The Christmas Baby (14 page)

B
RIAN HAD NEVER BEEN
nervous walking into a jewelry store before. He didn’t care for the feeling. He’d come in to buy Faith a Christmas present. Why should that make him nervous? He’d bought other women Christmas presents before, hadn’t he? Sure he had.

Except Faith wasn’t his lover and he was almost certain she never would be. But she was important to him—in a way no other woman ever had been. Maybe that’s what was making him nervous.

“May I help you, sir?” asked a fair woman in her midfifties.

She’d waited on him when he’d come in to buy Faith her birthday present. “I hope so. I need a Christmas present for…someone.”

“Weren’t you in a few weeks ago? You bought the blue topaz bracelet, didn’t you?”

“You have a good memory.”

“Goes with the job,” she said and laughed. “It was a beautiful piece and I remember you said it was a birthday present. Did your lady like it?”

His lady. Faith wasn’t his lady, either. But she sure as hell wasn’t simply his employee. She wasn’t his lady, or his lover, or his wife—
Oh, shit
, he thought.
I’m so not going there.

Focus, Brian.
“Yeah, she liked it a lot.” He smiled, remembering how her eyes had lit up when she saw the bracelet, even as she refused it. He was relieved that he’d talked her into keeping it. He’d been half convinced she wouldn’t.

“Did you want something to go with the bracelet? A necklace or earrings? Or perhaps something different?” The woman gestured to the case he stood in front of.

He looked down and saw engagement rings. Wedding sets.

Diamonds everywhere. Sparkling, brilliant diamonds of every cut and size imaginable.
Diamonds are forever,
the words played in his head. He felt slightly ill.

He moved away quickly, before he completely freaked out. “Actually, I had something specific in mind, but I’m not sure you’ll have it.”

The clerk waited patiently but he thought he saw her hide a smile. She probably had a lot of male customers who were a little freaked over diamonds. What fun-loving bachelor wouldn’t be? And Brian was definitely happy to be a bachelor. Just because he had a son didn’t mean he had to go and get married. Not him. No way.

The clerk broke into his thoughts. “Tell me what you’re looking for and I’ll see if we can find it.”

“I want a lily. On a necklace. To go with the bracelet.”

“A lily pendant?”

How the hell did he know? “I guess. It’s a little doodad that hangs off a necklace. Like that,” he said, pointing to a large silver coin on a chain.

“That would be a pendant, all right.” She tapped her lips. “Hmm. I know we have a daisy but I’m not sure about a lily. Let me check. I’ll look in the back, as well, in case anything new has come in that hasn’t made it out here yet. We had a delivery earlier this morning.”

“It has to be a lily. Her daughter’s name is Lily.”

“What a lovely thought. I won’t be long.”

She went off and Brian stuffed his hands in his pockets and started looking in the display cases. His gaze kept returning to the engagement rings. Drawn like some kind of damn homing pigeon.

To prove to himself that diamonds didn’t bother him, he walked back over to the case and stood looking down at the rings. They were pretty, he admitted. But pretty wasn’t enough. A ring like that, an engagement ring, should be special, not simply pretty. Dazzling, maybe. Yeah, dazzling would be good. If he were to give a woman an engagement ring…which he didn’t plan on ever doing so why the hell was he looking at the damn things?

He turned away in relief as the clerk came hurrying back. “I think we have just the perfect thing.” She put a deep blue velvet tray on the counter. “I found this pendant. Someone had ordered it, then changed their mind. We hadn’t put it back out yet. Which is probably a good thing or someone would have bought it, I’m sure.” She placed a small piece of jewelry in the center of the tray and pushed it toward him.

“It’s her,” Brian said. He picked it up to look at it more closely. The charm was made of sparkling stones and shaped like a lily. It was small, dainty and beautiful. He assumed the blue gemstone was topaz, like the bracelet. The other stones were obviously diamonds.

“Exquisite, isn’t it? And it’s very similar to the bracelet you bought. As if it were made to go with it. Shall I bring a chain or does she have one already that you think would work with it?”

He had no idea. “Better give me a chain, too.”

“I have one right here.” She reached into a case behind her and pulled out a delicate silvery chain and threaded the charm through it, then dangled it in front of him.

