The Cinderella Bride

by Barbara Wallace

  “Hello, Emma.”

  She stumbled, she stopped so quickly. Gideon stood in the doorway. Every emotion she’d been struggling to forget rushed at her simultaneously, forcing her to grab hold of the printer table for balance.

  “I didn’t know you were stopping by.” He looked more handsome than a week ago. Obviously, he hadn’t spent the past week tossing and turning the night away.

  She didn’t want to think how he did spend the night, either.

  “I asked Mariah not to say anything. So you wouldn’t have a chance to hide,” he added when she frowned.

  “I haven’t been hiding,” Emma snapped. She hated that he’d read her thoughts. “I’ve been very busy. Your grandmother is making up for the work she missed while in the hospital.”

  “Then why haven’t you returned my calls?”

  “I just told you. I’ve been very busy.”

  “Liar.” Challenge sparkled in his eyes. Emma looked away. She didn’t have the energy to fake an argument, so she surrendered. “I didn’t see the need,” she said, fiddling with the table edge. “We said everything that needed to be said the other night.”

  “Really? As I recall, you did all the talking.”

  “You didn’t argue.”

  “You didn’t give me a chance. You blindsided me, then took off before I could recover.”

  “I didn’t think we had anything more to say.”

  His voice dropped a notch. “I’ve missed you, Emma. You’re a hard woman to let go.”

  He spoke plainly, without a shred of seduction. The simplicity was far more devastating, anyway. “If I’d reacted faster the other night, I never would have let you walk off the boat. I would have taken you out to sea and refused to let you go.”

  In spite of herself, Emma had to smile at the image. “Pretty big gesture for a guy who doesn’t believe in relationships,” she said.

  “Guess I’m not ready for this relationship to end yet.”

  “Yet. That’s the magic word, isn’t it?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You said yet.” She leaned against the table. “You miss me now and you don’t want our affair to end yet.” Meaning eventually it would still end.

  “What should I have said?”

  How about, Don’t go. I love you.

  Suddenly, in one fell swoop, it hit her. She’d become her mother. Despite all her safeguards, all her vows of maintaining perspective, she’d fallen, anyway. Emma was in love with Gideon. She didn’t want yet. She wanted more. She wanted him to love her back.

  An impossible desire, to say the least. “That’s what happens when you look beyond a comfortable bed,” she muttered.

  “What?” Gideon seemed completely baffled.

  “Nothing. You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Try me.”

  She didn’t want to. Now that her feelings had made their way to the surface, she needed to leave. To put some distance between them before she made a fool of herself.

  Check that, a bigger fool. She pushed herself toward her desk. “I have to go meet with Marketing. Your grandmother wants this letter to go out today and Legal has a problem with some of the language. I need to—”

  “Don’t dodge my questions. You said something about a comfortable bed. What was it?” He paused, and she saw understanding crest in his eyes. “Does this have something to do with what you said the other night? About nursing fantasies?”

  Trust him to listen too well. “Let it go, Gideon. What I said or didn’t say doesn’t matter.”

  “It does to me.” His fingers wrapped around her forearm. “I’m not letting you go until you tell me what you meant.”

  “Your grandmother—”

  “When will you learn that my grandmother can wait?”

  Emma looked down at the hand on her arm, gentle but immovable. “Fine,” she snapped. Maybe if she explained, he’d understand and finally leave her alone. “I said this is what happens when you look for more than a comfortable bed. You end up wanting too much.”

  “Too much?”

  “As in things you can’t have.”

  His eyes were two probing blue beams. “What is it you want, Emma?”

  “What do you think I want?” she retorted, furiously yanking free of his grasp. A week’s worth of fatigue and misery finally got the best of her, and all her frustration and pain just bubbled over. “The happy ending, the fairy tale. I want you not to say ‘yet.’ I want you!”

  She slapped her hand to her mouth. Oh Lord, she hadn’t meant to say that.

  Gideon stepped back, stunned. Her cheeks felt on fire. Maybe they were. Could she be a bigger idiot? Why not scream “I love you” too, and make her humiliation complete? Hot angry tears sprang to her eyes as she groped desperately on her desk for something, anything, she could use as an excuse to escape this hideous embarrassment. She settled for a random stack of papers. “I have to go to talk to Marketing….”

  “Wait.”

  “No. I’ve already said too much. Let me go.” She tore herself away from his restraining hand and practically ran out of the office.

  She wanted him, thought Gideon, dazed. His chest was so full he swore it would burst. It was as if a missing piece of him slid into place. Emma wanted him….

  “Are you going to stand there daydreaming, or are you going to chase her down?”

  He turned around to see Mariah in the doorway. How long had she been listening? She admonished him with a sharp stare. “Well?” she asked imperiously.

