“I took a photography class during my sophomore year of high school right before we moved and there are three different types of cameras on the shelf. He remembered authors that I loved and kept up with their titles. There’s even a collection of movies set up on a shelf here of teen movies from the eighties because he remembered how much I enjoyed them. They’re all on DVD and Blue Ray so he’s been doing this recently.” She looked around the room as tears welled up again. “All those years that I wasn’t allowed to come home and he was doing all of this for me. I was such a brat and thought that he didn’t care and yet he did all of this.”
“You weren’t being a brat, Gina. You were a child who was put in the middle of a really sucky situation. How could you know that he was doing all of this for you? Why didn’t he just bring these things to you or send them to you as gifts?”
“My mother would have had a fit.”
Mac stood and began to pace. He remembered Gina’s mother; she wasn’t the warm and fuzzy type. Arthur would always play games with Mac and his brothers but Barbara Micelli often looked at them like they were nuisances; she didn’t want to interact with them and she certainly never did more than simply tolerate their presence for very short amounts of time. “Then shame on her,” he said roughly. “You were a child and you were entitled to do things that you enjoyed doing. That’s not a crime. What she did to you? Now that was a crime.”
“She was angry and hurt…”
“And it had nothing to do with you!” he interrupted. “If she wanted to be angry with your father for whatever she deemed his crime to be that’s one thing, but to take it out on you is irresponsible.” He almost kicked himself when he saw Gina wince. She was upset enough and didn’t need him yelling at her for things that were beyond her control.
He took a deep, steadying breath before speaking again. “So, what are you going to do with this stuff? We can move some of it over to the guest house if you’d like.”
She couldn’t have been more surprised if Mac had grown a second head right then and there. “Seriously? You’d help me do that?”
“Of course,” he said simply. “I think we can bring the easel and the paints and maybe just a couple of the canvases to start. Then we can take the guitar and the cameras…” he looked around the room. “It looks like that’s a fairly new laptop over there and he’s probably loaded it with photo editing software so we can set up a workspace for you. There’s plenty of room.”
“You don’t think your parents will mind?”
Mac laughed. “Are you kidding me? They would be thrilled to know that you are using the space and doing something that you enjoy. Plus, you know your father would love knowing that you are using his gifts.”
What he said overwhelmed her in its sincerity. Unable to speak, she simply nodded and began to collect some items. Together they worked in silence to get the things that she wanted down the stairs and into their cars. Thirty minutes later it was dark out and they were ready to go.
“Have you eaten dinner?” he asked before Gina could climb into her car.
She looked at her watch. “Goodness, no. I didn’t even realize how late it was! I’m so sorry! You must have missed dinner, too!”
“Not a problem. We did pizza last night, why don’t I grab us some burgers and meet you back at the guest house?”
“Are you sure? I feel bad about stealing two of your evenings. I’m sure you have better things to do than babysit me.”
With another woman , Mac might have thought that she was fishing for compliments but with Gina he knew that she was genuinely concerned with being a burden. He could smack both of her parents for making her feel that way. “You aren’t stealing my evenings. If anything, you’re saving me from myself.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
He smiled and walked over to his car. “We’ll discuss it over dinner.” Opening the door he climbed in and turned the key. He lowered the window as he was about to pull away. “I’ll meet you there in about thirty minutes. Don’t move anything without me.”
And then he was gone.
****
When Gina arrived back at the guest house she did not unload the car. Much. She carried one box with her as she went inside and then screamed at her own reflection. No wonder the man didn’t kiss her; she looked like some sort of deranged lunatic with raccoon eyes! “What man in his right mind would want to kiss that?” she said with disgust. She washed her face and brushed her teeth and grabbed a clip for her hair. Knowing that her chances with Mac were growing dimmer by the second, Gina decided that maybe luck just wasn’t on her side and that this was never meant to be. She was used to disappointments; this would just be one more to add to the list.
Walking into the bedroom, she changed into a pair of yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt. Her feet were bare and all she decided to do was to put on a little bit of lip gloss. The night was a total loss so she might as well be comfortable.
It wasn’t long before she heard the knock on the French doors and she yelled out for him to come in. Her first thought had been to set them up to eat outside as they had the previous evening but that seemed like too much of an effort and she was physically and emotionally wrung out for the second night in a row. Simplicity was better.
“I hope that you don’t mind eating in here,” she said as she set up paper plates and napkins on a coffee table in the small living room area. Then, reaching into the small box she had carried in, she fished around until she found what she was looking for and then popped a disc in the DVD player.
Mac watched in fascination as Gina moved around the place. She had changed her clothes and clipped up her hair and seemed to be doing everything possible to downplay her beauty. It wasn’t something she could disguise. The fact that they were eating inside didn’t bother him, the fact that she clearly didn’t seem to want him there did.
