Say thank you and good-night, then go inside, she ordered herself. But somehow she couldn’t seem to follow those oh-so-simple instructions. Instead, her gaze drifted upward to Gabriel’s mouth, snagged and held as she found herself leaning toward him, wondering how it would feel to be kissed—
“Maddy?” he muttered.
Just her name, shortened in an achingly intimate way.
She met his gaze and saw her need mirrored in his eyes for an instant before he bent his head and brushed his lips ever so gently over hers.
With a sigh, she rested her hands on his chest, tilted her head and brazenly demanded more. Acting purely on instinct, she nipped at his lower lip, then traced it tenderly with the tip of her tongue. Obviously needing no further urging, Gabriel took her mouth with a low groan as he gathered her close in his arms. Secure in his embrace, Madelyn parted her lips, savoring the masterful glide of his tongue over hers, as she sank against him, surprise and sheer delight humming through her.
She was breathless by the time he finally raised his head, yet she couldn’t stop her murmur of protest. She felt as if she’d been waiting forever for this magic moment, and she didn’t want it to end, even though she knew it must.
“You’d better go in,” Gabriel muttered, his voice rough.
He pressed a quick, hard kiss on her forehead, another on her cheek, then another at the comer of her mouth.
“Yes,” she admitted, though without enthusiasm.
Vaguely, she was aware of Buddy, alternately whining pitifully and snuffling just inside the door. The little dog had been alone hours longer than usual, and needed. attention, too. But the last thing she wanted to do was let go of Gabriel.
“This isn’t something we should...rush,” he said.
“No,” she agreed reluctantly.
He was right, of course. Their relationship had changed rather quickly and, for her, unexpectedly. While she was sure of her feelings for him, she didn’t want him to have any regrets.
“But just so you know, I’m not the type to start something I don’t plan to finish. Eventually...”
“Is that a promise?” she asked, her tone light and teasing as she stepped away from him.
“Oh, yes, Ms. St. James. That is a promise.”
He put his hands on her shoulders, hesitated as if uncertain, then turned her around and gave her a firm yet gentle push into the cottage.
“Good night, Madelyn.”
“Good night, Gabriel.”
She glanced back at him for a long moment, resisted the urge to reach for him again, then slowly closed the door.
As his footsteps faded across the courtyard, she bent and picked up the little dog, holding him close, afraid she was dreaming. Buddy, squirming delightedly as he lapped at her chin with his warm, wet tongue, assured her she wasn’t.
She was wide-awake. She was also happier than she could ever remember being. But niggling at the back of her mind was a sense of dread, as well.
What would Gabriel think of her once she told him that his brother had more than likely taken his own life because she hadn’t been paying attention? Gabriel seemed to think she was some kind of saint. But as she was going to have to admit before they went much further, she had turned away from Ethan at the very moment when he’d needed her most.
Chapter 8
Alone in the quiet house, Gabriel wandered from the kitchen to the living room, shedding first his overcoat, then his suit coat and tie along the way.
The evening had gone better than he had expected—much, much better. Offering to take Madelyn to school each day had been a stroke of genius, making it possible for him to assume, as he’d done, that they’d go to the dance together. After that, everything else had followed quite naturally. At least to his way of thinking.
He had definitely made some progress in changing their relationship, and he had enjoyed the effort enormously. Not that anything he’d done during the time he’d spent with Madelyn had been a chore.
He had been proud to be paired with her, however informally. And the dance they’d shared had left him wanting so much more. After holding her close, swaying to the sensual music, he’d had a hard time letting her go.
He’d wanted to grab her hand, drag her to a dark, secluded corner and have her all to himself. Unfortunately, that hadn’t been possible, which was probably just as well.
His sudden, amorous attention had taken Madelyn completely by surprise, and although she had denied it rather vehemently, he knew he’d made her nervous. In fact, from the way she had talked nonstop about nothing in particular from the moment they’d left the dance until they were almost home, he’d been afraid he’d scared the living daylights out of her.
But then, as they had stood close outside the cottage, she’d looked up at him with such longing that he couldn’t have stopped himself from kissing her to save his soul.
Just a tender, good-night kiss, he’d vowed, determined not to frighten her again. He hadn’t anticipated how fervently she would respond, nor how her response would shatter his own resolute self-control.
Until the moment she ever so lightly, ever so invitingly, traced the tip of her tongue along his lower lip, he had been following almost step-by-step the well-orchestrated plan he’d devised to reach his ultimate goal of wedded bliss.
But in the space of a heartbeat, she’d had him throwing caution to the wind, ravishing her luscious mouth with a hunger that had astonished him. That still astonished him as he stood before the fireplace, staring at the charred wood and ashes in the grate.
There had been nothing calculated about that kiss—not on his part, and certainly not on hers. She’d been just as stunned as he, and just as sorry when he had finally forced himself to break away.
He would have much preferred to carry her into the cottage, toss her on the bed and take her so hard, so fast, that all memory of anyone else who had ever had her would be permanently wiped from her mind and heart.
However, common sense, coupled with his basic decency—not to mention a hearty measure of concern that he was on the verge of getting in way too deep—kept him from giving in to that all-too-carnal desire. He couldn’t afford to lose control that way, couldn’t afford the risk inherent in letting Madelyn have that kind of power over him.
