Gift Wrapped (10 page)

“Sounds delicious. I’m in.” He retrieved his keys, using the opportunity to bury Brinn’s cell phone deeper in his coat pocket. He’d secretly transfer it to her bag as soon as a chance presented itself. No point in telling her that was the real reason he’d come back—because her cell had shuffled across the floor of his car when he took the first corner. That information would only embarrass her. Hurt her feelings. He didn’t care to do either of those things.

She mimicked his hands-in-pockets stance, using her elbow to motion toward the couple staring this way from the lobby chairs. “Guess you might as well meet my parents now. They’re pretty laidback. A little goofy, but good-natured.”

“So they’re like you.”

Her naked lips curved into a smile. “I hope I’m like them, at least in the important ways.”

A sentiment Davis had never shared about his parents. Ever. Even as a kid. If they’d invited him for Christmas, he’d have cut them off hard with a “Hell no” followed by a sarcastic laugh.

Today would be like spending time in an alternate reality. An interesting few hours, if nothing else.

“Anything I should know upfront? Topics to avoid, etcetera?” he asked as they walked.

“Nope. They’re not like that. Talk about anything you want.” A hint of a grimace twisted her lips. “Because they will. Sorry in advance for that.”

“Don’t be. I can handle anything they throw at me.” Growing up in a family of ultra-competitive lawyers had taught him that ability at an early age. Attending law school had perfected it.

“You might not be saying that when they’re innocently grilling you about everything you’ve ever done in your life.” Brinn spoke with a warmth and fondness that contradicted the warning she’d issued.

They stopped in front of her seated parents. Brinn swept one arm toward them, and the other toward him. “Davis Rourke, the friend who gave me a ride…Joe and Gwyneth McIntyre, the people who created me.”

More dread vanished from Davis’s gut. Hard to be stressed after that casual intro. He extended a hand toward her mother first, then shook hands with her father. “Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. McIntyre. Brinn speaks very highly of you both.”

Dad stood while pumping Davis’s hand. “No formalities in this family. Call us Gwyneth and Joe. And I’m sure we’ll be saying the same about you soon enough. Anybody who’d give up their own Christmas Day plans to help a friend in need must be a stand-up guy.”

“Happy to be of service to your lovely daughter, sir. Any day of the year.” A quick look to his left revealed a blushing Brinn.

Knowing her dirty mind, she’d obviously read into the word “service.” As she should have. He’d thoroughly enjoyed
servicing
her last night.

“You’ll be joining us at the house after all, Davis?” Gwyneth McIntyre looked a lot like her daughter. Same thick, wavy hair and big, blue eyes. Same engaging smile.

“Only if I won’t be intruding.”

“Of course not.” She squeezed his forearm. Even through his coat, the gesture delivered maternal warmth. “We’re glad to have you along.”

“Great, thank you.”

“There’s Zack.” Brinn pointed out the windows at a sleek, silver sedan. She waited for her parents to get a few feet ahead, then looked up at Davis. “You should consider this your last chance to bail. Once you’re in their house, there’s no escaping.”

He stepped closer. “Are you going to take me to your old bedroom and tie me to the bedframe so I don’t get away?”

A deeper pink tinted in her cheeks. She slipped her hands inside his open coat and planted them on his chest. “I’ve never kept a man as a sex slave before, but there’s a first time for everything.”

Yes, there certainly was. If anybody had told him—even ten minutes ago—that he’d
want
to spend Christmas Day doing family-type things, he would’ve laughed his ass off. Yet here he was, willingly doing just that.

“Your brother’s flagging you.” He nodded toward the exit, and the car beyond. “Better go tell him you’re riding with me.”

“Right. And let him know he doesn’t have to kick your ass.”

The choked laughter he coughed out had nothing to do with Brinn’s light pat on his chest before she turned away. He’d bite his tongue and not insult her brother, but there was no way that guy could kick his ass. Bigger, angrier men had tried. To date, none had succeeded.

Outside, Brinn spoke briefly with her brother. She poked her head into his backseat to say something to her parents, then waved as the three drove away.

“I’m parked in the garage,” Davis said, watching her shiver. “Want to wait here while I grab the car?”