  Her question kickstarted him into action. “Excuse me, Grandmother.” He left the room at a run. This time Emma wasn’t going to make a proclamation and then walk away. Not without hearing him out.

  She wanted him. And she was standing by the elevator, trying to escape.

  “Don’t you dare leave this floor, Emma O’Rourke!” He bellowed so loudly a nearby housekeeper dropped her towels. Emma, though, true to form, didn’t pause a beat. In fact, she pushed the elevator button.

  “Son of a—” He jogged down the hallway toward her. “You are not running away from me before I can say my piece, do you hear me?”

  She jabbed at the button again. “What else is there to say, Gideon? I wanted something you can’t give. You said so yourself.”

  “So you simply walk away?”

  “It’s called cutting my losses,” she said shortly.

  Cutting her… For crying out loud. Frustration ripped through him. “Dammit Emma, how am I supposed to get through to you.”

  The elevator doors opened. Emma stepped on, but he threw his arm between the doors, preventing them from closing.

  “I thought you were kidding about that bed. I can’t believe you actually think that way.”

  “Well, where I come from, there’s no sense wanting more than you can have,” she retorted hotly.

  “Instead you decide to want nothing at all?”

  Emma glared at him indignantly. “What’s that suppose to mean?”

  “It means you’re afraid.”

  “I am not afraid,” she almost snarled, stepping off the elevator.

  “Aren’t you? You said it yourself. You’re afraid you’ll like life so much you’ll want more. So you abstain altogether. No harm, no foul, right?”

  Emma’s temper finally snapped, because he was so utterly right. “Can you blame me? Do you have any idea what it’s like watching your mother fall for man after man on some fruitless search for the one of her dreams? Do you know how many times I had my life tossed upside down because she was certain this week’s Prince Charming was ‘the one’? I promised myself I would never be disappointed the way she was. That I wasn’t going to spend the rest of my life regretting or mourning something I could never have.”

  Gideon looked at the ground. Emma’s furious confession had knocked him square in the gut. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “There’s nothing to say,” she stated coldly, reining in her anger. “I said all along I knew what I was g
etting into. You don’t have to feel guilty.”

  Guilty? Her words sent a fresh round of frustration rolling through him, and he groaned aloud. “Will you stop?”

  “What? All I said was that I knew what I was—”

  “I know what you were saying. Would you stop assuming I don’t want a commitment?” God, he wanted to throttle her then and there.

  She was looking up at him, wide-eyed with disbelief, waiting for his next comment. A thousand tangled emotions stormed in her beautiful brown eyes. Amazing, Gideon thought suddenly. He could look at those eyes forever and never figure out every different emotion.

  Forever.

  The word hit him like a stone. His whole life, he’d mocked the idea, but when it came to Emma, the word forever flowed effortlessly. The fight went out of him, and when he spoke again, his voice was calm.

  “How would you know what I want, Emma?” he asked. “You’ve never let me participate in the conversation.”

  “Of course I did. You never answered.”

  “Because you always ran away. The other night. This afternoon. Even the first night we made love you had me out the door before I could catch my breath. You’ve never given me a chance to say anything.”

  Emma blinked in shock. She’d given him plenty of chances.

  Hadn’t she?

  But that didn’t matter. The fact remained he wasn’t going to hang around. “I heard you tell your father you didn’t plan to stay.”

  “My father? When did I say…?” He paused as comprehension dawned. “Now I remember. Last week, after breakfast. You were eavesdropping.”

  “I was coming around the corner when I heard you,” she said defensively. “You told your father you had no reason to stay in Boston.”

  “I was talking family. Not about you.”

  “Great,” she said with a bitter laugh, “I didn’t even make the equation. I feel so much better now.”

  She turned to summon the elevator again, only to have Gideon lift her arm away before she could push the button. “What I meant,” he said, “was that I was planning to take you with me. Remember? That’s why there was nothing keeping me here.

  “Look,” he continued, “I know what it’s like to have your parents’ love lives turn your own life upside down. Believe me, I know that chaos better than you think. And until recently—very recently—I followed the low-expectations road, too. Stay away from relationships, stay out of trouble. But I’m realizing that road might not be the safest one, after all.”

  “Why not?”

  Cupping her cheek, he forced her eyes to meet his. “Because I met a Little Match Girl, and I didn’t realize how cold and lonely my boat would be without her on board.”

  Emma stared into his blue eyes, looking for some sign, any sign, that she shouldn’t believe him. Of course, it was hard to tell with her own eyes tearing the way they were. “Your boat’s cold?”

  “Freezing. Quiet, too. Don’t tell him I said so, but Hinckley’s a lousy berth mate. He just doesn’t spoon into my body the way you do.”