This time, he was calling the shots. He had trailed after one woman like a lovesick puppy. He wasn’t doing it again. He was going to remain as detached as he possibly could.
Wanting her sexually was not only understandable, but completely acceptable. Falling in love with her—so in love that he no longer had the upper hand—was totally out of the question.
As he’d told her, he had every intention of finishing what they’d started tonight, to her satisfaction as well as his, but in his own good time. He could marry her, sire her children and enjoy a long and happy life with her, all without enslaving himself to an emotion that had only led to pain and disillusionment in the past.
He could, and he would, he promised himself as he finally headed for his bedroom, allowing himself only the slightest glance at the cottage as he passed the French doors along the way.
The cottage that beckoned to him from across the moonlit courtyard so enchantingly that he nearly forgot all his good, safe, sound intentions. Nearly...
Despite his renewed state of arousal, Gabriel slept soundly and awoke only a little later than usual, feeling both rested and relaxed. Once he was up and dressed, however, he found himself standing at the French doors, eyeing the cottage hopefully, looking for some sign that Madelyn, too, was awake. However, none was forthcoming.
With a negative shake of his head and a muttered curse, he grabbed his jacket, tucked his wallet and keys in the back pocket of his jeans, and so as not to be tempted any further, let himself out the front door. A brisk walk to the Plaza in the cold morning air, followed by breakfast at Tia Sofia’s, would do him a world of good.
Then, at ten o’clock, he would pick up Brian at the Murphys’ house as scheduled, and tak
e him to the mall to get the new shoes his son had mentioned he needed. The mall in Albuquerque, he decided. That way, they could make a day of it—a day away from the house, the cottage and the cottage’s occupant—so he could regain his equanimity.
Gabriel didn’t want to want to see Madelyn again so badly. He would much prefer to be able to take or leave her company at his discretion. And he would once he got his mind off that treacherous kiss they’d shared.
The walk to the Plaza was invigorating, and at the restaurant, he ran into a couple of school board members and their spouses. He gladly accepted their invitation to join them, then lingered awhile on his own, reading the paper, after they left.
Back at the house, he went straight to the garage, hopped into the truck and backed down the driveway, thus avoiding the possibility of getting more than a glimpse of the cottage.
Brian was ready and waiting for him at the Murphys’ house. However, when Gabriel suggested they drive to Albuquerque, he wasn’t the least bit agreeable.
“I’d rather go to the mall here,” the boy insisted. “Otherwise, I won’t be able to have lunch with Madelyn, then go to Mr. Martin’s gallery with her. She wants to show him some more of her Santa Fe photographs, and she said I could go with her. Plus I have to give her the valentine I made for her at school yesterday.”
“All right, we’ll go to the mall here.” Gabriel relented, unwilling to spoil his son’s plans without good reason.
He could certainly find something to keep his mind occupied at the house. He had piles of paperwork to sort through, and the bookcase he was building for Brian was ready for a second coat of varnish.
“Did you have fun at the dance?” Brian asked, obviously happy with Gabriel’s decision.
“Yes, I did.”
“What about Madelyn? Did she have fun, too?”
“I think so, but you’ll have to ask her to be sure.”
“Did you give her a valentine?”
“No,” Gabriel admitted ruefully, thinking that would have been a nice touch. Then, after several moments of consideration, he added casually, “But I kissed her good-night.”
He knew how much Brian liked Madelyn, but he wasn’t sure how his son would take to the possibility of her becoming a more permanent part of their lives.
They had fended for themselves, just the two of them—with some housekeeping help from Millie Richards—for eight years now. And during those eight years, Brian had had Gabriel’s undivided attention.
Now he thought it might be best for Brian to gradually get used to his changing relationship with Madelyn. Since he had made his first move in that direction, he figured this was as good a time as any to introduce the idea of her possibly becoming a member of their family sometime in the near future. As long as Brian was agreeable, of course.
“You did?”
Bright blue eyes widening with surprise, as well as what looked a lot like delight, the boy turned to stare at his father.
“Yes, I did,” Gabriel said, grinning proudly.
“Did she kiss you back?”
“Oh, yes.”
“So does that mean she’s gonna be your girlfriend now?”
“Well, that depends. I haven’t exactly asked her yet. I wanted to find out how you felt about it first,” he admitted.
Brian thought for several seconds, his expression serious. Then he answered at last, “I feel pretty good about it, so hurry up and ask her before somebody else does, okay?”
“Okay,” Gabriel laughingly agreed.
To himself, he also acknowledged how savvy his son was. With Madelyn’s looks and personality, it was a wonder no one else had made a play for her yet. Luckily, he was the only single male at the junior high school, and so far, she’d spent most of her time there or alone in the cottage. But gradually, she would be getting out more, especially once the weather warmed up.
Now, with Brian’s blessing, Gabriel could set about seeing to it that she understood she was already spoken for. By him.
“Can she live in the house with us, then?” Brian asked enthusiastically.
“Not just yet,” Gabriel hedged.
“Why not? It was so much fun having her there last weekend.”
