Millie Criswell, Mary McBride, Liz Ireland Read online

  His fever had broken during the night, but still he was burning up. Lust poured through his veins, thick and hot, heating his blood to the boiling point.

  “Eve, wake up.” If she didn’t wake soon, there was no telling what he might do.

  Her hand came in contact with his erect member, and he sucked in his breath, then she moved her head over his chest, as if trying to find a comfortable spot on the pillow she obviously thought she was lying upon. He groaned in agony.

  “Mmm. Let me sleep a little longer, Mama. I’m having the most wonderful dream.”

  Biting the inside of his cheek in an effort to keep himself in check, he shook her awake. “Wake up, sleeping beauty. I’m alive. I’m not your mama. And I won’t be held responsible for my actions if you don’t get off me this very minute.” His words were pained and harsher than he intended.

  Eve opened her eyes, took in her present position, where her hand rested, and she jerked back and nearly fell off the chair she was seated upon. And would have, too, if Gabe hadn’t reached out to steady her.

  “Merciful heavens!” she declared, her face turning beet red. “I must have fallen asleep.”

  “Good morning,” he said with a soft smile, not letting go of her hand, though she tried to pull out of his grasp. “I hated waking you up. You looked so peaceful, but circumstances being what they are—”

  “Please! Say no more. I’m terribly embarrassed about falling asleep. You were so ill, and I stayed up half the night nursing you. I guess my eyes just drifted closed. I’m sorry. I—”

  “Don’t apologize, sweetheart. I appreciate all you’ve done. I must have caught a chill that day we were making the snowmen. I haven’t felt so poorly since I was a kid. It just came upon me all of a sudden.”

  She nodded, trying to regain her composure. “Fevers are like that, especially this time of year.”

  Reaching down, he retrieved a long blond hair from his abdomen, holding it out to her, and she blushed all over again. “Glad you found me so comfortable.”

  “I—I know you like to tease, Gabe, but I’m just too humiliated at the moment to see humor in the present situation. I’m afraid I’m not used to spending the night in a man’s bedroom, and—”

  “Well, I’m glad the man you chose was me. Maybe next time I’ll be awake and we can do more than sleep.”

  Gasping loudly, she launched herself off the chair. “How dare you say such an improper thing! I am not a loose woman.”

  “Never thought you were. There’s nothing improper about kissing or making love, Eve. What’s improper is having feelings and not doing anything about it.” Her hair had come loose during the night and fell in soft waves around her shoulders. His fingers itched to touch it.

  “I really must go. After I clean myself up, I’ll fix you a nourishing bowl of oatmeal. I suggest you remain in bed another day, just to make certain the fever has abated. I don’t want you having a relapse. I have better things to do than to play nursemaid to you.”

  He grinned at her bossy, uptight demeanor. “Yes, ma’am. But if you don’t come back up here to keep me company, I swear I’ll come looking for you.” He made to get out of bed, the sheet falling dangerously low on his hips, and Eve sucked in her breath, watching, and waiting for the outcome.

  He noticed where she was staring, and his eyes darkened. “Do you think I still have a fever? Would you mind very much checking to see?”

  Despite her reservations, she inched closer to the bed and held out her hand to touch his forehead. That’s when Gabe latched onto her wrist and pulled her down across him, placing his lips on hers and kissing her soundly. At first, Eve tried to pull back, but when his lips began to move over hers, slowly, and with such tenderness, when the tip of his tongue searched for entry, she became pliant and opened to him.

  His tongue sent shivers of desire racing through her as he explored, teased and tormented. She kissed him back with a hunger that surprised her. His lips found her eyelids, cheeks and chin, and then the pulsing point at the base of her throat.

  The kiss seemed to go on forever. She never wanted it to end. Hearing a low moan, Eve realized it was her own and finally pulled back, dazed by the traitorous reaction of her own body. Her nipples were pebble hard and swollen, and she felt a dull ache between her thighs.

  She wanted Gabe but knew she could never have him.

  “You shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered, looking into the depths of his mesmerizing blue eyes to find longing that matched her own.

