One Chapter A Day - Re-Read Of Bared and Entwined

[Sheens263]

It is available for pre-order on audible.com -- which is owned by Amazon, by the way.

 

I prefer audible over iTunes for many reasons - larger selection, better prices (if one becomes a member) and greater versatility with the computer download. And audible DOES work on iPods. Don't fall for the mistaken believe that because your MP3 player is an iPod that you must buy all your music and audiobooks from iTunes alone. I buy all mine from audible and Amazon.

thanks LN, will look into that

[Kirsten]

I'm listening to the audio and have just finished the first few chapters. I can't help but wonder if Eva and Gideon hadn't had sex in the limo would he have still run out to attend to Corrine?

[ShazScott1980]

It is available for pre-order on audible.com -- which is owned by Amazon, by the way.

 

I prefer audible over iTunes for many reasons - larger selection, better prices (if one becomes a member) and greater versatility with the computer download. And audible DOES work on iPods. Don't fall for the mistaken believe that because your MP3 player is an iPod that you must buy all your music and audiobooks from iTunes alone. I buy all mine from audible and Amazon.

I've pre ordered my copy of EWY from audible . Co.uk !

All prepared for 4th June

[gabri]

It's Wednesday night (day 19). After witnessing the Cary's "multibody tangle", Gedeon and Eva resume their fighting over Corinne.

"I struggled to get free, but I was too wiped out. Physically. Emotionally. The tears came in a torrent and I couldn't stop them. And I hated crying in front of anyone. "Go away, please."

"I love you, Eva. Of course I do." (Bared to You - Page 326)

THIS is the first time Gedeon says the L-word, and my first thought was "Why does it sound so fake to me? Has he really got the nerve to tell her THAT MUCH just to sooth her?"

Maybe I'm too judgemtal over Gedeon, or I missed some clues (which is much more likely!!)

Then I read this passage in Entwined-Chap. 2 and broke down, literally:

“I’ll say it first: I love you.â€

He closed his eyes and quivered. Wrapping his arms around me, Gideon squeezed so tight I almost couldn’t breathe.

“I love you,†he whispered. “Too much.â€

His fervent declaration reverberated through me. I buried my face in his shoulder and cried.

“Angel.†His fist clenched in my hair.

The words are the same, but the feelings behind them couldn't be more different.

NOW they both know their relationship has achieved a higher level, and it seems they are ready and willing to push it even higher. How could you not love and stand by a man who has put so much at risk for you?

I'm counting down .... still 30 days to go (hopefully less than that!!!!).I don't know how I'll catch up with you, but I'll manage! CIAO!

[LN Cronan]

I'm listening to the audio and have just finished the first few chapters. I can't help but wonder if Eva and Gideon hadn't had sex in the limo would he have still run out to attend to Corrine?

 

No, I don't think he would have. I think his original plan for the night was to have a wonderful time with Eva at the fundraiser and then take her to the hotel afterward, where he'd get her naked but for that diamond ankle bracelet.

 

The headtrip he was on definitely contributed to him being stupid enough to add insult to injury by leaving early. In his defense, he did tell Corrine right away, when he finally talked to her that night, that he had met someone. It's why she ended up cancelling the flight she was already booked to take -- she chickened out. It took her another week or so to work up the courage to go chasing after Gideon herself.

 

I'm guessing Gideon had already started coming off the headtrip by the time he got on the phone with Corrine so she could cry to him and ask him to help her. Gideon probably felt rotten about Eva's parting words to him (his speech had been the highlight of her evening). And dumb as he was about women, he wasn't so stupid as to not known he screwed up. Next day, he sent her roses by Sunday delivery, and he tried everything he could to get her on the telephone. Good for her avoiding the phone. She was still very hurt and wasn't ready to deal with his s*** so she didn't even go there.

[Kirsten]

No, I don't think he would have. I think his original plan for the night was to have a wonderful time with Eva at the fundraiser and then take her to the hotel afterward, where he'd get her naked but for that diamond ankle bracelet.

 

The headtrip he was on definitely contributed to him being stupid enough to add insult to injury by leaving early. In his defense, he did tell Corrine right away, when he finally talked to her that night, that he had met someone. It's why she ended up cancelling the flight she was already booked to take -- she chickened out. It took her another week or so to work up the courage to go chasing after Gideon herself.

