Texas Tycoon's Christmas Fiancée

by Sara Orwig

  Grace gave her aunt another hug and watched her hurry to her car. She turned away, thinking about what to give the Rafford men—impossible task.

  That night and the days and nights to follow, Grace was busy catering Christmas parties until Christmas Eve arrived. The booked parties were over until the day after Christmas when they started up again.

  It took the afternoon to get ready to go to Eli Rafford’s for the night. As she packed, the butterflies in her stomach grew worse. She dreaded dealing with Michael’s grandfather while excitement mounted over being with Nick again.

  She picked up Michael, smoothing his thick black hair. He was dressed in a navy jumper and a white sweater. She kissed his cheek. “You look adorable,” she told him, smiling at him as he cooed and babbled. “Now please don’t spit up on my sweater,” she said to him, turning to look at both of them in an oval mirror. Her hair was clipped behind her head and she wore a red sweater and red wool skirt—maybe a poor choice with a baby. She glanced down at him. “Remember, no formula on this sweater, please. This is your first Christmas, sweetie.”

  She looked around her tiny living room, at the Christmas tree placed on a table to keep it away from Michael, who crawled well now. She had a few presents under the tree for him, but he was too little to open his gifts. She could imagine the toys that awaited him from his grandfather.

  The doorbell rang and she hurried to face Nick, whose intent gaze knotted her insides as always.

  “Merry Christmas,” he said, smiling at her while she motioned for him to come inside. He stepped in, filling the narrow hallway and moving into the living area. “Ah, you’re all ready for Christmas,” he said, walking to her tree. In a black topcoat over his suit, he dominated her small living room, which seemed to shrink in size when he entered.

  “Our tree isn’t fancy, but he’s too little to know what’s happening. He’s beginning to crawl, so I had to keep it out of his reach,” she said, while putting on Michael’s coat and then buckling him into his carrier.

  “Good idea. Dad had a child’s fence put around ours. We have a nanny for the evening to help you with Michael, so you can eat in peace and quiet. If it’s all right with you, we’ll let her give him a bottle if he wants one while we eat.”

  “Thank you. That’s fine,” she said. She would be present to make certain Michael was taken care of, yet it would give her a chance to enjoy eating without interruptions. If Michael was awake, she rarely got through a meal without being disturbed.

  “I didn’t think you’d object, since we’ll all be right there. She came with high recommendations,” he said, smiling. He turned to her and her heart missed a beat.

  “I’m sure she did,” she said. “It will be a nice change.”

  Nick walked up to place his hands on her shoulders. “I’ve missed seeing you.”

  “Nick, there’s not much point in us seeing each other.”

  “I don’t know about that. We have Michael between us. I have a feeling we’re in each other’s lives for a long time to come.” Her heart drummed as she looked into his warm dark eyes. “You look beautiful, Grace,” he said in a husky voice.

  “Thank you.” She gazed up at him, thinking he looked energetic, sexy, appealing.

  In turn, he looked amused as he studied her. “I’d rather stay right here with you,” Nick said in a deep voice. “My dad is waiting, though. He’s been counting the minutes until it was time to get you. Otherwise, we wouldn’t rush back.”

  “But since he is waiting, we should go. Besides, Michael will eventually stop sitting quietly and amusing himself in his carrier.”

  “Do you have an overnight bag packed?” Nick asked, picking up the carrier with Michael and glancing around.

  She slipped into her long black coat. “Yes, a bag for each of us and a small box of toys and things for Michael.”

  Nick took the bags from her hands, shouldered them, picked up Michael and opened the door. Carrying the box of toys, she turned off the lights, locked up and left with him.

  “Christmas Eve,” she said.

  “We’ll always remember spending it together,” Nick reminded her. “Have you been busy constantly?”

  “Yes. The past hour has been my quietest for the entire week.”

  “I can imagine. I could have rescued you from that, whisked you away until tonight. Next time, let me know.”

  “Thanks, but I had work to do. We’ve had parties booked day and night, so I couldn’t have escaped had I wanted to.”