“Are you all right?” he finally asked as he placed their bag of food down on the table. “I mean, I know I kind of invited myself over but if you’d rather be alone, I can take my share of the food and go.” He wasn’t being mean; he was simply offering her an out if she truly didn’t want him there.
“What? No, why would you even think that?”
Mac reached for the remote and shut off the television. “We don’t need to have the TV on while we eat, for starters. I don’t know about you but I kind of enjoy talking with you. You asked me a question before we left your father’s place and I thought we were going to talk about it when I got here.”
Gina’s shoulders dropped from their stiff and defensive position and she visibly relaxed. “I enjoy talking with you, too. I just feel bad about monopolizing your time.”
“Ah,” he said with a chuckle as he began to dole out their food. “I believe that was where we left off.”
They sat on the floor and feasted on cheeseburgers and fries and milkshakes. Gina was in junk food heaven! If they kept up this pace, she’d gain ten pounds before going back home! She wasn’t going to focus on that tonight, however. Tonight was about relaxing with a friend; a friend who she wanted to be much more with, but clearly that wasn’t on the agenda.
“So how am I saving you from yourself?” she asked before indulging in her chocolate milkshake.
Mac shared with her how his father was concerned about his work habits and how his brothers had all been like him at one point and now had wives to go home to. “I used to pick on Jason for being such a workaholic but my dad swears that I put him to shame with my hours.”
Gina nodded in understanding. “I work a lot, too. Do you like what you do?”
Now Mac nodded. “I love what I do and working with my father and brothers really isn’t a hardship. I love being able to put my ideas out there and knowing that if they’re good, I’ll get honest feedback and if they’re bad, no one is going to hold back.”
“That must be wonderful. I hate my job. It’s boring and not particularly challenging.”
“So why don’t you quit?”
>
Gina shrugged. “I don’t know what else I’d do.”
“Anything you want, I’d imagine. You’re an intelligent woman; I’m sure you’d be an asset no matter where you went.”
She beamed under his kind words and she could only hope that he truly meant them and that they weren’t empty words just to keep the conversation going. “So what do you do in your spare time?”
Mac laughed. “That’s the problem; I don’t seem to have spare time. I work all the time. That’s why my father has been after me. He wants me to find a hobby or something to do that isn’t work related or he’s going to make me take a leave of absence.”
Gina almost choked on her fries. “He can’t make you do that, can he?”
“He’s the boss; he can do whatever he wants.”
“So I’m saving you by…?”
“Making sure that I have something to do and leaving the office while the sun is still out.” He took a bite of his burger. “It’s not as painful as I thought it would be.”
“I’m sure your father’s heart is in the right place and that you’ll find something to do that relaxes you and brings you joy.” Gina looked around the room. “My father asked me to paint while I’m here. I’m trying to figure out where the best place would be to set up.”
Within minutes they finished their meals and began bringing all of the supplies in from the car s . Mac did all of the carrying while Gina told him where to set everything up. The guitar went into the bedroom along with the cowboy hats. The cameras and laptop went on the coffee table and Mac set up her easel and paints next to a large window that overlooked his mother’s garden. The room was large enough for all of the supplies without overwhelming the space and once everything was inside and set up, they stood back and admired their handiwork.
“Thank you, Mac,” she said with a smile. “I couldn’t have done this without you.” Gina stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek at the same time Mac turned his head to look at her. Their lips met and held for just a second before his arm snaked around her and pulled her flush against him.
His lips sipped from hers gently at first as if testing her response until her arms came up and wrapped around his neck with a soft whimper. Next thing Mac knew, he was devouring her. His tongue licked at her bottom lip as she opened for him. It was all heat and passion and wild; their tongues were tentative at first but then they settled in as if they’d kissed a thousand times before. Mac pulled his mouth from hers and kissed her cheek, her jaw and then her throat. Gina threw her head back and Mac reached up and pulled the clip from her hair and let those luxurious curls flow over his hands. The feel of the silky tresses was as erotic as he’d thought.
She whispered his name and raked her fingers through his hair to hold him to her. “Mac, please,” she said and did her best to get even closer to him. She felt the evidence of his arousal and mentally high-fived herself. But just as she was mentally congratulating herself on finally getting the man to notice her, he released her and turned away.
It took a moment for Gina to catch her breath. She reached out and touched Mac’s shoulder but he flinched and took a step farther away from her. “Mac?”
When he finally turned , his expression was one of cool indifference. “I’m sorry; that shouldn’t have happened.”
She hated that phrase. Why did men feel the need to use that as their go-to line? “Really? Why not?”
Mac kept his face neutral; if Gina had any idea how much he had wanted that to happen and more, she’d be shocked. “You’re a family friend and you’re here to visit your ailing father. The last thing you need is someone mauling you when you were simply offering a small kiss of gratitude. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” There. He’d said it. Mac was known for his iron clad control so he had no doubt that he could pull this off.
