Chapter 52

“It is. But it’s not about you.”

Everything in him tightened when Gideon closed the rest of the distance to perch on the corner of his desk. “Then what is it?”

“That your skin still reeked of her burnt flesh yesterday, yet I still would have kissed you without a second thought.”

Gideon’s head bowed, and Jess was grateful for the momentary reprieve from his steady regard. “I did what I had to do, Jess. You know that.”

“And I don’t blame you for that. I don’t. But I can’t stop thinking about it. It feels like there was a line that I didn’t even know about until I crossed it.” And what would Michelle think if she knew of this conversation? Would she claim this wasn’t going to be the first line he would cross?

That brought Gideon’s attention back to him. “What makes you think you did? You didn’t touch Tricia. You even stepped up to help her.”