“White gold,” she said. “To match the bracelet.” She laid it out on the fabric and smiled at Brian. “If she liked the bracelet, I’m sure she’ll love this. Any woman would.”

“How much is it? The chain and the pendant?”

“You’re in luck today. We’re having a pre-Christmas sale,” she said and named a price that wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d imagined it would be.

“Sounds good. Can you gift wrap it?”

“Of course. I’d be happy to. I’ll be right back.”

She went off with the jewelry and his credit card and Brian resigned himself to waiting. In his experience,
right back
to a woman generally meant anything but. This time, though, he carefully avoided the display case with the engagement rings.

What would Faith think of the necklace? He suspected she’d love it. But also that she would give him as hard a time about keeping it as she had with the bracelet…if he knew Faith. And he was beginning to think he did.

W
HY HAD SHE WAITED
until the last minute to shop for Brian’s present? Faith asked herself for the tenth time since walking into the discount store in Port Aransas. Not only was the store a madhouse and a parking space within a mile impossible to find, but she’d had to bring both babies with her since the Mothers’ Day Out program didn’t meet over the holidays. Pushing a double stroller through a discount store with two overstimulated babies two days before Christmas ranked very high on her list of stupid things to do.

“They’re all ugly,” she told the babies, who, mercifully, had stopped shrieking. For the moment at least. “Ugly and tacky. I’m not using one of these frames. You’d think they’d have at least one decent-looking one.”

“Bah,” said Will.

Lily followed suit and soon they were both yelling “bah” at the top of their lungs, playing off each other as they loved to do. You wouldn’t think two small children could possibly make such a racket.

“Faith, hi. Can you believe this zoo?”

She turned around to see Gail with a cart full of stuff. “Hi! It’s awful, isn’t it? I guess that’s what we get for shopping two days before Christmas.”

“Amen, sister.” She squatted down in front of the kids, who had lost interest in yelling and were now trying to kick each other. “They are so cute.”

“Yes, they are,” Faith agreed.

She rose and asked, “Are you looking at these frames?”

“Yes. It’s for Brian. And I’d really prefer one that’s not hideous but apparently that’s not possible to find in this place.”

Gail picked up one covered in orange, black and gold plastic bees and looked at it with an expression of revulsion.

Killer bees, Faith thought. Demented killer bees. From another dimension.

“Why would anyone buy this?” Gail asked, waving it at Faith.

“They wouldn’t. That’s why it’s been marked down to next to nothing.”

“Not nearly close enough.” Gail put it back and said, “Do you know Peggy’s Treasures in Port Aransas? She carries picture frames. Really pretty carved wooden frames, but not so overpriced you can’t afford them. I got one there for my mother’s birthday.”

“That sounds perfect. And best of all, I can get out of here. Thanks. I’ve racked my brain trying to think of something else to give him but what do you buy for a man who walks into a store, in Italy, no less, and buys himself a leather jacket and whatever else he feels like without batting an eyelash?”

“That would make it tough,” Gail agreed. “So what are you giving him?”

“A picture of Will and him. He doesn’t have any and this one I took of the two of them is so precious.” She looked at her friend anxiously. “Do you think that’s lame?”

“No, of course not. I think it’s sweet. I bet he’ll really like it.”

“I don’t know.” Faith worried her lip. She’d wanted to give him something special. Something he could keep. Something personal. “I wish I could come up with an idea for another gift in addition to the picture.”

Gail gave her a knowing smile. “There’s always lingerie.”

“Lingerie? For Brian?” Faith stared at her, wondering if she’d heard her right.

Gail gave a peal of laughter. “Not for him to wear, you goof. For you.”

“Oh. Duh.” Faith felt her cheeks heat. “You think I should…” Her voice trailed off.

“Seduce him,” Gail supplied. “Well, why not? Since he’s apparently being too stubborn to admit how he feels about you, why shouldn’t you try to coax it out of him?”

Faith had a sudden vision of the two of them in the kitchen after his date. It probably wouldn’t take a lot to seduce him. That night she’d still believed that making love with him would be a mistake. But now, after reliving those feelings and seeing that scene in her mind almost hourly, she wasn’t so sure. “I don’t know,” she said slowly. “But it’s a tempting idea.”

