His Christmas Baby: A Friends to Lovers Romance

by Sullivan, Piper

  “I really did. Now what do you say you slide that ring on my finger and we go celebrate our engagement ?”

  He stood in an instant, grabbing my ass and pulling me close. And then my stomach growled. And Brady laughed. “Look at that, you’re not even here kid and already you’re messing up daddy’s game .”

  Daddy’s game. That phrase should have made me smack him, instead it melted me a little. Okay, a lot. “Maybe we should fuel up and then go for a spin. Yeah,” he pulled me close and sat down until I sat astride him at my dining room table. “I think I’d prefer that. To feed you first, and then lay you out in front of the fire and make sweet love to you. Then we’ll have dessert and then I’ll make hot love to you .”

  God, I loved this man. “And after dessert ?”

  “It’s Christmas baby, we eat dinner all over again. And then we make love all over again .”

  “I’m starting to remember why Christmas is so awesome,” I told him, smiling against his lips .

  “Then my job here is done. I always want you to remember how wonderful Christmas is, and I want to make sure that we always celebrate it, no matter where we are in the world .”

  “I’m holding you to that, Brady .”

  He held me closer. Tighter. “And I will enjoy holding you close to me,” he kissed me softly. “For the rest,” he did it again, kissing the corners of my mouth and my neck. “Of our lives .”

  “You, Mr. All-Star Tennis Player, have yourself a deal.” And then I kissed him. It was a hot and hungry kiss of lovers, of friends. Of two people on the brink of something truly amazing .

  I couldn’t wait to see where this crazy life would take us .

  * * *

  THE END

  Epilogue

  S ylvie – Three and a half years later

  “Go Daddy!” Brianna clapped her little hands as we sat in the player’s box at the final of the U.S. Open. Brady had just come out on the court, unpacking his racket and three distinct bottles of liquids ranging from clear to pink. “Daddy!” When he looked up, her little body vibrated in my arms .

  “Hey princess,” he called out and waved, smiling so big and bright at our daughter that every woman in the audience swooned a little. Okay, maybe a lot. “Love you,” he mouthed to me and then I swooned. A lot. It’s weird how after two and half years of being together, one and a half of them as man and wife, I still feel like we’d just fallen in love. Like we were still newlyweds .

  “Love you back.” I more than loved Brady, I adored him. Most nights I worshipped him and he worshipped me right back .

  “You guys really need to cut that out. No one appreciates a beautiful, successful and happy couple,” Sebastian whispered in my ear with a laugh. Yep, Sebastian hated working at the law firm and he made his way up to Almond Valley around Valentine’s Day where he runs my firm, which now boasts three full time attorneys .

  “Says the guy who’s dating the sexiest man in France .”

  “You mean in tennis, don’t you?” He joked because his man, Robert, had been named the sexiest man in tennis .

  “Of course not. Everyone knows they really wanted to give it to Brady.” We shared a laugh while Brianna was transfixed with her dad and his warmups. She spent more time courtside than she did doing anything else. She was daddy’s little girl through and through .

  The match began and things quieted down considerably, which always happened. Every single tournament, the fans were, for the most part so well-behaved. But little girls weren’t always so easy to keep entertained during a normal match, but a grand slam final already shaping up to be a long match was a guaranteed tantrum. “Give her to me.” Before I could even make a token protest, Mom took Brianna and Merry followed them back to one of the private areas where kids could be kids without disturbing the match .

  That was just another reason I was so grateful for having the world’s greatest grandmothers on my team. It meant I could be there for Brady’s big moments more often than not. As his agent and wife, I could justify just about any trip to see him. Because these moments, like now in the fifth set and he double faulted his serve, this was when he needed to look in his box and see me. And my heart caught the way it did whenever he sent me one of his heated stares. Slowly his lips spread into a smile and I winked. “Love you, babe,” I mouthed to him .

  He winked back and shook out his arms and legs, focusing on the court so he could see his serve. He wore that ten mile stare that said he meant business, took a deep breath and tossed the ball, smacking it right into the corner for an ace .

