what way was he tormenting her? In every way. Verbally, he more often than not left her self-confidence in shreds. Emotionally, he reduced her to a jibbering wreck. And as for physically…
She didn’t want to think about what Gideon did to her physically.
‘I must say it’s good that Peter doesn’t have chickenpox after all,’ David said with relief as he strolled into the kitchen.
Molly looked up wordlessly at Gideon for several more long seconds, unable to break the pull of that darkly compelling gaze. She felt her cheeks pale as the seconds passed, knowing Gideon was the last man she should ever have allowed to affect her in this way.
Why did he?
He was rude to her. Insulted her at every opportunity. Believed her capable of practising deceit on her best friend. Added to which, she didn’t even like him.
But as he continued to look at her she could barely breathe, let alone think straight. Not a good combination.
‘Oh, good—lunch,’ David murmured with satisfaction as he gazed in at the warming soup.
Molly dragged her gaze away from Gideon’s with effort, turning to smile at the other man. ‘Perhaps one of you would like to tell Crys and Sam that lunch will be ready soon?’ she suggested lightly, able to step away from Gideon now that she wasn’t held captive by that compelling gaze. ‘I know Peter isn’t feeling so good, but they still need to eat,’ she added ruefully.
‘I’ll go,’ Gideon offered. ‘I can always stay upstairs with Peter while they come down and eat, if they have a problem with leaving him alone.’
Molly looked across at him. ‘That’s kind of you,’ she murmured slowly.
He paused in the doorway. ‘I can be kind,’ he assured her hardly, before striding purposefully from the room.
Molly grimaced her dismay, knowing she had once again said the wrong thing. But she knew, in their present circumstances, she would be hard-pressed to say the right thing where Gideon was concerned.
‘Lovers’ tiff?’
She turned sharply to frown at David as he stood watching her, a teasing smile curving his lips, dark brows raised mockingly.
He shrugged at her obvious displeasure. ‘Sam said something this morning about Gideon coming to your rescue last night concerning a spider in your bedroom. Then the two of you went off shopping together earlier. And he was in your bedroom a few minutes ago,’ he reasoned, his smile widening at her look of obvious displeasure. ‘What else am I supposed to think?’
‘Not what you are thinking,’ she snapped disgruntledly.
‘No?’ David speculated.
‘No!’ she bit out frustratedly, a rueful smile starting to curve her lips now. ‘Last night. This morning. In my bedroom just now. This is all just some silly idea of Crys’s… I suppose you do realise that this is all some mistaken matchmaking on Crys’s part? And you’re another prime candidate?’ She turned the tables on him, knowing she had scored a point when he looked totally stunned.
‘Me?’ David was visibly dumbfounded. ‘But I thought Gideon…? Who does Crys have picked out for me, then?’ he said dazedly.
‘Me,’ Molly drawled. ‘According to Sam, she isn’t too bothered as to whether it’s Gideon or you I become involved with, so long as it’s someone!’
‘Thanks!’ David grimaced.
‘You’re welcome.’ She grinned, enjoying his discomfort after his having teased her so mercilessly.
He frowned. ‘And I thought Crys was just being kind by inviting me to stay for Christmas!’
‘Oh, she was,’ Molly instantly assured him. ‘She is. Crys is one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.’
‘I’m glad we’re all agreed on that point at least,’ Gideon rasped as he returned to the kitchen, dark gaze narrowed questioningly as he looked stonily at Molly.
She held that gaze for several long seconds, and then she looked away, knowing from Gideon’s accusing look exactly what he was thinking. But it was impossible to defend herself against such ingrained prejudice. And with David in the room she had no intention of even trying to do so.
Besides, Gideon, at least, was unaware of Crys’s attempts at matchmaking. And Molly wanted him to remain that way.
‘Are they coming down to join us?’ she prompted distantly.
‘Sam is,’ Gideon confirmed. ‘Crys will have something later; she’s going to stay upstairs and have a nap with Peter. After her disturbed night, and with the relief of knowing it’s nothing serious, she probably needs sleep more than food at the moment,’ he added affectionately.
Molly knew how Crys felt. Her own night had been far from restful. Although she didn’t have the added worry over Peter to contend with, too.
She nodded. ‘I’ll go and take over from her later, so she can have something to eat.’
Gideon eyed her for several seconds. ‘That’s kind of you,’ he finally murmured dryly.
Deliberately. Mockingly. Tauntingly.
Okay, so neither of them had a particularly good opinion of the other. But if they continued like this it was going to make this time more difficult for the others than it already was.
‘My mother always told me that kindness is a virtue,’ she dismissed lightly, beginning to serve soup into four bowls.
‘So is loyalty,’ Gideon rasped harshly.
Molly stiffened, knowing exactly where that remark was directed. ‘And honesty,’ she bit out tautly, brown gaze challenging his now.
‘Hey, can anyone join in this conversation? Or is this just some private thing between the two of you?’ David interjected dryly, drawing their attention to the fact that he was still in the room.
It was a fact both of them seemed to have momentarily forgotten in their antagonism towards each other, Molly acknowledged, and she shot David a rueful smile.
‘Luncheon is served,’ she announced decisively, turning to smile at Sam as he came into the room. ‘Are they okay?’ she prompted gently.
He grimaced. ‘Fine.’ He nodded. ‘But this was the very last thing we needed on top of… Well, we could definitely have done without this at the moment,’ he muttered tensely.
Molly frowned at him. ‘On top of what…?’ she prompted, hoping the discord between herself and Gideon wasn’t becoming a problem for the others.
‘Nothing,’ Sam dismissed abruptly. ‘Just forget I said anything,’ he muttered, sitting down to eat his soup distractedly.
‘But Diana—Dr Chisholm,’ David corrected ruefully at their puzzled looks. ‘She told me that she doesn’t foresee any complications with Peter.’
‘I’m
