Red Hot Christmas (13 page)

“You’re welcome to stay. It might be good for Fraser to get to know you a bit before you and he spend time together.” Suddenly Gabby wanted to hold onto the woman’s arm and make her stay. The longer Tessa was in the apartment, the longer Gabby could put off having any type of conversation with Nicolas. She was more nervous than she’d allowed herself to admit.

“I guess that’s not a silly idea. Although I’m sure we’re going to get along fine. He seems like a charmer, your little one. Lots of smiles, must get that from you.”

Over dinner, Tessa admired Fraser’s new car, and the gap where his first baby tooth had fallen out the week before.

Gabby tried to keep her focus on her food, but she felt Nicolas’s eyes on her and every time she looked up it was as if he stared right into her soul. Unlike in the last couple of days however, his grey eyes gave nothing away. No storm clouds of anger, no bright sparks of erotic lightning. Just calm, clear, millpond silver.
 

Tessa engaged him in conversation and Gabby managed to sneak a proper look while his attention was diverted. He’d changed when he got home from the office. Gone was the sharp suit and in its place a soft white T-shirt molded to his chest and biceps. Despite running a vast corporation, he managed to keep himself in shape alright. Thinking about those biceps gave Gabby’s heart a nudge and she had to look away quickly so her thoughts didn’t spill into a look that Nicolas might misread.

Tessa stood to leave. “I’ll see you after school tomorrow then Fraser. You Mom will call to let them know I’m coming to collect you. Will you remember to wave out to me?”

Fraser gave Tessa a critical stare. “I never had to wave to Mrs. Patel.”

“Well I’m new. There’s bound to be lots of things I do that Mrs. Patel didn’t. But I figure you’re a good teacher.”

Fraser thought a moment then nodded. “Will I get to play with my new car?”

“I’m sure we’ll find time for that. And we’ll be coming back here, okay?”

Fraser nodded and gave a big yawn.

“I think that’s my cue.” Tessa turned to go.

Gabby started to protest then stopped herself.
 
She was going to have to face Nicolas again tonight at some stage. “Time for bed rabbit?”

“Will you read me a story?”

“Of course I will.”

“I meant Nicolas,” Fraser turned to the man sitting next to him.

“Oh I don’t know if he’ll want to do that. Maybe another night,” said Gabby quickly. But when she risked a quick look at Nicolas she was amazed to see him smiling.

“I think you better let your Mom doing the reading tonight sport,” he said. Then added in a fake whisper. “She might get scared in her new bed. I think it’s best that you make sure she’s okay.”

Fraser’s eyes bulged and he looked up at Gabby, fright clear on his face.
Damn.
Why did Nicolas have to go and put the idea of being scared in a new bed into Fraser’s head?

“Don’t worry,” Nicolas said. “I’ve had the exterminators in, so there are no shadow men in any of the cupboards. No shadow men, no boogey men, no monsters of any kind. I got a ten year guarantee.”

“Are you sure?” Fraser said in a small voice.

“Yep. Come on. I’ll show you.” Ignoring Gabby’s glare, Nicolas stood and stalked to the bedroom, Fraser’s hand in his. “See.”

When she caught up to them Gabby’s eyes widened. Instead of the austere white walls and carpet elsewhere, the room Fraser was in had navy pinstriped wallpaper and a pale blue carpet with large contrasting navy spots.
 
Fraser and Nicolas had their heads in a large white dresser and all the drawers were open to reveal an array of toys and boys clothes. In the corner a wooden garage had pride of place, complete with toy cars and a box of wooden blocks ready to build a race track. It was a perfect little boys room.

“When did you… Where did all of this…How could you have…” Gabby petered out.

Nicolas turned to her. He tried to look nonchalant, but she could tell he was pleased with her reaction. “My designer told me I needed to have at least one room that had a bit of color, so it’s always been like this.”

“But the toys.”

