“Oh.” Malcolm stepped back and noticed the number on the door.
“Gloria doesn’t live at this apartment,” the man said in a breathy voice. “She lives next door.” Pale green eyes roamed over Malcolm’s body, while a hint of a smile curved his lips. “Lucky girl.”
“Okay. Thank you. Sorry to disturb you,” Malcolm said as he backed away.
“She’s not home,” the man said lazily.
Malcolm froze and turned back toward the neighbor.
“I saw her peel out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell about a half an hour ago.”
“Do you know where she went?”
The man shrugged. “Knowing her, it had something to do with work. The girl is a workaholic.”
“Thanks,” Malcolm said, and rushed toward the elevators. His erratic driving bore a close resemblance to Gloria’s as he raced across town. Knots twisted in his gut, making him jittery and anxious. He couldn’t get to Gloria fast enough. When he arrived at his father’s old building, he parked his SUV next to Gloria’s toy car. At least this time, he knew she was there.
Shutting off the engine, he sat for a moment, trying to rearrange the scrambled words inside his head, but after a few minutes he gave up. Malcolm remembered what he had said by his father’s grave site. How he once believed he had the luxury of time.
He no longer held such delusions. If he wanted Gloria to love and to hold for the rest of his life, he had no more time to waste.
As he climbed out of his car and marched toward the building, he remembered the photograph of his parents’ wedding day that his father had always kept on his desk. He remembered the certainty in each of their expressions and realized that was exactly how he felt about Gloria.
How he’d always felt about her.
Malcolm expected to have to buzz Gloria’s office in order to get in, but he was surprised to find the door unlocked.
It was unlike Gloria to be so careless.
He stepped into the dark building, frowned when his hackles stood at attention. “Gloria?” he called out, thinking it was best not to scare her.
In answer, the office remained as quiet as a tomb while the air was charged with a strange energy. Something wasn’t right.
“Gloria?” He crept toward her office, half expecting something to jump out of the shadows. His eyes strained to make out images in the dark. Though he’d been to the office countless times, he didn’t have the lay of the place memorized, and he found himself bumping into a few desks and chairs the deeper he went.
At last, he rounded the corner to Gloria’s office and frowned to see the door closed and no light peeking from under it. Surely she wasn’t going to that great extreme to avoid him when her car was parked outside.
He knocked. “Gloria?”
No answer.
“C’mon, Gloria,” he said, opening the door. “I know you’re in here.” He flipped on the light and froze when his eyes landed on Gloria sprawled across her office floor.
Chapter 21
“Gloria!” Malcolm ran to Gloria’s side with his heart in his throat. Fear crawled up his spine. “Gloria.” He gently turned her over in his arms and flinched. A gash on the left side of her temple was filled with blood and her face was utterly still. “Dear God. Don’t you dare die on me,” he commanded, shaking her body in a rising panic.
He couldn’t lose her. Not like this. Not now.
He placed his fingers beneath her neck and searched for a pulse. When he found it beating faintly, steadily, he nearly collapsed with relief. Malcolm pulled Gloria’s body close and wept.
Gloria’s mind swam through inky blackness. When she caught the sound of a familiar voice calling out her name, she grew concerned by the sound of his heartbreaking sobs. He sounded so lost. She immediately felt the urge to comfort him. She struggled to break through her mind’s spinning vortex until she could flutter her eyes open. She immediately regretted her actions when the light stabbed her eyes.
Moaning, she slammed her eyes shut again.
“Gloria?”
She finally recognized the familiar baritone, and it only deepened her confusion. “Malcolm?” She tried opening her eyes again, and this time, stared into eyes so filled with love that it overwhelmed her. “What are you doing here?” she asked in a scratchy voice. Bolts of pain shot through her head. She lifted her hand to find its source, only to pull it back wet and sticky.
“I’m bleeding,” she said, stunned.
“I found you on the floor, passed out,” Malcolm told her. “Do you remember what happened?”
Gloria tried to sit up, only for her head to threaten to explode.
“Don’t move. Try to lie still and relax. I’m going to call the police.”
“Police?” she questioned, as if she had never heard the word before.
Malcolm moved from her side and grabbed the telephone from the corner of her desk. He quickly punched in three numbers. “Yes. I’d like to report a break-in.”
Gloria closed her eyes and tried to remember what had happened. Someone had been in her office. She tried to concentrate, ignoring the pain whenever she did so. She hadn’t seen who it was. She just remembered pain shooting from the back of her head and then this sensation of falling, when she hit her head on the corner of the desk.
“The police and paramedics are on their way,” Malcolm informed her, returning to her side. “How do you feel?”
“Like my head has been cracked open,” she joked, but winced when she tried to laugh.
“Remember to try to remain still. Do you think you remember what happened now?”
Gloria slowly rolled her head from side to side. “Not really. I just remember coming into my office, but somebody was here.”
“Who?” Malcolm’s body tensed.
“I don’t know. I didn’t get a good look at him. He came out from behind me.”
Malcolm glanced around; the office was trashed. “Someone was looking for something.”
