A Daddy for Christmas: Holiday Romance (Holiday Romance Collection Book 2) (6 page)

“I do, so what is your problem with it? Do you think it’ll happen again? Are you afraid that it will happen again?”

Megan tried to pull her hand out of his, but he wouldn’t allow it.

“Don’t, baby. I want to help you.”

Baby…

Megan closed her eyes. “Yeah, I’m afraid that they’ll come back, and that Jacob will be left all alone.”

Brice wanted to tear those people up for making her feel frightened. “I know. I know you are afraid for Jacob, but he is okay. Even if something did happen to you, you have your Mom, right? What about your Dad?”

“He’s still alive.”

“Well that’s good, honey. You have your parents, and Jacob will have them.”

“You are not making me feel better,” Megan whispered.

“Why?”

“I don’t want to die!” Megan cried. Her anguish hit Brice in the gut. Thinking about Megan dead was too much to bear.

“I don’t want that,” Brice whispered. “You are going to be fine. This was just something that happened to you. Don’t let it control you.”

“How can you say that?”

“I see it every day. I go to work, sometimes nothing happens, and then there are times when you see something so bad it makes you question everything. I don’t want to see you question everything. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Tears were streaming down Megan’s cheeks. “How do you do it?”

Brice shook his head. “I don’t know, I just do.”

Megan swiped at her tears with her free hand, and Brice pulled the car over to the side of the road. He put his hazards on, and brought her hand up to his mouth, and kissed her fingers. “I’m sorry that you had to go through that.”

Megan nodded, and leaned in toward him. Her head touched his, and they just sat there for a few moments. “I’m okay.”

“I really like you, Megan.”

Megan laughed nervously, and nodded. “I know.”

“Good,” Brice said quietly. “Ready?”

“Yeah.”

“No more crying?”

“No.”

“Well, all right then.”

Chapter 7

They made it to Brice’s cabin at 9 that night. Megan had no idea that the place would be so nice, especially after everything that she had heard about cops and their salaries.

“Like it?”

“Love it. How in the earth did you get this place?” Megan asked, completely dumbfounded. The place was gorgeous, and smelled of cedar. Warm reds and tan were found in the décor of the place, and it was very clean.

“I saved for a very long time. Bachelor, remember?” Brice said. He brought their luggage in, and placed them by the fireplace. “Want the tour?”

Megan nodded.

“Here is the living room,” he said, jovially. Megan grinned as he took her hand, and then led her around the small cabin. “The kitchen is this way.”

“Wow!” Megan exclaimed. “This is gorgeous!” Stainless steel appliances were featured in a beautiful setting, as well as a very modern looking island in the middle with a pot & pan rack hanging directly above.

“I take it you like?”

“I love. You have great taste.”

Brice laughed. “Don’t act so surprised.”

“I am. Remember, I haven’t been to your place yet.”

Brice looked at her curiously then laughed. “Why is that?”

“You’ve never invited me.”

“Well, that obviously has to change.”

Megan smiled. They had only known each other for a week, and they were already spending the weekend together. “This whole thing between us has moved rather fast.”

“Don’t get all shy on me now, Megs. That’s what this weekend is for.”

Megan turned a bright crimson.

“We are going to get to know one another. I told you, you are worth waiting for.”

“You mean we’re not…”

Brice shook his head. “Nope. We are going to get to know each other. I don’t need to have sex with you to know you.”

“Brice!”

Brice chuckled. “Megs, it is so flattering to see you blush at every little word. How far does it go?”

Megan’s eyes widened, and Brice walked over, taking his finger to the collar of her shirt and dipping it low. Megan trembled, as her eyes met his.

“What I wouldn’t give,” Brice whispered.

Megan nodded.

Brice stepped back. “I’ll go get the cooler.”

Two hours later they were sitting in front of the fireplace with a fire going in the hearth. They were playing cards, and Megan was losing horribly.

“You know for a mom, you really suck at Crazy 8’s.”

Megan laughed. “Shut up!”

“So, you want to play 20 questions?” Brice asked.