  Emma looked away. “So you’re looking for a bed warmer.”

  “I’m looking for a first mate,” Gideon replied, drawing her attention back. “I told you before, you’d make a terrific one. The job’s yours if you’re interested.”

  “First mate, huh?”

  Gideon nodded and she smiled shyly. She’d never heard such a wonderful offer.

  But… She caught herself before she could accept. What if she was reading too much into the invitation? What if she was making the same mistake again?

  Protect yourself, a voice urged. All the old familiar voices chimed in. Be realistic. Don’t get your hopes up. You’ll only get your heart broken. She saw her mother crying pitifully over yet another failed relationship. Did Emma want to end up like that?

  But wasn’t she already miserable? Wasn’t being with Gideon even for a short while better than the heartache she was enduring now? Longing rose up inside her, urging her to take a chance.

  “I’m scared.”

  She didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud until Gideon smiled and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “Me, too. Thinking long-term is uncharted water for me.”

  “Same here,” Emma replied.

  “Then I guess we’ll have to navigate those waters together.”

  Together. The word held such hope and promise. With tears of happiness filling her eyes, Emma smiled and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Gideon wrapped his arms around her tightly. “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered as he kissed her temple. “I’ve missed you,” she told him in a choked voice.

  They stood quietly, letting the warmth and safety of being in each other’s arms wash over them. After a few moments—or an hour, Emma wasn’t sure—Gideon pulled back, revealing eyes that were bluer and brighter than anything she’d ever seen. The emotion shining in their depths was unmistakable, and her heart swelled with love. “So,” he said with a smile, “are you up for the voyage, Miss O’Rourke?”

  She caressed his jaw. “For as long as it takes, Mr. Kent.”

  “Good. Because I have a feeling it’s going to be a very long journey.”

  “How long?”

  He moved closer, bringing his breath to her lips. “How do you feel about forever?”

  Emma didn’t think it was possible, but her heart filled even more. “Forever sounds perfect, Captain.” She leaned forward to complete the kiss.

  Suddenly a thought came to her, and she pulled back. “Your grandmother,” she gasped. “She’s probably wondering what happened. We should go explain.”

  “Oh, we’ve got time,” Gideon replied. With a triumphant smile, he showed her the time on his wristwatch.

  “It’s two o’clock.”

  Three months later, Emma stood on deck, watching the sun fall off the edge of the earth in all its breathtaking glory.

  “Beautiful,” she murmured.

  A pair of strong arms wrapped her waist from behind.

  “So, is it everything I promised?” Gideon asked, pulling her to him. She leaned into his chest, marveling for the millionth time how safe and happy his embrace made her.

  “More than everything,” she said.

  “Good. After all, we aim to please.” He nipped the curve of her neck. “And please, and please, and please…”

  Nipping became nuzzling, and Emma giggled. She’d had no idea life could be this magical.

  Gideon had made peace once and for all with his family. He told her about his parentage; how his mother didn’t know who had fathered her son. Emma agreed with Mariah and the others. His DNA didn’t matter. He was a Kent at heart. It took a while, but Gideon was slowly realizing that same fact.

  At the moment, however, he appeared more interested in peppering her shoulders with kisses. The man was insatiable. Not that Emma minded. Making love to Gideon never grew old. They discovered something new about each other every time.

  “Mmm,” she said, letting her head fall back to allow him better access. “I’m going to hate going back to work, after all this sunshine.”

  “Well, we can always extend the honeymoon another few weeks.” He teased her ear with his tongue. “Or years.”

  “Don’t you have a hotel chain to run?” Last night, he’d called his grandmother to officially agree to be her successor. They were scheduled to meet with the board of directors next week.

  “I suppose,” he replied with a sigh. He didn’t bother disguising his disappointment. “Though running a hotel chain isn’t nearly as fun as teaching you how to sail.”

  “Oh, is that what we’re calling it now,” she teased.

  “If it helps, I’ll be right by your side.” She planted a kiss on his nose. “Just like a good first mate should.”

  “You, sweetheart, are hardly a first mate. More like a co-captain.”

  “How about admiral?”

  “As long as we’ve got Hinckley, I’m afraid that position is filled.” With that, Gideon adjust
ed their positions so his mouth hovered just above hers. “Have I told you today how much I love you, Mrs. Kent?”

  Emma smiled. “Yes, but I’ll never get tired of hearing it. Or telling you I love you back.”

  And as the sun disappeared, she kissed him with all the happiness she felt in her heart. “Thank you,” she whispered, “for giving me everything.”

  Everything, she thought to herself, and more.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-7611-0

  THE CINDERELLA BRIDE

  First North American Publication 2010

  Copyright © 2010 by Barbara Wallace

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