A Daddy for Christmas: Holiday Romance (Holiday Romance Collection Book 2) (4 page)

***

A few hours later, Megan walked Brice to the door after putting Jacob to bed. “Thanks for coming out tonight, Brice. I think Jacob had fun.” Megan didn’t want to admit it, but she did, too. She could barely remember the last time that she spent hanging out with Jason and Jacob. Jacob was only 2, and they didn’t watch a whole lot of TV together. Jason wasn’t a fan of staying still all that long.

“Just Jacob?” Brice asked. They were standing at the door. Jacob had been tucked in, and she and Brice had shared a coffee. Time was running out, and she needed some sleep. Brice promised to call every couple of hours.

Megan took an audible breath. “No. I did, too.”

Brice smiled. “Good.” He brought his hand up to her cheek and leaned in. Their foreheads touched, and he breathed in her perfume. “I’m glad.”

“What?” Megan whispered. Being this close to him was giving her a heady response.

“I’m glad that you had a good time tonight.”

Megan swallowed. She was nervous, and her heart was racing. She wanted his kiss so badly, and she didn’t at the same time.

Brice’s hands cradled her head, and he moved his lips down to hers. One sweet kiss was all he was going to give her, but when his lips touched her and he heard her soft sigh, he couldn’t help but take it a little farther.

She leaned into him, their lips touching, soft sighs of pleasure. He nipped her bottom lip with his teeth, his hands were in her hair, then down to her shoulders, then her arms, and then wrapped around her. She moaned, and touched her tongue to his.

He met her tongue, soft thrusts of passion. His heart hammered in his chest. He could feel her breasts push up against him, her nipples tighten into hard beads. He groaned, “Megan.”

She stilled, then moved back a bit. He dropped his arms. “Jacob.”

The word sent a wash of cold through his body. What if her son had caught them like this? What kind of a guy feels up a little boy’s mother in clear view of a stairwell. “I’m sorry.”

Megan’s skin was flushed. Her lips were bruised, and her hair was ticking out at odd angles. Brice smiled softly. “I like you like this,” he said, his hands went back to her hair. “You’re beautiful.”

“No I’m not.”

“Yes you are. Quit arguing with me.”

Megan grinned. “You know this can’t happen again.”

Brice new that one way or the other it would. “It’ll happen tomorrow.”

Megan’s eyes widened, and Brice laughed. “I’ll see you after work. I’ll bring the new Lego movie.”

“Brice, you don’t have to rent a movie for us to watch,” Megan started to argue.

“I don’t have to rent it, I own it.”

“You’re kidding?”

“I like that spark in your eyes that tells me that I’m a child for owning a kid’s movie. I’ll have you know that the Lego movie was one of my favorites, and I absolutely love Batman.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You love it.”

At the word love, Megan felt her insides tighten. This was what she was afraid of. A man like Brice was wonderful, cute and sweet, but he wasn’t lasting material. What if she fell in love with him?

Brice saw her features close up. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…”

“Megan, I don’t know what’s going on with us exactly, but I’m willing to find out.”

“Brice, nothing is going on.”

“Now you’re kidding, right?”

Megan didn’t say anything.

“Listen, I’ve never had a kiss like that, and I’m not just saying that to get you into bed, although that would probably be in my top ten all favorite moments in time.”

Megan put her hand up to her face and laughed. 

“Lovely,” she said.

Brice closed his eyes and made a satisfied sound. “Yes, I think it would be.”

Megan swatted him playfully.

“What are your top ten moments?”

“How about I tell you that later if this all works out?” Brice asked. He moved back in toward Megan again, and she didn’t stop him this time.

“One shot,” she said, and Brice knew what she was talking about.

“One.”

Megan smiled softly. “Okay, Brice. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Have the popcorn ready.”

Chapter 4

“
I
’
m
telling you, Carl, she’s the one.” Brice was sitting at his desk, filling out his morning paperwork when Carl walked in and asked about Megan. “I went to her house last night, and we just sat and watched TV.”

“That’s it, no making out, or anything like that?”

Brice couldn’t say why he was instantly miffed at his friend for asking that question, but he was. “No, it wasn’t like that, okay?”

“Calm down, I was just asking. So, you watched TV, was the kid there?”

“Yeah, Jake sat on the other end of the couch, forcing Megan into the middle. The kid is smart.” Brice smiled at the kid’s ingenuity. He owed him one. “Which reminds me, what do five year olds like?”

Carl looked at Brice as if he grew another head. “Why?”

“I want to buy the kid a present.”

“No, man, you don’t want to do that yet.”

“Why not?” Brice asked, clearly confused. “I like the kid.”

“Yeah, but it’ll look like you are buying him.”