“It’ll be faster and warmer if I go with you.” She hugged herself against the cool breeze that met them head-on as they walked. “Thank you for waiting around for me. If my dad’s situation had turned out to be bad news, it would’ve been nice to have your strong shoulder to cry on.”

“I’m glad it didn’t come to that, and your dad’s going to be okay.” Shit. He needed to get her phone back into her bag, immediately. Before it started chirping and gave him away. If she realized he’d hung around to return her dropped cell, he’d go from hero to zero instantly. Not a status he cared to attain. Especially where Brinn was concerned.

Without warning, she broke into a jog. “Gotta go, I’m freezing,” she called over her shoulder.

Longer legs enabled him to catch up within seconds. He scooped her hand into his. Together they zigged and zagged through the parking garage, the gift bag he’d given her bumping back and forth between them as they ran.

She reached out and touched his car as it came within reach. “I win.”

He sandwiched her between the passenger door and his body. “So do I. And to the victor go the spoils.” He snuck one hand under the edge of her jacket and the top beneath. Silky softness welcomed his palm, which he slid upward, to cup her breast inside her bra.

“God, your hand is so cold.”

“Deal with it,” he said, brushing a kiss against her soft lips.

The tiny taste was all he got. Muffled chirping rose from the depths of his pocket. Just fucking great. Might as well get this over with. See where things stood once she put two plus two together.

He stuffed his hand into his coat, gripping the offender in a tight fist. “Your phone is—”

“A major cock blocker today, I know. I’ll mute it, so you can grope me without interruption.”

He cringed as she reached into her jacket pocket. He held his breath, waiting for the inevitable confusion to sink in when she failed to locate the source of the damned chirping.

Out came her hand—and her cell.

What the hell? He opened his fist, letting the phone that was clearly
not
Brinn’s sink to the bottom of his pocket. Fuck, whose was it, and how long had it been under the passenger seat? He had a few guesses, none of which painted him in the most complimentary way. And another question—why had he thought the stray phone was Brinn’s? Her cell wasn’t even the same make as the one in his pocket.

Maybe on some level, he’d known it wasn’t her phone. His subconscious at work, giving him an excuse to hang around.

She looked at her screen while flicking a small switch on the side. Instead of tucking the phone away so they could get back to heating up the parking garage, her eyes bugged wide and her bottom lip dropped. “Oh my god, he has
got
to be kidding…” A couple of stabby taps later, she stuffed the device back where it had come from.

“Everything okay?”

“Fine. Just…” She pinched her eyes closed and shook her head. “Ugh, men.” Her eyes popped open at his amused grunt. “Stupid jerk-type men. Not you.”

“Of course.” Good thing he hadn’t pulled the mystery phone from his pocket and confessed, or he’d be right alongside the sender of that text. “Want to talk about it, or should we go collect your brother and the two of us will go kick some stupid-jerk ass?”

Some of the clouds cleared from her expressive eyes. “The ass-kicking offer is appealing, I admit, but I can handle Liam. Let’s just get going, okay?”

Liam. The ex-boyfriend who’d cheated on her. Whatever the idiot’s message said, it had soured her mood instantly. Unacceptable. Especially on Christmas, a day that was important to Brinn.

Davis unlocked and opened the passenger door. He waited for her to get in, gently closed the door, then moved around to the driver’s side. Instead of starting the car immediately, he turned to face her. “I don’t like seeing you upset.”

“I’m not upset. He just got under my skin for a couple minutes. I’m over it.” She leaned in, sliding her hand up his thigh, to his cock. Her lips and tongue coasted along the ridge of his jawline, up to his ear. “See? Totally over it.”

The soft voice and warm breath against his skin tempted him. But he couldn’t let go of his irritation. “What did Liam want?” Just saying the guy’s name raised the hairs on the back of Davis’s neck. He shouldn’t feel possessive or protective of a woman he’d known less than twenty-four hours. Shouldn’t, yet did.

She sighed and flopped back against her seat. “He said he has a gift for me. And he wants to get back together. Says he made a horrible mistake cheating on me and it’ll never happen again.”

Davis turned the keys in the ignition while issuing her the side eye. “You know that’s bullshit, right? People don’t change.”

“I hope you’re wrong about people lacking the ability to change their ways.”

“Because you love him and want to take him back?”

