“Yes,” Kellan said. “I-I’m here for Gelsey. I’m-her friend.”
An eyebrow rose slightly and she regarded him with a suspicious eye. “You’re Kellan.”
He nodded. “Yes, I am. She’s mentioned me?”
“Once or twice, in passing.” She held out her hand. “I’m Caroline. I’m the housekeeper. We’ve met before. You were the young man with the camera, the other day.”
“I was. She’s here?”
“She is. But I’m afraid she’s sleeping. She stopped by to pick up some old Christmas decorations for the shop and when I went upstairs to check on her, she was curled up on her bed, sound asleep.”
“May I go up and see her?” Kellan asked.
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. You two haven’t been arguing, have you?”
Kellan shook his head. “No. Everything is fine. She’s just been working very hard lately and I’m a wee bit worried.”
Caroline stepped aside and allowed him to pass. “Top of the stairs, second door on the left.”
He took the stairs two at a time and found her room. The door was ajar and he silently pushed it open. Gelsey was curled up on the bed, still in her shoes and socks and the clothes she’d been wearing at the shop. Kellan carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, but she didn’t stir.
Holding his breath, he pulled the down-filled duvet up from the foot of the bed and stretched out beside her. Kellan watched her sleep for a long time, wondering at the life she’d lived before him. From what he knew of it, it hadn’t been particularly happy.
He could give her more than what she’d had. He could make her happy. Unable to help himself, Kellan leaned forward and touched his lips to hers. The contact startled her and she opened her eyes, staring at him incomprehensibly. “Hello,” he murmured.
Gelsey frowned, pinching her eyes shut and then opening them again. “Is it you?”
“Yes,” Kellan said.
“What are you doing here? How did you find me?”
“I followed you here the other day. I guess I got a little impatient and couldn’t help myself. Does it make a difference?”
“No,” she said softly.
“Can I stay here with you tonight?”
She nodded then reached out and touched his face. “I don’t want to fall in love with you. But sometimes you make it impossible not to.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” Kellan said. He captured her mouth in a long, deep kiss.
Slowly, they tugged at clothes, undressing each other beneath the duvet. He curled up behind her, his mouth pressed against her nape, and a moment later, he was buried in her warmth. Kellan moved slowly, enjoying the sensations that pulsed through his body with every lazy stroke.
He skimmed his hands over her hips and along her belly, then found the spot between her legs, damp with her desire. He touched her there, gently caressing her until her breath quickened and her body arched against him.
They reached their release together this time, with barely a sound between them and when it was over, he wrapped his arms around her and waited until she fell asleep, the two of them still joined.
He’d fallen in love with her. Danny was right and there was no denying it. But how had it happened? They’d only known each other two weeks. Or maybe they’d known each other since that summer day he’d chased her across the meadow.
There was only one thing that Kellan was sure of. He intended to keep Gelsey in his bed and in his life for as long as she’d have him. If he was lucky, that would be a very, very long time.
7
THE DARK PANELING in the conservatory was draped with fresh greenery, holly and pine mixed with red twigs, putting Gelsey in a cheery mood. Caroline had laid out a sumptuous breakfast on the small table and Gelsey poured herself a cup of hot chocolate, wrapping her hands around the bone-china cup. “Try the scones,” she said, reaching for her favorite, a candied-cherry scone. “They’re still warm.”
Kellan sat across from her, his hair sticking up in spikes, a sleepy look in his eyes. He took a sip of his coffee and smiled. “I like this.”
“What? Being waited on hand and foot?”
“No. Sitting here with you, reading the newspaper, watching the rain come down outside, thinking about Christmas.”
They’d both fallen asleep sometime around eight the previous night and slept soundly until seven the next morning. Since it was Saturday, Gelsey didn’t need to be at the shop until noon, so a leisurely breakfast was exactly what she needed.
“I can’t believe how well I slept,” she said, breaking off a bit of scone and slathering it with butter.
“I know. Me, too. I guess we really should try to get to bed early at least one night a week.”
“You think so?” She pushed the plate of scones in his direction. “Try one. I used to live on these when I was younger. Caroline used to send me boxes of them at boarding school, although they never taste really good unless they’re right from the oven.”
“So this is where you spent your summers?” He nodded approvingly. “It’s a beautiful house, Gels. Classic country architecture. It’s the kind of house everyone wants these days but it’s impossible to replicate.”
“It is nice. Whenever I think of home, this is the place I think of. Even though my parents never lived here.”
“I grew up in the cottage.”
“Our cottage?” she asked.
Kellan nodded. “Yeah. The seven of us in that tiny little cottage. It seems impossible when I think back on it, but it was fun. After we all left home, my folks moved to one of the flats above the pub.”
“How long have you been here? I mean, this visit?”
“I’ve been here for about three months. I was staying with a friend in Portugal. We were in Rome for a few days, then back to Portugal. And then I came here.”
“And you left Portugal for the damp and rainy west coast of Ireland?”
“Yes,” she said. “It was time to leave and I wanted to spend the holidays at Winterhill.”
“So you have a house and you’re going to own a business soon. I guess that means you’re planning to hang around county Cork for a bit longer?”
