Hearts in Motion (23 page)

“Remember what I said the first time you came to my house?” she asked.

“I remember
everything
,” he said, his voice low and intimate.

Her quivering emotions took another leap. She shot him a look that said,
Don’t do this to me.

“I said I wanted to kick you.”

The corners of his lips slanted up. “I appreciated your restraint.”

“You shouldn’t. I’ve thought of kicking you often since then. In fact, I’m thinking about kicking you right now.”

“I like that about you.”

“You
want
me to kick you?”

He shook his head, one side of his mouth curved up. “I find it refreshing that you’re not like most women. You don’t look at me and see a pile of money.” He leaned forward, and when he spoke in a husky murmur, she could feel his warm breath on her face. “You see a man.”

Heat poured through her. “A flawed man. You don’t laugh enough.”

“I know. I need someone to help me work on the flaws. Someone to make me laugh.”

She stared at him and started to shake. The last thing she wanted right now was to cry in front of him. She snapped around. “I need air,” she said, her voice wobbling.

She couldn’t stay here. If she did, she would melt. She headed toward the French doors. The back of her neck prickled, and then the entire skin of her back joined in, and she glanced behind her, not surprised to see Holden. “Don’t follow me. If you do, I really will kick you.”

Then she opened the door, stepped onto the patio, and closed it behind her.

26

Holden looked behind him and saw Cara and Grace staring at him, their eyes wide and their mouths open. The dog and cats stared at him, too, then Minnie said something to him, and Quigley joined in. He had the insane idea they were urging him on.

“Stay,” he ordered all of them. As if they would listen to him.

He opened the French door, stepped onto the patio. He was done with being fearful of the future. He was done with letting his past hold him back. He would fight for her love. He would fight for his chance at happiness.

Abby stood at the railing, her shoulders stiffening as he approached her. He hoped she really wouldn’t kick him, but he wasn’t going to let anything stop him from saying what he needed to say.

He halted next to her. A small breeze gusted, the sun shone down on them, the smell of the morning sunlight and dew drops on grass melded with the smell of water. He gazed at the lake. There were two fishing boats on the lake, one sailboat, and a couple in a two-person kayak.

“You like to kayak?” he asked. “Or sail or fish?”

“I kayak sometimes.”

“If you lived here, you could kayak anytime you want.”

“There’s public access to the lake. I can already kayak anytime I want.”

Laughter rumbled inside him. He loved it that she didn’t fawn over him. Loved her sharp tongue. Loved her mind as much as he loved her body.

And he loved her body very much. He wished he could show her now, but they were on a patio with two young girls and four pets no doubt watching every move they made.

“I didn’t kidnap your pets,” he said. If one road to her heart wasn’t working, then he’d try a different path. “We found them on the patio this morning.”

“I know you would never kidnap them.”

He gripped the patio railing to keep from putting his arm around her. He could tell by the tension radiating from her that she wasn’t ready for it and didn’t want it. Didn’t want
him
.

Not yet. He needed to change that.

“Cara wants us to get together. I think Grace would like it, too.” He looked at her, and she closed her eyes, her lips flattened into a line. He had the feeling she was on the verge of tears, teetering on a precipitous edge. He continued anyway. “Even our pets want us together.”

She lowered her head and looked down at the grass. “I’ve never made any commitment to a man.”

“Because of Grace?”

Still looking down, she shook her head. “At first, I wanted what my mom and dad had, and I couldn’t settle for less. They...
loved
each other so deeply. I never felt that way about any boy or young man.” She raised her head and glanced sideways with a small smile. “That goes for your brother.”

“That’s good. I would hate to be jealous of my younger brother.”

She made a sound that was half chuckle, half sob. Then she put her hand over her mouth, as if holding back a cry. A half minute passed, and she lowered her hand and swallowed.

“After my parents died,” she said, her voice low, “I used to say Grace was the reason. Because by that time, I’d learned that what my parents had was hard to come by.”

“It wouldn’t be less for me,” he said.

She held out her hands and stepped back. “Please. Let me finish.”

He faced her, curling his hands at his sides to keep from putting them on her shoulders and pulling her against him. “Go ahead.”

“I think we’re good for each other. You ground me.”

“And you make me fly.”

She gave another laugh with a cry in it, looked down, and then looked up. “When my parents were killed, it devastated me.” She held up her hand again, and he bit back words of sympathy as she continued. “At nineteen, I thought I was tough. I thought I knew everything. But their loss was...heartbreaking. Horrible. I had to be strong for Grace but...”

“You don’t have to be strong alone.”

“But that’s it. In the end, family and the people we care for, it’s what matters most.” Her eyes glittered with tears. “That night we made love—” She grimaced. “Had sex.”

“Made love,” he said.

She gave him a stern look. “Afterward, I thought maybe there was hope. That maybe I could love someone.” She stopped and looked down then, her breaths harsh, looked up at him again. “I thought maybe I already had fallen in love... Just a little. And then...” She shrugged. “And then you couldn’t wait to leave the next morning.”

He groaned. “For the past two weeks you’ve been threatening to kick me. Go ahead and do it now. I deserve it for being so stupid.”

“No, no, you were the smart one.”

“I wanted to break my engagement before we went any further.”

“You wanted a way out. No, no, don’t shake your head. And don’t be sorry. I’m glad for it. It happened so fast, and I don’t blame you for wanting to slow it down. Last night, I walked for miles, looking for my three jail jumpers.” She smiled faintly at his laugh before continuing, a frown scoring her forehead. “I was so worried for them. So many things could’ve happened, and I would never have seen them again.”

