“Glad to hear about your sister.”
* * *
Chelsie popped in a video for Alix and settled the little girl on her lap. Alix snuggled against her chest, obviously tired after a long day. Normally, Griff would already be home, and they’d spend this time together. Like a family, her heart said. She squeezed Alix tighter, causing the child to squeal in protest.
“Sorry,” Chelsie murmured.
She shook her head to dispel any fantasies that might be brewing. She and Griff had merely agreed from the start that acclimating Alix to a routine would be the first step in helping the child. Nothing family motivated about that. Unfortunately, until Griff’s absence this evening, she hadn’t realized how much she enjoyed his company.
She rubbed her eyes to alleviate their burning. That she spent more time with Griff and Alix each evening probably contributed to her backlog of work and complete lack of sleep. Still, she hadn’t broken her self-imposed promise. She’d kept a careful distance between herself and Griff. Despite the attraction, which had grown from a spark of desire into a tangible entity all its own, she’d managed to rein in her own needs whenever he was around.
As she’d feared from the beginning, as far as Alix was concerned, Chelsie had already lost her heart. The best she could do was avoid emotionally dangerous situations. So she hadn’t put Alix to bed.
She hoped that wasn’t a
bout to change. When Mrs. Baxter received an emergency phone call from her son, Chelsie saw no need to detain her. As soon as Griff returned, he would tuck Alix in and Chelsie would head back to the office.
She glanced at her watch and silently prayed he’d be home in time. She couldn’t allow herself to get any more attached to either Griff or Alix. If she did, she’d open herself to hurt far greater than any her husband had inflicted. After that experience, she’d fought to regain both her pride and her inner spirit. She’d won.
She hated to think of the damage loving and losing a man like Griffin Stuart would cause, not to mention losing another child. She shuddered and buried her face in Alix’s curls. You’re about to find out. She’d begun to enjoy her time with Alix and Griff. Too much, because she knew each day brought her closer to the end.
She gnawed on her lower lip and checked her watch again. “Ten more minutes till bedtime, squirt.” Where was backup when she needed it?
* * *
Two weeks ago, Griff had shaken Chelsie’s hand and this crazy arrangement had begun. Tonight, as he drove home from a long day in court and a last-minute meeting with a client, their arrangement didn’t seem so unusual. Even if he hadn’t admitted it to Ryan, he liked knowing she’d be waiting when he got home.
The evenings she volunteered at the shelter were the longest he’d known in a while. That included the all-nighters he’d put in with Alix. With Chelsie gone, he’d putter around the house, forcing himself to concentrate on work or searching for something interesting to occupy his time. Not a good sign for a man determined to remain detached, he thought wryly.
A loud crash of thunder followed by a streak of lightning shattered the night. Raindrops pelted his windshield. Though he had to squint, he made out a yellow sign ahead. A detour alerted him to change his usual route home. Heeding the sign, he switched directions, accepting that he’d be home even later than planned.
Why didn’t he heed the warning signs that Chelsie gave out? No matter what chores they shared, no matter how much time they spent alone or together with Alix, she kept a careful distance between them, withholding a part of herself. Probably the most important part.
But he’d begun to care for her more than he should. And that made the wall she’d erected especially frustrating. Though Ryan’s offer had been tempting, Griff’s cynicism didn’t entitle him to delve into a past Chelsie wasn’t ready to reveal.
If he allowed himself to get involved, he’d leave himself open to heartache that surpassed any inflicted by his ex-fiancée. Deidre had wounded his pride. Chelsie had the ability to destroy his soul.
* * *
Griff knelt down beside Chelsie. In sleep, she appeared as much the innocent as his niece. Looks could be deceiving, and yet a deep desire brewed inside him. He wanted so badly to believe.
Hadn’t Ryan offered him a way towards acceptance? With the cases Ryan took and the bad marriages he’d seen, he had as much reason to be cynical as Griff, yet he held out hope. He not only liked women, he trusted. So hadn’t Ryan given Griff an opening? He need only give Chelsie a chance.
He glanced at the woman curled into his oversized chair. Dark shadows circled her eyes, shadows he could only attribute to his own selfish need to have her near. She provided invaluable assistance, but after the past two weeks, Mrs. Baxter could probably handle things. The thought lay like lead in his stomach, and not just because of Alix.
He could never explain to his niece why her aunt no longer spent each evening with them. Nor did he want to try. The child’s face lit up each time the doorbell rang. He’d be a fool to take that sense of security from her now.
He needed to assure himself Chelsie wouldn’t walk out of their lives. When she woke, they had important matters to discuss. He wasn’t sure he was ready, but he had no other choice. Not if he didn’t want to lose... what? A possible future? He shrugged. He had no idea.
“Chelsie.” He whispered, hoping not to startle her. He’d already seen how she reacted when frightened, and he had no wish to put her through that again.
She didn’t stir. Exhaustion had finally caught up with her. He brushed gently beneath her closed lids, tracing the slight shadows with the pad of his thumb. Her eyelids fluttered open and long lashes tickled his skin.
His gaze locked with hers. Seconds passed, with no sound but their own breathing. Griff had no desire to break the silken silence that surrounded them or the fragile trust they’d begun to share. The slightest noise would have shattered the peace, so he did the only thing he could.
He levered himself up to face her, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair. Their faces remained only inches apart. Her scent drifted around him. Slowly, so she would know exactly what he wanted and have ample time to resist, he lowered his lips to hers.
The first time, he’d been as shocked as she, but he knew they’d been building towards this moment ever since. He only hoped she felt the same.