Brought Together by Baby

by Margaret McDonagh

  Gus swore softly under his breath. ‘And you did.’ He knew at once that Holly would have gone above and beyond, no matter what had happened in the past.

  ‘I was stupid to believe her.’

  ‘You weren’t stupid,’ he chided gently. ‘You care about family. And Julia took advantage of your kind and forgiving nature.’

  Holly sighed, resting her head on his chest. ‘She had me hook, line and sinker. James Russell, the solicitor, cautioned me against the loan but I was ridiculously naïve…and I wanted to believe her.’ She gave a humourless laugh. ‘I was so wrong. The house was sold and I “loaned” Julia the money. Once it was too late she came clean and told me I’d never see a penny of it again.’

  ‘You should have sued her.’ Even as he said the words he knew she never would have done it and he suspected Julia had known it, too. Anger burned inside him at the injustice and hurt Holly had endured.

  ‘Probably—but I couldn’t have faced airing the family’s dirty deeds in public. For the sake of my parents’ memories as much as for my embarrassment,’ she explained, confirming his thoughts. ‘Julia saw the money as rightfully hers. As there’s nothing left for Max, I guess she used it to fund the lavish lifestyle she’d become accustomed to.’

  Which was what James Russell had been referring to when they’d met him to discuss Julia’s affairs, Gus realised. ‘So you moved into George’s house?’

  ‘Yes. I had nothing left,’ she said, with stark simplicity but none of the bitterness most people would have justly displayed. ‘George and I had been friends since childhood and she stepped in to help me.’

  Gus felt ashamed to have been so taken in by Julia, ignoring his own instincts about Holly. He looked at his son, dozing contentedly on his play mat. He could never regret Max, but he regretted many other things.

  ‘For a while I clung to the dream of buying the house back, but I’ve resigned myself to the fact that it will never happen,’ she confided wistfully.

  In that moment, although he had no idea how or when, he vowed to do all he could to make Holly’s dream come true. And to make real a bigger dream of his own—that one day he, Holly and Max would live in that house together, be their own family. If that were ever to be more than a fantasy he needed to win Holly round, to find out what had gone wrong and why she had rejected him. He was no longer sure he could believe anything Julia had told him.

  As Holly drew back, Gus reluctantly loosened his hold. She looked up at him, an endearingly puzzled expression on her face, and he tucked a stray wisp of wavy blonde hair back behind her ear. Disobedient fingers lingered, relishing the feel of her baby-soft skin as they trailed their way along her jawline. Sky-blue eyes darkened and he felt a tremor run through her as he traced the plumpness of her lower lip with the pad of his thumb.

  He heard the hitch in her breath. The rapid beat of her pulse matched his own, and as she swayed towards him temptation won and he forgot all the reasons why this was a bad idea. He couldn’t wait another second to kiss her. Anticipation and excitement coursed through his veins as the distance between them closed. Finally, after waiting what felt like for ever, his lips met hers.

  Savouring the moment, he began a leisurely journey of discovery, learning the shape of her, the feel of her, the taste of her. She whimpered as he teased the seam of her lips with his tongue.

  Just when he was on the point of finding out what it was like to kiss her properly, Max ruined the moment.

  The shrill sound of the buzzer from the play mat nearby was a sudden intrusion—one that had both of them tensing. Skittish, Holly drew away from him. The disappointment was huge. She’d been with him, he knew it, and as eager as he, but now the moment of intimacy was lost.

  As she stepped away and gathered Max into her arms Gus wondered when he might have another opportunity to hold her, to kiss her—to admit to her, as he had to himself, that his feelings had never changed. Indeed, they had grown even stronger. He knew without doubt that he loved her. But he had no idea how she felt about him.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  HAVING stopped by the nursery to check on Max, who was sleeping soundly, Holly hovered outside the bathroom door. She had never in her life gone to bed at night without removing her make-up or brushing her teeth, and she didn’t want to start now. But she was dog-tired after covering extra hours at the hospital…and Gus was in the bathroom. In the bath.