 

I'm guessing Gideon had already started coming off the headtrip by the time he got on the phone with Corrine so she could cry to him and ask him to help her. Gideon probably felt rotten about Eva's parting words to him (his speech had been the highlight of her evening). And dumb as he was about women, he wasn't so stupid as to not known he screwed up. Next day, he sent her roses by Sunday delivery, and he tried everything he could to get her on the telephone. Good for her avoiding the phone. She was still very hurt and wasn't ready to deal with his s*** so she didn't even go there.

I have to agree LN. The limo sex was the catalyst for the rest of the evening.

[sscrph]

No, I don't think he would have. I think his original plan for the night was to have a wonderful time with Eva at the fundraiser and then take her to the hotel afterward, where he'd get her naked but for that diamond ankle bracelet.

 

The headtrip he was on definitely contributed to him being stupid enough to add insult to injury by leaving early. In his defense, he did tell Corrine right away, when he finally talked to her that night, that he had met someone. It's why she ended up cancelling the flight she was already booked to take -- she chickened out. It took her another week or so to work up the courage to go chasing after Gideon herself.

 

I'm guessing Gideon had already started coming off the headtrip by the time he got on the phone with Corrine so she could cry to him and ask him to help her. Gideon probably felt rotten about Eva's parting words to him (his speech had been the highlight of her evening). And dumb as he was about women, he wasn't so stupid as to not known he screwed up. Next day, he sent her roses by Sunday delivery, and he tried everything he could to get her on the telephone. Good for her avoiding the phone. She was still very hurt and wasn't ready to deal with his s*** so she didn't even go there.

I just love that part of the story I can't tell you how many times I have read it. And yes LN I agree with your assessment.

[julie54]

It does make me when I read these posts with certain words *#+*^' out. Considering the content of the books. ;)

[julie54]

I'm hoping for a little bit of fun for our couple, if not in this book perhaps the next. There has been such torment and heartbreak, they deserve some happiness, and fun. Just the two of them, or with Steven and Mark, their good fun. When other people get involved there's trouble.

[gabri]

HELLO JULIE,

and I can't tell you how much fun it is to fill in those ****!!! It really puts my vocabulary under a completely different light. If only my English teachers knew!!!! lol

[ShazScott1980]

It does make me when I read these posts with certain words *#+*^' out. Considering the content of the books.

I've copied extracts from the books to put on the forum and laugh that its been ####### to hide the word.

Sylvia wrote it so surely it can go onto her fan forum page !!

Would make interesting reading if in the book the same words were ########!!!!!!

[Kirsten]

We talk about all the lines we love, well in Chapter 21 there is a line I hate and really feel like smacking Gideon upside his head.

 

"Jesus. Will you drop it with Corinne already?" He spread his arms wide. "I'm here with you, aren't I? I barely said good-bye to her because I was chasing after you. Again."

 

Gideon get a effin clue. I was all for Eva's response. Barely said good-bye. You should have barely said hello a**hole.

[sscrph]

We talk about all the lines we love, well in Chapter 21 there is a line I hate and really feel like smacking Gideon upside his head.

 

"Jesus. Will you drop it with Corinne already?" He spread his arms wide. "I'm here with you, aren't I? I barely said good-bye to her because I was chasing after you. Again."

 

Gideon get a effin clue. I was all for Eva's response. Barely said good-bye. You should have barely said hello a**hole.

Sooooooo hate this line too... He may be the BFE but he's dumb as dirt sometimes!!!

[julie54]

HELLO JULIE,

and I can't tell you how much fun it is to fill in those ****!!! It really puts my vocabulary under a completely different light. If only my English teachers knew!!!! lol

Evening Gabri.

I hope when do do your exams, that there are no *^#+*. It does make you think filling in the blanks.

Ciao

[LN Cronan]

We talk about all the lines we love, well in Chapter 21 there is a line I hate and really feel like smacking Gideon upside his head.

 

"Jesus. Will you drop it with Corinne already?" He spread his arms wide. "I'm here with you, aren't I? I barely said good-bye to her because I was chasing after you. Again."

 

Gideon get a effin clue. I was all for Eva's response. Barely said good-bye. You should have barely said hello a**hole.

 

In Chapter 20, he was ticked off that Eva danced with Stanton's nephew -- practically family (by marriage.) Gideon cut in on their dance. But then when Eva confronted him about having just found out -- from Magdalene and Corrine herself -- that Corrine sure as h*** wasn't just an old friend, he got mad she was making a fuss over "nothing."

 

The man really can be an idiot sometimes. He just didn't get it -- well, he finally did, when he saw Eva in Brett's arms.

[gabri]

HI JULIE.

