Mistletoe Magic

Heat coursed through her as she responded to those kisses, an aching need engulfing her. Her body curved into the hard length of his as if by instinct, and every hard contour told of his own rising desire.

His lips left hers to travel down the scented column of her throat, and the heat of his breath, the moist warmth of his lips against her skin ignited a fire wherever they touched.

She wanted this man.

Oh, how she wanted him!

His tongue probed the hollows at the base of her throat, dipping and tasting, and Molly shook with desire as she clung mindlessly to the width of his shoulders, the heat of his body matching hers.

She gasped as his teeth bit the lobe of her ear, the gasp turning to a throaty groan as that bite turned to a sensuous nibbling that raised her temperature even higher.

Finally those lips returned to hers, easily transmitting Gideon’s passion and desire, and Molly returned those emotions as she pressed closer against him.

‘Hmm-hmm,’ interrupted a softly teasing voice. ‘When you have quite finished seducing my little sister, Gideon…’ Sam drawled as the two of them sprang abruptly apart, ‘Diana has received a call on her mobile and won’t be able to join us in going to church, after all; I thought the two of you might want to come and say your goodbyes,’ he told them pointedly.

For a few moments Molly had trouble remembering who Diana was, and from the frown on Gideon’s face he wasn’t faring much better.

Although he recovered more quickly than she did, straightening purposefully before nodding abruptly. ‘I’ll go through now,’ he bit out tersely, giving a brief, dismissive nod that included both Molly and Sam before striding from the room.

Molly let out a shaky breath, momentarily closing her eyes, sure she must have imagined what had passed between herself and Gideon just now. Because it hadn’t been anger. And it hadn’t been disgust. To her, at least, it had felt like something else entirely.

She needed time to think, time to analyse what she thought had happened—

Sam was eyeing her mockingly when she opened her eyes, his smile one of teasing affection. ‘Anything I should know about, little sister?’ he asked softly.

Not until she had worked out for herself what just now had been all about. If she ever did.

And Sam certainly didn’t need to know that one of his guests believed he was having an affair with another woman, Molly recalled frowningly, the rosy haze that had briefly surrounded her disappearing completely at this recollection.

No matter how it might have felt to her at the time, Gideon had kissed her initially because of the accusations she had made concerning his own feelings towards Crys. And she mustn’t forget that fact.

‘Not a thing,’ she assured Sam lightly, moving forward to link her arm with his. ‘Let’s go and say good night to Diana.’

‘Fine with me.’ Her stepbrother nodded. ‘But don’t think you can avoid answering me forever,’ he warned teasingly. ‘Something is definitely going on between you and Gideon,’ he stated with certainty.

‘Something’ definitely was—she just had no idea what.

Neither did she have any clearer an idea once she was alone in the house with only Peter a couple of hours later, having insisted on being the one who stayed behind with the baby while the others all went to the late church service.

‘You’re my idea of the ideal male companion,’ she told the baby ruefully as he slept in the cot in his nursery. ‘Totally uncomplicated.’ She smiled. ‘You cry when you’re hungry, and sleep when you aren’t.’

Peter gave a brief smile in his sleep, as if in sympathy with her, although Crys had assured Molly that those smiles were of the windy type.

‘What am I going to do, hmm?’ she mused as she stood up and moved to the window, staring out at the starlit sky much as Gideon had done earlier this evening in the kitchen.

Gideon.

Every thought, everything she said, all seemed to come back to Gideon just recently. Which wasn’t surprising, considering the circumstances, but she could do with a little respite now and again. Like ten years or so.

‘He kisses me, Peter,’ she continued slowly, ‘and yet I’m not even sure that he likes me. If you had asked me yesterday I would have been absolutely sure that he didn’t!’ She grimaced.

Earlier today she had been sure of the same thing. And yet this evening…

There had been none of his earlier contempt in the way he had kissed her this evening, none of the anger, either. Just… Just what?

She really didn’t know.

She did know that she was becoming far too attracted to him. Possibly more than attracted.

What did that mean?

She couldn’t be falling in love with Gideon! Could she…?

Molly gave a pained groan as she realised that she already had, that every word Gideon said, every gesture he made, affected her more deeply than any other man she had known.

Great!

Another Molly blunder. She had fallen in love with the one man guaranteed to hate her.

