His Christmas Baby: A Friends to Lovers Romance

by Sullivan, Piper

  “Oh! Hold on !”

  I dig in my bag until I finally find the fuzzy pink prize I’m looking for. When I saw them in the store the week before I bought them on a whim. I had no idea if it would work, but I figured it was worth a try .

  I show her the big soft sparkly winter gloves, “Can I do it with these? Would that work ?”

  She thinks hard and finally decides they’re acceptable, “Okay .”

  I pull them on and grab the little earbuds. I move slowly, still not sure if she would have a negative reaction even with my hands covered in the thick pink fabric. But she doesn’t react at all, she remains stoic and calm as I fit them into her ears .

  I don’t think I was breathing during the entire process, because I let out a big sigh when I’m done, “There !”

  “Thank you. Can we go?” Before I can say ‘yes’ she reaches out and takes my hand. I freeze, looking down at her tiny hand inside the fuzzy pink monstrosity on my right one. It feels so strange – and so great .

  “S- sure. I think so.” That’s when I look over to see if Rob is done with the nurse. He is, and he’s staring at me with his mouth hanging open. I know that look in his eyes and I start to silently beg him not to try to kiss me right now .

  I can’t look at him anymore, so I turn to Marce who also has her mouth hanging open, but at least I know she doesn’t want to make out, “Um, can we go ?”

  Rob answers for her though, “Yeah, yeah, sure .”

  Maddison doesn’t hesitate at all, pulling my hand, guiding me through the door and down the hall. Rob has picked up his jaw and is now grinning at me like an idiot. I can’t help but love it. When we get to the Charger she finally released my hand to climb into her car seat, and then she sits there giving me a look like she’s expecting something. I don’t know what it is so I just start my goodbyes, “Okay princess, I’ll see you soon .”

  “Will you buckle me ?”

  “Oh, sure.” My instinct is to hesitate before I remember I have on the magic gloves. I still make sure my arms don’t brush her, but I maneuver her belt on without any issues. Once again, I breath and smile, I’m actually super proud this little idea has worked so well, “Okay! Bye, princess! I’ll see - “

  “You aren’t going home?” I recognize this expression, disappointment .

  “Oh, yeah, I am .”

  “With us ?”

  I’m a little confused, but I try to clarify, “To my house .”

  “Why?”

  “Because… I live there .”

  “Why?”

  I’m totally at a loss now. I look over to Rob, but all he has to offer me is a shrug. Thanks .

  “I don’t know what you mean, princess .”

  “Why do you live there? Why don’t you live with us ?”

  “Oh… I… I have an apartment…” I start to try and remember if she banged her head when she fell. But the expression I couldn’t place comes across her features and her next question puts everything together in a way that tears out my heart .

  “But you’re my mom now .”

  “I...”

  Robs voice comes from behind me, “Give us a minute hon, okay? Play your music ?”

  She shrugs and starts to gab at her phone, “Okay .”

  He closes her door and I start to spew, “I’m sorry about that, I guess she saw you kiss me and ,”

  “It’s not just that. She loves you. I know how she feels.” I blink. Did he just say what I think he did? He continues, “Maybe you could come over for a while, just for her ?”

  All of a sudden, Marcy’s laugh cuts through the parking lot, “HA!” Nothing is funny, it’s the laugh of a sister’s sarcasm. It makes Rob crack a smile and fess up, “Okay fine, for me too .”

  “Oh sure. Yeah .”

  When he walks me over to my car and we are well out of earshot and eyesight of his little sister and Maddie, he finally gets to let out that kiss that had been building in him since the emergence of my pink gloves. In fact, I forget I still have them on when I reach up and hold his face with the fuzzy palms. I expect him to say something romantic when he pulls away. Not, “What the fuck ?!”

  I open my eyes and see he’s not looking at me anymore .

  Rob

  T he dents along the trunk of the Nissan are new, I know they are. I would have seen them before. When Aim isn’t around I always give her car a mini inspection just to keep her safe. I would have seen these fist sized indentions for sure .

  I storm over and look closer, “What is this ?”

  When she starts to shuffle her feet, I know the story isn’t going to be good. “Oh, yeah. I ran into that guy again .”

  “Guy?”

  “Yeah, you remember ?”

  Then I did. I remembered the first night I reconnected with her weeks ago and the guy I had to check outside the club. My rage meter goes from two to ten in less than a second. I knew I should’ve put him the hospital .

  “What!”

  “Yeah, when you didn’t answer the phone I tried to find you at Avenue and he was there, but it’s fine .”

  “He did this? Did he touch you ?”

  I’m way thrown off when she starts to laugh, “Yeah, but I touched him harder .”

  Okay, that’s it. We need to talk. I jog over and ask Marce to drive the Charger home so I can drive Aim to our place, she says yes right away, but not before punching me in the arm. If I wasn’t still fuming inside over that asshole with the bad aftershave I probably would have slugged her back .

  When I sit in the driver’s seat of the shitty Nissan I decide right then it wouldn’t do, I was going to get Aim a better car tomorrow. This thing is way past its prime and now it’s peppered with reminders of that little shit who tried to touch what was mine .