  “Yes!” I was on my feet with the rest of the Arthur Ashe Stadium, applauding my husband and America’s favorite tennis player, on his quest for victory. “You got this !”

  And he did have it. His head was back in the game, but his opponent had youth on his side. The kid didn’t tire easily and he was like a damn dog with a bone, getting any little piece of the ball he could, forcing Brady to produce greatness. And he did. He broke serve back so they were tied, six all and headed for a tiebreaker, when Brianna came back .

  “Did Daddy win yet?” Laughter exploded during the break and she smiled up at the laughing adults .

  “Not yet, Bri. Daddy has to finish the match. It’s six all, remember what that means ?”

  She nodded. “Yep. It means Daddy wins!” She clapped happily and I didn’t look up but I knew we were on camera. The sports media, but the media in general, had eaten up bad boy Brady Houston turned doting dad. But they ate up his adoring daughter even more .

  “Your daddy hasn’t won yet,” Sebastian reminded her .

  “He will Bas,” she rolled her eyes in a way that a two year old just shouldn’t. “Daddy says he wins most of his tiebreakers .”

  I hugged her close, inhaled her little girl scent mixed with the ice cream Mom and Merry couldn’t resist giving her. “That’s true honey, but this isn’t a tiebreaker, they have to play. Think about Polansky’s feelings .”

  She thought about it. “Sorry Polansky!” She waved and another round of laughter began but it quickly died as the tiebreaker got under way .

  It went fast, both players holding their serve and fighting hard against breaks. Then it was ten to nine and Brady faulted. He tossed the ball, caught it and took another deep breath. “You got this,” I whispered, hoping he felt my words .

  “You got it Daddy !”

  I could see his little smile as he took another deep breath and tossed the ball, serving a blistering ball over the net but it was easily returned. Back and forth they went, trading ground stroke for ground stroke, slicing forehands and killer backhands until Brady smacked a flat hard ball to Polansky who returned it with a lot of spin and I grinned. He had this in the bag. I held my breath as he ran around to his forehand side and used his wrist to spin the ball to the back of the court. Polansky was there but the ball bounced and had a funky spin on it and he whiffled the ball .

  Brady won .

  His tenth grand slam .

  Tears streaked down my face as I stood clapping, as my best friend, my husband showed the whole world how much this win meant to him. His shoulders shook with emotion as he laid flat on the blue hard court, wiping his face and standing. He spoke softly to Polansky, both men hugging and smiling, two warriors who’d finished the battle without bloodshed .

  Then those green eyes were on me, a sexy grin on his mouth as he made his way to me. To us. Sweaty and tired, sexy and smiling. He’d never looked so beautiful to me .

  “Daddy you won! I knew it!” She flung her little body at him and he scooped her up, hugging her as hard as she hugged him .

  “Thanks, baby. I couldn’t have done it without my best girls cheering me on.” He winked at me and I leaned in, pressing a short kiss to his lips .

  “Congratulations Brady. You’re now in very exclusive company. Among the best .”

  His other hand went to my swollen belly. “I’ve already got the best. This is just the icing on the cake .”

  “Cho
colate?” I arched a brow, reminding him of how I’d sent him off to practice this morning .

  “Anything you want, babe.” His gaze was heated and even in this stadium, with twenty thousand other people, it was just me and Brady. His lips fused to mine again and I couldn’t get enough .

  “National television,” Sebastian murmured and that finally broke us apart .

  “I’m so proud of you Brady. Go enjoy your moment, I love you .”

  “I love you too, Syl. I couldn’t have done this without you.” His hand rubbed my belly and his smile touched every part of me. “Any of you.” He bent down and kissed my belly before jumping back down to change and get ready for post-match interviews and the cup presentation .

  I was so proud of him, still playing at the top of his game and being a damn good father and husband. He was talking retirement but I think he’s got two, maybe three good years left on tour .