Brice never really thought about that, maybe Megan would think that, too. “I just wanted to do something nice.”

“You’re a nice guy, but kind of dumb. Don’t buy the kid a thing.”

“Gees, Carl, be a dick why don’t ya?”

“I’m just trying to help. Remember Dusty?”

Brice nodded. Dusty was Carl’s ex-girlfriend’s son. “You still see him?”

Carl’s usual happy expression turned grim. “Nope. His mother won’t let me near him.”

Brice knew how much Dusty meant to Carl. Carl was pretty much that kid’s dad for seven years, until Dusty’s mom broke up with him. “I know how much you care for him.”

“He’s my son, and she won’t let me see him. I know Dusty is hurt by this.”

Brice stood and walked over to Carl’s desk and patted him on the shoulder. “Listen, man, maybe I can talk to Carrie.”

“Carrie won’t listen.”

“You don’t know that, maybe she’ll come around. Dusty’s what 13 now?”

“He’s going to be 15 next week.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah, he’s practically a man now, and I can’t imagine he’ll be too happy to see me after all this.” Carl looked down at the pile of papers on his desk, and Brice didn’t miss the tear drops on the pages.

“I’ll talk to her, try to make her see reason.”

“I don’t know, man.”

Carl didn’t say no, so that was a good sign. “Listen, I don’t know if anything will come out of it, but it can’t hurt to try, and besides, I wouldn’t mind seeing what the kid looks like now.”

“If she won’t let me see him, could you tell him that I love him?”

Brice nodded, nearly in tears himself. “Yeah, I’ll let him know.”

“Okay then. Let’s get back to work,” Carl said gruffly, trying to put the painful situation behind him. Brice walked back over to his desk, and finished the rest of his paperwork.

Megan didn’t go into work today. Her head felt like it had vice grips holding it together. Not only that, she was afraid. She didn’t sleep much at all last night. She would have been paranoid if not for Brice. He kept his promise of calling her every few hours.

When had another guy ever made such a gesture? Megan didn’t have to think long—never. Even when she was dating Jason, she didn’t feel this kind of connection. It was scary. She had only known Brice for a few days! How could this even be happening, and to her!

Megan sighed as she leaned back into the sofa cushions. Her neighbor, Jess Montgomery, offered to take Jacob to school this morning. She didn’t hesitate to take her up on that offer. She knew that she shouldn’t be driving.

After a few minutes of lounging on the couch, Megan’s phone rang.

“Hi, this is Megan.”

“Hey, Megs, how are you feeling?”

Megan smiled as she heard Brice’s voice. “Stop calling me that!” she said playfully. He laughed.

“I told you, it suits you. So, how’s the head?”

“I feel sick to my stomach today.”

“I’m coming over,” Brice said. Megan could hear the concern in his voice.

“No, you are at work, besides, I’m a big girl.”

“It’s not that far.”

“I know it’s not, and that’s not the point. Listen, Brice, things are…”

“Don’t even say that they are going too fast. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Megan closed her eyes and took in the warm thought. “You’re sweet.”

“Kick a guy when he’s down, why don’t ya.”

“What?” Megan giggled. She was doing that a lot. She felt like a schoolgirl with a crush on the captain of the football team.

“No man wants to hear that he is sweet.” Brice made a gagging sound, and Megan pictured his grin.

“Well, you are, so get over it. I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

“I still can’t get last night out of my head.”

Megan cringed. She couldn’t either. “It’s over with. No big deal.”

Brice sighed. “Megan, it’s a huge deal.  One press of that knife and…”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Megan said, her voice wobbled. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. What’s done is done.”

“Stop being so brave.”

“What do you want me to do, be a mess? Because I am almost there. I couldn’t go to work today.”

Brice could hear the worry in her voice. “Talk to me.”

Megan didn’t know when the last time was that she could actually talk to someone. “I don’t know, Brice.”

“Come on, it’s easy,” he said smoothly. “Just open your mouth and speak.”

Megan laughed softly. “Okay.”

“See, you’re doing it.”

Megan could hear the smile in his voice. “Smartass.”

Brice chuckled. “I’m waiting.”

“Okay, well… I’ve been threatened before. Nothing serious, just your basic road rage, but this…this was too much. All I could think of was Jacob.”

Brice nodded, even though he knew she couldn’t see him. “Understandable.”

“Well, Jacob’s dad, well he’s dead. He died three years ago in Afghanistan.”

Now it was Brice’s turn to sigh. Afghanistan? How could he possibly compete with a hero’s ghost? “Oh, Megan, I’m sorry I didn’t know.”

“I know we haven’t really talked all that much,” Megan flirted. “But all I could think of was how Jacob would be left alone, and what would he do?”