“I just picked up a few things from Able’s. Thought they might make the move a bit easier.”

Fraser looked up at her. “Did you see the cars mommy? Can I really keep them?”

Gabby melted at the glee in his eyes. How could she deny him any of this? And wasn’t it what she’d always wanted? A real home. One where she lived with the father of her child under the same roof? “We’ll have to see,” she said, covering herself. In case.

 
Nicolas shrugged but the light dulled in his eyes. “No monsters. Or do I need to show you the guarantee?”

Fraser shook his head. “No monsters.”

“Great. Let’s get your teeth brushed and into bed,” Gabby said.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Nicolas said. “Your bathroom is just through there. See you in the morning sport.”

Another en-suite? Gabby pushed at the door, and yes, Fraser had his very own bathroom.

“This place is enormous,” she whispered.

“I know,” said Fraser. “I like it here. And I like Tessa and Uncle Nico. Are we really going to stay?”

Uncle Nico?
“Just for a little while.”

“Can’t we stay for ages?”

“We’ll see. Now, teeth and bed.” Never had she used the parental catch-all of ‘we’ll see’ more in one day

Fraser got into bed and barely lay down before his eyes drooped and he snuggled into sleep. Hesitating outside his door, Gabby longed to disappear into her room and hide under the delicious looking bedspread herself.

“He went down without a fuss.”

Damn. Nicolas’s deep voice came from behind her. She turned to see him standing in the doorway to yet another bedroom. The master suite, she guessed. “He’s pretty good usually and he’s had a big day. I’m amazed he lasted this long.”
Keep it neutral, be polite, pleasant.
 

“Got everything you need?” He asked.

She nodded, leaping on the out he offered. “I think I might take a bath. Otherwise my muscles will be one big ache after packing.”

“Sure. I asked Tessa to get it ready for you earlier. Enjoy. I’m just down the hall if you need anything.” He turned and, she couldn’t quite believe it, walked into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Alone in his swanky apartment, Gabby looked at his closed door. Was that really it? Her heart thumping, she listened for movement, but apart from her own blood racing, she heard nothing. Nicolas had apparently retired for the evening, and Fraser was out cold.
You are
not
disappointed, pull yourself together and
enjoy the roof over your head.
Still, she waited a full five minutes, just to be sure, then walked the short distance to her en-suite and just about fainted in delight.
 

Like the bedroom, the bathroom was perfectly appointed. As if someone had taken her orders and followed them exactly, the clean white space was full of candle light, and the heavenly aroma of orange blossom filled the room from an oil burner on the ash vanity. A huge white tub took pride of place in the center, but instead of there being taps to get in the way of luxurious soaking, when she turned a dial, water cascaded from a faucet in the wall, filling the room with the roar of a mini waterfall, and the tub full of water in record time.
 

More white roses filled an old fashioned jar and a selection of bubble bath bottles stood just begging to be poured into the swirling hot water. Gabby didn’t need any more invitation and shucked off her shoes and clothes, before sinking into the perfect tub. Divine.

Scooping the frothy, sweet smelling foam over her, Gabby tried to fathom what was happening. Within a week her whole world had been turned upside down. Christmas was coming and—and what? And her heart was playing tricks with her every time she got close to Nicolas Morganti.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Just thinking of him in the next room made her flush beneath her coating of bubbles. She’d practically dissolved into a puddle of lust on the sofa that was now only meters away. Pathetic. “What the hell are you going to be like, living with him?”

Thinking she heard something, Gabby’s eyes sprung open, but the bathroom door remained closed.
Stop it
. If he could be classy enough to give her a night alone, no expectations, no strings, the least she could do was to be gracious and trust him. Settling back into the bubbles, Gabby sighed and allowed herself the luxury of forgetting whose apartment she was in, just for the next half an hour.

Soaked and sleepy, she dragged herself out of the tub and wrapped the fluffiest towel she’d ever encountered around herself. Oh she could get used to this.
 

