Hey peeps…welcome to this weeks discussion of Bared to You by Sylvia Day.

This week Elena and I are discussing chapters 6-11…

In chapter 6 Eva finds out some information about Gideon’s childhood. What kind of feelings  did the facts discovered by Eva elicit in you?

Elena : Those were some painful facts. I can imagine how much Gideon suffered because of his father suicide. He was a little boy and he had to face such a terrible event at a very young age. I couldn’t help but feel for him and I began to realize that behind his facade he was hiding a lot of scars.

Tamie: I totally agree Elena…I can’t imagine the scars that could leave on a person. It certainly explains why he’s so driven and has such a need for control. It was very painful.

In chapter 7 , after Eva and Gideon have sex in the limousine, Gideon becomes distant, cold. What was your reaction to Gideon’s behavior? Why did you think that was?

Tamie: I was really confused by what happened. I’m glad we get an explanation of it later on, but at the time I read it? I gotta admit that my heart felt both sad and mad at him. I thought…Oh great…he IS a jerk, but I had a better understanding of him as a person and the emotional baggage he carries into this relationship. I also had to remind myself that he’s not used to a real relationship with a woman…it’s really just been all about the sex and control for him. Eva brings out something in him that is new, and I’m sure it’s quite terrifying to him.

Elena : I was surprised that after all that transpired between him and Eva in the limousine, he became so cold. I couldn’t really understand why his mood changed so suddenly and unexpectedly. My first thought was that it had something to do with his past and that maybe that reaction was triggered by something that Eva had done during sex.  But I believe he handled the whole situation badly. I’m glad he admitted as much afterwards. You can’t be all intimate with your partner in one moment and push her away in the next. This just shows how much they both have to work on the communicating aspect of the relationship if they want to make it work.

At the end of chapter 9 Gideon and Eva have a phenomenal interlude. Gideon is in the bathroom preparing a shower for them both when Eva discovers something that makes her leave…Did she overreact? Thoughts?

Elena: Eva is still insecure about Gideon’s feelings at this point of the book and it’s understandable since their relationship is at a very early stage. Add to that all the rumors she’s heard about Gideon’s past lovers and his lifestyle…Furthermore Eva has self-esteem issues, she says so herself. I believe all these things together made her flee immediately from the hotel room after her discovery. And I probably would have reacted the same way. I would have felt used and like one of the many Gideon’s women. Truth be told, though, a more appropriate reaction would have been to wait for Gideon to come out of the bathroom and tell him how she was feeling and demand the truth. But emotions and reactions are unpredictable and often we can’t control them and act without thinking clearly. I found it very interesting how they both talked about it afterwards and what Gideon did to make things up to her.

Tamie: Eva’s way of handling things when they seem to be going badly is to run away. On the one hand I really empathize with her…I hate conflict, so it’s easier to run away and hide from it. Here’s the thing though as far as this particular scene. I do think she overeacted…she certainly knows that Gideon is and has been a very sexual man, so what she found wasn’t all that surprising to me. Clearly, it would have been better had she confronted him, but I do love the tension it gave the story and I liked how the story went on from there…how Gideon handled the situation.

In these chapters we see that Eva often confronts Gideon rather openly about the issues in their relationship. She’s not afraid of telling him honestly what she thinks. Discuss…

Elena :I truly like this trait of Eva – how she wants to establish a real relationship with Gideon by communicating. I believe communication is fundamental in every kind of relationship, more so between two lovers. There has to be honesty and both partners need to talk to each other if they want to have a healthy relationship. Eva definitely speaks out and I think this helps also Gideon find a balance and understand  when his actions and behavior hurt and when they don’t.

Tamie: I really like when she does this. They both have so many issues, and really I think it’s the only way they can continue to have a relationship which they both want/don’t want/are afraid to want…

Favorite scene, sentence, paragraph in these chapters.

Scene :

Elena: When Gideon takes Eva to his apartment for the first time.

Tamie: I love the cheeseburger lunch in his office, and when he takes her to his apartment for the first time.

Sentence:

Elena: “It feels good to have you here.”

Tamie: “Well, you pick it up with your hands and put it in your mouth.”

Paragraph:

Elena: ” ‘I want you.’ I stretched out against him, aligning my bare body to his. Pressing my face into his damp throat, I sucked gently on his salty skin. I knew from my own nightmares that being held and loved could push the specters back into the closet for a little while.”

Tamie:  We crawled into Gideon’s bed at ten thirty and watched the last half of a show while curled up together. Sexual tension crackled in the air between us, but he didn’t make any overtures so I didn’t either. I suspected he was still trying to make amends for the hotel, trying to prove that he wanted to spend time with me not “actively fucking.”

Just to try something new…does anyone have a question or discussion from chapters 10 and 11?

Elena and Tamie