The Fox and the Hunter

Chapter 4: Hidden in Plain Sight

Gideon sat stiffly on the velvet sofa in his grand living room, trying his absolute best to look like a normal, doting father. Jonathan had just arrived home, bursting with excitement to see him before the big move to college. But Gideon could barely focus on his son's voice. His chest was tight with anxiety, acutely aware of the fact that Jace was still upstairs, hiding out in his luxury master bathroom.

Suddenly, Jonathan’s phone buzzed loudly on the coffee table.

"Oh, it's Jace," Jonathan said, tapping the screen and hitting speakerphone as he leaned back. "Hey, man! What's up?"

"Not much, Johnny," Jace’s smooth voice echoed through the high-ceilinged room. He sounded perfectly casual, completely unfazed by the situation. "Just finishing up a few things. I wanted to check in on our pre-college project outlines."

"Oh, yeah, I have the files right here," Jonathan replied.

As the two boys talked logistics, Jace began lacing the conversation with subtle, double-meaning phrases. "You know, Johnny, the layout needs a very thorough, hands-on approach. Some parts of the project require absolute control, and I really like to take charge until the very end to make sure it's done right."

Gideon’s heart pounded furiously against his ribs. He gripped his teacup, staring down at the swirling liquid as his cheeks flushed hot. He knew exactly what Jace was actually referring to.

"Uh, yeah, totally," Jonathan said, completely oblivious. After a few more minutes of school talk, Jonathan sighed, looking around the massive, quiet mansion. "Hey, it's kind of dead here. I'm gonna text the rest of the guys to come over, play some video games, and hit the pool. You down?"

"Send the group text. I'm already in the neighborhood," Jace replied smoothly before hanging up.

Upstairs in Gideon's master bathroom, Jace looked down at the group invitation on his screen and smirked. Being the bold hunter he was, he immediately accepted it, slipped out of the master suite via the back servants' staircase, and circled around.

A few minutes later, Jace casually strolled into the living room. Jonathan blinked, completely startled. "Whoa, Jace! When did you get here? I didn't even hear the front door."

"Your butler, David, let me in," Jace lied smoothly, flashing a relaxed smile. "The others are parking their cars now."

Within an hour, the mansion was filled with the noisy chatter of Jonathan's inner circle—all heirs to billionaire families just like them. They completely took over the main living room, crowded around the massive big-screen TV, intensely focused on a video game tournament.

Feeling overwhelmed by the noise, Gideon quietly slipped away, heading toward the back of the house near the indoor pool house and home theater to get some peace. He expected to be entirely alone.

Instead, he walked into the dimly lit corridor and found Jace waiting for him. Jace had snuck away from the group while the other boys were completely distracted by the game. He was dressed in casual, form-fitting clothes.

The moment Jace saw him, a wicked, secret smirk crossed his handsome face. Gideon froze, immediately forced to play the role of the strict, cold host, even though his body was secretly burning up from the vivid memories of the night before.

Gideon cleared his throat, trying to find his authority. "You changed quickly," he noted, a tiny, involuntary smile tugging at his lips. "This is... the first time I've seen you in regular clothes."

"Yeah, I stepped out to my car to grab a spare change of clothes before the guys arrived," Jace murmured, his voice dropping to a low purr.

Before Gideon could even register the movement, Jace stepped deep into his personal space, backing the billionaire up against the wall. Gideon's heart beat so fast he was certain Jace could hear it. What is he going to do? Gideon wondered, his breath hitching.

Jace noticed his panic and smiled tenderly. He reached out, the back of his hand softly brushing against Gideon’s flushed cheek. His thumb trailed slowly down, brushing over Gideon’s lower lip. He leaned over, his warm breath fanning against Gideon’s ear as he whispered, "Don't worry, Mr. Fox... I'll behave myself for now."

Gideon bit his lip, blushing intensely as he looked up into Jace’s teasing green eyes.

Just as Jace pulled his hand away and stepped back, the heavy door to the hallway swung open. Jonathan walked in, looking down at his phone.

"Oh, Jace, there you are," Jonathan said, looking up. "I'm about to order the pizzas. What do you want to drink?"

"An iced soda is fine, Johnny," Jace replied, his tone instantly shifting back to that of an innocent best friend.

Gideon stood frozen in the shadows, finding it incredibly hard to even look his own son in the face.

Jonathan turned his attention back to his father with a bright smile. "Hey Dad, do you want to join us for pizza?"

Gideon waved his hand dismissively, offering a warm but tired smile. "No, thank you. You young people go ahead and have fun. I'm far too old to keep up with your youthfulness."

From behind Jonathan, Jace let out a quiet snort, a teasing glint in his green eyes. "Old? Please, Mr. Gideon. Not with that incredible energy of yours."

Gideon’s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly played it off. He reached out and playfully punched Jace’s shoulder, pouting at him in a silent warning to behave.

Jace just laughed, turning to Jonathan. "See, Johnny? Don't be fooled by your dad's 'old' talk. He’s got plenty of life in him."

Jonathan started laughing at their banter. Finding the situation far too dangerous for his racing heart, Gideon gently pushed both boys toward the door. "Go on, both of you. Out of my sight before the pizza gets cold."

