She opened her mouth as if she was about to speak, then clapped her lips closed and allowed him to take the glass from her hand.
“Why don’t we enjoy this over there near the tree,” he said.
“That one is for my sister,” she said, nodding toward the glass in his hand.
He shook his head and did not hesitate to lie. “She said she’d get something later.”
“Why do you want to go over there? We can go back to our table,” she said before lifting her glass to her lips and taking a sip.
“I want to be alone with you,” he said, again without any hesitation.
Or any thought to what he was doing. All Gray could admit to with any sort of definitiveness was that he wanted to be with Morgan. His salacious thoughts from last night were at the forefront of his mind as he stood close to her, the light scent of her perfume wafting through the air.
“And I like Christmas trees,” he continued when she only glared at him, one brow lifted in silent question.
“Lily said you didn’t like Christmas,” she replied after another few moments of silence.
“Your daughter,” he said when he remembered the solemn-faced little girl from last night. “She and your son are twins, correct?”
Morgan nodded. “They’re the loves of my life,” she replied, then looked up quickly as if she hadn’t meant to say that.
Gray decided to let it slide because there was another pressing question he wanted an answer to. “And their father? Is he also the love of your life?”
For the first time ever Gray held his breath as he waited for the answer.
Her fingers seemed to tighten around the glass she held before she replied, “My husband died in Afghanistan.”
It was a simple statement and yet it held as much power as if she’d reached out and socked him herself.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said.
Gray moved beside her then, taking her elbow lightly, and began to walk toward the tree. “Do you like Christmas?”
“What?” she asked as they moved.
“Do you like Christmas? That’s what Lily asked me last night. Now I want to know your answer.”
“Yes, I love Christmas,” she said before taking another sip of her punch.
Gray hadn’t bothered to sip his.
“It’s a wonderful time of year. A time for family and fellowship, miracles and happiness.”
“You sound like one of those greeting-card commercials,” he replied.
“And you sound like the star of my play, Ebenezer Scrooge,” she snapped back.
They’d come to a stop near the huge Christmas tree that was nestled in a far corner of the room. It had to be at least ten feet tall and was decorated with what looked like every sort of bulb, bell, ribbon and light ever created for this season.
“I don’t have anything in particular against the holiday,” Gray confided. He’d walked farther around the tree toward the side that was facing two large windows.
The old window shades were tattered at the edges and if anyone attempted to pull them down farther, they’d surely crumple into pieces. So more than half the window was bare, leaving a view of the side street, where only two cars were parked and the sidewalk was clear. At this time of evening on a Sunday night, if Gray had looked out the window of his penthouse in Miami he was sure to see lines of traffic and people headed toward the clubs or the beach. There was always something going on in the city, some party or meeting, a huge wedding, or a celebrity sighting. Never a dull moment, and never a quiet street like this.
“Do you normally spend the holiday with the rest of your family?”
Gray lifted his head to see Morgan standing right beside him. She’d put her glass down on the windowsill and he did the same before thinking about an answer to her question. He hadn’t thought of his siblings in the traditional sense of the word family. The fact that they each lived in different states could be the reason for that. They’d been born together and had lived together for eighteen years. They were the closest thing to friends Gray had ever had, and the only ones who shared the same dark disappointments of the past with him.
“No. My sisters and brothers have their own lives,” he replied.
“There are six of you—surely you find time to spend with each other at some point. I only have one sister and it seems like we’re never apart,” she told him.
She looked across the room and Gray followed her gaze. More people had come in, filling up the tables. The sound of numerous voices had grown a bit louder. The instrumental holiday music still sounded over the guests’ voices and Gray found himself thankful for the partial privacy of this corner. He didn’t want to talk to any of the people out there, but here, on this side of the tree with all its twinkling lights reflecting off the window, he was content to stand with this woman.
“Yes, there are six of us. I’m the oldest. Born almost immediately after me were Garrek, Gemma, Genevieve, Gage and Gia. Once we turned eighteen we all went our separate ways.”
“And you don’t keep in touch? That’s not good. I mean, it’s kind of sad. I would think that you would be closer,” she said, then clamped her lips shut again.
Gray shook his head. “It’s not a problem. A lot of people think a lot of things about the Taylor sextuplets. They have since the first airing of that damn television show. None of them know the truth.”
“You sound as if the truth is sad,” she replied quietly.
Gray shrugged. “It is what it is.”
She nodded. “Just like you selling the buildings, I guess.”
Her back was to the window and Gray moved to stand in front of her. He rubbed the backs of his fingers lightly over her cheek.
“Those buildings mean something to you, don’t they?” he asked her.
She shrugged this time, shifting from one foot to the other as if his proximity was making her nervous. Being this close to her was making him hot and aroused. He wondered if that’s what she was really feeling as well.
“This town means something to me. There are good people here and we’re trying to do good things.”
“That’s what my mother used to say,” Gray continued, loving the feel of her smooth skin beneath his touch. “Temptation was a good place. Love, family, loyalty. They meant something to the town. Always. That’s what she used to tell us when we were young. But that was after the show, after my father found something better outside of this precious town of Temptation.”
Gray could hear the sting to his tone, felt the tensing of his muscles that came each time he thought about Theodor Taylor and all that he’d done to his family. Yes, Gray had buried his father two months ago. He’d followed the old man’s wishes right down to the ornate gold handles on the slate-gray casket, but Gray still hated him. He still despised any man who could walk away from his family without ever looking back.
“Show me something better,” he said as he stared down into Morgan’s light brown eyes. “Show me what this town is really about and maybe I’ll reconsider selling.”
“Are you making a bargain with me?” she asked. “Because if you are, I don’t know what to say. I’m not used to wheeling-and-dealing big businessmen like you.”
“I’m asking you to give me a reason why I shouldn’t sell those buildings. Just one will do. If you can convince me—”
She was already shaking her head. “I won’t sleep with you, if that’s what you