Megan looked at him oddly and grinned. “Isn’t that a 14 year old girl’s favorite game?”

Brice twirled his finger around his hair playfully and smiled. “Like, I guess so.”

“Okay, you go first,” Megan said, getting into it. Brice blew out some air, and put his finger on his chin, tapping it as if in thought.

“Okay… When was your first kiss?”

“Wow, you really go for it,” Megan said, thinking of the moment when John Clyde kissed her under the bleachers in Middle School. “It was in Middle School.”

Brice grinned. “Really? That’s a little young, isn’t it?”

“No, and it wasn’t really…well, yeah it was a kiss.”

“Who was it?”

“John Clyde.”

“What kind of name is that?” Brice laughed at Megan’s expression. “Gees, don’t get all defensive. You’re not still in love with the guy, are you?”

“No!” Megan said, laughing. “Okay, yeah, it’s a dumb name. It was behind the bleachers at the football game, and I kissed him.”

“What?”

“Yeah, well, we kind of both did it together. He wanted to find out if he was gay or not.”

Brice started laughing really hard now. “Wow, Megs. That’s romantic. Come here, I have an experiment, too.”

“You are a dog, you know that?” Megan said, as she leaned in to give Brice a kiss.

“Nope, definitely not gay.”

“Well that’s a relief,” Megan said. “Okay, my turn.”

“Okay.”

“How many people have you had sex with?”

Brice nearly choked. Megan laughed. “Just kidding. That’s not my question. “Um, how many brothers and sisters do you have?”

Brice shook his head. “Well, I have one brother, the one I told you about, and that’s it.”

Megan nodded. Brice looked at her, his expression serious. “Five.”

“What?”

“Five. I’m not proud of it, but yes, five. Do you want to know their names?”

Megan shook her head quickly. She didn’t want to think of Brice with any other woman.

“You okay?” he asked. Megan could have kissed him for being worried about her. Five wasn’t a low number, to her thinking, but it was for a person Brice’s age.

“Yes. Thank you for being honest with me.”

“I will always be honest with you.”

Megan smiled. “Thank you.”

“Okay, how many brothers and sisters do you have?”

“I have one sister. Both of my parents are still alive, and they live in the next county over.”

“Porter?”

“Yep.”

“Alright,” Megan said, grinning. “What was your first kiss like?”

“Like?”

“Yep,” Megan nodded, laughing.

“Okay, you evil girl. It was disturbing.”

“Disturbing?”

“Oh yes. All the signs were there. I was friends with this girl, and she and I hung out all the time. She would give me those eyes, you know? Anyway, I leaned in, opened my mouth, and…”

“Opened your mouth?”

“Yeah,” Brice laughed. “It was open, and I practically swallowed her face. She turned her head, so I probably looked like a fish sucking her cheek or something.”

Megan started laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe. Brice laughed, too. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Oh! That is embarrassing.”

“Okay, Mrs. Smarty Pants, most embarrassing moment?”

“When I was a senior in high school we took a class trip to Cedar Point.”

“The Amusement Park?”

“Yep. Anyway, there was a tugboat ride, and I thought the guy that was running the ride was hot.”

“You had a thing for the tugboat operator?” Brice asked, cracking up.

“Yes. Anyway, as the ride was over he put his hand up, and I thought he was giving me a high-five.”

“You didn’t?”

“I did.”

Brice laughed just as hard as Megan. “What was he doing?”

“Helping me off the ride.”

“Oh my God!”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that had to have been embarrassing.”

“Yes, but I don’t think it is half as embarrassing as you sucking the side of that poor girl’s face!”

Brice didn’t think so either. “You should have been there.”

“Show me,” Megan joked. Brice leaned over, and imitated a fish and started in on the side of her face. He had her pinned down to the floor now, their laughs turned into heavy breaths.

“You are so lucky I want more with you.”

“I am?” Megan asked, frowning. “I’m not so sure.”

Brice chuckled softly. “I promised you.” Brice took her hands and placed them above her head. Megan’s breath came out in small wisps. “I just want to kiss you a little.”