Gail smiled but didn’t say anything else about it. They chatted a few more minutes then said their goodbyes.

As Faith put the babies in their car seats, she thought over the conversation. Should she seduce him? And if she did, then what? She knew what was holding her back. She was afraid to risk making love with Brian because she believed he’d lose interest in her the minute she did.

Lingerie. Sexy, gorgeous lingerie that made her feel beautiful. As beautiful as she’d felt dancing in Brian’s arms the night of the cruise.

What if he didn’t lose interest? What if he didn’t leave her? What if they made love and he realized his feelings were stronger than he’d known?

What if he actually fell in love with her?

It could happen.

Who are you kidding?
she asked herself.
Brian is the ultimate commitment-phobic bachelor.
Having a son hadn’t changed that. Nothing she did was likely to change it, either. The sane side of her mind knew it. Even the starry-eyed idealist knew it.

O
N
C
HRISTMAS
E
VE
, Faith read
The Polar Express
to the babies. Will sat in Brian’s lap and Lily in her mother’s. Faith had a very soothing voice, Brian thought. Melodic. Both babies were nodding off and he didn’t think it would take more than a few more minutes before they could put them to bed. He could fall asleep himself if he didn’t know they had to put out the gifts for Christmas morning.

He had decided to give Faith her present tonight, after the babies were asleep. Christmas morning would be all about the kids, but tonight was for him and Faith.

Which made it sound like he had romance on his mind. But he didn’t. Faith and he both knew that making their relationship physical would be a mistake, and he’d decided he wasn’t going to tempt fate again.

But God, he wanted to.

“Lily’s out like a light,” Faith said softly. “It looks like Will is, too. Why don’t we meet back here after we put them down?”

“All right.”

A little while later he came back to find Faith setting out some of the toys they’d bought.

“This bear is kinda ugly,” he said, bending down to pick up an overstuffed brown fuzzy bear. “Tell me again why we bought it.”

Faith frowned. “I think he’s cute. It’s called a teach me bear.” She came over and touched the buckle. “To teach Will to buckle, tie and Velcro.”

“Oh, yeah. Now I remember. I guess Lily’s too young for that yet.”

“At their ages four months makes a huge difference.”

“Lily’s advanced for her age, though. You can’t tell when she’ll be ready for the next big thing.” Faith’s lip quivered with suppressed laughter, but she turned away without speaking. “What? Don’t you think Lily’s ahead of the curve?”

Faith laughed. “Yes, but I’m prejudiced.”

So was he, Brian admitted. They finished setting out the toys and Brian said, “You’re not going to sleep yet, are you? Why don’t we have a glass of wine?”

“That sounds good.”

When he came back carrying two wineglasses and a bottle of red wine he saw that Faith had set a gaily wrapped package out on the coffee table and was sitting on the couch waiting for him. Christmas music still played softly in the background and the lights from the tree twinkled.

He set the glasses on the table and poured some wine into each one.

“Is that for me?” he asked, pointing to the package. He felt a bit like a kid on Christmas morning, wondering what she had bought him.

“Yes. I hope you like it. It’s nothing much, but…Anyway, you’ll see.” She took a sip of her wine.

“It’s pretty. Did you wrap it yourself?”

“Of course.” Her cheeks dimpled. “You know I’m way too cheap to pay anyone to gift wrap my packages.”

He grinned. “Just checking.” He shook it. “No rattles.” But something slid around in there. He pulled off the ribbon, then ripped off the paper and opened the cardboard box. Nestled in some tissue paper was a framed photograph of Will and him putting up the Christmas tree. He took it out and held it, studying it. He remembered when Faith had snapped it, at the moment Will had reached out to pat Brian’s cheek. They were both laughing. He looked as happy as his son, he realized. Brian cleared his throat but he couldn’t get a word out. Not without embarrassing himself.

“I know it’s not much but…You don’t have a picture of you with Will. I thought you might like one.”

“It’s incredible,” he finally managed to say. “It’s a great picture, Faith.” He looked at her and smiled. “I’ll put it on my dresser so I can remember my first Christmas with Will every time I see it.”