“I know, Brian. But for now it’s best that she stay in the cottage.”
“Because you’re not married yet?”
“Yes,” Gabriel agreed, relieved that his son seemed to understand the situation so well.
“But you’re gonna get married, aren’t you?” the boy prodded.
“Well, I hope so. But we haven’t even talked about it yet. We will, of course. Talk about it, that is.” He hesitated a moment, then added carefully, “However, in the meantime, I’d rather you didn’t mention it to her yourself. Okay?”
“Okay,” Brian replied rather dejectedly.
“We want her to have a chance to get to know us a little better before we pop the big question, don’t we? So she’ll be sure to say yes.”
“You’d better kiss her a lot, too. On the mouth,” Brian advised so seriously that Gabriel had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud. “I think it’s pretty yucky, but ladies seem to like it, don’t they?”
“Yes, ladies do seem to like it. And one day, my young son, you will like it, too,” Gabriel replied, smiling as he tweaked the boy’s chin.
“Not me. I’m never gonna like kissing, especially on the mouth,” Brian vowed.
As they wandered from store to store in the shopping mall south of town, Gabriel wondered if he had been wise to discuss his feelings for Madelyn to the extent he’d done with Brian. He had meant only to prepare the child for what might happen in the coming months. He hadn’t suspected Brian would be several steps ahead of him.
Now, as relieved as Gabriel was that his son had no objections to his courting Madelyn, he hoped Brian wouldn’t jump the gun by blurting out something that could disconcert her. She was skittish enough as it was. And Gabriel needed more time to get used to the idea himself.
He didn’t want to give in too quickly, too completely, to his desire, and let his increasing ardor for her get the better of him. Should that happen, holding a part of himself separate—as he knew he must—could very well prove to be impossible.
He hadn’t been so attracted to a woman since he’d first met Lily. Looking back, however, he realized that had been more youthful infatuation than true love. With Madelyn, the feelings he seemed to be experiencing had the potential of being infinitely deeper, not to mention ultimately more binding, and considering his track record, unnerving in the extreme.
Brian found the shoes he wanted—brown leather-andsuede hiking boots with sturdy soles and a price tag that made Gabriel wince as he pulled his credit card from his wallet. Then the two of them headed back home.
Once there, however, Gabriel’s plan to keep his mind occupied with something other than thoughts of Madelyn quickly fell apart.
As he pulled into the driveway, Brian caught sight of her walking toward the house along the sidewalk, a camera slung over her shoulder and Buddy, on a leash, trotting along ahead of her. The boy waved to her and she waved back, and after parking in the garage, Gabriel decided it would be rude not to wait for her in the courtyard along with his son.
“We’re still having lunch together, aren’t we?” Brian asked as he bent to scratch the little dog’s scraggly ears.
“We certainly are,” Madelyn assured him.
When she’d first joined them in the courtyard, she had seemed to be avoiding Gabriel’s gaze. But now she directed a look his way as she added, “You’re welcome to join us, too. We’re having Brian’s favorites—tomato soup and grilled-cheese sandwiches.”
“Sounds good to me,” Gabriel replied, throwing caution to the wind despite his better judgment.
“Can he go to Mr. Martin’s gallery with us, too?” Brian piped up as they started toward the cottage.
“Sure.” Madelyn glanced at him shyly. “Unless you have something else to do.”
; “Not a thing,” he stated easily, experiencing only the merest twinge of guilt at his prevarication.
He had a lot to keep him busy, but nothing that seemed more important to him at the moment than spending the afternoon with Madelyn and his son.
Though Madelyn seemed more interested in Brian than in him—thanking the boy profusely for the lovely valentine and admiring his new hiking boots—Gabriel thought she seemed quite comfortable having him around, as well. She put him to work setting the table while Brian stirred the soup and she grilled the sandwiches. And after they’d eaten, she welcomed both his and Brian’s help with the dishes, laughing as she scooted around them in the narrow confines of the tiny kitchen.
Twice while they were in the cottage he turned to say something to her and found her staring at him, an odd expression on her face. She looked as if she were bemused by the whole situation. But not distressingly so.
Her swift, almost sheepish smiles convinced Gabriel that while she might not fully understand the sudden shift in his demeanor, she considered it wholly acceptable.
Because the weather was so nice, they decided to walk to the Plaza. Brian held Buddy’s leash, Gabriel carried her leather portfolio and Madelyn strode along between the two of them, her camera slung over her shoulder once again.
At the gallery, they parked the dog on a bench just outside the door, then Gabriel and Brian joined the other browsers milling about while Madelyn and Henry pored over her most recent series of photographs.
The tone of Henry’s murmured comments left no doubt in Gabriel’s mind of how much his friend appreciated not only Madelyn’s work, but Madelyn, as well. The temptation to invent some reason to interrupt what was essentially a business meeting almost got the better of him. Only by reminding himself that Henry was a very happily married man did he manage to resist.
Henry selected several of Madelyn’s photographs to display in the gallery and, to her obvious delight, also handed her a check. Grinning ear to ear, she bid Henry farewell then hurried to join Gabriel and Brian.
Daddy By Default Page 15