  “Why? We both wondered what it would be like. Now we know. It was wonderful. I’m not sorry. Are you?”

  She hesitated a moment before answering. “No, I’m not sorry. But I don’t think it’s wise to…to continue such behavior. You’ll be leaving soon, and—”

  “Making love is not the sin you’ve made it out to be, Eve. When two people care about each other, it’s a wonderful experience. Didn’t you find that out with Daniel?”

  She took a deep breath. “Daniel and I never consummated our relationship.”

  His eyes widened. “Ah. That explains a lot of things.”

  “Like what? I don’t know what you mean.”

  “You’re a virgin. I sensed that the first moment I laid eyes on you.” She stiffened, and he caressed her arm gently. “Don’t go getting all huffy on me. I’m not saying virginity’s a bad thing. A man puts great store by being the first. I’d like to be your first, Eve.

  Think about that when you’re taking your bath, touching yourself in all those intimate areas of your body, lying in your bed at night, and wondering what it would be like between us. You know it would be good. I’d make it good for you, sweetheart.”

  Eve felt frustrated and close to tears. “I can’t. Please don’t say such things.”

  “You want to. I can see it in your eyes, in the soft blush of your cheeks, in the way your heart beats when I hold you in my arms and kiss you. You respond to me, Eve. And I’m telling you right now that I want you, and there’s no shame in you knowing that.”

  “I have to go.”

  “But you’ll be back.”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I’ll be back.”

  Chapter Six

  “You said you were coming back.”

  Startled by the sound of Gabe’s voice, Eve dropped the bowl she had just removed from the china cabinet It went crashing to the floor, splintering into pieces at her feet, not unlike her composure.

  Clasping her throat, she whirled about “You scared me half to death, Gabriel Tyler! What on earth are you doing out of bed? I told you to stay put” He was fully dressed, and for that, she was grateful. A naked Gabriel Tyler was just too much for any woman to handle, and she had no experience in such matters, at any rate. Though she knew he’d be quite willing to teach her everything she needed to know.

  “I’ve been waiting upstairs for hours for you to come back like you said. When you didn’t, I figured you were probably trying to starve me to death, so I came down to see what was the matter.”

  Eve’s cheeks filled with color. In truth, she hadn’t been able to face him again. Not after the kiss they’d shared, and all the provocative things he’d said. She was weak, and he knew how to prey on that weakness. “I got busy doing other things and forgot,” she lied. “It’s best you don’t eat too much anyway. You’re supposed to starve a fever. I’ll bring up some broth in a few minutes. Why don’t you—”

  He shook his head, threading impatient fingers through his hair. “Oh no, you don’t. You’re not getting rid of me that easily. I feel fine, and I’d just as soon eat down here with you. It’s not often I have such good company.”

  Her heart squeezed at the comment, for she knew exactly how he felt. She’d spent too many days alone, and would again, after he left. “You’ll have a relapse,” she tried to reason, knowing his nearness, the masculine scent of him, gave her thoughts, yearnings that no decent woman should entertain.

  “I doubt it, though I might die of starvation.”
He rubbed his midsection. “Got anything to eat besides broth? I’m as hungry as a hibernating bear.”

  With a sigh of resignation, she bent over and picked up the pieces of her mother’s china bowl, knowing it could never be repaired. Like her life, it was too big a mess to fix. “I’ve prepared a ham, green beans and scalloped potatoes for dinner. I was just setting the table when you came rushing in here, scaring me out of my wits.”

  He looked genuinely contrite. “Sorry. I hope that bowl wasn’t a family heirloom or anything. I know women put a lot of store by such things.”

  Cradling the broken pieces in her apron, she moved to the trash bin and dumped them in. “It was my mother’s. And yes, I cherished it very much. But it’s gone and there’s no sense in crying over spilled milk.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Damn. I’m really sorry.”

  “Cursing will not repair the bowl, Gabe, so you may as well take a seat at the table. I’ll have dinner on in a few minutes.”