Apparently, they’d driven into a black hole, because the car’s interior was devoid of sound. He exited the garage and looked over—into the eyes of his thoroughly unimpressed passenger.

“I just had my hand on your crotch, Davis. By choice.
After
reading Liam’s text. Not exactly the move I’d make if I wanted to jump at his request to get back together.”

Shit.

“Unless you think I’m a slut? Which you might, I suppose, after last night.”

And shit again. “I don’t think that,” he said, pulling onto the street to get out of the way of the car behind them.

Beside him, she folded her arms over her chest. “I’m not sure I believe you.”

“You should. I don’t lie.” Not directly, anyway.

She turned on her seat, leaning into the space between their seats as he drove. “I don’t lie either, so here’s some truth for you. I rarely have casual sex, but choosing to do so with you doesn’t reduce my value as a woman. It doesn’t make me less worthy when I’m in a relationship. I don’t want Liam back. I wouldn’t take him back if he begged me. He broke my trust, and I deserve better. But I made mistakes in that relationship too.
That’s
why I hope people can change—because
I
want to change. I’m going to fall in love again. Hopefully next time it’ll be more positive and fulfilling, because I learned and grew from my experiences.”

He brought the car to a stop curbside and met her in the middle. Face-to-face, practically nose-to-nose. “Hell of a speech.”

“I have strong feelings. About pretty much everything.” A brief laugh passed over her glistening deep-pink lips.

“I hope that’s not one of the things you want to change.”

“No.”

“Glad to hear it.” He slid his hand around her waist and tugged her closer. Brushed a kiss against her irresistible mouth. “Having passion is good.”

“It really is,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her breasts against his chest.

The action brought his cock to attention. It also brought the gift bag that’d been looped over her arm into view. If he kissed her again, the windows were guaranteed to get foggy, and they’d be significantly late getting to her parents’ house. Better to focus on the unopened present.

“You didn’t open it,” he said, nodding toward the red bag.

Her gaze followed the direction of his gesture. “I haven’t had an opportunity. Should I open it now, or wait?”

“Up to you. Open it in front of your parents if you want. I’m sure they’ve seen fuzzy handcuffs and nipple clamps before.”

“Oh god. If they have, I do
not
want to know about it.” She freed the bag from her arm, then removed the gold-wrapped gift from inside. “Um, there are
two
presents in here.”

“I know. The handcuffs and nipple clamps were sold separately.”

Giggling, she tore the paper from the first box. Then made the sweetest feminine gasp. “Oh my god, Davis. You went to the superstore on your way home last night and got the perfume I mentioned?”

“Yeah.” He smiled and motioned at the bag. “Open the other one.”

“I can’t believe you did this.” She shook her head, ripping the red wrapping paper from the second box. “The white chocolates too, my favorite kind.” Her seat belt clicked and she dove at him, covering him with a full-contact hug and a kiss from her warm, delicious lips. “Thank you, and I love the presents, obviously, but…why?”

“To make sure you got what you wanted, Brinn.”

“But you didn’t even know me when you bought them.”

“I disagree. You made time to help a stranger when few people would have. You had a sense of humor and quick wit. You were pretty and sexy and had a great smile. I knew plenty about you. Maybe it was cocky, but I decided to be the guy who’d make your Christmas wish come true.”

“Wow, that
was
cocky. Also very sweet.” She placed a soft kiss on his lips, then drew back, giving him one of the smiles that’d hooked him last night in her store. “Just so you know…no gift was required. You already made my Christmas wish come true.”

Chapter Seven

The drive from the hospital to her parents’ house took ten minutes. Brinn spent most of the time pretending to take in the familiar surroundings of her hometown, but it was just an excuse to repeatedly look at the driver. His handsome profile with its clean-shaven, strong jaw. The way his wide shoulders filled out his dark coat. His relaxed, confident demeanor as he drove with one hand on top of the steering wheel, the other resting on his thigh. Casual as anything.

Meanwhile, her stomach was a mess of intricate knots. First of all—the perfume and chocolates. For a guy who claimed he wasn’t a prince, he certainly was charming. How was she supposed to avoid falling for him when he kept doing sweet things? That would require emotional walls she didn’t have. A one-night stand with no feelings involved…easier said than done with Davis. He’d already gotten to her.