“No wonder you were afraid that she was going to die.”
“It took years for her to recover from the Lyme disease. For her, it became chronic. She couldn’t even get out of bed in the beginning. And when she finally got well, she would have relapses.” His stomach tightened with the memory. “And even after she recovered, she was still weak from the lupus. It’s a miracle that she survived, with the toll it took on her.”
Meagan put her hand on top of his, where it was resting on the arm of his chair. “I can only imagine what you went through, seeing her like that.”
Her fingertips sent a rush of heat through his body. “I guess it’s why I’m still so protective of her now.”
“That’s understandable.” She removed her hand from his and placed it on her lap. “You have a right to protect her.”
He wished that Meagan would touch him again. He’d found it soothing and stirring, and he wanted more. So much more. “I’m heavily involved in a lupus foundation. And one for Lyme disease, too.”
“Along with running a foster children’s charity?” She smiled a little. “You’re a busy man.”
Not too busy to be enthralled with her, he thought. “I’ll let Mom know that we’re going to work out a time for you to meet her.”
“I really want to hear about her experience with my mother. And I promise I’ll be sensitive to her health issues. I won’t do anything to wear her out.”
“I trust you.” In all sorts of ways, he realized.
“Thank you. Hearing you say that is...” She couldn’t seem to find the words to express herself.
He understood exactly how she felt. He wanted to express himself by kissing her senseless. But he couldn’t.
“It’s probably time for me to go work,” she said.
No doubt it was. “Maybe we can do this again.”
“Have breakfast at your house?”
He looked into her eyes. “Yes.”
She gazed into his. “I’d love to come back, anytime you want me to.”
He would use any excuse to be alone with her, to satisfy the erotic feeling it gave him. Garrett had it bad—this crazy desire for her. “I’ll walk you out.”
They got up at the same time, and he escorted her through the house and back down the entryway stairs to the front door. He went outside with her, and they stood in the courtyard of his home.
“Thank you for a lovely morning,” she said.
“Was it lovely, Meagan? Even with the heavy stuff we talked about?”
“Yes, it still was.” She reached out to hug him.
And bam! he was holding her in his arms. Holding her so damned close, he never wanted to let go. He ran his hand down her back, where her long, glorious hair was falling like silk.
“You’re a Winter Time woman,” he whispered.
“And you’re a man called Snow,” she whispered back.
“A snowman?” he asked and made both of them laugh. But his silly joke didn’t stop the moment from escalating. It only made it seem fresh and sweet. He noticed the scent from the evergreen trees swirling around them.
Meagan remained in his arms, clasped in the hug she’d initiated. Clearly, she didn’t want to let go, either.
“You have pretty hair,” he said. He was still skimming a hand up and down her back.
“I wore it loose for you.” She caught her breath. “I can’t believe I just told you that.”
He finally released her and stepped back, so he could look at her. “It’s okay that you told me.” He liked knowing how strongly he affected her.
She bit down on her bottom lip. “I need to braid it before I go to work.”
“I can do it for you.”
She seemed nervous but excited, too, at the prospect of him doing something so personal for her. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.” He paused. “Do you have a rubber band?”
“I have this.” She reached into the pocket of her jeans and produced a red ponytail holder.
He took it from her. “Turn around, and we’ll do it right here.” Standing in his courtyard, surrounded by tall trees and big flowering plants.
She presented him her back, and he separated her hair into three sections and began plaiting it into a long, shiny braid. He took his time, doing it carefully. When the job was complete, he wound the ponytail holder around the end.
Meagan turned to face him once again. “Thank you, Garrett.”
“You’re welcome.” Unable to help himself, he skimmed her cheek with his fingertip.
“Just let me know when your mom is ready to meet me,” she said, with a slight shiver.
“I will.” He didn’t ask if she was cold. He suspected that she was feeling all too warm—that her shiver was a reaction to his touch.
She walked to her car, her braid swishing as she moved.
Garrett had no idea how long they could keep this going without being together. Only he wasn’t sure what being together would entail.
All he knew was how badly he wanted her.
* * *
Meagan adored Garrett’s mother. From the very instant they said hello, a bond was formed. The older woman’s name was Shirley, and she was kind and gracious and warm.
It was just the two of them in Shirley’s penthouse suite. Meagan felt right at home amid the little statuettes of fantasy creatures scattered about. Meagan had always loved fairy tales. As a little girl she’d immersed herself in them.
As for Shirley, she reminded Meagan of a fortune-teller, with her long, graying black hair and colorful clothes. She even had a deck of Native American–themed tarot cards that she was studying how to use. Meagan didn’t ask for a reading because Shirley claimed that she hadn’t mastered them yet.
They sat next to each other, drinking hot tea from floral-printed cups. There was a fruit-and-cheese platter on the coffee table, too, ordered from room service.