  I start the decidedly temporary car and prepare myself not to rage too hard, “Okay what happened ?”

  “You did .”

  “What?”

  “You warned me someday I might be in a bad situation and taught me what to do if I was. And I did it, so thank you .”

  “He tried to pull off you somewhere …”

  “I didn’t want to go .”

  I swallow hard and decide to have a meeting with my security team. If that piece of shit ever comes around there again he wasn’t going to be banned, he was going to be… detained. I keep my cool to the best of my ability .

  “Did you hit him ?”

  “Yep!”

  She’s laughing again, to be honest, I’m glad she’s not traumatized .

  “Aim…”

  “Trust me, you’re a great teacher. And he won’t be walking right for a while .”

  “We should file a report .”

  “Sure, they can put out an APB on a smelly guy with a limp .”

  “Aim… “

  She reaches out and rubs my back, like I’m the one who needs comfort, “I’m okay, Rob. You taught me how to be okay .”

  I want to teach her more than that. I want to teach her to know she’s beautiful, and smart, and strong, and worth anything anyone ever does for her. Worth what I do for her. And I want to do everything for her. Not because she needs it – because she deserves it .

  “Why don’t you live with us ?”

  Now she lets out a big laugh, “Hey, Maddie .”

  I realize that sounded crazy and try to recover, “I mean, Marcy said your rent was high, I just thought, my place is too big for just me and her, and you don’t have to marry me or anything .”

  “I would .”

  “Live with us ?”

  “Marry you .”

  I have never been so grateful for a red light, because it lets me fully look at her. The insecure aura she always gives off is gone. She isn’t crying or stammering – she’s just… mine. She pulls off her pink gloves and shoves them into her purse, “But I need to go to my apartment first .”

  Now it’s my turn to laugh, “Before you marry me ?”

  “Shut up.” Even though she’s teasing, I do
shut up. I’m afraid if I don’t I might say something to fuck up this perfect life I’m building in my mind .

  When I pull up to her building she motions with her head for me to follow. I try not to get too overwhelmed by her ass as I follow her up the stairs. It’s eye level and more than close enough to grab, but once again, groping her in public might be a ‘fuck this up’ move. I control myself .

  The sight of her place gives me a mix of emotions. It was so small, most of her electronics are outdated and worn down, but it’s amazing to be among her things. Everything smells like her, everything is a memory or a memento. I start to imagine how all these things would look at my place .

  She doesn’t pause on her way to the bedroom and the man in me is hoping she wants to get more than a toothbrush. I was more than ready to give it to her. But I find her trying pull a broken mirror off the wall .

  Amy

  I pull as hard as I can, and while a few lose shards of glass fall, the mirror won’t budge .

  “Damn it .”

  “I can get you a new one .”

  I try not to seem like a looney as I explain, “Yeah, but I need to get this one down now. I just really need to .”

  That was all I had to say, Rob was moving me to the side and sizing up the mirror in a flash. Contentment filled me as I realized this would be my life now, Rob making sure I had everything I needed, and everything I wanted. As the mirror releases its grip on the wall, he looks at me triumphantly and it hits me that what I want right now is him. What I need is him .

  I take the busted frame out of his hands and toss it to the side of the room before I fling myself into him. One hand rubs his cock through his jeans and the other grabs the back of his neck, helping me reach his mouth with mine. He doesn’t seem surprised, if fact the speed with which he has me lifted onto my bed makes me think he was hoping this would happen .

  I wrap my legs around his waist and he moves on top of me. My body knows that’s where they need to be to make me complete. Between kisses he runs his lips across my cheek to whisper in my ear .

  “I love you, Aim .”

  I don’t hesitate at all to admit what I’ve felt all my life, “I love you too .”

  Then in a burst of energy the man I know I’m going to marry flips me onto my stomach and pulls me to my knees. I am beyond confused until I feel his hand under my skirt pushing my panties to the side and his fingers surge inside of me, I’m already sopping wet for him and he slides his in and out of me with ease .

  “Oh!”

  The sporadic attention he dips down and gives to my clit is making me shake. I have to let my weight go from my trembling arms and sink my face into the bed, arching my back as much as possible. All I can do is let him overwhelm me with his touch .

  I didn’t even hear him undo his belt, I must be in too much ecstasy, but suddenly his fingers are replaced by his throbbing cock. He moans as he thrusts it into me with force. There is no pause at all as he grabs me by the hips and begins to bounce himself off my backside. This angle lets him in deeper than I could take him this morning and I’m glad he can’t see the look on my face, because I’m sure it’s ridiculous .

  I didn’t know anything could feel so perfect .

  I love the rawness of his passion, the way he’s taking me just the way he wants to – the animal nature he’s drawing out of me is carnal and I love it .

  I love him .

  Rob

  I love her.

  And I love the way her ass bounces as I pound myself into her, it’s making me wild .

  Sliding my hand around her hip and underneath I find her clit and massage it as well as I can without slowing the pace of my thrusts. The sounds she makes as I rub her are almost frantic and it makes me even hotter. It doesn’t take long before that familiar pull grabs my cock, telling me I touched her just the way she needed me too .