Thank God, I don't have to sit exams amy more It would have given them something to think about while correcting papers, though!!!!! lol

[Kirsten]

In Chapter 20, he was ticked off that Eva danced with Stanton's nephew -- practically family (by marriage.) Gideon cut in on their dance. But then when Eva confronted him about having just found out -- from Magdalene and Corrine herself -- that Corrine sure as h*** wasn't just an old friend, he got mad she was making a fuss over "nothing."

 

The man really can be an idiot sometimes. He just didn't get it -- well, he finally did, when he saw Eva in Brett's arms.

That scene probably replayed in his mind once he heard that interview with Brett on the radio.

[sscrph]

Here is my fave line from Chapter 21: our girl Eva giving Gideon the business "Don't take it personally, he prefers brunettes." The look Gideon shot me was lethal, he was nearly vibrating with suppressed violence...LOL so much for his uncomplicated existence he really does have a lot to learn!!! Btw don't forget snapshot tomorrow!!!

[Kirsten]

Here is my fave line from Chapter 21: our girl Eva giving Gideon the business "Don't take it personally, he prefers brunettes." The look Gideon shot me was lethal, he was nearly vibrating with suppressed violence...LOL so much for his uncomplicated existence he really does have a lot to learn!!! Btw don't forget snapshot tomorrow!!!

I LOL when I read that.

[julie54]

Favourite lines

Cupping his nape, I ran my fingers through his silky hair. "I can't wait to get you back in bed"

He gave a s*xy little growl and attacked my neck with tickling nips and kisses, banishing our ghosts and their shadows. Mmmmmmmm

"That's what scares me Gideon. You don't know what your worth". "Actually, I do. Twelve bill-------"

" shut up"

Favourite scene

Gideon telling Eva, about the times he gets "busy" with her!!

[LN Cronan]

 Chapter Twenty One of Bared to You - The Readers Guide

 

This chapter continues Wednesday evening (day 17)

 

Key plot developments:

• Eva, angry Gideon lied about who Corrine really was, told him she was leaving immediately. He got mad because he thought she was her over-reacting.
• He took her out to the limo to try to settle the argument by making love to her, his way of trying to reassure her she's the only woman he wants.
• But when they returned to the fundraiser, Gideon made matters much worse by talking only to Corrine throughout the entire meal, ignoring Eva sitting on his other side.
• At the end of dinner, Eva tried to leave the table, because the dinner companion who had kept her company, Dr. Terry Lucas, invited her to go to the bar with him.
• Her attempt to leave finally tore Gideon's attention away from Corrine. When Gideon saw Eva was going off with Lucas, Gideon ordered Eva to stay put, and he restrained Eva by keeping a tight grip on her hand.
• Fed up, Eva pulled a runner and went home -- arriving to a sex orgy in progress in the living room. Cary, who'd thought she wasn't coming home at all that night, had invited over three people for a wild time.
• Gideon caught up with Eva -- and he finally did the right thing by being honest. He recounted the true nature of his history with Corrine.

 

New characters:

Dr. Terry Lucas

Minor: two women and one man Cary had as guests in his/Eva's apartment.

 

Timeline of events in this chapter regarding the Fundraiser Fiasco - part two

Part one left off with Eva finding out Gideon had dumped her in order to answer urgent phone calls from Corrine the night of Eva and Gideon's first date.

1. With that revelation, Eva walked away from Corrine (and Magdalene) sitting at the table and marched off to find Gideon in the bar. There she angrily confronted Gideon, pounded down a double cocktail and then announced she was leaving.
2. He figured out  she'd learned what he tried to hide about Corrine. But he got mad because he thought Eva was over-reacting about something that meant "nothing" and was trying to leave the event when he needed to stay. "Nothing .... I warned you I get upset and jealous. This time, you've given me good reason." Page 316.
3. To demonstrate it was Eva, not Corrine, he wanted, Gideon dragged her out to the limo. He had Angus keep driving them around the block while in the back, he made love to Eva. This time, he was in control, and she willingly surrendered, reassured very briefly by sex that was good for both of them.
4. Reassurance he then utterly ruined after they returned to the event and sat down to dinner. He spent the meal seated between Eva and Corrine -- and spent the whole time talking to Corrine, ignoring Eva aside from holding Eva's hand under the table.
5. On Eva's other side was a man who introduced himself as Dr. Terry Lucas. Lucas kept her company during the meal, and then invited her to go with him to the bar for an after dinner drink. (Only much later in Reflected would we readers learn Lucas and Gideon hate one another's guts -- and in the past, Gideon had deliberately sexually used Lucas' wife for revenge purposes.)
6. Eva's move to leave the table finally caught Gideon's attention - and he saw she was about to go off with Lucas. Gideon ordered her to stay and told Lucas to back off.
7. Lucas embarrassed Gideon in front of everyone by pointing out the truth -- he'd ignored Eva for Corrine the entire meal. Eva slammed Gideon by agreeing Lucas was right.  Then Lucas escalated things by trying to turn Eva against Gideon, telling Eva she doesn't have to tolerate Gideon trying to order her around.  
8. Eva, now infuriated and embarrassed, made Gideon quit physically restraining her from leaving the table  - she used her sexual safeword "Crossfire" to force him to let go of her hand.
9. She then immediately left Gideon, Lucas and Corrine behind at the table, pulling a runner.