  Since their kiss had been interrupted by Max two evenings ago the tension between Gus and herself had been electric. Regret and relief vied within her. Regret was winning. But no matter how much she loved Gus, she would always be second best. That he’d chosen Julia—and now grieved for her—was a barrier she couldn’t overcome.

  She walked a few steps towards her bedroom, then hesitated and tiptoed back to the bathroom, caught in an agony of indecision.

  ‘Is there a problem?’

  Oh, hell! Holly froze at the sound of Gus’s voice.

  ‘Holly?’

  ‘It’s OK. Sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you.’

  ‘You’re not bothering me.’ There was a moment’s pause. ‘Did you want to come in?’

  ‘No!’ Holly closed her eyes, pressing her palms to her cheeks, as if in doing so she could stop them blushing. ‘I was just going to bed and…’

  ‘If you want to brush your teeth or something you can come in and do it,’ he invited, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

  She couldn’t go in there! On the other hand, they were both adults, and if Gus didn’t mind why should she?

  ‘Holly?’

  ‘Um…are you sure that’s OK?’ she asked, half hoping he’d say no.

  ‘It’s fine. I’m decent.’

  That was a matter of opinion! ‘All right.’

  Her heart in her mouth, her fingers closed around the door handle. She slowly opened it and stepped inside, determined to keep her gaze averted and not look at Gus. The water sloshed softly as he moved. Oh, God! Standing at the basin, she could see the bath out of the corner of her eye. Her fingers tightened their grip on the vanity unit as she tried to ignore the images her wayward imagination was conjuring up. Of Gus. In the bath. Naked.

  It was very hot in here!

  Aware of him watching her, she set about washing her face. Her fingers shook as she applied cleanser and then used a soft muslin cloth to remove her light make-up and all traces of the day. She went through each step of her routine in record time and brushed her teeth before finally applying her night cream. The sooner she finished the better—before she succumbed to the temptation to look at Gus. Or, worse, threw caution to the wind and climbed into the bath with him!

  * * *

  Gus watched in fascination as Holly went through her nighttime routine. She looked incredibly young. Fresh-faced and natural and lovely. Her sleeveless T-shirt fell short of her knees and rode up further as she stretched to reach the bathroom cabinet, giving him a brief view of curvy, creamy thighs. He shifted lower in the water, thankful that Holly had no idea of his body’s instinctive reaction to her.

  He was both relieved and disappointed when her tasks were completed and she moved towards the door. She hesitated, and for the first time her gaze strayed in his direction, a rosy glow pinkening her freshly washed cheeks.

  ‘Thanks, Gus.’

  ‘No problem.’

  He sighed as she slipped out of the room and closed the door, apparently far less affected by the situation than he had been. Disgruntled and unsettled, he removed the plug, climbed out of the bath and towelled himself dry. After knotting the towel around his waist, he went to brush his teeth and found Holly’s wristwatch beside the basin. His fingers hovered over it. He could just leave it for her to find. He could just tell her it was there. Or he could give it back to her himself and know it was safe.

  The excuse to see her was impossible to resist and he picked up the watch.

  * * *

  Holly closed her bedroom door and leaned back against it, pressing her palms
to her flushed, overheated cheeks. She’d escaped, but not before she’d broken her resolve and stolen a last-minute look at Gus. The sight of him reclining in the sudsy water was imprinted on her brain, making her all hot and bothered. She closed her eyes, but the image of broad shoulders, muscled arms and tanned, glistening wet skin remained. He was gorgeous. Just thinking about him made a hunger burn within her, and the aching, needy knot that was all too familiar a response to him squeezed ever more tightly.

  A knock sounded on the door she was leaning on, and with a squeal of surprise she jumped away from it.

  ‘Holly?’ Puzzlement and concern laced Gus’s husky voice. ‘Are you OK?’

  ‘Fine. J-Just a minute,’ she called, battling for composure.

  Turning round, she smoothed the hem of her sleep-shirt down her thighs. It was too late to worry about it; he’d already seen her wearing it. With a rueful shake of her head, she acknowledged that Gus wouldn’t notice if she was in her birthday suit. She opened the door, her breath catching as her greedy gaze drank in the sight of him wearing nothing but a towel slung low over his hips.