Gelsey nodded. “That’s the plan for now.”
He bit into a scone. “Good. I like that.”
Gelsey reached for the salver in the center of the table, loaded with all the dishes in a traditional Irish breakfast. She filled a plate for Kellan and set it in front of him. “Here. Eat. You’re going to need your strength.”
“Why is that? Are we going back to bed after we’re finished eating?”
“No. You’re going to help me out at the shop today. I have some heavy lifting to do.”
The wood fire in the small hearth popped and snapped, creating a relaxing counterpoint to their conversation. Gelsey was glad he’d come to Winterhill. He needed to know what her life had been as a child in order to understand how it had gone so badly off track as a young adult. It wasn’t an excuse for her behavior, simply a point of reference.
A knock at the front door echoed through the quiet interior of the house and Gelsey frowned. “Who could that be?”
A few seconds later, Caroline came hurrying in. Her face was pale and her hands were twisted tightly in the front of her apron. “Oh, dear,” she muttered. “I’m afraid I’ve made a terrible mistake.”
“What is it?”
“At the door. He called yesterday and I told him you weren’t home and that I hadn’t seen you for days. He said he’d call every day until he had a chance to speak to you.”
“Antonio?” Gelsey asked, her stomach twisting into a knot at the mention of his name.
“Who’s Antonio?” Kellan asked, his mouth full of buttered scone.
“Tell him I’m not here,” she said. “Send him away. I don’t want to see him or talk to him. It’s finished. And if he wants his ring back, he can find it at the bottom of the Atlantic just off…” She turned to Kellan. “What’s that place called again?”
“Smuggler’s Cove?”
“Yeah,” Gelsey said.
“Smuggler’s Cove.”
“All right,” Caroline said. “But how should I explain the extra cars in the driveway?”
Kellan pushed his chair back from the table. “Go back to the kitchen. I’ll take care of this.”
A voice echoed through the house. “Gigi! I know you are here. This is childish. We have to talk.”
Gelsey shot up out of her chair. “You will not. Sit down.” She pointed to his chair. “Sit!” She neatly folded her linen napkin and dropped it next to her plate. “I’ll take care of this.”
In truth, she should have done this months ago. Rather than running away from him, she should have explained why she was leaving and how it was impossible for her to continue with such a destructive relationship.
It was his fault she was in trouble with the Italian police. He’d started the argument with the photographers and she was only trying to defend herself. Unfortunately, she’d been the one to break the photographer’s nose, not Antonio.
Though Antonio could be stubborn at times, he was smart enough to see that they weren’t right for each other. But she’d played games with him in the past, taunting him with threats of leaving just to get him to behave himself. Now that she’d finally done it, it was no wonder that he didn’t believe it was real.
“I’ll be right back,” Gelsey said. She strode through the dining room and into the foyer. As expected, Antonio stood in the doorway, handsome as ever, impatiently tapping his foot and cursing beneath his breath. He froze when he saw her.
“Dios mio,” he muttered. “You are here.”
“I am,” Gelsey said, nodding.
He grabbed her arms and pulled her into a kiss, but Gelsey twisted away, holding up her hand in a warning. “Don’t do that again.”
“Why not? I have missed you, my love. I have been so lonely without you.”
“You’re going to have to get used to that. I meant what I said on the phone. We’re finished, Antonio. You know it, I know it. By now, the rest of the world probably knows it. There’s nothing left to talk about.”
Gelsey heard footsteps behind her and a moment later, Kellan’s arm slipped around her waist. “Is there a problem here?” he asked.
Gelsey looked back and forth between the two men as they sized each other up. Kellan had no idea who he was dealing with. Antonio was known for his quick temper and it didn’t take much provocation for him to throw a punch. He’d been sued by at least three photographers for doing just that. “Kellan, I think you should go back to our breakfast.”
“Your breakfast?” Antonio shouted. “I see how this is. I am not a fool. This is the man who replaces me, no?”
“Yes,” Kellan said.
“No,” Gelsey countered. “You were out of my life before I even met him.”
“I think it would be best if you left,” Kellan said.
“You think I should leave?” Antonio asked. “You think I should leave?” He lunged at Kellan, but Kellan quickly stepped aside, shielding Gelsey behind him as he did. Antonio stumbled forward, nearly losing his balance, before he turned around again.
He wasn’t expecting the quick jab from Kellan. Blood erupted from his nose and he stopped, holding his hand up to his face, stunned by the turn of events. Kellan quickly handed him the linen napkin he still held and Antonio stuck it under his nose.
“Sorry, mate,” Kellan said, his demeanor deceptively calm. “But if you try that again, it will be much worse the second time. Gelsey and I are together now and if I have to beat the shite out of you to make you see that, I don’t have a problem doing that at all. So, do you want to fight, then, or will you just be saying your goodbyes and go on your merry way?”
Antonio’s eyes narrowed and he looked at Gelsey. “You will want me back,” he said. “You forget, you need me. Without me, your whole life falls apart. Are you willing to risk that, Gigi? It would be a terrible mistake. A year of your life is a terrible thing to lose, no?” He walked through the door and slammed it shut behind him.