Looking for her bag of clothes she opened the closet, only to find it empty. Searching through drawers she came across a glossy gift box and opened it to reveal a red negligee nestled in tissue. Scarlet berries were embroidered across the bust and just holding the thin fabric in her hands made her want to try it on. Good one. Nicolas had obviously bought it for someone and either hadn’t given it to them yet, or had changed his mind. Thinking of him with another woman stole a little of her good mood. No. She had no right to mope.
 

Finally finding her PJs she tugged the down-filled covers up to her chin and hit the lights. She shut her eyes and tried to will herself to sleep. When she got up to sheep sixty two she gave up and stared at the ceiling. Maybe if she came up with a plan with how to be around Nicolas she’d feel better.
 

Their kiss under the grotto’s mistletoe replayed itself over and over in her mind. The way he’d looked at her, the heat of his lips… This was not helping. Maybe she needed to give in to what her body wanted. It sounded weak when she put it like that, something a damsel might do to avoid a dragon, but she was no damsel and she didn’t need a knight to save her from anything. The old Gabby would have put on a pair of killer heels, shimmied into something that showed off just enough of her figure to leave any imagination teased and taut, and then taken what she’d wanted. What was so different now?

Fraser.

Gabby looked at the wall that abutted her son’s bedroom. She’d lost her desire to play the game that so many men required, or at least, seemed to love. Toying with a wine glass just got in the way of drinking the wine she so rarely could afford. Owning killer heels was far less important than making sure Fraser’s shoes still fit.

Nicolas isn’t playing games. He doesn’t do that.

Didn’t he?

Gabby checked his behavior for the millionth time. He’d been upfront about his skepticism about her from the get go, making time so she could explain her route into her job and her plans for the future. But once she peeled back the issues of their history, he’d been mostly professional. Mostly. Maybe his desire had just got the better of him, the way hers had. Maybe him insisting she move into his apartment was a convenient excuse for getting closer to her. Gabby pulled the thoughts around her like the plush bedding and let the fantasy fill her with promise. It was a big maybe. But tonight she’d settle for a maybe.

It would be so much easier to decide that everything was going to turn out alright for once. So much easier to believe, like she used to, that things happened for a reason, and that good things always happened to people that deserved them. Her father had dented her trust in her beliefs. “But he’s not here. This time it’s up to you to make your own luck,” she whispered into the darkness.

She could be lucky and hopeful and she could
choose
to believe in the goodness of Nicolas Morganti.
And be a big naïve fool?
And be a big naïve fool. She’d been worse. “Screw it.” The whisper was addressed to the universe. An acceptance to whatever it had been that had brought Nicolas back into her life with his offer of a place to stay and a babysitter all rolled into one. And to the growing piece of her heart that was beginning to defrost and allow her to admit that she had never stopped wanting to be with Nicolas.
 

Surrounded by warm thoughts and a little spark of hope, Gabby sighed contentedly and shut her eyes. Sleep. Go to sleep.

Her stomach grumbled and her eyes flicked open.

Shush. She’d been so preoccupied at dinner she’d hardly touched her food. Trying to ignore her stomach she closed her eyes again.

The second growl was loud enough that it would have woken Fraser if they’d been in their old apartment with its paper thin walls. Throwing back the covers she turned on the light, squinting at the brightness after the dark the blackout curtains provided. Wrapping the robe Tessa had laid out around her, Gabby opened the door a crack, then padded to the kitchen when the silence promised there was no one else about.

The contents of the fridge were no less magnificent than the rest of the apartment. “Of course not. Why would they be?” she muttered into the stillness of the night. Pulling out gruyere, mayo, olive tapenade and butter she broke off a hunk of the crusty bread left over from dinner and made herself the best midnight snack she’d had in the longest time.

“Oh my god that’s better. Hot milk, then bed.” She went back to the fridge.

“I was just going to suggest the same thing.”