 

What unfolded after Eva fled the fundraiser and went home

Cary thought Eva wasn't coming home that night, so he invited over three guests for group sex -- two women and one man. Eva walked in on an orgy in progress in the middle of her living room. Angrily, she ordered Cary's guests to leave immediately.  

The other man besides Cary, high on drugs, propositioned Eva to join them, and over Cary's protests, started to actually approach her.

Gideon arrived at that moment, having chased Eva home. He punched the guy about to put his hands on Eva. That ended the night's "festivities" with Cary's guests leaving immediately.

Cary retreated to his bedroom, and Eva fled to hers, straight into her private bathroom, where she curled up in misery in the shower. Gideon followed her there.

She repeatedly told him to leave, not wanting to listen to him, still too upset and triggered by him and Corrine.

Gideon told her "I love you Eva. Of course I do," -- the first time he's said that to Eva.

But under the circumstances, it made her even more upset, because she felt it meant nothing more than him pitying her.

Finally, though, by continuing to profess his love, Gideon finally calmed Eva down enough so she'd listen to him.

"I think I loved you the moment I saw you. Then we made love that first time in the limo and it became something else. Something more." (pages 326-327)

 

 

What Gideon told Eva - the truth about his past and present connection with Corrine

He apologized for having left Eva that night to help Corrine. By way of excuse, he explained that he had been reeling at the time, Corrine was in a lot of pain when she called --  and Gideon thought he needed to deal with Corrine so that he could then move forward with Eva.

Gideon then explained his history with Corrine:

• He'd met Corrine his freshman year at Columbia University - a beautiful and sweet person who ended up pursuing him. He let himself be caught and seduced. Corrine became his first lover.
• They remained sexually exclusive, and they went places as a couple. He considered it dating, but was surprised she told him it was love -- and she asked him to marry her.
• He accepted her marriage proposal, because he thought he might love her too in his own way, and he didn't want her to be with any other man. But he soon realized those were the wrong reasons for saying yes. 
• The truth of their relationship was they hung out together in public, and in private, they f***** in a hotel room used only for sex. To Gideon, the physical relationship was just about sex, never about making love.
• Gideon suspected Corrine's reason for moving their relationship from dating to engaged was an attempt to get him to open up and to start spending the night with her.
• She never knew the reason why he wouldn't sleep alongside her -- his nightmares.
• One year into the engagement, she tried to up the ante by ending it, hoping the fear of losing her would finally make him fight for the relationship, which still hadn't moved beyond hotel trysts and social dating.
• He was relieved she ended it, because he couldn't marry her anyway. It would involve sharing a home, something that would make it impossible to keep the nightmares a secret.

[LN Cronan]

Chapter A Day Re-Read Project  - Chapter Twenty Two of Bared to You

 

This chapter continues Wednesday evening (day 17)

 

Key plot developments:

• In the prior chapter, after finally calming Eva down, Gideon told her the truth about his past relationship with Corrine. In this, the final chapter of Bared to You, they wrap up the talk by discussing Corrine's recently-renewed contact with Gideon.
• Gideon admits he does feel guilty Corrine still loves him, because he knows he indirectly was responsible for her marriage falling apart.
• Eva tells Gideon that Corrine is still going to be a problem for her, and she asks him to start weaning Corrine off. In response, Gideon claims it would be cruel to cut Corrine off when she's going through a hard time.
• Eva warns Gideon that she herself has exes --- and so his behavior (being friends with Corrine) could set a precedent for how Eva might handle exes of her own.

 

So today, the group re-read project has reached the end of Bared. We start tackling Reflected in You tomorrow!

 

After each of us is finished with this chapter, Sylvia would like us to post a favorite quote or paragraph.

[LN Cronan]

Favorite line in Chapter 21:

 

"Eva, if you don't stop thinking of us as temporary, I'm going to take you over my knee and make d*** sure you like it."