“What if I want it to happen again?” she asked defiantly. “What if I want that to happen again more than once? And more?”
“It’s not going to happen, Gina. It can’t.”
“So you’ve said,” she snapped. “I’m a grown woman, Mackenzie. And for the record, you weren’t mauling me. I don’t need you getting all righteous and whatnot. I knew what I was doing and I know what I want. I don’t see why, if we’re both attracted to one another, we can’t explore that while I’m here.”
He raked a hand through his hair. This was not going the way he had planned. She was supposed to be thankful for him showing some self control and they’d agree that it was a mistake and he’d be on his way. Why was she tempting him with the things he couldn’t have?
“Gina, you can’t honestly stand there and tell me that you think it’s okay for us to have a short term affair while you’re in town. That’s crazy.”
“Why?” she demanded. “Why is it crazy? Do you have long-lasting relationships with all of the women that you date?” His lack of response said it all. “That’s what I thought. So tell me why this would be so different?”
She was going to keep poking at him until he gave her a response so he gave her one that was certain to stop her in her tracks. “Because you’re Arthur’s daughter!” he yelled. “Your father is like an uncle to me. We grew up together and I am not so self-centered that I would sleep with you while you’re in town because your father is dying! I’m not that much of a bastard no matter what people may think!”
If he had slapped her he couldn’t have had a more powerful effect. Gina could only stare at him for a long time and when she finally spoke it was with a level of calmness that she really didn’t feel. “Okay. I didn’t realize that you felt that way and I’m sorry if I’ve put you in an awkward position. It won’t happen again.” She looked around the room again, distracting herself with all of the new additions. “If you don’t mind I think I’ll watch that movie now and I’d like to check out some of the photography software. Thank you, again, for helping me get all of my things over here.”
He was being dismissed and as much as he wanted to tell her that it was all a lie and that he wanted her; wanted to spend the night with her, he knew that she needed more. Hell, everyone knew that she needed and deserved someone better than him. His father was right when he said that Mac didn’t have staying power.
It just never bothered him until now.
Chapter Five
Four days later Gina was standing at her easel painting. She had gone through half of the canvases that they had brought over as she tried to find her muse. Looking at what she’d done so far , there was a landscape of Monica’s garden, a still-life with the requisite bowl of fruit, numerous random abstracts and then there was a semi-abstract portrait of a man with an intense gaze and short hair who looked ready to jump right off of the canvas at her.
Mac.
She painted him as she saw him most in her mind; like he wanted to devour her.
They hadn’t seen or spoken to one another since he left that night and Gina found that she missed him. Not just his physical, sexy presence, but their conversations. When she wasn’t at the hospital with her father, she was familiarizing herself with her passions. Music was playing in the background and she swayed in time with it while wearing one of her cowboy hats painting. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top and she had actually gone to the craft store and bought herself a smock to protect her clothing. It was now covered in paint so Gina considered that money well spent.
With a final stroke of her brush she added a touch of red behind the painted man’s head and smiled at the finished product. It was good. It was more than good. It was possibly one of the best pieces she’d ever done. Stepping back she studied it and then headed to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine. The sun was setting and Gina decided that after a quick shower that she’d heat herself up some dinner and maybe go and soak in the hot tub to ease her sore muscles. Standing up for so long while painting was hell on her body.
She’d showered and thrown on just a pair of panties and a ribbed tank; the soak in the hot tub wasn’t set in stone as the hot
shower had eased some of her tension. She was heating up her dinner when her phone rang. She looked at the screen and groaned. Her mother was calling.
“Gina, sweetheart,” her mother began, “aren’t you done there in North Carolina yet? You really should be back home. I’m sure your bosses are not happy with you being away for so long.”
She sighed. “They are fine with me being away, mom. I told them, just like I told you, that I’d be gone a couple of weeks. I’ve only been gone one.”
“Don’t argue with me, Gina. Your job is important. Surely by now you’ve had a chance to visit with your father. What more can you possibly do?”
Reaching for her wine glass, she took a long drink from it and then refilled it before answering. “I’m here to spend time with him. He’s dying. Can’t you even be gracious enough to understand that we’d want to spend time together?”
“Please, you always are so dramatic. Lord knows where you get that from,” her mother said bitterly. “It would have been nice if he’d spent time with you before he found out he was dying.”
Gina wanted to reach through the phone and slap her mother. “How dare you!” she snapped. “How could he spend time with me when you did everything you possibly could to keep that from happening?”
“Is that what he told you? Because he’s lying. Your father is a liar, Gina!”
“No, that’s not what he told me, that’s what I know. I wasn’t a child when we moved away, Mom. I was a teenager who was old enough to know what was going on and what I know is that you did everything you could to make him pay for not being who you wanted him to be. You used me to get even with him. Well, you can’t do that anymore. I’m here in North Carolina and I don’t know when I’ll be home.”
Stay With Me (The Montgomery Brothers) Page 6