Page 39 of A Heart of Little Faith
“It must be hard for you.”
Michelle snorted. “I can handle it. In case you’re wondering though, Gideon doesn’t rise to the bait.”
Lily sat back as some of the tension drained out of her. She thought about what Michelle said. Familiar with office gossip and the different personalities forming a team, she now knew why Gideon brought her to the game. With a boss like Joe, he wouldn’t want to attend functions alone, even one as harmless as a baseball game. She glanced at him. His posture was stiff and his fists were clenched. His voice was tight and he contributed to his friends’ conversations with monosyllables. Her throat ached for him. She raised her chin, straightened her shoulders and joined in the banter, talked to Mark and Bill and answered questions about her job and Claire.
As the speakers crackled to life and the announcer started to introduce the teams, she swung around to look at the field. When the national anthem played, she rose and stood at attention until it was over. As she sat down, she brushed Gideon’s arm and sent pulses up her spine. The hair on his arm reminded her of soft down and his muscles in his forearm rippled as he reached for her hand and covered it with his own. His skin was warm; his grip, although gentle, like steel. She remembered their night at the movie theater as he stared at her, frozen. She leaned into the solid mass of his body, and the rock softened.
Initially, they watched the game quietly, but soon they joked with each other and the rest of their group. After the third inning, Gideon and Mark went for hot dogs. Lily and Kim chatted about their kids.
“You have a daughter, right?” asked Kim as she leaned toward Lily.
“Yes, Claire. She’s six going on fifteen.” Kim rolled her eyes. “And you?”
“We have a four-year-old son, Adam, and a seven-year-old daughter, Emily. They’re both in love with Gideon. Whenever we go to Mark’s office, they won’t let me leave until we visit him. He’s good with the kids.”
Lily bobbed her head in agreement. “Claire just adores him. He’s been a big help with her too. As much as I try, there are some things that just require a man’s presence and Gideon has been thoughtful and willing to step in.” She tried not to feel weak at her confession.
Kim’s eyes glowed with sympathy. “We should get our kids together sometime. They’re all within the same age-range and I know Emily would love to meet Claire.”
“That would be great.” Lily reached into her purse for a pen and paper and wrote her name and phone number. “Give me a call and we’ll set it up.”
The two women focused their attention on the game as Mark and Gideon returned.
“What’d we miss?” Mark asked as he slid along the row into the empty seat next to his wife. Lily and Kim stared blankly at each other.
“Um…” Kim started to reply.
“Somebody pitched and someone else hit,” Lily said as she attempted to be helpful. Mark and Gideon groaned and shook their heads.
“Pitiful,” Gideon hid a smile. “That’s the best you could do?”
“Well, you didn’t tell me I was supposed to report back to you,” Lily squeaked as she tried to justify her actions. “Besides, Kim and I were busy talking.” She reached over and took a bite of Gideon’s hot dog. The smoky, spicy taste made her mouth water. He grabbed her wrist.
“Wait a minute,” he spluttered. “Are you crazy? First, you don’t pay attention to the game, and now you think I’m going to share my hot dog with you?”
“Yup.” She licked a speck of spicy mustard off the corner of her mouth.
He raised an eyebrow, entranced by the glimpse of her tongue. “And what makes you think that?”
“Because I’m so darn cute,” she retorted. Gideon pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, shook his head and with a sigh, handed over his hot dog.
Lily giggled, took another bite, albeit a small one, and returned it to him as the others laughed. She put her hand on his arm. She made circular motions with his fingers in the hairs curled above his wrist. When he covered her hand with his, she smiled and returned her focus to the game.
Soon it was time for the seventh inning stretch. As everyone else stood up, Lily leaned over and kissed Gideon on the lips. Her gaze trained on his face, he raised his eyebrows in surprise at her unexpected move. His eyes changed from amber to chocolate brown as her lips pressed against his. His lips tasted slightly salty. She wrapped her arms around his neck and his shoulder muscles contracted as he pulled her closer. She longed to taste him more fully. Their kiss deepened and a soft whimper escaped from deep in her throat. Shuffling feet and snapping chairs sounded as everyone took their seats, and Gideon and Lily pulled apart. Joe let out a whistle.
“What was that?” Gideon asked as his gaze remained locked on hers.
“My own seventh inning stretch,” she replied. “Like it?”Here goes nothing.She caught her breath. She’d thought about kissing him all day. Without a chance to discuss their relationship, and fearing he’d brush it off anyway, she decided to take the plunge. Tony said she had to make her feelings clear. She’d fantasized about kissing Gideon, but nothing had prepared her for the reality. His lips had been firm, yet yielded to the slightest pressure of her mouth. He brushed through her hair, caressed the nape of her neck like he owned her. His kiss held the promise of tomorrow; as if all she was required to do was lock her lips to his, hold on, and all her wishes would come true.
Gideon growled, leaned over and brushed his nose against hers. “Oh yeah.” He pressed his lips to hers again. This time it was firmer, more confident, a take-no-prisoners kind of kiss. Lily’s head spun and a joyful sound burbled from deep within her throat. “What’s funny?” He leaned back in his chair, a frown creasing his forehead.
The crack of a bat, the announcer’s comments, the shouts and yells of the fans, as well as the rustle and shuffle of his friends around him came into focus.
“Oh you know, first base, baseball game. You know…” Her voice drifted off and heat flooded her face and chest.
“Guess I’ll have to get tickets to some more games.” He winked at her. When she dropped her gaze to her lap, he backtracked as his voice became hoarse. “Unless you don’t…”
Uncertainty flashed in his eyes. Unable to stare at her for more than a second, he averted his gaze to the field, clasped his hands in his lap and leaned on his knees.