“Do you have a picture of your daughter that I can see?” Shirley asked.
“I have tons.” Meagan smiled and removed her smartphone from her purse. “But this is my favorite.” It was the image of Ivy she used as the wallpaper on her phone. Ivy was dressed in her favorite Western outfit and was waving at the camera.
“Oh, my. How sweet she is. Just so beautiful.” Shirley glanced up. “She looks like you. And you look like your mother, from what I can recall.”
Here it was. The conversation about Meagan’s mom. She’d been waiting for this.
Shirley continued by saying, “When I saw you at your sentencing, your last name didn’t ring a bell. It wasn’t until I researched you later and discovered your mother’s maiden name that it hit me. That I once knew a woman whose name translated to Winter Time. Your mother joined the group under her Cheyenne name, not under Quinn.”
“When was this?” Garrett had mentioned it had been a long time ago, but the era wasn’t clear. “Was my mom even married yet?”
“Oh, yes, she was. In fact, she was pregnant, with her tummy out to here.” Shirley formed a large circle with her arms. “She was a lovely lady.” A pause, then: “It was about twenty-seven years ago.”
“Oh, my goodness. That was me in her stomach.”
Garrett’s mother gave her a big smile. “Yes, it was you.”
Meagan felt a rush of sweet, sweet warmth. “I was there, inside her, when you met. Garrett didn’t mention that to me, but I guess he didn’t know.”
“No, I didn’t tell him. Up until now, he hasn’t agreed with me about how important it is that I knew your mother. He didn’t want to hear the details.”
“He said that you and my mother only saw each other a few times.”
“That’s true. She was a new member, and she only came to two or three meetings. I assumed that she took time off because s
he was nearing her due date and would be back later. But she never returned. I do remember how easily we talked, though. We joked about her being Winter Time and me being Snow.”
Meagan nodded. She and Garrett had joked about the same thing, right before he’d braided her hair with those strong, capable hands. She would never forget the feeling it gave her.
“Your mother talked about her children,” Shirley said. “She told me that she had two boys and the one in her womb was a girl.”
“Did you tell her about Garrett?”
“Yes, of course. He would have been around five then. He was such a serious little boy.”
Meagan tried to get a mental image of him at that age. But it was tough not to think of him as the big, powerful man he was today. “Serious suits him.” She waited a beat before she asked, “Did he tell you that I had a baby sister?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“I was eight when Ella was born. But she died six months later, from SIDS.”
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.”
“After she died, I thought of her as an angel. But she was my mother’s little fairy, too. The name Ella means beautiful fairy.”
“What a pretty name.” Shirley reached for one of the fairies in her collection. A tiny winged girl with big brown eyes and blue-black hair. “You can keep this. For Ella.”
Meagan clutched the figurine. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Thank you.” She wrapped the fairy in a napkin and slipped it carefully into her purse. “I’ll put it in Ivy’s room at my house. She doesn’t sleep there yet. She’s still spending each night with my brother and his fiancée, but at some point Ivy is going to move in with me. My family thinks it will happen soon, but I’m being careful not to push her before she’s ready. It’s still hard, though, not having her there.”
“I know what you mean. I was lost when Garrett wasn’t living with me. But I was too ill to care for him.”
“He told me about the camping trip.”
“Who would have seen that coming, me contracting another disease on top on what was already wrong with me? But things are so much better now. Garrett and I both weathered it.”
“I’m going to meet Jake and Max at a charity event next Saturday. A picnic in the park.”
“That will be nice for you. You’ll be able to clear the air with them the way you have with Garrett.”
Shirley didn’t seem to be aware that Meagan and her son were dancing on the edge of desire, with the air getting thicker each time they saw each other.
“Did my mother tell you anything about my father?” Meagan asked.
“No, she didn’t. But maybe she would have if we’d gotten to know each other better.”
“They had a terrible marriage. But she loved him just the same.”
Shirley watched her as the smoke from scented candles perfumed the room. “Do you love the father of your child?”
“Not anymore. I haven’t loved Neil since I stole the money.” Since she’d met Garrett on that very first day; since he’d given her his handkerchief; since he’d presented her with that long-ago daisy. “But even after I stopped loving Neil, I was still being loyal to him.”
“When I discovered that you’d had a baby in prison, it made me so sad for you. Especially when I learned that your boyfriend had washed his hands of it. Then, when I uncovered the connection I once had to your pregnant mother, I just couldn’t get you out of my mind.”
“Thank you so much for caring about my situation and convincing your son to hire me and help me get paroled. Without you, I wouldn’t have such a fulfilling job.” Or be getting so close to Garrett, Meagan thought. “I love working with the horses. And being near the beach. It’s such an idyllic setting.”
“I’m glad you’re happy working here and that it’s giving you a fresh start in life.” Shirley smiled. “Everyone deserves a clean slate.”