Gelsey and Kellan stood next to each other, silently watching the door, Gelsey’s heart slamming in her chest. Well, at least she had her answer. Unless she made nice with Antonio, he had no intention of testifying on her behalf. She heard a car start and then it roared off down the driveway. She released a tightly held breath. “I suppose that could have gone worse,” she murmured.
“Will there be any more of those types coming around?” Kellan asked.
“No,” Gelsey said.
“Good. Not really the way I like to start my day.” He frowned. “What did he mean about a mistake? What about a year of your life?”
“It’s nothing,” she said. “Old arguments.” Gelsey drew a ragged breath and closed her eyes. Why not tell him? At least he’d understand her reluctance to commit to staying in Ballykirk. If the trial didn’t go her way, she could spend some time sitting in an Italian jail.
The tabloids were all hoping for that. Not a month or a year, but at least a few weeks so they might get some good photos of the “criminal” going in and coming out. Gigi Woodson in jail would sell a lot of papers.
They walked back to their breakfast and she sat down across from him, watching as he finished his scone.
“What would you do if I had to go back to Europe for a while?” Gelsey asked.
He looked up. “For what? To see him?”
Gelsey shook her head. “Just to tie up some loose ends. Would you forget all about me?” She held her breath, waiting for his answer. Kellan wasn’t the kind of man who’d wait forever and he’d already grown impatient with her refusal to consider their future together.
She couldn’t imagine wanting a man more than she wanted him and there were times when a future with him seemed like the perfect way to spend a lifetime. Would her old life always come back to haunt her? Could she really start over again? Was “normal” was even possible for Gelsey Woodson?
“I don’t know. How long would you be gone?”
“Not long,” she said.
“I suppose I’d miss you. But then, I could always come with. When are you planning to leave?”
Gelsey pushed out of her chair and circled the table, then crawled onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Never,” she whispered. “I want to stay here forever.” She snuggled against him, pressing her face into the curve of his neck.
“I’d like that,” he said.
She sighed and hugged him tighter. For now, she’d ignore the dark cloud looming on the horizon. If she wished it hard enough, maybe it would just dissolve before it ever reached her. Or perhaps, by the time it moved overhead, she’d know exactly what to do. She kissed his cheek. “You’re pretty good with your fists,” she said.
Kellan held up his right hand. “Fist. If I would have used them both, the guy would be headed for hospital right now.”
IT HAD TAKEN HIM the entire afternoon, but the cottage looked perfect. Kellan smiled to himself as he went around the room and lit the candles he’d bought. A big bouquet of flowers sat in the middle of the table and he’d brought out the old copper tub and placed it in front of the fireplace, ready to be filled for a bath.
This was the night, Kellan mused. He and Gelsey were going to determine once and for all what this relationship meant to them. He needed to know if there was a real future with her, because if there was, there were plans to be made.
He glanced over at the table and sighed. He’d been offered the museum job in Brittany and was waiting to sign the contract. He’d also met with some potential investors about a castle renovation near Killarney. A month ago, he would have jumped at the chance to take a job outside Ireland, searching for any excuse for a change. But his life had changed and now, he wanted nothing more than to spend all his time near Ballykirk.
Kellan walked into the kitchen and pulled open the refrigerator to check on the temperature of the champagne. He’d never really done it up proper with a woma
n before, pulling out all the romantic stops. But there was no doubt in his mind that Gelsey was the girl for him. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he knew, deep down in every corner of his soul, she was the one.
He ought to be surprised at how quickly it happened. Although Riley and Danny had found love at lightning speed, Kellan had dismissed the possibility as a rare occurrence. But now, he’d experienced the same strange phenomenon.
He heard the sound of the Fiat chugging up the hill to the cottage and walked to the door. He opened it and waited as Gelsey pulled the car to a stop at the garden gate. She stumbled out, dragging a canvas bag behind her. The moment she saw him, she stopped and gave him an exhausted smile.
“Long day?” he asked.
She nodded. “Excruciatingly long. Please tell me there’s a large glass of wine waiting for me.”
“Better than that,” Kellan replied, holding out his hand. He drew her inside and closed the door behind her, then helped her out of her jacket.
“What’s this?”
“Just a little holiday from all the hard work you’ve been doing,” Kellan explained. “Tonight, I’m going to wait on you hand and foot. I’ll make you a bath. I have champagne and candles, and dinner is warming in the oven.”
“It all looks so wonder-” she began, before fighting back a yawn. “Can we just lie down and have a quick nap before we get started?”
“Sure.” He took her hand and led her into the bedroom, then sat her down on the edge of the bed. Kneeling, he pulled off her shoes and gently massaged her feet. “How’s that?”
“Heaven,” she murmured, flopping back on the bed.
He stretched out beside her, lying on his side as he toyed with a strand of her hair. “Can I get you anything?”
“A kiss would be nice,” she said, turning to face him. Gelsey pointed to her bottom lip. “Right here. This is the only place on my body that isn’t utterly exhausted.”
Kellan leaned forward and gently nibbled at her lower lip. A long sigh escaped her body and he wove his fingers through her hair and kissed her again, this time more purposefully.
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