Truly Madly Deeply Boxed Set(17)
This seemed like a good place to start. She stood in the doorway to Alix’s bedroom. Under the glow of a small Mickey Mouse night-light, Chelsie made out Griff’s large form leaning over the little girl’s crib. Though lost in shadows, his movements were brisk, sure, and gentle.
Yes, Chelsie acknowledged, gentleness emanated from deep within him. She’d sensed his basic decency even when he’d treated her without regard to her own feelings. She’d felt it in the warm, deep giving of his kiss.
Without warning, he glanced over his shoulder, meeting her gaze. Locked in an understanding they themselves had created, Chelsie found herself unable to look away. The currents in the air changed suddenly. A frisson of awareness invaded her body, and she turned away in shock and embarrassment. When she’d centered herself, she turned back, but Griff’s attention had refocused on Alix. Having such a heated reaction to his glance, Chelsie couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be the sole focus of his gentle attention. A longing so strong it threatened to choke her arose.
“Say good night to Chelsie.” Griff’s deep voice penetrated her need.
The little girl mumbled something unintelligible and Griff tucked her in. Chelsie laughed, but tears blurred her vision as she watched from a safe distance. She refused the urge to aid in the nightly ritual of placing Alix in her crib, covering her with an old blanket, ruffling her dark curls, and kissing her good night. Motherly gestures invoked motherly feelings. If she helped, she would be lost—lost in a past she couldn’t change, and a future she would never have.
Chelsie drew a steadying breath. Talcum powder, shampoo, and other baby smells permeated the air. She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off a sudden shiver. An empty and fruitless gesture, since the chill came from deep inside her heart.
Griff walked to where Chelsie stood. He placed a hand on the small of her back. She knew he only meant to lead her out of the room. But his touch set off hundreds of tiny explosions in body parts she’d long forgotten existed... and in parts she’d never been aware of before. Even her skin tingled.
Another shiver shook her, this one warm and friendly. As if he realized the reaction he’d caused and regretted the contact he withdrew his hand. She drew a deep breath and preceded him out of the room.
They’d begun as adversaries and were now unwilling allies. She wondered if they’d ever get past the uneasy distrust that plagued their relationship. Perhaps it was best they never did. Friendly adversaries might be all she could hope for. At least then she’d stand a chance of keeping her heart intact.
FOUR
“Sorry to have kept you waiting.”
Chelsie turned, startled at the sound of Griff’s deep voice. Having retreated to the living room, she’d gotten lost in a file she’d retrieved from the car. No sense in wasting valuable free time, and what better way to tamp down unwanted emotions than by burying herself in work?
She closed the paperwork and placed it on the cushion beside her. “Not a problem. How could I begrudge a dirty man a shower?”
“Feeding Alix is an experience,” he said, laughing.
Laughing? In the time since the hearing, Chelsie couldn’t recall Griff treating her to a simple smile.
He ran his fingers through still damp hair as he entered the room, coming up beside her. She’d always thought him good looking, despite his brooding intensity. Now a relaxed grin transformed him into a different man. A small scar near his left eye crinkled when he smiled. Deep grooves surrounded dimples she’d never realized he possessed. She assumed that the last month or so of grief and sleepless nights had taken its toll, but instead of aging him, the lines gave his face character. The effect was devastating.
She sucked in a deep breath and prayed for the strength to survive the coming months. “Yes, well, mealtime might be easier if you asserted some authority instead of allowing Alix to manipulate you.” She tempered the lecture with a smile and a laugh of her own. After all, she’d done her own share of allowing the little girl to have her way. Looking at that lopsided grin and mop of curls, Chelsie could almost see her sister. She lost her heart every time.
“Manipulate? I don’t”—he shook his head—”yes, I do. But I pay for it, believe me. My clothes were covered with food.”
She chuckled. “Might be easier, not to mention cleaner, to feed her with nothing on.” A flush heated her cheeks and she rolled her eyes in embarrassment. “I can’t believe I said that.”
“Neither can I, but I’ll take it under advisement.”
Having already let her mind wander in that direction, visions of him naked came much faster this time. She was certain he’d be magnificent nude, and just as certain she had no intention of finding out.