Captivated by You Chapter 15

Today we’re introduced to Gideon’s co-conspirator in the stalkerish crime of recreating his pent-house bedroom to be an exact replica of Eva’s bedroom. His name is appropriately ridiculous.

Blaire Ash smiled as his pen flew across the large notepad clipped to a board.

His gaze lifted to roam the entirety of Eva’s bedroom in the penthouse, the one I’d had him design specifically to look exactly like the room my wife had in her Upper West Side apartment.”

First, I thought, “Well, that’s not even how you spell that fucking name.” So I Googled the matter, and it very clearly lays out, in no uncertain terms, that this is the feminine spelling for Blair. Now, all the girls I’ve met named Blair are happy to spell their names the “masculine” way. If Day is going to add a fucking extra ‘e’ for no reason, then why is this a guy who spells his name “Blaire”? Is Day deliberately being difficult? BLAIRE ASH, FUCK YOU AND YOU’RE POINTLESSLY FANCY NAME.

Of course, Blaire’s Easy Bake character wouldn’t be complete without him being very handsome and flirting with Eva.

Ash smiled, revealing slightly crooked teeth. He was attractive—or so Ireland assured me—and sported his usual attire of ripped jeans and a T-shirt under a tailored blazer.

[…]

He winked at her. “Fast and thorough is my motto. And getting the job done so well that you think of me when you want to do it again.”

I lounged against the wall, my arms crossing as I watched them. Eva seemed oblivious to the designer’s double entendre. I was anything but.

Gideon is mainly feeling defensive because he’s embarrassed that he’s asking Blaire to design a room where he and Eva are clearly sleeping in different beds. When Eva leaves the room to go let Cary in, he confronts Blaire about what is quite possibly some of the least threatening flirtation I’ve ever seen in my life. No man who is actually flirting with a woman with any intention would be like, “I’m fast. Seriously, you’ll barely even notice me in there. I’ll be out of your hair in a few minutes tops.”

I didn’t doubt that he questioned the arrangement we’d consulted him to implement. Everyone who saw it would. What red-blooded man in his right mind would have a wife like Eva, yet sleep not just in a different bed but a different room altogether?”

Seriously, dude, you’re overthinking it. Blaire even is like, “I was just trying to be friendly, but okay.”

Later that night, Eva, Gideon and Cary continue to discuss the renovation plans (really, if you thought the series was reaching for meaningless filler before, you hadn’t read this chapter yet.) Of course this somehow leads to discussions of one day building a nursery for Gideon and Eva’s kids.

Eva calmly tells Cary they aren’t going to have kids now because they have other things to do first. Great answer, Eva! But Gideon, who was fretting two minutes ago over the idea of having children, isn’t so sure:

She was saying exactly what I wanted her to say, but …

Did Eva have the same fears I did? Maybe she’d taken me as a husband because she couldn’t help herself, but drew the line at taking me as a father to her children.

Maybe you should have discussed this BEFORE you got married?

Gideon goes to get some work done, but really this is just a way for him to overhear an argument between Eva and Cary two pages later. Eva is upset because Cary won’t tell her what’s going on and why he’s started cutting again. I didn’t even realize with all of his past issues that had been one of them.

Gideon walks in briefly to check on them, but leaves when it becomes clear that 1) Cary doesn’t want him there 2) It’s not going anywhere. But he does think that Eva would be better off without Cary in her life, and I’m inclined to agree. Actually, I don’t know if she’d be better off so much as exactly the same given his complete lack of contribution to anything in the story. No, Googling information for Eva doesn’t count.

The next morning, Eva and Gideon argue some more about how he won’t open up to her about his feelings.

My need for her was a constant thrumming in my blood, so easily provoked by her fiery Latin temper into a restlessly impatient craving.

Pro writing tip: When in doubt, stereotype it out. Also, make it even worse!

I’d heard some say my wife was as breathtaking as her mother, but I disagreed. Monica Stanton was a cool beauty, one who gave off the air of being slightly out of reach. Eva was all heat and sensuality—you could reach her, but her passion would scorch you.

Translation: This book has no new ground to cover at all on its characters. So let’s find new, more awkward ways to describe them.

They argue a bit more because what else are they going to do besides fuck. Gideon opens up a little about how he doesn’t want to feel weak, and Eva says that she can’t speak for Chris but she doesn’t pity him. She thinks he’s the strongest, most amazing guy alive!

Scene jump to Gideon at a restaurant with Clancy  – Gideon’s mother/step-father’s private security guy who is still keeping an eye on Eva and also helped cover up that time when Gideon murdered Nathan. Which I feel like no one fucking reacts to at all:

His gaze hardened. “Some men need to be put down like rabid dogs. Some men need to be the ones to do it. I didn’t peg you as one of those guys either way. That makes you rogue in my book.”

WHAT THE EVEN FUCK? I guess if there was going to be one person who was like “Murder is so chill” it would be Clancy, but even the fucking cops at this point have been like, “No bigs. We don’t really want to solve this case, so unless we’re forced to confront the evidence, we won’t.”

“I leaned forward. “Eva doesn’t like being spied on. If you become a problem for her, we’ll sit down like this again.”

“You planning on making it a problem?”

“No. If she catches you at it, it won’t be because I tipped her off. Just keep in mind that she’s spent her life looking over her shoulder and being suffocated by her mother. She’s breathing easy for the first time. I won’t let you take that away from her.”

Clancy narrowed his eyes. “I guess we understand each other.”

Two men making decisions for Eva behind her back? Again, I know this isn’t new ground to cover, but it doesn’t make me less angry. Gideon wouldn’t stand for the reverse being true, but if Eva confronts him about this you know he’ll just talk his way out of it and have sex with her and she’ll forget it.

No new ground to cover you say? Well, Evil Reporter Deanna Johnson shows up with a big, new snazzy reveal!

[Corrine’s] sold a tell-all book about your relationship,” she said redundantly. “The release officially hits the wire Monday morning at nine.”

Bored of all the talk about Eva’s sex tape? Now Gideon has something else he needs to shut down by throwing around his money and power! OH MAN. WILL THIS BE THE END OF GIDEON AND EVA? Unfortunately, probably not.