  ‘You forgot this,’ he told her.

  He held out a hand, her wristwatch nestling in its palm. She’d been so keen to escape the bathroom—and Gus—she’d left it behind.

  ‘Thanks,’ she murmured, her voice unsteady.

  She edged closer, all too aware of the clean male scent of him and the familiar fragrance of his soap. Her fingers closed around the watch. His fingers closed around hers, his touch sending a dart of fire up her arm. She was in trouble. She swallowed, her attention caught as a single droplet of water trickled down his skin. Captivated, she couldn’t drag her gaze away as it followed the path of the narrow line of dark hair down his abdomen to his navel. She licked her lips, fighting the overwhelming craving to lean in and lick it from his skin.

  ‘Holly…’

  The sexy roughness of his voice tightened her insides. She dragged her reluctant gaze back up his lean, muscled torso to the feathering of dark hair between the bronze orbs of his nipples. Her heart was hammering by the time her gaze roamed up the column of his throat and handsome face to meet his. The sultry expression in smoky green eyes stole any remaining breath from her lungs.

  Tension and awareness sizzled in the air. His gaze roved slowly from her face to her toes and back again. Every particle of her felt energised, as if he were touching her. Her nipples peaked against the thin cotton that covered them and he couldn’t help but notice her arousal.

  He looked into her eyes and she feared what he would see. Need. Want. Desire. She was too tired to hide her feelings. Too tired to fight. But seeing her emotions mirrored in his eyes amazed and excited her, and severed the last of her resistance to temptation.

  Holly swayed towards him as if pulled by an invisible magnet. His free hand rose, his fingers brushing her skin before spearing into her hair and fisting in the unruly waves. A needy whimper escaped as his mouth claimed hers, taking possession as a blaze of fiery passion exploded between them, shocking her and driving Julia and every other reason why she shouldn’t be doing this from her mind.

  There was no uncertainty, no hesitation, only a sense of rightness, of homecoming, of belonging. Her previous experience was limited to Euan, but what she’d once felt for him was tame compared to the raging love, need and want she knew with Gus. His taste was intoxicating. Her tongue explored, gliding and twining with his as the kiss deepened. The desperation to be closer was overwhelming. She pressed herself against him, excited by the feel of his warm damp skin. But it wasn’t enough. She wanted, needed, more. And he knew. As he curled an arm around her hips and lifted her, her legs encircled him and she wriggled against him, feeling the evidence of his arousal.

  She protested as he broke the kiss. Both of them were breathing heavily. She tried to reclaim his mouth but he evaded her and her eyes opened in confusion, her heart turning over as she encountered the raw passion blazing in his.

  ‘Gus?’

  ‘I need you, Holly.’

  A sensual shiver ran through her. She loved him. She’d wanted him for so long. And she could deny him nothing. ‘Yes.’

  As she surrendered to the inevitable, his hold on her tightened. She clung to him as he carried her down the corridor, past the nursery where Max slept soundly and into his own room, where the baby listening device would warn them if they were needed. She felt a momentary flicker of unease as thoughts of Julia intruded, but Gus held all her attention as he set her on her feet and drew the sleep-shirt slowly up her body and over her head. The hunger of his gaze and the reverence of his touch as he shaped the contours of her body with his hands brought a bloom of heat all over.

  ‘You’re so beautiful, Holly.’

  Feeling it for the first time in her life, and emboldened by his desire for her, she trailed her fingers down his chest and abdomen to the towel encasing his hips. She loosened it, allowing it to fall to the floor. With a quiver of desire she drank in the sight of him in full masculine glory.

  ‘So are you,’ she told him with equal sincerity and excited anticipation as her fingers shyly but lovingly shaped him, learning the feel of him.

  As Gus laid her on his bed and followed her down Holly could think of nothing but him and this moment. She had no idea what would happen tomorrow, and although she feared this would fundamentally change things for ever for once she didn’t care. She couldn’t think that far ahead. She would deal with the consequences when they came.