[LN Cronan]

Additional thoughts:

 

In Chapter 21 comes the second time Gideon has threatened to spank Eva. He meant it in jest.

The first time was the week they'd met and he was trying (in vain) to seduce her. He'd telephoned her at her office, and she'd seriously provoked him by being flippant - the spanking threat came when she managed to insult him to the point of making him mad, so he was more than half serious about it.

 

Did Gideon experiment with BDSM in the past? Specifically spend the first three years of his sex life, which would have been exclusively with Corrine, explore BDSM as a possible means to get the ultimate control in the bedroom (well, in the hotel room). For one thing, a hotel room gave greater privacy than a dorm room (the likely place the 18-year-old, just-left-home, Gideon would be living as a college freshman.)

 

• Earlier this week, when we first discussed Chapter 20, I had pointed out Corrine's nervous gesture of stroking her throat as she was spilling stuff to Eva about Gideon's past possessive nature frightening her years ago. Even Eva thought the throat stroking gesture was odd, and it made Eva think Corrine was imaging a necklace "she'd normally find there." Did Gideon "collar" Corrine, getting her to wear a sexual fetish collar, one of the props commonly used on the submissive in a BDSM situation?
• Gideon once expressed a fantasy to Eva of putting Eva in a sex swing, which is bondage prop.
• He did stock sex toys in his f*** pad -- Eva looked only into one drawer, finding things such as vibrators. She was afraid to look in additional drawers, fearing she'd find more stuff. Was her gut feeling right that if she did look, she'd find props for more specific types of fetishes?
• Gideon made Eva choose a safeword -- that is a crucial thing in dom-sub sex, especially in situations that involve restraint and/or administering pain. It's the means by which the sex acts the dom is performing remain consensual to the sub -- the safeword is the way the sub conveys the dom is approaching or crossing a line into non-consensual, so the dom immediately needs to stop what the dom is doing to the sub. From her group therapy back in San Diego, Eva knew some things about BDSM (hearing other patients discuss it) and when Gideon asked her to pick a safword, Eva's mind flew to what she knew about the lifestyle.
• Soon after, when Gideon openly discussed the dom-sub dynamic, he rattled off certain things he did NOT mean he wanted to incorporate into their sex life. Some of the things he described were a menu of different BDSM activities.

 

In Chapter 20 of Bared to You, Gideon tried making clear that with Corrine, it'd always been f******, never making love. Was the full truth of the matter it was always Gideon using kinkiness to explore his own sexuality, taking pleasure but never giving it to Corrine, not really. Their entire sex life was mostly him taking but not giving back -- and that's the real reason Corrine tried to change him? The deal-breaker issue going on was far deeper than his refusal to fall asleep alongside her?

 

If this is true, then it could help to make sense of why when Gideon started seeing Corrine again, in Reflected in You, that during the two-plus weeks he'd "gone back" to Corrine, they didn't immediately become sexual partners again, as would be expected under the circumstances? Why she might be willing to let that coast for now? Fearing that if she pushed matters, it'd go right back to wearing a collar and being spanked? Corrine probably heard from Magdalene all about Magdalene having walked in on Gideon making love to Eva in his parents library. So Corrine was holding out in order to be patient enough with Gideon that when Gideon did take their renewed relationship to a sexual level, it would involve lovemaking? (Yeah, right Corrine -- good luck with that!)

[jls1216]

I'm catching so many little things during this re-read project that I've missed before, missed during my original read of the book, re-reads of some important parts, and even listening to the audiobook.

 

New thing I caught: Eva looked at Magdalene, standing there with her and Corrine, when Eva came to the awful realization Gideon dumped her (Eva) the night of their first date in order to rush off to help Corrine, who had telephoned him in crisis.

 

Magdalene must have seen the awful look in Eva's eyes -- and Magdalene herself would have immediately figured out the exact same thing Eva had. Because Magdalene herself had been there the night of Eva's first date with Gideon and had seen for herself what a jerk he'd been. She'd seen Gideon rush off too -- and took the chance to pounce on the now-ditched Eva.

 

So Magdalene did what she could to eavesdrop on Corrine talking with Gideon. And Magdalene called up Eva the next day to defend Gideon and criticize Corrine for how awful the night before had turned out for Eva.

 

I'm liking Magdalene even more. She's got Gideon's back as a longtime friend who wants him happy in love -- having figured out that she herself (Magdalene) isn't the one he'll be happy with.

I agree with you. I definitely like Maggie more then i did at the beginning of the book. I just hope she stays likable:)