He picked up his glass. “Let’s have a toast. To our first Christmas with Will and Lily.” He clinked his glass against hers, then took a sip.

Faith drank some of hers and set it down. “I should be getting to bed soon.”

“Not yet. You haven’t opened your present.” He left the room and returned a moment later with the box from the jewelry store. He handed it to her and said, “Don’t argue about it, okay? Just open it.”

She stared at the gift in her hand with dismay. “I gave you a framed photograph and you gave me jewelry again, didn’t you? You know you shouldn’t have.”

“Didn’t I say don’t argue?”

She looked at him and shook her head. “All right. You’ll win even if I do.”

Slowly, she unwrapped it and opened the red velvet lined box. She didn’t touch it, just gazed at the necklace without speaking. Her head was bent and he couldn’t see her expression, but her utter stillness worried him.

“It’s a lily,” he said, wondering if she’d recognized it. Surely she had. “Because of Lily, you know.”

“I know.” Her voice was low and sounded funny.

“Don’t you want to try it on?” Oh, no. Did she hate it?

She finally looked at him and her eyes brimmed with tears. “Oh, Brian. It’s beautiful. And so…thoughtful.” Her voice was all choked up when she added, “And all I gave you was a picture.”

Relieved, he realized she was crying because she was touched. She didn’t hate it. “You gave me a picture of my son’s and my first Christmas together. Faith, it’s a present I will always treasure.”

She sniffled, then got up to go to the mirror in the front hall. Brian followed her and took the necklace from her. “Here, let me do it.” He stood behind her and fastened the catch, then looked at it in the mirror. It lay against her skin and sparkled, brilliant beautiful blue. “It goes with the bracelet. Those stones are blue topaz.” Unable to resist, he put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently. “Merry Christmas, Faith.”

In the mirror, their eyes met. Hers were dark brown, full of emotion. She was looking at him as if…as if he’d hung the moon. He remembered Mark’s question, the night of Will’s birthday asking Brian if he would be able to keep his hands to himself the next time she looked at him that way.

He knew the answer now. If he were honest with himself, he’d admit he’d known it then, too.

She turned and put her arms around his neck. “Thank you,” she whispered. She rose and touched her lips to his, then slipped her tongue inside his mouth and deepened the kiss. Slow, sweet, taunting touches of her tongue against his.

Her scent surrounded him, going to his head like a straight shot of whiskey. She felt so good in his arms. Soft, alluring, and he wanted her so damn much he hurt with it. He wanted to make love to her, to see her naked in his bed, wearing nothing but the necklace he’d just given her.

He broke the kiss and looked at her. Her eyes were dark, sensual. Her lips curved upward in a sexy promise.

“What are you doing to me?” He knew his voice was rough. He was lucky he could speak at all.

She kissed him again, small, teasing tastes, and murmured against his lips, “Driving you crazy, I hope.”

“Faith, look at me.” She drew back, though she kept her arms around his neck. “Are you sure this is what you want?” He searched her face for any sign of uncertainty but he saw none.

“Kiss me, Brian,” she said. “And don’t stop.”

He took her face in his hands and obeyed, then slowly ran his fingers down her length, finally wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly against him as he took the kiss deeper. He didn’t think of mistakes or the future or even the next few moments. Only of right now, right this instant with Faith in his arms and going up in flames.

As he’d done once before, he cupped Faith’s bottom and lifted her against him. She wrapped her legs around him and, as if remembering how this had ended the last time, whispered, “Yes.” He walked toward his bedroom. Her arms around him, she kissed his neck as he carried her, every now and then taking a teasing little nip of his skin in her teeth. It turned him on so much he wasn’t sure they’d make it to the bed.

In his bedroom, he swung her around, pressed her back against the closed door, his sex against hers. His hands roamed beneath her sweater until they cupped her sweet breasts, then returned to pull her top off and toss it aside.

He pulled back a little to see her breasts, smooth and creamy, rising out of a sexy, low-cut, black demibra. An every-man’s-fantasy bra that offered those amazing breasts to him, to do everything he’d ever imagined doing to them. “Wow.” He managed to breathe, but he was afraid his eyes were going to roll back in his head.