Megan’s voice started to shake as she talked, and Brice felt something squeeze his heart. “How long were you married?”

“Wh—what?”

Brice cleared his throat, his voice was barely above a whisper. “How long were you married?”

“Oh, I wasn’t. Jason was my high school boyfriend. He joined the Marines shortly after we graduated, and then I went to college. We were the on again off again type couple.”

“Ah…been there.”

“Really?” Megan teased. “How long were you with…”

“Jenna and I were together for six years. She cheated on me with a guy that I had known my entire life.” Brice didn’t want to talk about his life with Jenna, but he didn’t know another way around it. He took a deep breath and rushed the next sentence, “She is now married to my brother.”

Silence.

“Oh, Brice, that’s horrible.”

“It is what it is.”

Megan laughed softly. “You are going to hate me for this, but you were right.”

“Oh, and why is that?”

“Talking is making me feel better.”

Brice laughed hard, surprised at what she said.

“I’m horrible, aren’t I?”

“You are a little twisted, I’ll give you that.”

“I am surprised though, no wonder I thought you were a player. I don’t think I could have a serious relationship after that.”

Brice was surprised that she caught that. “Yeah, it was difficult, and to answer your unasked question, I haven’t. You’re the first woman that I’ve met that doesn’t have an agenda.”

Megan thought of what Jacob had been wishing for, and felt guilty at Brice’s comment. She wasn’t looking for a daddy for him, really. She could feel her skin heat.

“Now you’re quiet all of a sudden.”

“I’m just thinking.”

“About?”

“What are we doing, really, Brice?”

Brice should have been taken back by the question but he wasn’t. “We are seeing where this goes.”

“I have a son.”

“We’ve established this, Megs.”

“What if he gets attached, and nothing becomes of us?”

Brice could tell that she was worried, and he was glad, that just told him what kind of woman she was. “Then I will continue to see Jacob.”

“You can’t mean that?” she asked, shocked.

“Why not? I love kids, Megs. I plan on having my own someday.”

“You do?”

“Why do you sound so shocked? I am getting older, and I don’t want to be a bachelor my entire life.”

“You don’t?”

“Megs, catch up, please. I like you. I like Jacob.”

Megan smiled, a few tears escaped her eyes, and she sniffed. “I like you, too.”

“Don’t cry.” Brice didn’t think he could take Megan’s tears another day.

“I’m not…”

“Are, too…”

Megan laughed, every conversation they had seemed to end this way. She liked it.

“I better let you rest, Megs. I’ll see you after work.”

“Okay,” Megan said easily.

A second later, Megan hung up the phone and grinned for no reason other than liking the way her life was finally taking its turn. Megan wanted to shout in joy. She finally had someone that wanted to be with her.

After Jacob came home from school, Megan started dinner, and talked with him about his day. He read a lot, and his teacher gave him a small part in the “Little Red Hen” play. He was so excited that he got the part of the Hen.

“You are going to be great at that, Jake!” Megan smiled at her son, and ruffled his hair. She couldn’t believe how big he was getting. “I missed you today.”

“I missed you, too. Guess what?”

“What’s that?”

“Officer O’Reilly sent our class coloring books today. He brought them over to the school.”

Megan could feel her face get hot. “That was nice.”

“I told my class how much I like him. I want him to be my Daddy.”

“Jacob, now I told you yesterday that people just don’t do that. People have to be in love with each other.”

“What is in love?” Jacob asked. His nose scrunched up when he asked the question. Megan thought it was the most adorable thing.

“It is when you can’t stop thinking about someone, when you want their happiness as much as your own.”

“So, like you love me?”

Megan grinned. “Yes, you smart little boy. Just like that.” She bent down to his level and put her arms around her son, and hugged him tight. Just as she went to stand up, Jacob was waving. Megan turned to see Brice standing in the doorway.

Megan looked like a deer in headlights when he had walked in, and he knew why. Jacob had just said he wanted him to be his dad. Brice swallowed, and felt a bit nervous. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” she said, then looked down at Jake. “Honey, why don’t you go wash up for dinner, and I’ll get the plates on the table.”

“Okay!” Jacob ran to the staircase, and disappeared when Brice came further into the room.

“I am so sorry about that!” Megan’s face was red. She sounded embarrassed.

“Megan, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. He is… he just doesn’t get it.”

“It’s fine, Megs, really.”

“No, it’s not. He seems to think that you are going to miraculously become his dad overnight. I tried to tell him to stop.”

Megan worried her lip, and Brice put his arms around her. “Listen, he’s a kid, kids say things. That doesn’t mean…”

“This is getting to be too much. Jacob is going to get the wrong idea, and then be so devastated.”