Carole Mortimer - Mistletoe Magic

You just imagined it, she told herself firmly, knowing from the way he had virtually ignored her during lunch that there was absolutely no reason why Gideon should ever want to fall asleep on her shoulder.

If it was her shoulder he had been referring to…

Her gaze narrowed on him questioningly, and was instantly answered by Gideon’s mocking grin.

No, it wasn’t her shoulder he’d been referring to.

‘Let me take him from you and put him in his cradle,’ Gideon offered, reaching out to take the baby, his fingers brushing lightly against Molly’s breast as he did so.

Molly’s skin seemed to burn where those fingers had lightly touched.

Had that touch been accidental or deliberate? she wondered as she watched Gideon cross the room and carefully place the baby in the cradle before covering him with a blanket. She still had found no answer to that question when Gideon returned to stand beside her.

‘Shall we leave them to sleep and take Merlin for a walk?’ he suggested huskily, even as he held out a hand as an offer to help pull her to her feet.

Molly looked at that long, artistic hand, clearly remembering its touch upon her skin, its caresses seeking, finding her complete response. It would be dangerous to her own peace of mind to go outside alone with him. But not to go would be just as unacceptable to her heart!

‘That sounds like a good idea,’ she agreed abruptly, ignoring his hand to get agilely to her feet unaided.

Gideon gave a rueful smile in acknowledgement of her obvious rejection, his arm falling back to his side. He thrust his hand into his denims pocket. ‘Wrap up warm,’ he advised briskly as they walked down the hallway to the kitchen. ‘There’s more snow forecast for later this afternoon.’

Molly felt slightly self-conscious as she wrapped the deep pink cashmere scarf he had given her for Christmas around the bottom half of her face and neck before pulling on her thick sheepskin jacket. It was such a beautiful scarf, and so soft to the touch, that it would be churlish not to wear it just because Gideon had given it to her.

‘Here—let me,’ he offered as the scarf became slightly dislodged by her coat collar. His fingers were warm against her cheeks as he deftly pulled the scarf back into place. ‘It really does look wonderful against the rich auburn of your hair,’ he stepped back to remark admiringly. ‘But, then, I knew that it would.’ He nodded his satisfaction.

Molly looked up at him from beneath her lashes, slightly breathless at the compliment. ‘Thank you,’ she accepted self-consciously.

Gideon chuckled at her obvious wariness. ‘You’re welcome. Come on—let’s go.’ He threw open the door, a blast of icy cold air instantly hitting them.

It really was cold outside, and Molly was grateful to be able to burrow down in her scarf, her hands thrust into the deep pockets of her coat. The scarf about her lower face also served to hide the blush to her cheeks caused by Gideon’s unexpected compliment.

‘You didn’t think I would remember you, did you?’ Gideon remarked quietly after they had walked in silence for several minutes. Merlin was happily running on ahead, obviously fascinated by the cold white stuff that covered the ground.

Molly gave Gideon a sharp glance. ‘Sorry?’

‘From James and Crys’s apartment over three years ago,’ he answered evenly.

So they were back to that, were they? So much for hoping they might be learning a new tolerance between them.

She turned away, hunched down in her jacket. ‘I don’t recall ever giving it a second thought,’ she answered dismissively.

She didn’t remember giving it a second thought because she had followed that by dozens of others once she’d known Gideon was to be at Peter’s christening.

She gave an impatient sigh. ‘Gideon, did you invite me to share this walk with you just so that you could pick another argument with me?’

His face lit up in a smile, eyes laughingly blue. ‘Strangely enough, no!’

Molly gave an irritated shake of her head. ‘Then you have a very funny way of showing it!’

‘Funny, strange—not funny, ha-ha?’ he drawled derisively.

‘Oh, definitely funny, strange!’ she answered impatiently, stopping abruptly as they reached the gate that would take them out into the country lane. ‘Gideon, how many times do I have to tell you that I did not—however briefly—ever have an affair with James?’

He met her gaze unblinkingly, his expression unreadable. ‘I don’t believe you ever have told me that…’

Molly’s frown deepened. ‘But—of course I have!’ she dismissed before walking on, stiff with indignation, only to find herself swung back to face Gideon as he took a firm hold of her arm. ‘Let me go, Gideon,’ she instructed coldly.

To her surprise he instantly did exactly that, holding up his hands before stepping away from her. ‘No, you never did, Molly,’ he assured her softly.

She blinked, thinking back over the conversations they had had together over the last four days—most of them unpleasant. And that unpleasantness had merged into one long battle of wills between the two of them. When they hadn’t been in each other’s arms, of course.

No, she couldn’t remember specifically telling him that she hadn’t had an affair with James. But even so…

‘Well, I did not have an affair with your brother! Or, more to the point, Crys’s husband,’ she added, indignation starting to rise in her voice. ‘Crys is my best friend,’ she added firmly. ‘She always has been. Always will be. And I would never, ever do anything that might hurt her. I think having an affair with her husband might just have done that, don’t you?’ she scorned.

‘Undoubtedly,’ Gideon acknowledged quietly.

‘Well, she won’t be hurt, because I didn’t.’ Molly was warming to her subject now, wanting to get all of this off her chest while she had the chance to do so. ‘Yes, I was at Crys and James’s apartment that night when Crys was away, but not because I was having an affair with James. And if you knew anything about me at all—’

‘I believe you.’

‘—you would believe me when I tell you that’s—’

‘I believe you.’

‘—the truth… I beg your pardon?’ She looked at Gideon warily as his words finally penetrated her indignation.

Gideon drew in a deep breath, looking down at her intently. ‘I said, I believe you, Molly,’ he repeated softly.

She blinked, wondering if this wasn’t another ploy on his part, if he wouldn’t later somehow twist her words to suit his less-than-flattering opinion of her.

‘Oh,’ she said noncommittally.

Gideon gave a heavy sigh. ‘Now it’s you who doesn’t believe me.’

‘Can you blame me?’ Her eyes flashed darkly. ‘You’ve done nothing but accuse me of one indiscretion or another since we met again on Sunday. To accept that you now believe my version of what happened over three years ago is a little hard to take.’

He grimaced. ‘I’m sure it must be,’ he acknowledged. ‘Although, if you think back carefully over the early part of this conversation, you might recall that you didn’t actually give me your version of what happened. I told you—I believe you, anyway,’ he pointed out huskily.

Molly, after days of this man’s taunts and put-downs, was beginning to feel slightly as if her legs were being taken out from under her. Where was Gideon’s antagonism now? Why was he being so nice to her?

‘Would it help if I were to apologise for all the less-than-flattering remarks I’ve made to you over the last few days?’ Gideon asked grimly.

‘It might,’ she allowed warily.

It was a wariness Gideon seemed all too aware of, and he sighed heavily. ‘Molly, I think the two of us need to talk, and I’m not sure here is the best place.’