“Looking for what?”
“That’s the million-dollar question. You’re right about something shady and dangerous going on.”
“You believe me?”
“It’s kind of hard not to, given the circumstances.” He smiled down at her and brushed away an errant curl. “Don’t go to sleep on me. I need you to stay awake. You might have a concussion.”
Gloria licked her lips and nodded. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to you. I wanted to apologize for being an ass the past couple of weeks.” His smile slowly ebbed away. “But when I saw you lying on this floor…Oh, Gloria. I’m so sorry I pushed you away. Can you ever forgive me? You’re so right. I’ve been so scared to fall in love again. I found it so much easier to care for strangers than to invest my heart in something real.”
“Malcolm—”
“You were right,” he said, scared she was going to turn him down. “I was attracted to you the very first time I saw you—loved you from the first time we kissed. I came here tonight, prepared to beg you to take me back—to give me a second chance. I don’t ever want to leave your side. Please tell me it’s not too late.”
Malcolm lost himself in the golden depths of her eyes and held his breath. What right did he have to hope that she would forgive him?
Gloria searched his gaze, as if to weigh whether he was telling her the truth, and then slowly a faint smile touched her lips and bloomed into something beautiful. She lifted a hand and cupped his cheek. “You were really going to beg?”
He smiled and turned his face to kiss the palm of her hand. “If that’s what it took.”
“Kiss me,” she said.
Malcolm leaned forward and did as she commanded. It was meant to be a small peck because he didn’t want to hurt her head, but one taste of her lips and he was lost. The next thing he knew he was overwhelmed by the very taste of her. “Oh, Gloria. I love you,” he whispered, pulling away.
“Say it again,” she said.
Malcolm found anot
her inch to pull her closer. “I love you. I love you. I love you,” he whispered against her ear. “Please say you’ll marry me.”
As if someone had waved a magic wand, Gloria’s head cleared. “You want to marry me?”
“More than life itself.”
Again, she searched his eyes and saw he meant it.
“Will you marry me?” he asked soberly.
Sheer joy filled Gloria as she threw her arms around Malcolm’s neck and squeezed tight. “Yes. Yes. A thousand yeses.” She paused; her smile faded.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, suddenly fearful that she had changed her mind.
“Nothing. It’s just that…don’t you think we should at least go out on a real date? No political fund-raisers?”
Malcolm pulled her close. “Absolutely…but we’re still getting married.”
“Absolutely,” she echoed.
Malcolm laughed before their lips found each other’s.
A half an hour later, Malcolm and Gloria were surrounded by the police and paramedics. Both gave their accounts as to what had happened and read the disappointments on the officers’ faces at the lack of details they were able to provide.
When Gloria felt woozy, the interviews ended and Malcolm accompanied her in the back of the ambulance to the hospital. Once there, Malcolm made sure that she received the best care available.
After the doctor completely checked Gloria over, he concluded that she had sustained a concussion and suggested that she stay for twenty-four-hours’ surveillance.
Malcolm informed the staff that he’d be staying, as well. No sooner had the staff transferred Gloria to her room did the small Braddock clan join them. Concern and worry blanketed their faces.
“My dear, are you all right?” Evelyn asked, taking Gloria’s hand and patting it lovingly. “We rushed over as soon as Malcolm called with the news.”
Gloria smiled appreciatively. “Yes. I’m fine,” she informed them. “It looks like my hard head came in handy.”
Malcolm squeezed her hand lovingly, and then leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Shocked, his family stared wide-eyed at them.
“Am I to take it that things have improved between you two?” Evelyn asked. A smile expanded across her face.
“More than improved,” Malcolm said while his eyes remained locked onto Gloria’s as he made an announcement. “We’re engaged.”
“What? So soon?” The women gasped in shock.
“Well,” Malcolm said as he and Gloria beamed at each other, “we’ve known each other for a long time. When you know, you just know!” The women quite literally shoved Malcolm out of the way to give Gloria their congratulatory hugs and kisses.
To avoid making him feel left out, Tyson shoved a hand toward his older brother.
Malcolm took hold of it, but jerked Tyson close for a bear hug.
The jubilant smiles and hugs lasted for a long time. Evelyn insisted that the wedding be held at the family’s estate and Malcolm and Gloria readily agreed. When asked for a date, the new couple glanced at each other.
“How about a Christmas wedding?” Evelyn suggested. “I think that would be lovely.”
“Then Christmas it is.”
“Does this mean that you’re not going on your Malawi trip?” Shawnie asked.
Malcolm watched Gloria’s face as he made his next announcement. “How can I go to Malawi when I have a campaign to run?”
On the heels of his question, the room fell silent for a second. The next second, his family erupted with a new wave of excitement.
A smile stretched across Gloria’s face as tears brimmed her eyes.
Malcolm leaned forward and kissed her. This wasn’t a small peck, but a kiss that bonded their souls together. When he pulled back, he lovingly wiped her tears from her face.
“You don’t have to do this for me,” she whispered.
“It’s not just for you, but for myself, my father and, more important, for the causes I truly believe in.”
