Gwynneth Ever After Read Online Free PDF Page A

Not by Kirsten, who appeared to be star struck in the worst way, sitting pink-faced and speechless on the corner chair, but by Gareth himself, who crouched beside Nicholas and Maggie, calmly divvying up a pile of building blocks between them.
    He glanced up at her arrival, his eyes warming as they met hers. “I’ll be with you in a minute,” he said. “I have some unfinished business here.”
    Gwyn nodded. She wouldn’t have been able to speak if she’d tried. The sight of him crouched beside her two blond offspring had knocked the wind right out of her. This wasn’t just any man in her home, after all. It was the Gareth Connor. Hollywood mega star. Object of feminine fantasies around the world. Eye candy in the extreme. He should have looked entirely out of his element on the floor of her living room. Out of place in her home.
    She had no idea know what to make of discovering the exact opposite.
    “There,” Gareth said. “That’s twenty-three each, with one left over.” He held the remaining block up for examination, then tucked it into his coat pocket. “Now I can build one, too.”
    Maggie giggled. Nicholas roared.
    “Cannot!” he declared. “You have to have more than one for a real castle.”
    Gareth looked surprised. “No! Do I really? Well, how many do I need?”
    “Lots,” Nicholas advised.
    “Seventy-fifteen,” Maggie volunteered. “At least.”
    “You can share with me,” Nicholas offered. “Then we can build a really big castle.”
    “I don’t think your mum would like that.”
    Pretending to frown, he glanced at Gwyn, his eyes dancing, and a shock of surprise went through her. He was enjoying himself. Not just a little, but a lot.
    “I’m supposed to take her out for supper, remember?” he added, returning his attention to her son.
    “Oh, yeah.” Nicholas nodded. “You’d better do it soon. She gets real grumpy if she’s hungry.”
    Gareth smothered a laugh. “Does she indeed? Thank you for the advice, Nicholas, I’ll make sure I remember that. And now, what do you suppose I should do with this?” He withdrew the block from his pocket.
    Maggie giggled again, and Gwyn rolled her eyes. Heaven help her, the man appeared to have the same effect no matter what age the female.
    “Maybe they could build a castle together,” a new voice piped up as Katie abandoned her television show and moved in for a closer look. “Instead of sharing with you, Nicholas could share with Maggie. I could help, if they want.” The latter was delivered in an offhand way, so that it wouldn’t betray Katie’s interest in an activity she considered beneath her.
    Gareth widened his eyes and looked slowly from Nicholas to Maggie and back again. “Your sister,” he advised them in a stage whisper, “is very, very smart. Don’t you think?”
    Wide-eyed themselves, the twins nodded. With great care, Gareth reached out and set his block in Katie’s hand.
    “There. When your castle is done, Katie can put on the last block,” he said. “And make sure you leave it up for your mum to see when she comes home, all right?”
    More nods. Gareth braced his hands on his knees and pushed himself upright. He turned to Gwyn.
    “Now,” he announced, “I’m ready.”
    Tongue-in-cheek, Gwyn said, “You’re sure about that? If you’d rather stay and build castles...”
    Gareth walked past her to the closet. Unerringly, he took out her navy wool coat, helping her slide it on over her simple, crimson wool dress. “And have you turn grumpy on me? I think not.”
    Amid a flurry of hugs and kisses goodnight, Gwyn delivered last-minute bedtime instructions to Kirsten, who still hadn’t found her voice, and then the door closed behind them.
    The air outside was sharp, but not unpleasantly so, and the night sky crystal-clear. She paused at the edge of the porch, forgetting her nerves in a moment of spontaneous delight as she gazed up through the gigantic, winter-bare maple on her front lawn at the stars suspended