Chapter 4

Sitting there, surrounded by this chocolatey luxury and nibbling on fresh strawberries, the rich sweetness lingered in my mouth.

Suddenly, a random thought struck me. Maybe happiness really was about savoring the simplest things in life.

"Do you mind?" Gideon asked out of nowhere.

His striking, icy gaze lingered on me, the cigarette between his slender fingers sending a faint, bitter aroma into the air.

I sat there dumbfounded for a while before it finally hit me. He was asking if I minded him smoking.

"Smoking isn't good for you," I said firmly, setting the strawberry down.

Gideon smiled, and…