“Since we’ve been speaking so candidly, can I ask you something about Garrett’s father?”
“If I loved him?”
“Yes.” Meagan was curious to know.
“In the beginning, I thought I did. But after he left, all that mattered was the baby I was going to have.”
“My daughter is my priority now, too. I’m going to show her the fairy you gave me, and I’m going to tell her its name is Ella.”
“I’m glad you came to visit me. We’ve had such a nice talk.”
“Yes, we have.” They’d discussed so many vital subjects. Yet the one thing Meagan couldn’t mention was how badly she was yearning for Garrett.
* * *
The next day, Meagan joined Garrett at his house once again. This time, they’d agreed on six thirty. So she dropped Ivy off at day care, bright and early, and headed for his castle in the sky.
She’d just arrived, and so far all they’d done was embrace. A long, lingering, body-warming hug.
“Are you ready?” he whispered.
“For breakfast?” she asked, just as quietly. “I’m not really all that hungry.”
“Then why are you here?”
She shifted to meet his gaze. “To be near you.” She softly added, “In your company.” She skimmed her fingers down his shirt, wishing she could unbutton it. Once again, he was only halfway dressed for work.
“So I shouldn’t cook?”
“Not yet.”
He smoothed a hand down her hair. She’d left it unbraided for him. “What should we do instead?”
“You could show me your room.” She knew it was a bold thing to say, but she didn’t care. She needed to convey her feelings, especially in light of how easily they were touching each other. “I’ve been wondering what your bedroom is like.”
“That’s a dangerous thought, Meagan.”
“I can’t help it.” She looked into the depths of his eyes, nearly losing herself in them. They were the deepest, darkest, richest shade of brown with tiny amber flecks that she hadn’t noticed before now. “What have you been wondering about?”
“What it would feel like to kiss you.”
“That’s easy to find out.” Meagan lifted her chin, inviting him to satisfy his curiosity.
He hesitated but only for a moment. Clearly, his willpower was on the brink. He tugged her even closer, lowered his head and put his lips warmly against hers.
Holy. Heaven. On. Earth.
Everything inside her went wonderfully weak. The kiss started off soft and slow, like a lone leaf floating in the wind. She lifted her hands and looped them around his neck. By now, Meagan was actually teetering in her boots.
He deepened the kiss, the taste of desire rising between them. She could feel it, overflowing with every sexy swirl of his tongue.
She moaned and asked the Creator to forgive her. Because anything this good, this hot, this exciting had to be a sin.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he said, even as he kept doing it.
“I know.” But she couldn’t seem to control her urges any more than he could. Her body was pressed intimately against his.
He tightened his hold on her, his hands looped around her waist. “When I first got to know you, I kept hoping that you would leave Neil, so I could dash in and sweep you off your feet. But you stayed with him, and then I discovered all the craziness that was going on.”
The craziness of what she’d done to him and his foster brothers. “I’m sorry.”
“No more apologies, Meagan. We’re getting past that.”
She looked into his eyes as intently as before. The gold flecks were still there, but now she realized it was a trick of the light. A beautiful illusion. “You’re sweeping me off my feet now.” He was as dashing as any man could be.
He kissed her again and she let the sensation immerse her.
>
When he stepped back, she asked, “Are you going to show me your room?”
He ran his thumb along her jaw, as if he was memorizing the angles of her face. “I already told you that’s a dangerous thought.”
“And I already told you that I can’t help wanting to see it.” She had been memorizing him in her sleep in the hours just before dawn, when she dreamed the hardest. “I’ve been fantasizing about you since the day you gave me the daisy. I went home that night to Neil, but it was you who was on my mind. You, I wanted.”
His voice turned rough, as gravely as she’d ever heard. “Are you seducing me, Meagan?”
Was she? She honestly didn’t know. She’d never seduced anyone before. “Before now, all I’ve ever done was what men told me to do.” She’d never been her own woman, speaking her own mind.
“If I take you to my room, all sorts of bad things could result from it.”
A jolt of electricity shot through her. “Bad things?”
“I just don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“How can you be taking advantage of me if I’m seducing you?”
“I don’t know.” He kept touching her face. “But I don’t usually act on impulse.”
“Neither do I.” Being this impulsive was new to her. “But we don’t have to shout it out to the rest of the world.” Her instinct was to keep it between them, to let it be theirs, and theirs alone. “No one except us has to know.”
His breath rushed out. “A secret affair?”
She nodded. “As far as anyone else knows, we’re just friends.”
“Are we going to be able to act that convincingly?”
“I was in a school play once,” she teased him. “When I was in second grade. It was a Thanksgiving production, and I played one of the Indians.”
He smiled. He even laughed. “Now there’s a stretch.”
Single Mom, Billionaire Boss Page 9
