Bared To You

Gideon asks Eva to leave with him. He confesses to Eva that this home is the one featured in his nightmares. After Gideon grows aroused again, Eva attempts to initiate anal play. Uncomfortable, Gideon divulges that he does not engage in anal play and alludes to his past trauma. Although she endured similar traumatic experiences, Eva tells Gideon that, “‘I believe your touch can erase Nathan’s’” and that “‘you make me feel safe’” (223). Gideon initiates the sexual act and a conversation about using a safeword, “an unambiguous way to say Stop” (224). Eva chooses Crossfire as her safeword. With her skirts concealing them, they continue to have sex when Christopher enters the bathroom looking for them.

After they finish, Gideon warns Eva again about Christopher, whom he fears is using Eva to hurt Gideon. They return to the party. Eva notes how cold Gideon is towards his mother and questions his mother’s involvement in Gideon’s abuse. Gideon drives Eva to his home. As they settle in for the night, Gideon opens a conversation about the power dynamics of their sexual relationship and suggests that Eva may be submissive.

Eva grows angry at Gideon’s suggestion that she is submissive. Afraid to lose her power, she struggles to understand Gideon’s intentions, which are to develop deeper trust and intimacy. He takes her to a secret bedroom he created as a replica of her own and instructs her to run into this room whenever she wants to escape. Eva initiates sex and takes on the dominant role.

They eat dinner afterwards and continue their conversation. Gideon brings Eva a ring box that she misinterprets as an engagement ring. Instead, Eva finds a ring with “gold ropelike bands […] intertwined and decorated with Xs covered in diamonds” (244). She thanks him for the ring but confesses that she will not wear it because it will make her feel confined.

Eva falls asleep and wakes in the middle of the night in need of more sex. She puts on the ring Gideon gave her. After waking up, Gideon begins to pleasure Eva slowly and dominantly until she finishes and falls asleep quickly.

On Monday morning, Eva and Gideon head to work and make plans for later that evening. Eva receives a cryptic text from Cary warning her about Gideon’s brother attached to a video of Cary took at Christopher’s party. In the video, Christopher comforts Magdalene and accuses Eva of using Gideon for his money before the two begin having sex. It is obvious in the video that Christopher is using Magdalene for sex. Gideon divulges to Eva that Christopher has been jealous of Gideon his entire life due to the extra attention he received as a child struggling with his father’s suicide. Eva confesses to Gideon that she loves him. He does not respond.

Later that day, Eva has flowers delivered to Gideon and purchases a ring for him. She gifts him the ring in the afternoon, which he accepts enthusiastically. Eva attends her first Krav Maga class and meets up with Gideon later in the evening. Gideon shares details about his father’s death and confesses how little he remembers of his father.

Eva, Gideon, and Cary enjoy a relaxing evening together at home. Eva enjoys seeing a more casual, friendly version of Gideon. As they get ready for bed, Eva asks Gideon about his sexual history and is surprised when Gideon shares that he has gone long periods without sex and has only had sex at the hotel prior to meeting Eva. They fall asleep. Eva awakens to a hand over her mouth and someone attempting to penetrate her. She flashes back to her stepbrother Nathan raping her. Eventually, she realizes that it is Gideon. Cary rushes into the room and separates them. Realizing that Gideon is having another nightmare, Eva stops Cary from calling the police.

An hour later, Gideon finally recovers from the shock of what has happened and attempts to leave. Although she fears how passionate and violent their relationship can be at times, Eva stops him from leaving and comforts him. She stops them from having sex but asks Gideon to hold her as they sleep.

The next morning, Eva and Gideon have sex. As the day progresses, the actions of the previous night fade away. Eva returns home after work and the gym and finds Trey, Cary’s boyfriend, waiting in the lobby. Thinking Cary is not home, Eva invites Trey upstairs only to discover Cary sleeping with a woman. After Trey leaves, Eva chides Cary for his dysfunctional actions. They begin to argue about their relationships. Cary insults Eva for choosing to stay with Gideon and calls him “a ticking time bomb” (281).

Gideon arrives to stay the night after his appointment with his therapist. Eva and Gideon still feel wary around one another after what happened. They eat dinner. Gideon shares that Magdalene came to see him at lunch and that he showed her the video of her and Christopher. Eva questions how Gideon got the video from her phone. He admits to taking her phone and saving the video. They fight over Eva’s lack of privacy. Gideon promises to stop invading Eva’s privacy and shares about his appointment with Dr. Petersen who prescribed Gideon something to help with his nightmares and his sexual behaviors in his sleep. The medication works. Eva and Gideon sleep peacefully through the night.

The next evening, Eva and Gideon attend a gala together. At the gala, Eva spots Magdalene with a mysterious brunette woman. Gideon takes Eva over to introduce her to the woman named Corinne Giroux whom Gideon calls “an old friend” (296). Corinne asks Gideon to step away to meet a business acquaintance, which leaves Eva and Magdalene alone. Magdalene reveals that Corinne is Gideon’s former fiancé who married someone else but has recently divorced and moved back to New York. When Corinne returns and Gideon steps away again, she admits to still being in love with Gideon and reveals that she returned to New York the evening of the advocacy center dinner. Eva realizes that Gideon left her that night for Corinne.

Jealous, Eva confronts Gideon and informs him that she is leaving. He rushes her into his limo. With Gideon taking the dominant role, they have sex in the limousine. They return to the gala. Despite holding her hand tightly throughout dinner, Gideon ignores Eva as he talks to Corinne. Eva strikes up conversation with a man named Dr. Terry Lucas who invites her to grab a drink. Terry and Gideon begin to argue over Terry’s invitation. Frustrated, Eva employs their safeword in public and goes to the bathroom. She decides to leave and texts Gideon to let him know.

Eva returns to her apartment and discovers Cary in the middle of a four-person orgy. She demands everyone leave. One of Cary’s guests confronts Eva until suddenly Gideon appears and punches him. Eva runs to her bathroom to shower. She and Gideon argue about the events of the evening and about the fact that Gideon has yet to tell Eva that he loves her. He professes his love for Eva and explains his and Corinne’s relationship. Gideon claims that, although he cared for Corinne, it was just sex between the two of them and not the deep connection he feels with Eva. Although they “‘never spent a full night together’” over two years, Corinne proposed to Gideon. After nothing changed over another year, Corinne broke off the engagement. He never told Corinne about his past.

Gideon and Eva reconcile. He packs her belongings to take to his place to avoid Cary and his destructive decisions. Eva demands Gideon cut off his friendship with Corinne. The couple head over to Gideon’s apartment.