  Noting her high color, the way she went out of her way to avoid eye contact, he knew she felt uneasy about being around him, and he was saddened by that. They’d just started getting comfortable with each other, sharing confidences and entertaining stories. He didn’t want her to distance herself from him. “You’re mad about the kiss, about the things I said, aren’t you?”

  Setting the platters and bowls of food down on the table before him, she shook her head. “I’m not mad, just concerned that I’ve given you the wrong idea about me. I’m not looking for a dalliance, Gabe. Perhaps it seemed like that by my…my behavior, but I’m not in the habit of kissing men I hardly know and going to bed with them.” There. She’d said it. Let him think what he would. She was sure he thought her a prude, but that couldn’t be helped.

  “So coming back upstairs was too much of a temptation for you, huh?” He grinned when her face flushed red with embarrassment, indicating he’d hit too close to the truth she was trying to hide.

  “You have great conceit, Mr. Tyler. It was your health I was concerned about, not my—I assure you that I have a great deal of willpower. You caught me at a moment of weakness this morning. I had just awoken, and—”

  He held up his hand. “I get the idea. You’re trying to tell me you’re not interested. I don’t believe you, but I’m not going to force myself on you.”

  “Well, isn’t that just a very great relief,” she replied, not bothering to disguise the sarcasm in her voice as she pulled out her chair and fell into it. So far this had been one heck of a horrible day, and she couldn’t wait for it to end. Of course, then the dreams would start. She’d been having all sorts of strange dreams since Gabriel Tyler had moved into her house. Some of them downright lascivious. Most, actually.

  “I still want you, Eve. That’s not going to change. But I’m not going to do anything you don’t want to do, so there’s no need to tiptoe around, or avoid being in the same room with me. I was raised a gentleman. And even though I’ve drifted these many years, I still know how to treat a lady. And I do consider you a lady.”

  Smiling tentatively, she said, ‘Thank you.” Then her eyes widened and she reached into the pocket of her dress. “Goodness! I nearly forgot. The reason I came to your room in the first place was to give you this letter. Florinda Cooper brought it by yesterday. I think it’s from your family.” She handed it to him.

  Noting the postmark, Gabe eased into a smile. “It’s from my brother.” Opening it, he scanned the missive, his smile fading. “No one’s heard a word from, or about, my ex-wife, though Zach’s hoping with the coming Christmas holidays that she might get in contact with her family. He’s got an associate working inside the Trusslow estate, who isn’t above exchanging information for money. We’ve had several promising tips over the years, though none that panned out.”

  Though Gabe looked resigned, as if he’d had this kind of disappointing news before, Eve saw hope glittering in the depths of his eyes and felt renewed sadness for his loss. “I wish there was something I could do to help. A father should be with his son, his family, during the holidays.”

  Though her words were meant to comfort, they did little to assuage the emptiness inside him. “That’s not in the cards for me. I’ve reconciled myself to that. And—” he smiled hopefully “—I’m content to spend them with you, if you’ll let me.”

  Eve didn’t take even a moment to consider. “I’m afraid that’s not going to be possible, Gabe. You agreed to leave by Christmas Eve, and I expect you to honor that agreement.” She was starting to fall in love with him. If he stayed and they grew closer, made love, the way she desperately wanted to…well, she wasn’t sure she would ever recover from his leaving. And he would leave. She knew that, just as certain as she knew what was in her heart. The pain of his loss would be unbearable. Just thinking about it made it so.

  Disappointment rode him hard. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I thought we were getting along well, enjoying each other’s company.”

  Locking gazes with him, Eve sucked in her breath, hoping she could make him understand. “I’m a woman looking for a lifetime. I don’t think you’re the kind of man who wants that. I understand that there’s a physical attraction between us. I won’t deny it. But I refuse to make another mistake, refuse to let any man make a fool out of me again. For a woman, a few hours of pleasure usually results in a lifetime of unhappiness. I already have that, and I don’t need a repeat performance.”