She—

She frowned slightly as she saw car headlights at the top of the driveway, and glanced down at her watch. The others couldn’t be coming back from church yet; it was only just after midnight, and the service hadn’t started until eleven-thirty.

But there were no other houses down this stretch of road, so the car had to be coming here. Unless it was some late-night revellers who had lost their way?

Even as she thought this she saw the car turn in the driveway and disappear back down the road.

‘Too much Christmas spirit,’ she told Peter, though the baby was sleeping on unconcernedly, she discovered as she glanced back into his cot. Great; she was talking to herself now.

She had never realised how creepy it was being alone here late at night. She had always had Sam here in the past, and latterly Crys and Sam. But it definitely wasn’t a place she would want to spend too much time in alone. She wondered how Sam had stood it all those years before he and Crys were married.

‘I know he had you.’ She grimaced apologetically at Merlin as he lifted his huge head to look at her, almost as if he had guessed her thoughts. ‘But it’s still a little creepy. Come on,’ she prompted the dog, deciding it was probably best if she kept herself busy. ‘Let’s go down and prepare mulled wine and mince pies for the returning carollers.’

Nevertheless, she pulled down all the blinds at the kitchen windows before preparing the wine and putting the mince pies in the warming oven. ‘Just in case,’ she told Merlin ruefully.

To say she was more than a little relieved when she heard the crunch of gravel outside to announce the return of Gideon’s Jaguar—the car the others had elected to go to church in—would be putting it mildly. Every creak of a tree branch outside, the rustle of fallen leaves on the driveway, even the whoosh of the central heating as it went into action, had seemed intensified in the stillness of the house, making her slightly jumpy.

‘Oh, wonderful!’ Crys enthused as she came in the kitchen door first and smelt the wine and mince pies, her cheeks rosy from the chill night air, her eyes bright with happiness. ‘Has Peter been okay?’ she added anxiously.

‘Of course,’ Molly reassured her, smiling at Sam and David as they came into the kitchen, but quickly averting her gaze before Gideon entered, obviously having lingered to lock up the car. ‘Go up and check on him if you want to,’ she told Crys affectionately, turning to pour mulled wine for them all as her friend hurried off up the stairs to check on the baby.

But all the time Molly was aware of Gideon’s brooding presence where he stood next to the Aga, warming his hands. Even more so now that she had realised she had stupidly fallen in love with the man. It made her other ill-fated love of over three years ago seem quite sane in comparison.

She took the plate from the warming oven. ‘Mince pie, anyone?’ she offered stiltedly, her gaze still lowered so that she didn’t actually have to look at Gideon.

‘Thanks.’ David put down his mulled wine and helped himself to one. ‘I don’t know about the rest of you, but I intend going up to bed as soon as I’ve had these; I’m absolutely bushed.’

‘So am I,’ Molly agreed quickly, having no intention of lingering down here and possibly being drawn into a late-night conversation that would include Gideon.

‘I’m just going to take Merlin out for a last stroll,’ Sam told them. ‘Crys spent hours making those mince pies, so you had better keep me one, Molly.’ He grinned.

‘Will do,’ she assured him lightly. ‘Mince pie, Gideon?’ she offered abruptly, still not quite looking at him.

‘Thanks,’ he murmured huskily, his hand briefly coming into Molly’s lowered line of vision.

It was a strong-looking hand, the fingers long and artistic, the nails kept short, his wrists wide, covered in soft blond hair, making Molly wonder if he had that same downy hair on the rest of his body. It was a thought guaranteed to make her completely lose her appetite—for mince pies, anyway.

‘Aren’t you having one?’ Gideon prompted softly.

‘Er—no.’ Her mouth had gone so dry she would probably choke on what she knew was mouthwatering pastry. ‘I had one earlier, while you were out,’ she dismissed, turning away.

Her hand shook slightly as she took a much-needed sip of her mulled wine. She recognized that the situation between Gideon and herself was becoming intolerable if she could no longer even look at him.

‘As it’s after midnight—Happy Christmas, Molly.’ David moved to kiss her on both cheeks. ‘And many of them,’ he told her warmly as he stepped back.

‘You, too.’ She smiled, her heart suddenly fluttering as she wondered if Gideon might decide to do the same; she wasn’t sure how she would respond if he did.

