Page 21 of Bound by Their Christmas Baby

Abby’s eyes flicked to the window, then back to Gabe. ‘You shouldn’t have done that. I don’t… How long have I been asleep?’

‘A few hours. You drifted off about an hour before we landed.’

She stared at him, surprise obvious. ‘I don’t even remember landing.’ Her cheeks flushed. ‘Or getting into the car.’

‘I carried you.’

Her body had been soft and warm against his, pliant to his touch, and she’d made a small sigh as she’d curled in closer, her lips so close to his throat that he could feel her breath.

‘Why?’ She pressed back further in her seat and crossed her arms. Her body language told him she wanted to be anywhere but in his car, anywhere but with him.

‘You were obviously exhausted,’ he said softly.

She didn’t answer, nor did she see the way his eyes stayed focused on her face for several long seconds.

‘We’re almost home.’

Her eyes swept shut at that pronouncement and a twist of guilt tightened in his gut. He’d made this happen, and it had been the right thing to do. He was nothing like his own father; he was the complete opposite. He’d proved that by manoeuvring Abigail into his life, into this marriage.

He’d meant what he’d said in New York: he would take care of her; he would take away her worries.

He would be everything his father wasn’t—Raf would know how much Gabe loved him; that fact would never be in doubt.

This was the right decision, he reassured himself, ignoring the insistent pounding of doubt.

* * *

Abby couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped her when the car pulled off the road and began to ascend a narrow, curving drive. It was night-time, but against the black velvet sky she could make out enormous pine trees capped in white, their big, fluffy branches cloud-like with snow. In the distance, there looked to be a small village, perhaps a town, the buildings glowing warm and golden. The car moved higher and, as they rounded a bend, a scene that could have been straight from one of Abby’s girlhood fantasies lifted almost as if magically from the earth.

‘It’s a castle,’ she whispered, moving closer to the window so that she could see better. The building looked to be quite ancient. In the light that was cast by the moon she could see it was built of stone, perhaps a yellow-coloured stone? It was four storeys high, with a central turret and lots of little balconies. She could make out the detail more clearly as they drove nearer—the castle was well-illuminated. In fact, it looked as though every light was on, the place appearing almost to glow.

‘You live here?’ She turned to face him, her surprise obvious.

His nod was a short confirmation.

‘But it’s so beautiful…’

‘You have not realised I like beautiful things?’

She had no reason to suspect he was talking about her and yet her cheeks warmed and her heart tripped in her chest. ‘I just hadn’t expected this.’

‘What did you expect?’

She shrugged. ‘Some super-modern apartment in Rome?’

‘I have a place in Rome,’ he conceded with a dip of his head. ‘I stay there for work sometimes.’

‘But you prefer it here,’ she said softly, turning to face him.

He studied her for a long moment before shrugging. ‘It’s quiet.’

‘It’s…lovely.’ The word felt insufficient, hugely so. But it was also very, very apt. Beauty was everywhere. She was in a snow-covered wonderland, like the snow globe her mother had brought back one year after a concert season in Vienna.

A moment after the car had drawn to a stop the door was pulled open but, before Abby could step from the car, Gabe put a hand out, arresting her with his touch. It was just a light contact, his fingers pressed to her knee. Abby froze instantly, turning to face him with eyes that were huge in her face.

‘It’s cold out,’ he said thickly, reaching beside him and handing her a black woollen overcoat.

‘Thank you.’ Just a murmur when, inside, her heart was racing at the thoughtfulness of the gesture. She was less grateful when she pulled the coat on and realised it was his. It swam on her; she could easily have fitted herself into the thing twice. Worse than that, it was filled with his intoxicatingly masculine fragrance so that her hormones tripped in her body, responding instantly to the memories of their night together, reminding her of the way they’d made love.

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