But as their gazes locked, what she saw there wasn’t the usual cocky self-assuredness she was used to seeing in his eyes. If she’d had to hazard a guess, she’d say he actually looked…torn. Or tortured. And unlike the tired come-ons she was used to, the uncertainty she saw now that he’d let his guard down was dangerously close to completely disarming her defenses again.
When that gaze flicked down to her lips, her breath caught, and the small shudder of anticipation, of longing, for the kiss that seemed to be just moments away no doubt completely betrayed the sudden and unexpected fantasies of where such a kiss would lead if she gave in. The heat she felt creeping into her cheeks made her drag her gaze away from his mouth before she gave into temptation.
To her immense relief, when she took a step forward, he followed, allowing her to lead him into the living room, where her photo albums and loose photos were scattered across the sofa, coffee table and floor.
She slipped out from under his arm and hastily began to clear a spot for him on the sofa. “Sorry. Let me just get these out of the way.”
“Is this you?”
Her head snapped up to see Gabe holding a picture of a little girl with red pigtails and a lopsided grin standing on a beach on a bright summer day. “No,” she said, looking away so he wouldn’t see the tears that sprung to her eyes. “That’s my sister Eve. That picture is from our family vacation to Sanibel when she was ten.”
“She was a cutie,” he said, easing down onto the sofa. “You two look a lot alike. Is this your other sister?”
Elle glanced up at the photo he held out for her to see. “Yes. That’s Erin at her First Communion. She died a month later.”
“I’m sorry.” Gabe’s voice was so gentle, Elle had to swallow past the tears to keep from completely breaking down. “I know what it was like when we almost lost Joe after he was wounded in Afghanistan. I can’t imagine what you went through—what you still go through.”
“Thanks.” Elle set the photos she’d gathered on the coffee table and took a seat next to him on the sofa. “I’d like to say it gets easier every year, but it doesn’t.”
Gabe leaned forward, sifting through the pictures a little before pulling one from the stack and turning to Elle with a grin. “Now, this one I know is you.”
Elle grimaced before she could catch herself. The picture of a gawky, gangly teenager with unruly red hair was definitely her. She snatched it from his grasp with a little laugh. “Yeah, let’s just forget that period of my life ever happened.”
“Are you kidding me?” he said, reclining against the pillows and draping one arm casually over the back of the sofa. “You were adorable.”
“Liar,” she laughed. “Thank God I grew into my legs.”
Gabe gave Elle’s legs the once-over slowly, his gaze as soft and sensual as a lover’s caress, then grinned. “I thought they were great even back then, but I certainly won’t complain now.”
“Uh-huh. Right…” she drawled, trying to ignore the way his gaze sent white-hot heat zipping through her veins. “So what you’re saying is dating all those cheerleaders back in high school was just a front, and in actuality, you were secretly into girls who looked like flamingos? Gee, Gabe, who knew?”
Gabe shrugged. “Oh yeah, I’m full of surprises.”
She gave him a wry grin. “So I’m learning.”
He chuckled but quickly sobered, his expression becoming serious as his gaze traveled over her face. “You really have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?”
His praise was so obviously sincere that Elle looked away before he could see her blushing. “If you want to see someone really beautiful,” she said, sifting through the pictures to avoid acknowledging his compliment, “take a look at this woman.”
Gabe took the picture she held out and whistled appreciatively. “Damn.”
“That’s my mom,” she told him, curling up beside him on the couch and leaning against his shoulder to better see the photo. Her mother’s smile was so vibrant, her eyes so full of happiness, it was almost like she was looking back at Elle from the photograph, sharing an inside joke.
“She was gorgeous,” Gabe agreed. “You can tell she and your aunt Charlotte are sisters. And that she’s your mom. You have her smile.”
“She was the kind of woman who took over the room when she walked in,” Elle told him wistfully. “Made everything brighter, more beautiful. My dad used to say that the sun shone brighter when his Evelyn smiled.”
“It sounds like she was a pretty incredible person,” Gabe mused. “I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to know her.”
Elle sighed and gently took the photo from his grasp, gazing at it for a long moment before taking a deep, shaky breath as a few more tears escaped. A moment later, she felt Gabe’s fingers clasp hers in a comforting squeeze. It was then Elle realized she’d rested her head on his shoulder while gazing at the photo. Embarrassed for quite literally crying on his shoulder, she abruptly sat up and wiped at her eyes.