Carole Mortimer - Mistletoe Magic

Molly’s mouth had gone dry, and colour warmed her cheeks as she saw Gideon’s dark gaze follow the movement of her tongue across her lips.

She could barely breathe, was aware of Gideon with every sense and nerve of her body—aware of him in a way she had never been aware of any man before.

What would he say, this man who believed she had been his brother James’s mistress, if the two of them were ever to make love and he discovered that she had never had a lover—that, at twenty-nine, she was still a virgin?

Well, that particular solution might be a little drastic—but at least he would know that his suspicions concerning herself and James were completely unfounded.

‘Why are you smiling in that “I know something you don’t” way?’ Gideon prompted huskily, his dark gaze once again warily guarded.

It completely broke the moment of shared intimacy…

Thank goodness.

Molly sighed as she stepped thankfully away. ‘I was merely wondering when you were going to give me my glass of wine,’ she invented pointedly, at the same time drawing in deeply controlling breaths, completely flustered by these moments of intense intimacy she seemed to be sharing with Gideon more and more.

In the future—for the next three days, in fact—the less time she spent alone with Gideon, the better she would like it.

He looked down frowningly at the glass he still held, as if surprised to see it there in his hand. ‘What can I do to help?’ he offered abruptly, at the same time putting the glass of wine down on the worktop beside her.

Leave the kitchen and give her a few moments’ respite from his totally evocative company seemed like a good idea to Molly right now.

Although, from the efficient way he picked up the vegetable knife and looked at her expectantly, she didn’t think that suggestion was going to work. ‘Finish the potatoes for me, if you will,’ she dismissed airily, determinedly turning her own attention to preparing Brussels sprouts with almonds.

Molly wasn’t under any illusions that the silence between them was in the least comfortable. She knew that just one word—the wrong word—could trigger hostilities between them once again.

Peace and goodwill—ha!

‘WELL, isn’t this a nice scene of domestic harmony?’ David murmured approvingly a short time later.

Molly turned to give him a narrow-eyed warning look. Domesticity, my foot; Gideon was as domesticated as a feral cat. And, in view of the fact that they had been working together in tense silence for the last ten minutes or so, she doubted that he even knew what the word harmony meant as far as she was concerned.

‘All you need is a pinafore, Gideon, and you’ll completely look the part,’ David added with teasing challenge, having given a hasty look round the kitchen to make sure they had put Merlin safely outside before coming completely into the room himself.

Gideon looked at the other man from under raised blond brows. ‘And what part would that be, David?’ he drawled softly.

The actor grinned unabashedly. ‘Why, Assistant Chef, of course,’ he said mockingly.

‘Of course,’ Gideon echoed derisively. ‘Why don’t you make yourself useful and pour us all some more wine?’

‘I won’t, if you don’t mind.’ David replenished their two glasses. ‘Someone has to drive us all to church later tonight,’ he reasoned. ‘As you two seem to have done all the hard work towards dinner, it may as well be me.’ He shrugged.

Molly had completely forgotten their plans to go to the late service that evening. ‘Do you think Crys and Sam will still want to go?’ She frowned, having seen nothing of the other two since delivering Peter’s medicine to them a couple of hours ago.

‘Maybe not.’ David grimaced. ‘But that’s no reason why we shouldn’t.’

‘Why you shouldn’t what?’ Crys asked as she came into the kitchen. ‘Oh, thank you, Molly.’ She hugged Molly when she saw that dinner was already well in hand. ‘I feel awful for deserting you all like this today.’

‘How is the little chap?’ David was the one to ask gently.

‘Much better, thank you.’ Crys sighed her relief, looking less strained than she had earlier this afternoon. The colour was back in her cheeks, too. ‘He’s sleeping quietly at the moment, so Sam should be down in a minute or two. What were you talking about when I came in?’ she prompted interestedly, smiling her thanks as she sat down and accepted the glass of red wine Gideon poured for her.

‘Church later tonight,’ David explained.

‘Oh, yes—you must all go,’ Crys insisted warmly. ‘Sam and I went last year and it was very beautiful, with all the candles alight and decorated with holly. You—’ She broke off as the telephone began to ring.

Molly froze at the sound, turning sharply to Gideon and finding her look returned frowningly as he, too, obviously wondered if this was yet another of those hang-up calls.

‘I’ll get it,’ Sam told them as he came into the kitchen, and plucked the receiver from the wall. ‘Yes? Speaking. Oh, fine thanks,’ he answered warmly seconds later.

Much to Molly’s relief, and Gideon’s, too, if his smile was anything to go by, this obviously wasn’t another of those calls.

‘Much better,’ Sam continued. ‘No, I’m sure there’s no need for you to do that. Although…’ He put his hand over the mouthpiece. ‘Is there enough dinner for one extra?’ he prompted softly.

‘Molly?’ Crys turned to her.

‘I’m sure there is,’ she confirmed lightly, wondering exactly who the ‘one extra’ was going to be; Sam’s tone was extremely warm and cordial, so it certainly wasn’t a reporter.

Sam removed his hand from the mouthpiece. ‘Why don’t you come over anyway and join us for dinner? No, of course you wouldn’t be intruding,’ he added firmly. ‘We’re eating about eight, so come about seven-thirtyish. I believe several of us are going to church later, if you would like to join us for that, too…? Fine, we’ll see you later, then.’ He rang off. ‘Diana Chisholm is going to join us for dinner,’ he announced happily.

‘Oh, that’s wonderful.’ Crys smiled her pleasure. ‘I didn’t like the idea of her spending Christmas on her own.’

‘You may as well open this house up for all waifs and strays!’ David remarked caustically, scowling. Then he seemed to realise what he had just said. ‘Sorry,’ he muttered harshly. ‘If you’ll all excuse me?’ He turned and strode purposefully from the kitchen.

‘What’s wrong with him?’ Sam looked as dazed by the other man’s abrupt departure as they had all been by the remark that had preceded it.

‘My insensitivity, I think.’ Crys gave a grimacing sigh. ‘After all, it’s David’s first Christmas without Cathy, which can’t be easy after all those years of marriage.’ She stood up. ‘I’ll go and talk to him.’

‘No, I’ll go,’ Gideon offered, putting down his wineglass. ‘It’s a man thing,’ he assured Crys gently as she would have protested. ‘Less embarrassing all round if I go, and especially for David,’ he added ruefully.

It might be less embarrassing for David, but Molly had serious doubts about Gideon being the one to deal with such a sensitive subject.

‘Unless you would like to go?’ Gideon paused beside Molly, obviously guessing at least some of her thoughts.

Although the mockery in his gaze seemed to imply he had completely misconstrued the reason for her expression of doubt. As usual.

‘Not at all,’ she assured him lightly. ‘As you say, it’s a man thing.’ She looked up at him challengingly.

She was not in the least interested in David in the way this man seemed to be implying she was, but if he wanted to go on thinking that, that was his problem.