  “Get ready for a party yourself. Small party, that is. Dad is as excited as a kid about tonight.”

  “It’s a grand holiday,” she said.

  “This is definitely the best part,” Nick said.

  She remained in the grip of excitement as they drove through the estate grounds once again. A cold front and a dense fog were settling in and it was cozy in Nick’s car. Michael cooed in the back as they wound up the driveway. The minute they stepped inside, she drew a deep breath, reminded again of the Raffords’ wealth and power.

  The mansion had been turned into a winter wonderland. Trees with myriad lights sparkled at spaced intervals along the great hallway.

  “Nick,” she said, halting to stare at the enormous tree standing between the two curving staircases. It had to be at least twenty feet tall and decorated with hundreds of twinkling ornaments. “This is fit for royalty.”

  “My father probably thinks he is royalty,” Nick remarked drily. “It’s just a big tree.”

  “Maybe to you, because you’ve grown up with trees like it. To me, it’s magical, amazing. How I wish Michael knew what he was seeing. It’s magnificent.”

  “That’s not the family tree. It’s in the great room and that’s where we’ll spend the evening.”

  Garlands of greenery and red ribbons draped the banisters of the winding staircases. “Michael, look,” she said to the baby in his carrier, “Isn’t it beautiful? Nick, this is enchanting. I’m sorry he’s too little to know what’s here.”

  “He will next year,” Nick said, and she gave him a startled glance. She hadn’t thought in the long term about Eli and Nick remaining in her life. The thought of them becoming permanent in her life had just become more real.

  “I brought presents in that bag you’re carrying,” she said.

  “You didn’t need to. Michael would have been enough of a gift.”

  She walked beside Nick, overwhelmed again by her surroundings, wondering why she had ever thought for a second that she wouldn’t be diminished, made to feel insignificant the minute she entered the mansion again.

  They passed through the wide double doors to the great room, where Nick told her most receptions and formal parties were held. Another huge tree, this one white, was festooned with ribbons and more sparkling ornaments and bows. She stopped in front of it in awe. “What fantastic Christmases you must have had,” she said, momentarily forgetting what he had told her about his childhood holidays.

  “Some years I wasn’t here,” he reminded her, and she turned to stare at him.

  “I’m sorry, Nick,” she said. “Now I think it was best that Bart didn’t marry Alicia, not that he ever had any intention of doing so. Michael would have grown up in the same manner.”

  “Good evening,” came a voice behind them and she turned to see Eli Rafford enter the room. He crossed over to shake her hand and then looked down at Michael as Nick removed the baby from his carrier.

  “Ah, he’s a fine-looking boy. Thank you so much for coming. I’ve looked forward to this since you accepted my invitation. I think he’s grown in the past few days.”

  She smiled as Nick took her coat to hand it to a staff member who had materialized quietly. Grace took Michael from Nick, watching while Nick put her presents around the foot of the huge tree along with a mound of gifts already under the tree. She looked at the luxurious Christmas trimmings and thought about her own meager decorations and single, small tree and wondered how Michael would feel about his two families
. She was certain the Raffords were in her and Michael’s life to stay. Unless Eli tried to get rid of her.

  She glanced up at Nick, who turned to look into her eyes with a questioning expression.

  “I’ll take Michael’s things to the nursery where Vanessa, the nanny, is,” Nick said, picking up a bag and leaving.

  “Oh, my word!” For the first time she noticed stockings hung on the mammoth fireplace, one for each of them, including one with her name and one with Michael’s.

  “We have stockings.”

  “Of course we do,” Eli said, chuckling. “It’s Christmas. They are hung for Santa. Now, let me hold my precious grandchild,” he added. “Come sit near us, Grace, and tell me more about Michael.”

  After placing Michael in Eli’s arms, she sat close in a wing chair. As frail as Eli appeared when he was standing, his arms looked strong and his hands large, and he seemed to have a firm grip on Michael, who was happily playing with a teething ring.

  Nick returned to sit near them, facing her. As she talked, she was aware of Nick listening, watching her with a faint smile on his face. Once she caught him studying her legs and when he glanced up and their eyes met, his were hot, filled with so much desire that her heart skipped.