Megan swallowed as Brice trailed a line of kisses down Megan’s neck, and then collarbone. When he came to her cleavage, she could feel his tongue jut out and lick a small spot. She heard his groan before he pulled back. “So sweet, Megs.”

“Are you sure, Brice?”

Brice laughed softly, tortured. “Yeah, Megs, I’m sure.”

Brice helped Megan up, and they went into the kitchen for cocoa. “Let’s take a break from the game for a bit.”

“Sure, I didn’t think you could take all twenty questions.”

“Megs, I can take it.”

Megan smiled, and looked for the mugs.

An hour later, Brice showed Megan into the bedroom. There was a king size bed, a dresser, and a small bathroom with a shower off the bedroom to the right. “Here you are, one bedroom.” Brice placed her suitcase on the bed, and went to head out the door.

“Where are you sleeping?” Megan asked. They hadn’t talked about sleeping arrangements, but Megan assumed they’d have to share a cot, or floor space. She had no idea that the small cabin he was talking about earlier would have been so nice.

“On the couch in the living room.”

“You can sleep in here with me, Brice.”

Brice looked into Megan’s eyes and swallowed. “Megs…”

“Just sleep. Besides, I’ve never been here before, and…”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Still.”

Brice sighed, and nodded. “I’ll go get my bag.”

“Okay,” Megan whispered, before gathering her night clothes and slipping into the bathroom.

Brice could hear the shower going in the next room when he came back with his suitcase. He had pictured this weekend a million times in his head over the last few days. He had wanted to sleep with her, wanted to feel her body beneath his, but knew that this woman was different. Megan was different. She wouldn’t do what Jenna did to him. She wouldn’t just break things off, and not let him see her kid anymore. Hell, it had already been a week, and it felt like the start of a lifetime with her and Jacob.

Brice sat down on the bed, and took off his shoes and socks. He looked into his suitcase for a pair of pajama pants, knowing that she would be too embarrassed, and too close, for him to sleep naked.  When she came out of the bathroom, her usually coiffed blonde hair was wet and brushed, hanging sleekly down her shoulders. She was wearing a pair of shorts with a Cleveland Brown’s sweatshirt on.

Brice grinned. “I should have known when you were talking about Cedar Point earlier that you were a Brown’s Fan.”

Megan shrugged her shoulders. “I’m from Ohio, what can I say?”

“There is so much that we don’t know about each other, Megs.”

“Yeah,” Megan nodded. She bit her bottom lip in that sexy way that she had been doing since she met him. He wanted to put his mouth right where her teeth were. He wanted…

“I’ll be right back,” Brice said, stepping past her with his clothes, and into the bathroom.

Megan pulled back the covers and sat up in the bed. She looked around the room to see if there were any telling signs that he had brought a woman there before. Of course he did. This was a cabin in the woods, a romantic place to bring a significant other. A significant other? What was she doing? She had been with one other man, and that was Jason. She had only slept in his bed twice. He was always either on leave, or always out visiting friends. When she got pregnant with Jacob it was a big mistake. She never wanted to admit it, but it was. She loved Jacob with all her heart, but her being with his father was never right. He was always gone, and even when he was back from being on leave, he was never really there. He’d hang out with his friends at all hours, then come back to her and his baby. He’d always come back, but he wouldn’t do so until she was already in bed. She tried to tell herself that it would be different when he would get out of the military, she tried to tell herself that she was in love with him.

Just then, Brice walked out. His body was gorgeous. He didn’t have a shirt on, but he wore a pair of blue and white plaid pajama pants. His feet were bare, too. His chest was muscular, and it was hairy. Megan swallowed. Brice caught her stare.

“Is this okay, should I put my shirt on?”

“N...no,” Megan stammered. “It’s fine. You…you should be comfortable.”

Brice smiled nervously. His jaw was tight. He climbed into bed, and lay down. “Goodnight, Megs,” he said softly.

Megan sighed, and leaned down to give him a kiss. “Goodnight, Brice.”