OnlyYou Read Free Page A

wooden desk and chair stood to one side and a bench was
placed along the far wall. A pile of blankets and a pillow were neatly arranged
against the wall opposite the desk, almost as though it were a makeshift
sleeping bag.
    With a gallant wave of his hand, Gabriel motioned her toward
the bench, indicating that she was to sit. She complied, her stomach churning
nervously. He followed her and positioned himself a few feet in front of her
with his legs braced shoulder width apart and his arms crossed in front of his
chest.
    Suddenly, the pensive yet good-humored man she had ridden
with through the forest disappeared. A man who exuded power and authority
quickly took his place. Though Kaitlyn had been immediately attracted to him
from the moment he extended his hand to her, his magnetism unexpectedly became
so potent that Kaitlyn felt hypnotized by his dark gaze. Her body ached and she
wished he would simply grab her and slam his lips upon hers.
    “What is it the information you have come to give us?”
Gabriel asked in a very businesslike tone.
    Startled out of her reverie, Kaitlyn jumped slightly and
dropped her stare, unable to hold it for fear of him figuring out what she
thought about him. Deciding to play along until she could figure out what was
happening, she quickly searched the information in her head about Eileen
O’Connor’s wartime escapades.
    “Well,” she began, her voice soft and quavering, “I had
overheard some British soldiers speaking about moving east against the men
stationed near Stockton, Massachusetts.”
    Gabriel stared at her silently. His eyes were clear and
unresponsive, as though he was withholding judgment. “How is it that you came
by this information?” he asked, his voice uncompromising yet surprisingly
tender.
    A lump formed in her throat and she swallowed nervously,
praying that he wouldn’t be able to detect the fact that she was lying. “Um…I
overheard some British soldiers talking as they passed by where I live.”
    If the look in Gabriel’s eyes was any indication, her prayer
had gone unanswered. “And where is it that you reside? Surely your family must
be worried about you,” he inquired, uncrossing his arms and clasping his hands
behind his back.
    His dark eyes bored into hers as though he was attempting to
read her mind. Kaitlyn dropped her eyes to the ground. “I used to live with my
father. But he died about a year ago. I do not have other family here.” With
that small bit of truth, she began to feel her confidence return just enough to
calm the erratic rhythm of her heart.
    He shook his head, sighing as he straddled the bench and sat
down facing her. “Madam, I do believe that to be the most honest thing you have
said to me since you told me your name.”
    Kaitlyn dashed a surprised look at him. The giant of a man
did not sound very upset with her, despite the fact that he could tell she had
lied about certain things. “How did you know?”
    He shrugged. “I am a lawyer. It is my job to know when people
are lying.”
    Kaitlyn laughed softly and rolled her eyes, her stomach
fluttering at his nearness. She tucked one leg underneath the other and noticed
for the first time that his eyes were the color of chestnuts.
    He raised his eyebrows quizzically as he stared at her. “Now
perhaps you would care to regale me with the truth?”
    She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. She was a
horrible liar. She knew it and now Gabriel knew it too. Just what was she
supposed to tell him? That either he’s just a character in a really strange
dream or that she had actually been pulled back in time over two hundred years?
    If this was all a dream, which it most likely was, then
nothing would happen and she would eventually wake up, right? So, what was the
harm in telling the guy the truth?
    Kaitlyn shrugged, feeling a sudden buoyancy in her
confidence level. “Honestly, I don’t even believe it myself. I don’t know why
you would.”
    “Just tell me what happened,” he