  “The photographer should be here right away. Thank you for consenting to pictures.”

  “It’ll be great to have Christmas pictures of Michael,” she responded.

  It was only minutes later the photographer was announced and for the next hour, pictures were taken and then the photographer packed his equipment and was gone.

  “Michael is a happy baby,” Eli observed. “What a marvel he is. A special baby. Your sharing him with us this Christmas is the greatest possible Christmas gift.”

  “It’s good for the two of you to know each other,” she said. Under different circumstances, she would have been delighted to find the grandfather and uncle in Michael’s life. As it was, her fear of Eli had been pushed aside slightly for this evening.

  When Michael became wiggly, she spread a small blanket on the floor and put some of his toys on it, setting him down. He sat happily playing before beginning to crawl around. She scooped him up. “He’s getting around better every day. He likes to explore.”

  “Let’s go meet the nanny and I’ll show you Dad’s new nursery. Excuse us, Dad. We’ll be back shortly.”

  As they entered the hall, Nick reached out to take Michael from her. “I’ll carry him. You’ve probably carried him for hours.”

  “Actually, yes I have. I don’t mind yet because he’s not too heavy.”

  “Sometime I’ll give you the grand tour of this house.”

  She laughed. “I hope I don’t get lost tonight. And Michael will be staying in my room, right?”

  “Unless you want a different arrangement. If you don’t want him in the same room, he can stay in the nursery with Vanessa, because she’s staying the night.”

  “I’d rather have him with me when I go to bed. He sleeps through the night, but I wouldn’t want him to wake in a strange place with someone he barely knows.”

  “I figured that. Vanessa will put him to bed in the room where you’ll sleep and she’ll sit in there with him until you turn in. Then she’ll stay in her own room. We have a third floor filled with staff who live here. As you could see driving up, there’s as much room as a hotel.”

  “A very large hotel,” she said. “Michael may not be happy going home with me someday when he grows accustomed to what he has here.”

  Nick gave her an inscrutable look and she wondered what was on his mind. “Why the look?” she asked.

  “Just thinking about what you said. You’re his mother and you love him. He’ll always be happy going with you. Here we are,” Nick said, taking her arm while he carried Michael with his other arm. They entered a large, enchanting nursery that reminded her again of the Raffords’ wealth. The room held a double bed, a baby crib, dressers, tables, a rocking chair, two other chairs, and was decorated with nursery rhyme decor. A bin contained toys. A tall blond woman stood when they entered.

  “Grace, this is Vanessa Otis. Vanessa, meet Grace Wayland, and this is Michael.”

  “He’s adorable,” Vanessa said, taking the baby from Nick. “Hi, Michael,” she said to him before smiling at Grace. “When did he last eat?”

  “He’ll probably be hungry soon because it’s been long enough since the last bottle. I brought formula, bottles, baby food, and he takes some finger food. Everything is in his bag.”

  “I have Michael’s bag with his things and I can fix the bottles. I have six younger siblings, so I’m accustomed to babies,” she said, smiling at Grace, and Nick waited while Grace gave instructions about Michael’s bottle.

  When they left, Nick walked beside her. “Are you going to worry about him?”

  “No. Vanessa seemed competent, and I imagine she has plenty of credentials, in addition to her own siblings, and has been thoroughly checked out.”

  “You’re right. She has some great recommendations, but I wanted to be sure you were comfortable.”

  “Actually, I imagine I’ll enjoy dinner more. When I’m home, I never sit through a meal without interruptions.”

  He smiled. “Yet you love taking care of him.”

  “Of course. I love him. He’s precious and I can’t wait to get home to him every day. So what’s our schedule here, Nick? Are presents opened tonight or tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow morning. We’ll have the Christmas meal tonight and Dad will go to bed early. This has been great for him, Grace. He’s trying to make it nice for you because he appreciates having Michael more than you can guess.”

