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.
He began with a gentle exploration of her soft mouth. When she didn’t pull back, he cupped the back of her head with his hand, threading his fingers through the dark mass and pulling her closer. Not only didn’t she resist, she fully participated. For Griff, distrust, grief, even the pain of the past, faded in importance. Nothing mattered except the woman in his arms. Stopping was the last thing on his mind.
Chelsie parted her lips in a faint sigh and welcomed him. His lips, warm and soft against hers, created a sense of belonging he’d never before experienced. As she pulled him closer, need pummeled at him from all sides. Apparently she felt the same. Once relaxed from sleep, her breathing came in shallow gasps. When she exhaled a soft but urgent moan, the knowledge that he wasn’t alone fueled his desire.
With her moist lips caressing his, Griff was lost. Warmth, wet heat, and a deep caring consumed him… and confused him. He tried to push aside the doubts and concentrate on his desire and the need to possess her, but finally heeded his confusion.
He pulled back slowly and Chelsie followed his lead. She ran a trembling hand through her hair, a movement he stilled by lacing his fingers through hers. He needed the connection as much as he wanted to relax her.
He cleared his throat, wondering how to broach this subject after the intimacy they’d just shared. “We need to talk.”
The corners of her mouth turned up in a smile. “I think we just expressed ourselves quite clearly without words.”
He acknowledged her statement with a nod. “This isn’t about that.”
“Okay,” she said, suddenly wary. “What then?”
He touched her face again. Before she could pull back, he stroked her cheek. “You’re exhausted, and I’m the cause.”
“You didn’t force me into anything I didn’t want to do. Anyway, my work and my life are cyclical. The hectic times will pass.”
“Maybe. But what if I could guarantee that even the hectic times wouldn’t be so bad?”
“Have you looked into a crystal ball, or are you planning on stealing my clients?” she asked with a grin.
“What if I said the latter?”
Curious now, she sat up straighter in her seat. “What are you getting at?”
“I’m proposing a way for you to continue to see Alix, to lighten your work load, and to take on more clients, all at the same time. You might even get some sleep out of the deal.”
“Impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible if you have an open mind. I’m proposing a partnership.”
He forestalled her argument with a wave of his hand. “I know we got off to a rough beginning and I didn’t make things easy on you.”
“Thank you for admitting that.”
“That’s the least I could do. Alix needs the attention you’re giving her. But I can see by the last two weeks alone that this addition to your schedule has been rough.”
“Like I said, it’ll pass.”
“Maybe it doesn’t have to. We can help each other here. This isn’t just a selfish thing, though that’s what this arrangement has been from the start.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” she chided. “But what did you have in mind?”
“You’ve already said you’re referring more cases than you’d like. I need to build a client base. Working together, you no longer dole out cases to other attorneys and I start a solid practice.”