But she was saved from answering that question by the kitchen door opening. Sam stood in the doorway, his expression one of impatient exasperation.

‘Merlin has run off and isn’t responding when I call him,’ he bit out irritably. ‘Would the two of you mind coming out and helping me look for him?’ He looked at Gideon and David.

‘I’ll come,’ Molly offered, having taken one look at David’s face and realised he still wasn’t too sure of the Irish Wolfhound’s temperament. ‘David is exhausted, and I could do with a walk in the fresh air anyway,’ she added as she put down her glass and collected her coat and scarf from the back of the door.

‘I owe you one,’ David told her ruefully as she followed Sam and Gideon outside.

She paused to grin at him. ‘Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be able to think of some way in which you can repay me.’

‘Think away,’ he invited. ‘After all, I have to keep my leading lady happy, don’t I?’ he added teasingly.

Molly was still grinning as she closed the kitchen door behind her. Although her smile faded as she turned and found herself face to face with Gideon.

Hie mouth twisted derisively as he looked down at her. ‘How touching.’

Molly opened her mouth to give a sharp reply to his obvious sarcasm. And then closed it again. What was the point? Gideon was never going to have a good opinion of her, so why bother to even try?

‘We’re supposed to be looking for Merlin,’ she reminded him abruptly.

‘Of course.’ He gave a mocking inclination of his head, putting his hand out in a gesture for her to precede him.

Molly was glad to move away from the light given out by the kitchen window, knowing her cheeks were flushed, her eyes overbright—and not from the chill of the cold night air, either.

‘Molly…?’

She froze at the sound of Gideon’s voice, her shoulders tense as she slowly turned to face him, her expression wary. ‘Yes?’ she prompted reluctantly.

He was scowling darkly, drawing in a harsh breath before answering. ‘Nothing.’ He shook his head impatiently. ‘Let’s go and look for this silly dog.’

But ten minutes of shouting and looking proved completely unsuccessful. Merlin was nowhere in sight. Sam was looking worried rather than impatient when the three of them once again joined up outside the house.

‘He’s probably gone off chasing rabbits again,’ Molly reassured lightly. ‘You know how he loves to do that.’

‘Maybe,’ Sam answered slowly. ‘I just—’ He broke off as a whining and scrabbling noise suddenly became apparent to them all. ‘What the—?’ He strode determinedly round the side of the house, with Molly and Gideon following him just in time to see him open the door to the garden shed, and a relieved Merlin rushing out into the darkness to jump up at him ecstatically.

‘Panic over,’ Gideon drawled ruefully as they strolled over to join Sam and the happily barking dog.

‘Shh, Merlin, you’ll wake Peter up,’ Sam murmured, still stroking the dog as he looked around distractedly.

‘Everything okay?’ Gideon prompted concernedly.

‘Hmm.’ Sam nodded, straightening. ‘I’m just wondering how Merlin got shut in the shed in the first place, that’s all.’ He shrugged. ‘Probably I just left it open earlier and it blew shut behind him,’ he decided.

‘He’s safe now. That’s the important thing,’ Molly said encouragingly as she linked her arm with his. ‘Let’s all go in out of the cold, hmm?’ She smiled reassuringly.

But her inner thoughts were less assured. Those strange telephone calls today—definitely not from any mistress of Sam’s! The car headlights she had seen at the end of the driveway earlier—and now Merlin somehow getting himself shut in the garden shed.

It was that ‘somehow’ that bothered her.

Sam might have forgotten to shut the shed earlier. And Merlin might have wandered inside. And the wind might have blown the door shut behind him.

It just seemed to Molly that there were an awful lot of ‘mights’ in the scenario…

CHAPTER TEN

‘WAITING up so that you can tell Father Christmas personally that you’ve been nice rather than naughty?’ an all-too-familiar voice drawled mockingly as Molly sat alone in the kitchen two hours later, drinking a mug of coffee.

She had drawn in a sharp breath at the first sound of Gideon’s voice, and released that breath in a heavy sigh as she registered the deliberate insult in his words. ‘My mother always told me that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all!’ Molly snapped impatiently, leaning back in her chair to look at Gideon where he stood in the doorway.