  I stop breathing as I feel my dick swell thicker than I ever remember it being before. I push against her as hard as I can without knocking her down. As she pushes back, I explode. A low groan builds into a growl and I come with earth shattering force. Every hard pulse produces moan after moan I can’t control, her orgasm milks me until there is nothing left to give .

  When I pull out, she doesn’t move, she just stays there on the bed totally spent, shaking with her face in the covers. After a second I realize she’s not going anywhere, so I slowly lift her up, turning her around as I pull her against my chest .

  I try and be overly gentle now, reminding her I’m capable of tenderness. Hoping I didn’t freak her out. Showing her I wouldn’t have to take her like a savage every time. Even if that’s exactly what I had to do this time… she was bringing out the primal side of me in the best way. That same primal urge wanted to take care of her, to protect her, to take her home .

  I wait until she can breathe again before pulling her back to kiss her softly and looking into her beautiful face .

  To my surprise she speaks first, and they might be the best words I’ve ever heard. Actually, I’m sure they are .

  “You can take me home now .”

  * * *

  THE END

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  Traded To The Mob

  Chapter 1

  L ouis lazily leaned against the door jamb as the tall promiscuous blonde left with her shoes in her hand. She was just one of many who passed through this door in the past few months .

  “Louis,” his father said tautly, “you need a wife .”

  “Scusami ?” he asked and turned to his father, “you can’t be serious .”

  “I am dead serious. I will not allow you to bring these whores into my home. These debauched ways of yours is bringing shame to our family name .”

  “It’s the twenty first century, and it’s called entertainment. I have no need or desire to find myself bound to one woman for the rest of my life,” Louis stated and closed the front door .

  “This is not a request, and if you do not find a wife, I will find one for you,” his father stated matter-of-factly .

  Unbelievable, if it wasn’t enough that his father called the shots for everything related to the family business. He was now calling the shots on his life. But he knew better than to go against his father’s wishes. Stefano Angelino was one of the most feared Dons in Italian circles and he did not make idle threats. When he gave an order everyone jumped, and if they didn’t, they simply disappeared. And being his father’s right hand man and advisor didn’t exclude him from this harsh reality .

  He threw his hands in the air and shook his head, “Bene ! I’ll find a wife if that pleases you,” he exclaimed .

  There was a calculated silence as Stefano stood studying his son’s reaction. He may be considered an old fool where his children were concerned but he wasn’t born yesterday. He knew when he was being played, and right now Louis was simply in agreement for the sake of it. If he had to leave it up to his son to pick his own wife, who knows what wet rat he’ll drag into this house. With money at his every beck and call he could pay a woman to pretend to be his wife .

  “I will pick your wife for you,” he said determined and by the look on Louis’ face, the curveball undeniably caught his son off guard .

  “Is forcing me to marry not enough, now you wish to pick my bride?” Louis rambled off angrily. “If mother was alive she would not have allowed this at all .”

  “You will have respect for the dead Louis,” he said and glared at his son, “Gino Benedetti and his family will be visiting us from America and you will ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage, capisci ?”

  He could see the cogs turning in his son’s head. The moment when it dawned on Louis that having Gino’s daughter as his daughter-in-law presented the opportunity to have a greater foothold in New Yo
rk was perfect .

  “You are marrying me off to Belinda? She’s a terrible match father; she’s a shy faded grey mouse .”

  Stefano laughed and shook his head, “You haven’t seen her in almost ten years. How can you know what she is like now? You’ll ask for her hand in marriage, and that’s the end of it .”

  Louis stared after his father in disbelief, this cannot possibly be happening? Belinda of all people is to become his wife. He walked over to the drinks cabinet and poured himself a whiskey, his brain kicking into gear .

  I will ask for her hand in marriage father, but you can only lead a horse to the water, he thought wickedly and tossed the amber liquid down his throat .

  Chapter 2

  B elinda tuned out her friend Natalie’s constant nagging about weight loss, Banting this, and Banting that, she was Italian for god sakes and had no time for fad diets. Italians lived to eat, it was their culture, hence the fact that she loved her job as the head chef and manageress at her father’s restaurant. She may have spent all her teenage years in New York, but she still kept her Italian heritage. She looked at the stock list again and then handed it to her friend .

  “This should be enough to last you for the next two weeks. And before you know it, I’ll be back,” she said sounding almost too positive. She hated having to leave the restaurant in someone else’s care. Even if Natalie was her most trusted friend and the best sous chef she ever had the pleasure to work with, she hated shifting her responsibilities unto others .

  “I’ll be fine Bee, I promise and so will the restaurant. You won’t have a thing to worry about,” her friend reassured her .

  “I know. It’s just that two weeks is such a long time to be away from El Pescore. I still think I can convince my father to let me stay behind,” she said tapping her index finger on her lips .

  “You haven’t had a vacation in over three years, and you love Italy, so now is your chance. Just go and come back in one piece,” Natalie said and tugged the stock list out of Belinda’s hand. “And if you happen to find a hot Italian hunk, get his number .”