“Just so you know,” she said, giving a sexy little wiggle that had her breasts threatening to spill over the small cups of the bra, “I have another present for you.”

Fascinated, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. “What?” he asked hoarsely.

She drew her finger across the black satin. “This. And the matching panties.”

“Do I get to take this—” He pulled down the straps and lifted her breasts out. Her breasts were full, plump; her nipples tight and rosy points of bliss. “Sorry. Forgot what I was saying. A little distracted by perfection.”

She laughed, a sexy gurgle.

“Do I get to take this present off of you?”

“What do you think?” she arched a brow.

In a couple of strides, he reached the bed and set her down in the center of it. He pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor. Faith put her hands behind her back to unfasten the bra. The action thrust her breasts forward in mouthwatering appeal.

Unable to resist any longer, he put a knee on the bed and bent his head to capture one of her nipples. Kissed it, licked it, suckled it until it tightened into a hard point. He subjected the other one to the same treatment while Faith speared her hands through his hair and held his head against her breast.

He wanted to go slow, to make this special for both of them, to savor it, but he didn’t think he had the patience. Not now, not after waiting so long to have her. He unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, pulled them down her legs and threw them aside revealing the promised panties. Brief, lacy strips of black that highlighted her creamy skin. He shoved his jeans down his legs along with his boxers and stepped out of them. Her eyes widened when she saw him. She looked…enthralled. Stretching a hand out, she lightly stroked the length of him. He was hard as granite and so hot for her he hoped he lasted long enough to give her the pleasure she deserved.

“I’m not using any birth control right now.” She continued to fondle him. “I sure hope you have something.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” He pulled some condoms out of the drawer of the bedside table and tossed them on its top. She came into his arms willingly when he reached for her. He held her, kissed her, then slipped her panties down her shapely legs. He cupped her at the juncture of her thighs, slipped a finger, then two, inside her warm, moist body.

Then he laid her on her back and kissed and stroked, teased and aroused every inch of her, just as he’d been dreaming about doing night after night for months. And reality was so damn much better than imagining had ever been.

Her sexy little sounds had him going wild. “Faith, open your eyes.” He wanted to see her eyes when he made love to her, watch them soften with her orgasm. Keeping his gaze on hers, he began to enter her and though she was hot and slick, he had to go slowly because she was so tight. Finally, he sheathed himself fully inside her with a heartfelt groan.

“Brian.” She said his name on a long moan, lifted her hips to accept him, draw him even deeper inside her. He pushed in, pulled out as slowly as he could manage. Did it again and again. Her arms and legs wrapped around him. Increasing his rhythm, he felt her pulsate around him, heard her call his name as he said hers and then exploded, spending himself deeply in the lush welcome of her body.

A long time later, when he could move again, he raised his head and kissed her. He started to shift himself off her, but she held on. “Don’t go.”

“I’m squashing you.” He rolled on his back and settled her on top of him. “Better?”

She smiled and touched her lips to his. “I don’t think anything could be better than what just happened.”

He gave her a cocky grin. “Give me a few minutes and we’ll see about that.”

She laughed and snuggled into him. He put up a hand to toy with her hair. It was soft, fine and incredibly silky. “Faith?”

“Hmm.”

He didn’t usually want to talk after sex. Sometimes he didn’t even want to stick around. But with Faith, everything was different. If he hadn’t felt so damn good, he might be worried about that. “Why did you change your mind about us making love?”

She didn’t answer but he felt her tense. Or maybe it was his imagination, since she relaxed against him almost immediately.

“Isn’t it enough that I did change my mind? Does it really matter why?”

He had a feeling it did. But then she kissed his jaw, strung tempting little bites along it. Covered his mouth with hers and moved that lithe, naked body against his. And suddenly, he didn’t give a damn why she’d changed her mind. He only knew that she was here, after he’d wanted her for so damn long, in his arms and in his bed and he intended to make love to her as many times as he could manage.

“A
RE THE BABIES
all right?” Brian asked from the bed late in the night.

“I didn’t think you were awake.” Faith slipped back into his bed, wearing Brian’s T-shirt. “They’re fine. Since I was awake I decided to check on them.” She laughed a little. “Sometimes I go in just to listen to them breathe and watch them sleep. They’re so sweet.”