Sam had settled Merlin down in the kitchen before going up to bed when they had all come in a couple of hours ago, and Molly and Gideon had followed him up the stairs to their own bedrooms. But, having undressed and gotten into bed, Molly had found herself unable to sleep. Finally she had given up the effort half an hour ago, in favour of pulling on a pair of denims and an old rugby top of Sam’s to come downstairs and make herself a pot of coffee.

From the look of Gideon he had also gone to bed. He was no longer wearing his dinner suit, but a pair of faded blue denims and a dark blue tee shirt, his hair slightly tousled.

In fact, he looked altogether too approachably attractive for Molly’s peace of mind.

He moved farther into the dimly lit room, the light over the Aga their only illumination. ‘Having now met Caroline, I appreciate what a graciously beautiful woman she is, and I stand corrected,’ he drawled, pouring himself a mug of coffee from the pot and pulling out the chair opposite Molly’s to sit down at the table.

Molly eyed him defensively. ‘Hard to believe such a “graciously beautiful” woman could be my mother, isn’t it?’ she snapped disgustedly.

Gideon gave a humourless smile. ‘I didn’t say that.’

‘You didn’t have to,’ Molly scorned. ‘You—’

‘Molly, I didn’t come down here to argue with you,’ he cut in quietly.

She eyed him warily for several long seconds, and Gideon steadily returned that gaze. ‘Then why did you come down?’ she finally prompted slowly.

He shrugged. ‘For the same reason as you, I expect; because I couldn’t sleep.’

Her mouth twisted derisively. ‘Worried in case Father Christmas doesn’t think you’ve been nice this year, either?’

He smiled as she neatly returned his jibe. ‘There is that, I suppose,’ he allowed. ‘But, actually, no.’ He sobered, frowning. ‘Molly, what do you think is going on?’

She gave him a startled look. Was it so obvious that she was in a complete turmoil concerning her recently realised feelings for this man? If it was, then she—

‘I’m talking about those telephone calls,’ Gideon continued evenly.

Molly glared at him. ‘I’ve already told you—they are not, as you suggested earlier, from any mistress of Sam’s!’

He nodded. ‘I’m beginning to agree with you.’

‘Big of you!’ she snapped scathingly.

Gideon gave a sigh. ‘Molly, whatever the argument might be between the two of us, let’s just forget it for a moment and concentrate on this other matter, hmm?’

Whatever the argument might be between the two of them…

It wasn’t exactly an argument any more, was it? Gideon either insulted her or kissed her. And as for her own feelings…

‘What other matter?’ she prompted impatiently, wishing she had never come down here for a mug of coffee. The last thing that was going to help her get to sleep was another of these heated conversations with Gideon!

‘The telephone calls—don’t jump in again, Molly,’ he said wearily. ‘Just hear me out, hmm?’ he suggested firmly. ‘You have to admit those telephone calls are odd, to say the least.’

‘Yes,’ she allowed abruptly.

‘Then Merlin disappeared and we found him shut in the garden shed,’ Gideon murmured frowningly.

‘Somehow,’ Molly confirmed.

‘Exactly.’ Gideon nodded. ‘What is it?’ He eyed Molly searchingly as she chewed on her bottom lip. ‘What else has happened?’ he guessed shrewdly.

Was her face really that easy to read? If it was, in view of the way she had discovered she felt towards this man, she had better start guarding her expression a bit more!

She shrugged. ‘It could just be nothing…’

Gideon sat forward tensely. ‘What could?’

She grimaced, not sure that the two of them weren’t just becoming paranoid. ‘There was a car in the driveway earlier. When you were all at church. But whoever it was they didn’t stay there—just turned around and drove away again,’ she added quickly as Gideon’s frown turned to a scowl. ‘It could have been Diana Chisholm, I suppose,’ she said suddenly, brightening slightly. ‘Maybe she got her house-call over quite quickly and thought she could join us in going to church, after all, and then she saw how late it was and changed her mind?’ She trailed off weakly as she realised she sounded as if she was grasping at straws.

‘Maybe,’ Gideon acknowledged slowly, not seeming to think she was grasping at straws at all. ‘It might be worth calling her tomorrow and checking that out.’

Molly frowned when she saw how grim Gideon still looked. ‘Gideon, what do you think is going on?’

‘I have no idea,’ he answered her honestly.

But the fact that he did think something was going on only reawakened Molly’s earlier feelings of unease—just when she had been prepared to dismiss her fears as being late-night jitters and tiredness.