  For this night the man she loved was hers. She vowed to cast her worries aside, to live every moment, store every memory…and show Gus in every way she could without words what he meant to her.

  Meeting and matching the fervour of his kiss, she gave herself up to the magic of the passion that consumed them. His touch turned her molten, the seductiveness of his mouth drove her wild, and every molecule, cell and neuron in her body responded to him. Inhibitions evaporated and she yielded to the driving need that overwhelmed them and flared out of control. As the force of the sensual, erotic storm reached a crescendo it sent them soaring over the edge together, free-falling into oblivion.

  * * *

  Dragging a hand through his hair, Gus watched from an upstairs window as Holly, pushing Max in his buggy, walked down the leafy road away from the house and disappeared from view.

  He was confused. Riddled with doubt. And the cold fist of fear that had formed when he’d woken and found himself alone in bed tightened more forcefully inside him. Following the most amazing night of his life, after which he’d assumed things with Holly would be back on track and a permanent relationship would grow, she was—again—in retreat.

  Skittish and jumpy, she hadn’t been able to wait to put distance between them. What had gone wrong? Had he misjudged things? Was Holly as fearful of commitment as Julia had claimed and about to reject him a second time?

  Last night had been a new experience for him. In the past he’d always been controlled and uninvolved, holding an elemental part of himself back, but with Holly things were different. With her there had been no emotional or physical barriers. He’d laid every part of himself bare to her, surrendered his soul, exposed his heart. He’d thought Holly had done the same. She’d shown an endearing mix of innocence and adventurousness, responding with passionate abandon.

  He wanted her for ever, not just for one night.

  Because he loved her.

  He loved her compassion, her intelligence, her kindness, her humour. He admired her loyalty, her devotion to Max, her dedication to her patients, her determination to see any challenge through without allowing anything to beat her. Despite all the pain caused to her Holly had remained fair, generous and forgiving where Julia was concerned. He loved that she shared his taste in music, books and films, that they shared the same outlook on life, and that they could talk about anything for hours, or could be just as comfortable with silence. He loved her responsiveness, the way their bodies were so attuned, so compatible. They shared a
respect, an implicit and instinctive trust.

  In the rosy glow after making love to her for the second time he’d told her he wanted them to be together, a real family. She hadn’t responded and he’d thought she’d fallen asleep. Now he knew she’d been evading him, and he had no more idea of how she felt about him now than he had before their passionate night together.

  Having woken alone, he’d showered, dressed, and gone in search of her, finding her in the kitchen with Max. As he’d crossed to her and wrapped his arms around her she’d wriggled free, sidestepping his kiss. Doubt and fear had replaced the hope and joy of last night.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ he’d asked, picking Max up and cuddling him.

  ‘Nothing.’

  The lie had tightened the knot in his chest. ‘I thought last night meant something to you.’

  ‘It did. Does,’ she’d amended hastily. ‘But…’

  ‘But what?’ he’d pressed, hardly daring to breathe.

  ‘I need to think.’ Her voice was shaky, her eyes bright with unshed tears. ‘Please, Gus.’

  He’d struggled to make sense of things. ‘Think about what? I don’t understand. I hoped this was the start of more for us. We’d make a good family.’

  ‘I don’t know if I can get past you and Julia—knowing you were with her and that I’m second best.’

  ‘You’re not!’ Her words had shocked him to the core. She couldn’t believe that, surely? ‘Why would you think that?’

  She’d bitten her lip. ‘You chose her, not me. You had a baby with her. You’re grieving for her,’ she’d pointed out, her words whisper-soft and yet hitting him like hammer-blows.

  ‘Holly—’

  His protest had died in his throat as he’d struggled to take in not just the words she’d spoken but the messages that lay behind them. It wasn’t the first time she’d implied that he’d chosen Julia over her. It wasn’t true. Holly had stood him up and made it clear she didn’t want him—yet the way she spoke anyone would think it was the other way around! Given the support he’d received since the accident, how could he admit that he’d never loved Julia and wasn’t consumed by grief? He’d sound like the most thoughtless, unfeeling bastard ever.