“When did you make this decision?” she asked.
“Just now.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “It took me a while to figure out but I think it’s my calling. Are you happy?”
“Only if this is something you truly want to do. I don’t want you to think I want you to be like your father.”
Malcolm’s smile grew. “You know, I’m thinking that being like my father isn’t such a bad thing, after all.” Their lips melted together once more.
While lost in their own private world, neither of them heard his family as they exited the room, giving them their privacy.
As the night grew late, Malcolm remained by Gloria’s side. So much so that he risked the staff’s wrath by climbing into the narrow bed with her.
“Did I ever tell you how much I love spooning with you?” he whispered.
“Malcolm, we’re in a hospital.”
“I know. Kind of exciting, huh?” He nibbled on her earlobe and slid his hand down her back. “I love the easy access provided by these hospital gowns, too.”
“Malcolm.” She giggled a weak warning. “If you don’t behave they’re going to toss you out of here.”
“Not if we keep quiet, Mrs. Braddock—like we did at my mother’s place.”
“I’m not Mrs. Braddock yet.”
“Let’s pretend that you are.” He snuggled her neck and dipped his hand between her legs. Malcolm only wanted to tease her, but once they got started, there was no turning back.
Gloria, still giggling, couldn’t believe what they were about to do until they were doing it. Her legs opened to him easily while her eyes closed lazily when he slid into her and began moving.
Malcolm buried his face into her hair and breathed deeply while pleasure raced down her spine. Her body was inflamed by his every stroke. She curled toward him, seeking her body’s ultimate release.
Their bodies rocked together in silent harmony. Gloria panted and then bit into her pillow in order not to cry out, while one hand gripped the bed’s railing.
Malcolm’s eyes rolled to the back of his head when he felt her tightening around him, gripping him as if she’d never let him go.
Their orgasms blasted through them simultaneously, leaving them shuddering and quaking in ecstasy.
Spent, Malcolm drizzled kisses on the back of her neck, while from the bottom of his heart he confessed, “I love you, Gloria. Now and forever.”
“Is that your first campaign promise?”
“No. This is my life’s promise.”
Epilogue
The next morning, Malcolm and Gloria waited for the doctor to okay her release from the hospital. They were surprised by a sudden stream of visitors. First Senator Cayman strolled into the room and Malcolm and Gloria blinked in surprise.
“Senator,” Gloria said, smiling. “What are you doing here?”
He smiled awkwardly as he approached. “I heard the news. I came right over. Are you all right?”
“Yes. It’s no more than a bump on the head,” she admitted sheepishly.
Malcolm frowned. “How did you hear about what happened?”
“News travels fast in the law enforcement community.”
As if to confirm his statement, suddenly there was another knock on the door.
Malcolm blinked at the familiar face, struggling to place it.
“Mr. St. John.” Gloria exclaimed.
“Hello, Gloria,” he greeted her with a nod, first to her and then to Malcolm and the senator. “I heard about the break-in. I came to see if you were all right.”
“Thanks, but I’m fine.” Gloria turned toward Malcolm. “This is Drey St. John, a private investigator and a good friend of your father’s.”
Malcolm perked up at that. “A private investigator? Didn’t I see you at my father’s funeral?”
“Yes. I came and paid my respects. Your father was a good friend.” He extended his hand and Malcolm accepted. He liked the man immediately.
“I hear the police
don’t have any leads. I’m here to offer my services. I can poke around if you like.”
Malcolm grabbed hold of Gloria’s hand, and then said, “Thanks, but for the moment, we’ve decided to let the police look into it.”
Drey nodded. “I completely understand. But, hey, if you ever change your mind, I’m available.”
“We’ll keep that in mind,” Malcolm said, and meant it.
Drey tossed a smile at Gloria and then nodded to the two men before he headed out of the room.
On his way out, Judge Hanlon strolled in. He also nodded his greeting to everyone in the room. “I came as soon as I heard. Is everything all right?”
“Yes, yes. I’m starting to feel like a little celebrity,” Gloria said. “I’m fine, really.”
“Any idea what they were looking for?”
While Gloria went on to fill the senator and the judge in on what had happened last night, Malcolm stepped out into the hallway to search for the doctor. Instead, he saw his brother strolling toward him.
“How’s it going?” Tyson asked.
“Good. Good. Just waiting around for the doctor to come and release her.” He lifted his brows. “So what are you doing here—come to help me take her home or something?”
“Not exactly.”
Malcolm frowned. “How come I don’t like the sound of that?”
“Because you’re probably not going to like what I have to tell you.”
“All right.” Malcolm crossed his arms. “What is it?”
“Well, it seems our sister has taken it into her head to become Nancy Drew and do some investigating of her own.”
“I’m not following you.”
“She’s starting a new job…with Stewart Industries.”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-2057-1
HER LOVER’S LEGACY
Copyright © 2008 by Harlequin Books S.A.
All rights reserved. The reproduction, transmission or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without written permission. For permission please contact Kimani Press, Editorial Office, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
Her Lover's Legacy Page 15