There was no denying that it hadn’t only been thoughts of Gideon that had been keeping her from sleeping earlier.

Only thoughts of Gideon…

It was like saying it was only an iceberg—when you knew very well that ninety per cent of it was below the surface of the water, and—like Gideon—extremely dangerous to the unsuspecting.

But she had also been wondering if there was any connection between those telephone calls, the car she had seen earlier, and Merlin’s disappearance. Why she had been wondering that, she had no idea, but if Gideon’s thoughts and concerns were anything to go by she wasn’t the only one with a vivid imagination.

‘It’s probably nothing, you know,’ she told him ruefully.

‘Probably,’ he agreed unconvincingly.

Molly gave him a sharp look. ‘I don’t think you should mention any of this to Crys and Sam,’ she warned softly.

He gave her a piercing look. ‘I’m not completely stupid.’

She had never for a moment thought he was in the least stupid—many other things, but stupid certainly wasn’t amongst them.

She gave a deep sigh, standing up to place her empty mug in the dishwasher. ‘I think I’m ready to go back to bed.’

Gideon raised a dark blond brow. ‘Is that an invitation?’ he drawled mockingly.

It hadn’t taken him long to return to being that derisive stranger.

Molly eyed him tauntingly. ‘What do you think?’

He grimaced, smiling slightly. ‘I think I would be pushing my luck to expect you to say anything but no. But you can’t blame a man for trying!’

This man she could blame. Because once in this man’s arms it would be easy to forget that he didn’t like her, so good to forget that. But the repercussions certainly wouldn’t be worth it.

‘I suppose not,’ she answered dryly, knowing she should leave, but slightly reluctant to do so. These few minutes’ conversation, during the quiet early hours of the morning, had been something of a truce. Tomorrow, she didn’t doubt, they would be back to their normal armed warfare.

Gideon eyed the rugby top she wore. ‘Sam’s?’ he guessed dryly.

The top reached almost down to her knees, and the sleeves were pushed back so that the cuffs shouldn’t hang off the ends of her hands. But it was comfortable, and at three-thirty in the morning that was what she wanted to be.

‘I certainly hope so—otherwise I’ve lost an awful lot of weight!’ she teased lightly.

‘You’re perfect just as you are,’ Gideon said huskily.

Molly’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide as she stared at him. Had Gideon, of all people, just given her a compliment?

No, he couldn’t have done.

Could he…?

Gideon gave a slight smile as he saw the disbelief on her face that she was just too surprised to hide. ‘I’ve given you rather a hard time over the last few days, haven’t I?’ he murmured huskily.

Molly eyed him warily. ‘No harder than I’ve given you,’ she answered guardedly, remembering his anger earlier this evening when she had mentioned his feelings towards Crys.

Feelings, she realised with a sudden jolt, that he had been angry about her mentioning but had never actually denied…

Gideon stood up abruptly. ‘Don’t start letting your imagination run away with you again,’ he advised her harshly.

Molly’s chin rose defensively. ‘Isn’t that what we’ve both been doing these last few minutes?’ she challenged. ‘There is probably no connection at all between those telephone calls, the car I saw and Merlin getting lost,’ she said impatiently. ‘Emotions just seem to run a little high at Christmas time.’ She gave a derisive shake of her head.

‘Is that what it is?’ Gideon murmured softly, moving silently across the kitchen to stand only inches away from her. ‘Is that the reason that at any given moment I either want to smack your bottom or kiss you? And I’m never quite sure which it’s going to be until the moment happens.’ He shook his head. ‘Does that mean that in two days’ time this madness is going to stop?’ he added hopefully.

Molly stared up at him, too much aware of the silence of the sleeping house and its inhabitants not to know how dangerous this particular situation was. Especially as she knew herself to be in love with this man.

But how did Gideon feel about her? Like smacking her or kissing her, he had claimed, with little to choose between the emotions.

‘I expect it does.’ She nodded abruptly.

‘Pity,’ Gideon bit out, holding her gaze locked with his.

Molly moistened dry lips, swallowing hard. Exactly what had he meant by that? He couldn’t actually be enjoying this roller coaster of feelings every time the two of them were together?

‘You’re very kissable, you know, Molly,’ he added huskily, his gaze sliding to the movement of her tongue across her lips.