he said sternly. “I want you to grasp the handrail and dunna let go,” he said.
She did exactly as he asked, her eyes pinched tightly shut. A slight smile pulled at her mouth, and he had a powerful desire to stop just as they were and kiss her. Instead, he continued on.
“Verra good, lass. Now slowly take the steps until I tell you to cease.”
“Okay,” she said, excitement in her voice.
Somehow, it pleased Gabriel to think mayhap he had put it there.
When she reached about midway down, he stopped her. “Just there, Paige. Now,” he said, and once again drew close to her ear and whispered, “open your eyes.”
With a deep breath, she did.
“Oh,” she said in a voice so light, Gabriel barely heard it. “Wow . . .”
Gabriel watched the glow in her blue eyes as she drank in the sight before her. Christ, how he hoped he’d done a fine job. ’Twas many a Yuletides past since he’d thoroughly enjoyed the holiday, but he remembered his fondest. And with that memory, he’d created a Yuletide for Paige.
“I can’t stop staring at it all,” she said, her eyes sweeping the great hall. Finally, she looked up at him. “It’s like something straight out of a fairy tale, Gabriel.”
He swallowed past the lump in his throat at his name on her tongue. “ ’Tis my gift to you,” he said. “An image, nothin’ more, but for you all the same.”
Her gaze returned to the hall. “Can we go down?”
“Whatever you wish,” he returned.
Together they walked down the stairs.
Paige could do little more than stare at the conjured scene before her. Joining the decorations Craigmire’s wife had put up were boughs and boughs of Scots pine, pine cones, and nuts weaved in long garlands and draped across every surface including the hearth and swagged over every doorway. A tall fir that looked exactly like the one she’d picked out in the wood earlier sat in the far corner of the great hall, and it, too, had small garlands of nuts and candles wrapped from tip to stump. A thick wrap of plaid, the same pattern and color as the one Gabriel wore, swaddled the base of the tree. What looked to be hand-blown glass ornaments hung here and there, as well as tiny silver bells. The glow of the candles gave the great hall an amber hue—a much different hue than the real candles. Amazing .
“It’s the most beautiful Christmas I’ve ever seen,” she said softly, then looked at Gabriel. “How could you know?”
Gabriel cocked his head. “Know what, lass?”
She blinked, then smiled. “That this is a Christmas straight out of my dreams.” She glanced at the spot between her boots. “Although I have to confess, you’re a Christmas surprise that I hadn’t counted on at all.”
Suddenly, he was so close, her body tingled with his energy. “Is it a surprise that you’re pleased about, Paige MacDonald?”
Paige collected what little courage she possessed and looked up to meet Gabriel’s questioning gaze. “I’ve spent most of my adult life alone, never really belonging. I merely wanted to be around people this year, perhaps sort of feel like I belong in some strange way.” She shook her head. “Never, ever did I expect to feel this. Or you.” Without looking at him, Paige took the remaining steps and wandered amongst his conjured Christmas. His gift to her.
She didn’t trust herself to look at him. What had she just confessed? He probably thought she was a lunatic. Not only had she accepted his ghostly existence, but she’d just basically admitted to being in—
“Paige, stop,” Gabriel said, suddenly right behind her.
She stopped, breathed, and stared at a flickering candle set within the enormous Christmas tree until her vision blurred.
“How do you feel?” he asked quietly.
She couldn’t bring herself to answer.
“Look at me,” Gabriel said, his voice deep, the brogue heavy and sensual. “Please?”
With butterflies in her stomach, Paige slowly lifted her gaze.
The impact of what she saw in
She did exactly as he asked, her eyes pinched tightly shut. A slight smile pulled at her mouth, and he had a powerful desire to stop just as they were and kiss her. Instead, he continued on.
“Verra good, lass. Now slowly take the steps until I tell you to cease.”
“Okay,” she said, excitement in her voice.
Somehow, it pleased Gabriel to think mayhap he had put it there.
When she reached about midway down, he stopped her. “Just there, Paige. Now,” he said, and once again drew close to her ear and whispered, “open your eyes.”
With a deep breath, she did.
“Oh,” she said in a voice so light, Gabriel barely heard it. “Wow . . .”
Gabriel watched the glow in her blue eyes as she drank in the sight before her. Christ, how he hoped he’d done a fine job. ’Twas many a Yuletides past since he’d thoroughly enjoyed the holiday, but he remembered his fondest. And with that memory, he’d created a Yuletide for Paige.
“I can’t stop staring at it all,” she said, her eyes sweeping the great hall. Finally, she looked up at him. “It’s like something straight out of a fairy tale, Gabriel.”
He swallowed past the lump in his throat at his name on her tongue. “ ’Tis my gift to you,” he said. “An image, nothin’ more, but for you all the same.”
Her gaze returned to the hall. “Can we go down?”
“Whatever you wish,” he returned.
Together they walked down the stairs.
Paige could do little more than stare at the conjured scene before her. Joining the decorations Craigmire’s wife had put up were boughs and boughs of Scots pine, pine cones, and nuts weaved in long garlands and draped across every surface including the hearth and swagged over every doorway. A tall fir that looked exactly like the one she’d picked out in the wood earlier sat in the far corner of the great hall, and it, too, had small garlands of nuts and candles wrapped from tip to stump. A thick wrap of plaid, the same pattern and color as the one Gabriel wore, swaddled the base of the tree. What looked to be hand-blown glass ornaments hung here and there, as well as tiny silver bells. The glow of the candles gave the great hall an amber hue—a much different hue than the real candles. Amazing .
“It’s the most beautiful Christmas I’ve ever seen,” she said softly, then looked at Gabriel. “How could you know?”
Gabriel cocked his head. “Know what, lass?”
She blinked, then smiled. “That this is a Christmas straight out of my dreams.” She glanced at the spot between her boots. “Although I have to confess, you’re a Christmas surprise that I hadn’t counted on at all.”
Suddenly, he was so close, her body tingled with his energy. “Is it a surprise that you’re pleased about, Paige MacDonald?”
Paige collected what little courage she possessed and looked up to meet Gabriel’s questioning gaze. “I’ve spent most of my adult life alone, never really belonging. I merely wanted to be around people this year, perhaps sort of feel like I belong in some strange way.” She shook her head. “Never, ever did I expect to feel this. Or you.” Without looking at him, Paige took the remaining steps and wandered amongst his conjured Christmas. His gift to her.
She didn’t trust herself to look at him. What had she just confessed? He probably thought she was a lunatic. Not only had she accepted his ghostly existence, but she’d just basically admitted to being in—
“Paige, stop,” Gabriel said, suddenly right behind her.
She stopped, breathed, and stared at a flickering candle set within the enormous Christmas tree until her vision blurred.
“How do you feel?” he asked quietly.
She couldn’t bring herself to answer.
“Look at me,” Gabriel said, his voice deep, the brogue heavy and sensual. “Please?”
With butterflies in her stomach, Paige slowly lifted her gaze.
The impact of what she saw in
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