“But they didn’t happen.”

“I know, but they could have. And the thought killed me. Though they’re fine now, they will die sometime. And with every death, I’ll...be hurt.”

“So you’ll never get another dog or cat again?”

She stared at him. “That’s it. That’s the real reason.”

“Real reason for what?”

“For not settling with one man. I’m afraid you’ll die, and I’ll be alone again. That’s why I was so ready to let you go.”

“You—”

The door opened. “Daddy?”

He turned slowly, stifling a groan. “What is it?”

“It’s her.”

“Her?” He frowned.

Cara looked from him to Abby then back at him again. “You know. My mom. She said it’s important.”

“Tell her—”

Abby’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. “That he’ll be right there.”

Biting her lower lip, Cara nodded and scampered away, the door closing behind her.

He swung back to Abby, and she was turning to the house. “Don’t go.”
 

“I have to take the pets back.”

“Wait a few minutes. Please. I won’t be long. I’ll take the call, then we can talk in my office. Grace can watch Cara for a few minutes.”

“I don’t know. I—”

He leaned forward and kissed her. His arms around her, his mouth on hers, coaxing her to open her lips. Thinking it was now or never. Then his thoughts changed to
love me, love me, love me.

Her mouth softened, and so did her body. Through the French door that hadn’t shut all the way, he heard a giggle. He forced himself to pull back. Because if he didn’t pull back now, he would be in big trouble.

Abby gave a husky laugh, shook her head. “Okay, okay, I’ll wait for you.” She hurried to the door, and he followed her, his steps deliberate as he thought of ways to convince her to give love a chance.

***

“You kissed Daddy,” Cara said, looking up at her in the living room, her eyes shining.

The emotion Abby had felt before was back but different. The bitterness was gone, but the apprehension was there, the fear, the giddiness. But so were the want, the need, the hope. The thought that maybe this was it, after all.

The fear that maybe it wasn’t it.

But his eyes...the way he’d looked at her...as if she was more delicious than the best ice cream he’d eaten, the best apple pie, the best cheese.

Or maybe it was her, looking at him. Smelling him. Tasting him. Wanting him.

She put her hands on her hot cheeks, aware that two girls and four animals were staring at her, waiting for her reply.

“Technically, he kissed me.”

“You kissed him back,” Grace said.

“I did.” And it was good. Damn good. Or heavenly good. She wanted to do it again.

But that didn’t mean anything except they were good together. Very, very,
very
good.

She bent and picked up Cara and twirled her. Cara giggled, and she giggled. When she put her down, she kissed her pets, saving Minnie for last, because she wanted to pet her the longest. She loved all her pets. They were all special. But Minnie was just a little more special. She was the one who sat in her lap the most, the one who’d given her the idea for the cat furniture. The one who was the smartest.
 

“Why did you leave?” she whispered. “Why?”

Minnie meowed and mewled and even said a few mrrwls before stopping, looking up at her, as if saying,
Your turn to talk.

“Did you do this for a reason, huh?” She glanced up, and Cara was laughing at the way Quigley was sniffing her hair. “Did you do this to get me and Holden together?” Even as she spoke, she couldn’t believe what she said.

Matchmaking cats. That was crazy.

Before she could take anything back, Minnie mewled and meowed and mrrwled again, as if replying. In the middle of a meow, Minnie stopped, looking at the hallway.

Her skin tingling, Abby followed Minnie’s stare and saw Holden standing in the hall, tall and handsome, his jaw set in determination. The picture of a man no one would stop.
 

She stood, suddenly knowing she didn’t want to stop him.

His eyes smoldered as she neared him. Behind her, Grace said, “Cara and I will play here, so don’t worry about us. Take as long as you want.”

“Brat,” she said, not looking around, and Grace giggled.

Holden didn’t smile or grin, but she saw the smile shining out of his eyes.

Hers, too. She felt the brightness, as if a piece of the sun lodged inside her. No wonder her body shook and heated, and with every step closer to him, she felt it shaking and heating more, her defenses weakening.

“In my office?” he asked.

She nodded, though there was something wrong with her because if he’d said in the bedroom, she would probably go with him. She would probably run into it and throw her clothes off then jump on him.

Inside his office, the first thing she noticed was his leather couch.

She turned to him. “Lock the door.”

“Why?”

“So we can use the couch.” She swept her hand at it. In case he didn’t get her drift, she said, “To make love on it.”

“You’re ready to make a commitment?”

“I’m ready to make love.” She held out her hands, the need clawing at her.

But instead of taking her hand and leading her to the couch, he remained planted in front of her. “I want to make love to you. But first I want the commitment. I love you. I want you. I don’t want any other woman.”

She stared at him, her arms dropping slowly to her sides.

He stared back. Standing solid. Like a mountain, she thought. Her mountain.

“You can’t live in fear,” he said.

“I’ve been living in fear for nine years.” She tried to smile, and her lips wouldn’t cooperate, so she talked again. “You helped me realize that. Being without Minnie, Quigley, and Lion overnight helped me realize that, too. The odds are that I’ll outlive them. That I’ll be hurt again. I’ll cry buckets of tears, and then I’ll have to go on with my life.” Tears heated her eyes and thickened her voice. “But I’ll never regret the time with them.” She paused, taking in a deep breath. “And I’ll never regret the time with you.”

“So you do love me?” He stepped toward her.

“I’m crazy about you.” She put her hand on his chest, as if that would hold him back. “And I feel crazy feeling so crazy. It’s only been two weeks.”