  The audience quieted as a former tennis great took the court to interview Brady. “Now that you’ve won you’re tenth grand slam, what’s Brady Houston gonna do ?”

  He grinned and turned to face our box. “Syl babe, we’ve got three months to plan another Christmas wedding.” The crowd went wild and I could only smile. We’d gotten married on Christmas Day and now he wanted to do it all over again. “What do you say ?”

  “What else can I say to my best guy but, I do!” I got lost staring into those laughing green eyes. They were so familiar to me but every day I noticed something new. A new color or expression .

  Marrying this guy again, on Christmas ?

  I’d marry him every Christmas for the rest of our lives if that’s what he wanted. In fact, that sounded kind of perfect to me .

  * * *

  Hope you enjoyed Sylvie & Brady’s Romance Dear Reader .

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  Feel free to use the Table of Contents to read an exclusive excerpt included in this book .

  Safeguarded

  Keane

  “T hose assholes set me up Keane. You were right, I never should have trusted the Red Shamrocks.” I watched my friend and leader pace frantically from side to side, his shock of black hair standing on edge. “Now I’ve got the Feds on my ass, chomping at the bit to finally have something on the mighty Seamus O’Malley .”

  I sat back in my chair, a glass of Jameson in my hand as my oldest friend’s world crumbled around him. “Do we have proof or do you need me to get it?” I couldn’t deny that I’d love nothing more than to take a few of those Red ‘Rock bastards to the basement of some building set for demolition and make them cry for their mamas. My role in Seamus’s organization, Cearul, was part confidant, part advisor and part hatchet man. The latter part of my job I enjoyed the most .

  “No.” Seamus stopped pacing and set dark blue eyes on me. “What I need from you is more important than those fuckers. Besides,” he smiled and poured himself a healthy amount of whiskey, “I plan to deal with them myself .”

  I didn’t know how I felt about Seamus going about this on his own. He was more than capable of handling the wet work if he needed to, but he didn’t need to. “What do you need me to do boss ?”

  “I need you to take care of Fiona. Keep her safe because Callahan and his thugs will use her to get to me and I can’t let that happen .”

  Ah, shit. Fiona O’Malley. A gorgeous redhead with the kind of curves that made men forget to be gentlemen. The kind of mouth that begged to be kissed. And she was Seamus’ daughter. Completely fucking off limits. Had been since the day I met her, but back then she’d been a kid. Now that she was a grown woman with curves, lips and tits, it was much harder. Hell, everything was much harder when she was around. “You got it.” I stood. “Where is she ?”

  Seamus checked his watch. “She should be on her way home from class now.” Yeah, she was also twenty-one fucking years old and nearly done with college. I’m an old man as far as she’s concerned but I wanted her. Fuck, I wanted her bad .

  “Right. And where will you be ?”

  “I’ll figure it out Keane. You just keep my Fiona alive.” Guzzling his drink and slamming the glass down he frowned. “I never wanted any of this shit to touch her. Naïve I know, but I thought I could do it. Now I need you to do it Keane. You’re the only person I can trust to keep her safe ”

  Grabbing the black leather coat that was my constant companion against the temperamental Boston weather, I nodded my agreement. “I’ll go get her now. Stay here until I get back with a bag for you .”

  “Keane goddammit, I don’t — ,”

  “I’m not asking boss. You’re my best friend, hell my only friend and I’ll make sure you have what you need out there on your own.” I didn’t wait for Seamus to respond because he didn’t need to. We’d grown up together in this city, ran the streets when we should have been in school and learning shit. Instead we looked out for one another all our lives except the years Seamus got married and I went into the service. Hell, I should see Fiona as a daughter but I couldn’t. I didn’t. She wasn’t even my fucking type, all innocent and virginal looking but I knew passion hid beneath the surface because it called to me. I couldn’t explain it and I couldn’t act on it, so I’d kept my distance .

  Now I couldn’t. Thanks to the Red ‘Rocks .