  “It’s easy to do this now while Michael is a baby,” she said, wondering what the future held. Her problems had diminished with Nick’s presence because she was so aware of him. He was close, tempting. She would be alone with him later and the prospect was exciting.

  When they joined Eli again, Megan was with him. Dinner was served in a large dining room that could have easily accommodated twenty at the table. It was a lavish spread and the food was delicious, but it was difficult to eat with Nick seated across from her, his smoldering dark eyes on her, holding promises of hot kisses later.

  After dinner, Vanessa brought Michael in his pajamas to play in the great room. At his bedtime, she scooped him up, promising to rock him to sleep, and Grace kissed him and let Vanessa carry him to bed. Half an hour later, Eli apologized, saying he had to turn in for the night. Megan held his arm as they left the room.

  Nick tossed another log on the fire, crossed the room to close the wide double doors and came back. “Let me show you something,” he said.

  She stood to go with him and they headed toward the doors he had just closed. He stopped in front of them, but didn’t reach to open them and she gave him a puzzled look.

  “You haven’t noticed,” he said, glancing up.

  She looked up to see the mistletoe tied with a bright red velvet bow hanging above her head.

  He shook his head. “I’ve been waiting since the last time we were together. We’re under the mistletoe.” His arm circled her waist and he leaned forward to kiss her, pulling her tightly into his embrace.

  “Since when do you need mistletoe?” she whispered, before their lips touched. She slipped her arms around him and stood on tiptoe while her heartbeat galloped.

  Pressing against his hard body, she felt his erection thrust against her. She ached for him, wanting him, knowing each time they were together she was becoming more involved with him. This holiday was going to bind her closer than ever. While he kissed her, nothing else really mattered. His kisses fanned desire to greater heights. She needed more, wanted his hands and his mouth on her. All evening the looks he had given her, the slight contacts had increased her longing until she felt she would burst.

  “Nick,” she whispered, and crushed her mouth to his for more kisses, moaning as her hips plunged against him. He held her tightly with one arm, his other hand trailing d
own her back languidly, a sensual caress. His hand slipped over her bottom, following her curves and then slid around her waist.

  Slipping beneath her red sweater, his large, warm hands pushed away wispy lace and cupped her breasts. She moaned with pleasure as her tongue thrust deeply over his.

  She heard his deep-throated groan while his thumbs circled each taut bud. Waves of pleasure washed over her. Eagerly she ran her hands over his powerful shoulders, removing his jacket, to unbutton his shirt. His sculpted chest was rock hard with a thick mat of black curls. She tangled her fingers in black, wiry chest hair, relishing touching him.

  He leaned over her, his passionate kisses going deep, heightening her response. Within minutes they had to stop or they’d be beyond stopping. She tore her mouth from his while caressing his chest, her signals as mixed as her feelings.

  “Nick, we have to stop,” she whispered.

  “Why?” he asked, raising his head. He continued to caress her breasts while his gaze slowly devoured her. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, his thumbs rubbing each nipple.

  Fighting her own desire, she clutched his hands. “No more,” she whispered, unable to find a strong voice.

  “Why? We’re alone. No one will disturb us,” Nick said.

  “I didn’t come here tonight to sleep with you. I’m not ready for intimacy. I’m not making love at your father’s house,” she said. “Lust isn’t the point of this visit.”

  “It’s what we both want,” Nick said bluntly.

  She stepped back, slipping her bra into place as he watched her. While she straightened her clothes, her heart raced. Nick stood inches away, his hair tangled from her fingers. His shirt was open and his muscled chest captured her attention. His trousers indicated his arousal. He wanted her and he looked seductive, appealing.

  Her heart hammered loudly. With an effort to break his spell she intended to stick with what she had told him.

  “You and I shouldn’t make love. Not tonight. Most likely not ever. I don’t care how great the kisses are,” she whispered. “We’ve got Michael, different views and opposing goals between us. I’m not succumbing to desire, because it will only complicate everything between us a thousand times over. We’re not in love. We’re not in agreement. Your family, you because of your dad, wants Michael. I don’t want you to have him. It’s that simple, and seduction would be an emotional disaster.”