Had he growled? No, of course not. He wasn’t some sort of animal. He was human—a damaged human, but human nonetheless. Still, his tone might have been a bit gruff.
She stepped toward him. “I see the doubt in your eyes.”
He narrowed his gaze on her. “If I growl so much, why are you still here?”
“Good question. I guess I’m just holding up my side of our agreement.”
For a moment there, he’d forgotten that she was there at his insistence. He knew that if she had a chance, she’d be anywhere else. And he couldn’t blame her. He definitely wasn’t the most hospitable host.
But when he was this close to Gabrielle, he wanted to be someone else. His old self? No. He’d been too selfish—too self-absorbed. Right now, he wanted to be someone better.
“I’m sorry that I startled you earlier.” He made sure when he spoke that his voice was soft and gentle. He would not growl at her. “I never meant for you to get hurt.”
She stared into his eyes. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“Of course.” His voice took on a rough edge again. He swallowed hard. And when he spoke, he made sure to return to a gentle tone. “I’m not used to having anyone out in the gardens.”
“The rose garden is beautiful. That’s why I was out there. I could see them from my bedroom window and I wanted to get a better look. Unlike the rest of the grounds, they are well-maintained. They must be special to you?”
“They are. I had them planted for my mother.” He missed his mother. She had been kind and gentle. She had been the exact opposite of his brutal father. “Roses were her favorite. She used to spend hours out there. It’s where she spent her last days.”
Gabrielle’s eyes filled with sympathy. She reached out to him. Her fingers wrapped around his hand. She gave him a squeeze. “I know that saying I’m sorry isn’t enough, but it’s all I have.”
He continued to stare into her eyes, and he saw something more than sympathy. There was...understanding. He searched his memory and he recalled her mentioning that she’d also lost her mother. “You understand?”
She nodded. “My mother died giving birth to me, so I never knew her.”
Instead of offering her the same empty words, he nodded and squeezed her hand back. It was then he realized her hand was still in his. The physical contact sent a bolt of awareness through his body.
He should let her go. He should step away. But he could do neither of those things. It was as though she were a life-sustaining force and without her, he would cease to exist.
His gaze lowered to her lips. Today they were done up in a striking purple shade. Against her light skin, her lips stood out. They begged for attention and he couldn’t turn away.
This wasn’t good—not for his common sense. Because right now, all he could think about was her mouth—her very inviting mouth. He wanted to kiss her. He needed to kiss her. He longed to feel those lush purple lips move beneath his. A groan swelled in the back of his throat, but he choked it back down. He didn’t need Gabrielle realizing how much power she had over him.
Because there was no way her kiss could be as amazing as he was imagining. Nothing could be that good. Not a chance.
He needed a heavy dose of reality to get her out of his system. And then he’d be able to think clearly. Yes, that would fix things.
Without giving his actions further thought, he dipped his head. He captured her lips with his own. At first, he heard the swift intake of her breath. She pulled back slightly and he thought she was going to turn away.
Then her hand lifted and smoothed over his beard. It must have caught her off guard. He should shave it, but it never seemed like the right time, until now.
And then her lips were touching his again. Tentatively at first. She didn’t seem to know what to make of this unlikely situation. That made two of them, because kissing her was the absolute last thing he thought he’d be doing this morning.
As if he were acting in a trance, he drew Gabrielle closer and closer. He expected her to pull away. To slap him. Or at the very least stomp away.
Instea
d her hands came to rest on his chest. Her lips began moving beneath his. Her hands slid up over his shoulders and wrapped around his neck as her soft curves leaned against him. Mmm...she felt so good. And she tasted sugar-sweet, like the icing on a donut. And he couldn’t get enough of her.
Their kiss escalated with wild abandon. It was as if she were the first woman to ever kiss him. No one had stirred him quite the way she did. He never wanted to let her go.
In the background, there was a noise. He couldn’t make it out. And then it stopped. Their kiss continued as his body throbbed with need.
And then the sound started again. He wanted it to stop—for them to be left alone to enjoy this very special moment. The next thing he knew, Gabrielle braced her hands against his chest and pulled back.
It was too soon. He wasn’t ready to let her go. And yet she moved out of his embrace. She reached for her cell phone, which was resting on the countertop.