  Slamming my foot on the gas, weaving through late afternoon traffic I felt an urgency coursing through me to get to Fiona and I followed it. Years as an army sniper had told me one thing, never fucking ignore my instincts and right now they screamed that Fi needed me. Because we’d made the mistake of doing business with the Red Shamrocks, a smaller gang looking to join the Cearul Network, I knew they would attack Fiona first .

  My ride came to a screeching halt outside her swanky Beacon Hill apartment building and my legs ate up the concrete. Inside the lobby I found the doorman on the floor. I crouched beside him checking for a pulse. Alive. Running on instinct and adrenaline, I pulled the emergency lever on the elevator and ducked into the stairwell. If someone was here to harm Fiona they wouldn’t escape without running into me first .

  Scanning the corridor, I noticed one man outside Fiona’s door. A red shamrock tattooed on his neck. He held a nine millimeter in his hand but the man wasn’t ready to use it, his posture was too relaxed and his grip too loose. I crept up on the asshole easily, he should have been keeping better watch. My good luck. I would have killed the bastard but I didn’t have time for a body dump, so I wrapped an arm around his neck and squeezed until his lights went out. I dropped him silently and pulled out my gun before heading inside Fiona’s place .

  “Get your paws off me you goon!” She was a sassy thing, with her father’s mouth. But I could hear the struggle in her voice, the fear, and I moved in to see what I was up against .

  “Don’t worry Red, me and my boys are going to have our paws all over you. Inside you.” I recognized the gravelly voice as one of Callahan’s men and I knew his reputation. He’d left more than a few working girls bruised, broken and unable to work .

  I would kill that bastard if he touched Fiona. And I would fucking enjoy it .

  “Probably the only way someone like you could get laid. But I guess rape is how you shamrock boys get down. Must be all that prison time,” she taunted .

  I had to smile. Despite her sheltered upbringing, Fiona wasn’t like the other mob princesses. She was down to earth. Smart. And that smart mouth would get her harmed .

  “It ain’t rape if you want it. And Red I know you’re dripping for me.” He laughed and grabbed her neck and that’s when I went in for the attack .

  “One of you will be dripping, but I doubt it’ll be her.” Two punches to the kidney and he was on the ground, my foot on his neck. He squirmed and I applied pressure. “you okay Fi ?”

  “I am now. Thanks Keane.” She flashed that wholesome girl-next-door smile that made me want to kiss her until she was wet and trembling for me .


  Instead I winked. “Anytime. Pack a bag. No questions .”

  That lush pink mouth opened then snapped shut at my command .

  Obedient, nice. “Get up asshole.” I had plans for this guy. One last job before I dedicate myself to keeping Fiona safe and sound .

  Like I promised .

  Fiona

  M ost people think the worst part of my father’s world is the potential for violence or arrest, and that is a concern. But my biggest issue is that no one tells me a damn thing. About anything. Like when your dad’s hot as shit second in command shows up to rescue you and busts down two Red ‘Rocks before dropping you off and taking one of them God knows where. I had a clue what fate that douchebag would meet at Keane’s hand, but I preferred not to think about it. It’s how I survived, and I would use it for as long as it worked .

  “Dad what the hell is going on?” I rushed into his house and stepped into his arms .

  “My beautiful Fi. It’s nothing for you to worry about. Keane is going to look after you for a while .”

  I wanted to argue, to tell him I could look after myself, but even with self-defense classes I couldn’t hold my own against a bunch of angry gangsters. Then again, maybe dealing with mobsters might be easier than fighting my attraction for Keane .

  “Keane?” I couldn’t do that. Keane scared me and it had nothing to do with what he did for my dad and his “company ” Cearul. No, he scared me in an entirely different way. Just one look and I felt my panties go damp, my boobs felt heavy and tender and my mind kind of shut down. I knew it was attraction, arousal. Of course I did, but Keane was literally old enough to be my father. As hot as he was, his relationship with my dad meant I would forever be off limits. More importantly he would be off limits to me. If I were bold enough to chase him .