Jonathan and Jace walked back to the grand living room, where the rest of their friends were still intensely focused on the video game tournament. Just as they sat down, David the butler entered the room, pushing a sleek silver cart.

"Young Master Jonathan, here are the pizzas you ordered, along with the drinks," David said respectfully, setting the boxes down on the large coffee table.

"Thanks, David!" Jonathan said.

For the next hour, the room was filled with noise as the group of wealthy heirs ate, chatted, and took turns passing the controllers around. Amidst the chaos, Jonathan leaned back on the couch, taking a sip of his drink. He looked over at Jace, a curious thought finally crossing his mind.

"Hey, Jace," Jonathan asked, lowering his voice slightly so the others wouldn't overhear. "You and my dad seem to get along really well. How exactly do you know him so well anyway?"

Jace didn't even flinch. He leaned back casually, throwing an arm over the back of the sofa. "Oh, did I never mention it? My family’s conglomerate is working on a major business partnership with your dad's company. Since I'm the heir to the Thompson Group, my father has me taking charge of the project layout."

Jonathan blinked, nodding as the pieces clicked together. "Oh, that's right! Wait, didn't you go to the Elite Gala a couple of nights ago? I remember my dad saying he had to attend it."

"Yeah, I did," Jace answered smoothly, a subtle, private smile playing on his lips as he thought about exactly what happened after that gala. He looked at Jonathan, his tone perfectly genuine. "I saw your dad there. Honestly, I'm really glad he showed up. I barely knew anyone else at that gala, so having him there changed everything."

"Man, it's getting hot in here," one of the friends muttered, tossing his controller onto the couch after losing a match. "Let's hit the pool."

The group of boys immediately cheered in agreement, scattering to grab their swim trunks. Within fifteen minutes, the indoor pool house was alive with the sound of splashing water, echoing laughter, and music blasting from a portable speaker.

Gideon stood up on the second-floor mezzanine balcony, looking down through the massive glass windows that overlooked the pool area. He had changed into a lightweight linen shirt, holding a glass of iced water as he tried to play the responsible parent supervising from a distance.

Down below, Jace stepped out onto the tiled pool deck, and Gideon’s breath instantly hitched in his throat.

Jace had shed his casual clothes, wearing nothing but a pair of dark swim trunks. The bright lights of the pool house caught every single line of his perfectly sculpted six-pack abs, his broad shoulders, and the thick muscle of his arms. As if knowing exactly where Gideon was standing, Jace paused, ran a hand through his blonde hair, and tilted his head upward.

Through the glass, Jace locked his piercing green eyes directly onto Gideon. A slow, incredibly wicked smirk spread across his lips. He gave Gideon a subtle, slow nod before turning and diving effortlessly into the shimmering blue water.

Gideon’s face burned a sudden, furious crimson. He took a hasty sip of his iced water, his heart hammering against his ribs as his body flushed with heat. He’s doing this on purpose, Gideon thought desperately, gripping the railing. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me.

"Hey, Dad!" Jonathan’s voice cut through his panic.

Gideon blinked, looking down. Jonathan was wading near the edge of the pool, waving up at him. "David is bringing out some fresh fruit platters and snacks! Can you grab the extra towels from the hallway closet and bring them down? We forgot to bring enough!"

"Of course, Jonathan. I'll bring them right down," Gideon called back, his voice remarkably steady despite the chaos in his chest.

Gideon walked over to the linen closet, gathering a heavy stack of plush, oversized white towels. Carrying them in his arms, he walked down the stairs and pushed open the heavy glass doors of the pool house. The humid, chlorine-scented air hit him instantly, along with the loud shouting of the boys playing a game of water volleyball.

Gideon set the stack of towels down on a nearby lounge chair. "Here are the towels, boys. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thanks, Mr. Gideon!" a couple of Jonathan's friends yelled out over the music.

Gideon turned to leave, but as he walked past the shallow end of the pool, a wet hand suddenly shot out of the water, wrapping firmly around his ankle.

Gideon gasped, freezing in his tracks. He looked down.

Jace was resting his elbows on the pool edge, half of his wet, glistening torso rising out of the water. To anyone else, it looked like Jace had just casually stopped by the ledge to rest. But beneath the surface, hidden from everyone's sight, Jace’s thumb was slowly, deliberately stroking the sensitive skin of Gideon's ankle.

"Thanks for the towels, Mr. Gideon," Jace murmured, his voice low enough to be drowned out by the splashing of the other boys. His green eyes held a dark, heavy heat that made Gideon's knees feel suddenly weak. "You really look after us so well."

Gideon’s breath hitched, a wave of intense, electric heat radiating from Jace's touch straight up his leg. He looked around frantically, but Jonathan and the rest of the circle were completely distracted, arguing over a point in their volleyball game.

Forcing himself to maintain his strict, cold billionaire composure, Gideon pulled his leg back, forcing Jace to break the grip.

"You're welcome, Mr. Thompson," Gideon said, his voice a tight, breathless whisper. "Just make sure you don't track water into the main house."

Jace let out that rich, amused chuckle that always made Gideon's stomach flip, sinking back into the water with a playful wink. "Don't worry, sir. I always clean up my messes."

Gideon didn't dare say another word. He turned on his heel and practically bolted out of the pool house, his heart thundering in his ears as he realized just how dangerous this game was becoming.