  Everything she said left a bitter taste in his mouth, and trying to wash it down with a glass of milk just wasn’t going to cut it. He couldn’t deny her assumptions, because for the most part they were true. He couldn’t confess that he had feelings for her, because he didn’t know what those feelings were as yet. And he knew he’d be leaving and didn’t want to offer false hope. She’d been left once before, and he couldn’t blame her for being wary, for being afraid. But knowing all that didn’t make him want her any less.

  “I understand how you feel, better than most, I suspect, having been in somewhat of a similar situation myself. I’ll try to behave in a more circumspect manner, and I will leave on Christmas Eve day as we agreed.”

  “Thank you,” she said, barely above a whisper, the pain in her heart a tangible thing.

  “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, what do you say about sharing some of those cookies you’ve been baking? I smelled cinnamon and vanilla all the way up the stairs, and it was pure torture.”

  Glad to have the unpleasantness behind them, Eve’s smile was full of indulgence. “You may have a few. The rest I must deliver to the church tomorrow, so they’ll be there for the children’s pageant rehearsal.”

  “Are those kids going be able to get to the church, with the weather like it is?” He looked skeptical. “Doesn’t seem likely.” After crossing to the window, he pulled the curtain back and looked out. “It’s still snowing like a sonofa— Sorry.” He smiled sheepishly.

  “I have no idea, but I’m not going back on my word. I’ll trudge over there, even if the snow’s waist deep, and make the delivery as promised. I guess Reverend Brewster’s cat can eat them, if no one else shows up.”

  “Seems a waste of perfectly good cookies to me.” He bit into a white-frosted sugar cookie and released a sigh of pure pleasure. “Mmm. These are even better than the ones my sisters used to bake. And theirs were pretty darn good, if memory serves.”

  Eve liked a man who appreciated the efforts of a woman in the kitchen. It made all the hard work seem very worthwhile. She would bake anyway, because she loved it so, but it was nice having her efforts prized.

  “Well, I may decide to bake more, since you like them so much. I always keep baked goods on hand for my guests.”

  “Guess I’ll tag along with you tomorrow then, just to make sure you make it there and back safely. The depth of the snow can be treacherous. And you’re not that tall. You might sink clear into a drift and never be seen again.”

  At his comment, she threw back her head and laug
hed, and his gut knotted tighter than a hangman’s noose. “I’ve survived living here for almost twenty-eight years, and never once have I fallen into a snowdrift and disappeared.”

  His gaze moved from the top of her head to the tip of her toes, resting several places in between. Eve felt as if she was being devoured by that hungry bear he’d spoken of earlier. “There’s always a first time for…everything, Eve. Wouldn’t you agree?” She thought it best not to answer the question.

  Eve studied the sign posted on the front door of the Methodist church and breathed a sigh of relief. The pageant rehearsal was still scheduled for seven o’clock that evening. Reverend Brewster’s hungry cat would not devour her winter cookies, after all.

  “Thank goodness,” she said, trying to open the heavy door with her index finger and hold the plate at the same time.

  Gabe noted her difficulty and stepped forward to do the honors. “Well, at least we didn’t get soaked to our knees for nothing,” he said. “Though I’m not sure I like sharing your cookies with a bunch of snotty-nosed kids.”

  She would have laughed at his childish reaction if it hadn’t hurt so much to breathe. The frigid air burned her lungs, numbing her cheeks and hands, despite the heavy wool clothing and outer garments she wore.

  Eve knew that if it had been any other time of the year besides Christmas, Reverend Brewster would have canceled the pageant. She thought it was foolish on his part not to have done so. Christmas certainly wasn’t worth a child catching pneumonia, or worse. But she also knew that the town set a great store by the tradition of the pageant, the annual caroling event Mr. Purdy had tried so hard to convince her to attend, and the various decorations that were already being strung up around town.

  Several of the stores and businesses they had passed on their way to the church were decorated with wreaths and colorful ribbons. They looked quite festive and pretty, if one enjoyed that sort of thing, which she didn’t. Gabe apparently did, because he’d commented on how Christmas decorations always put him in a good mood, which made hers even sourer.