lips and watched his eyelids flutter shut. I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I love you,” I murmured.

His hands slid over my hips, squeezed, and then released. He stood up and kissed me, then nodded to the chair. “Sit down,” he said. “I’ll show you how everything works.”

“Sure,” I said, “but there’s something I want to do first.”

I could tell he was suspicious of me, and it made me smile wide and bright. I went up on my tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, then lowered myself back down to my heels. He watched me, brows drawn slightly. I couldn’t help the laugh that slipped from my lips.

And then I sank to my knees.

Gideon groaned. “Sadie,” he said, but he didn’t stop me as I unbuttoned his pants and slid the zipper down.

“I’m saying thank you,” I chided.

“You don’t have to thank me for doing what any husband would do.”

I snorted. As if any husband would do all this. Wrap me up in his protectiveness while still allowing me to chase my dreams. Handle all the paperwork and contractors and hassle so I could focus on designing and finding clients.

Reaching into his boxer briefs, I ran my hand along his cock. He groaned again, fingers tangling into my hair. I looked up at him, watching his lids drop down, his eyes glittering with need.

“You’re so pretty when you’re on your knees in front of me, Sadie.”

I pulled him free of his underwear and licked his tip. “Am I?” I took him into my mouth and shivered at the sound of pure pleasure he made.

“So pretty when you’ve got my cock in your mouth,” he rasped, fingers tightening on my hair. Then he grunted and reached behind me to tap the keyboard on the desk. I glanced up in time to see one of the screens go dark: the bird’s eye view of us in this room.

“Don’t want any of those assholes seeing this,” Gideon said, hand returning to my hair so he could gather it up in a ponytail. He looked down at me, his free hand stroking my cheek. “My perfect, beautiful wife. Suck my cock, baby, and I’ll make it so good for you after.”

It was a promise I believed, but I didn’t need to hear it. I was already wet, already clenching with unmet need. I softened my mouth and took him deeper, and then there was no more talking from Gideon. He only groaned and gasped and moaned until he couldn’t hold back any longer. I swallowed him down, dizzy with desire, as he hooked his hands under my arms and hauled me up to the desk.

My skirt was flipped up, and my underwear provided no resistance. He shoved it aside, and then it was his turn to get on his knees in front of me. I gripped his wild, dark hair and lost myself in the sensation of his tongue and lips and teeth. Gideon didn’t stop until I begged him to, until I was so sensitive my whole body twitched with every touch.

Then he gathered me into his arms and kissed me so I could taste myself on his lips. Pulling away, he held my chin and forced me to look in his eyes. “Now you learn how this system works,” he commanded. “And then we go home and finish what we’ve started.”

I smiled, cheeks flushing with heat, limbs loose with pleasure. “Yes, sir,” I said, noting the darkening of his eyes and the way his hands lingered on my body.

It was only when we were back in the car and on the way home that I realized there was no nervousness inside me. I wasn’t dreading what would happen next—and I hadn’t dreaded sex for a long, long time. Maybe we would explore penetration this afternoon. Maybe we wouldn’t. Sex was fun and free and connective. Whatever happened, I was safe in Gideon’s arms.

My gruff, wounded, wonderful, protective, very hot husband. The love of my life. Mine forever, as I was his. I reached over and slid my palm over his thigh. He dropped his hand over mine, running his thumb over my knuckles.

“I love you,” I murmured.

He lifted my hand and kissed the center of my palm. “Love you more, Sadie,” he said. I wasn’t sure how that could be true, but I believed him all the same.