Evidently his dog’s own ass was more interesting than he was because Nugget simply went right on licking it.
Dropping his hands on his hips, Mack looked at the clock hanging above the plasma television. It was already half past five. She was expecting him by six. Since she only lived ten minutes away, he had plenty of time. Dropping into the leather recliner in the corner – the one where he sat and read at night – he dropped his head back against the chair. “Fuck,” he groaned out loud. He didn’t know whether he dreaded tonight or was excited by it. It had been years… literal years… since he’d taken a woman out on a date. Sure, he’d fucked women more recently than that, but those were chicks he’d picked up in a bar or at a medical conference ... women that he’d had a few hours of shameless fun with before sending them on their merry way. Each one of them had been carefully selected and knew the score before their clothes had ever come off. If any of those ladies had been interested in more than the number of orgasms he could give them, he’d sent them off on their way with a wave and a smile.
Because he didn’t do long-term relationships anymore. He certainly didn’t fucking date.
Except, now, it appeared he did.
What the hell kind of voodoo magic had Millicent Robbins worked on him when he wasn’t looking that now had him contemplating more than a casual fuck with a woman?
Because he knew it could never be casual with Millie. And not just because she had a kid, either.
No, Millie was the type of woman with whom a man put down roots. That kind of guy bought a house. That type of man would get a dog. That man would help her raise a family. Holy shit, he’d already done two out three of those things, he realized with a horrified gasp.
Bolting to his feet, he darted toward his phone. He had to call this whole thing off before he found himself shackled to yet another woman that would end up hating him for his dedication to his job. He had to cut Millie loose before she looked at him and accused him of wasting the best years of her life waiting for him to be ready to concentrate on them instead of rushing off to take care of his patients.
He’d dialed the first three numbers of her phone number before he realized….
“Millie isn’t Tiffany,” Mack said out loud as he stared at the phone in his hand. Looking toward his Newfoundland dog, he grinned. “She’s nothing like Tiffany, is she?”
One sharp yap from Nugget confirmed what he already knew and he slowly replaced the phone on its base.
“Holy shit,” he whispered, sinking onto the couch as he stared at his huge long-haired dog. “Millie couldn’t be more different from Tiff if she tried.” First off, Millie wasn’t injected with as much plastic as a Barbie doll. Her tits still bounced when she walked, unlike his ex’s that sat like stone against her chest. Millie loved babies and kids. Hell, she even had one of her own that she loved with a passion that rivaled any parent’s love he’d ever seen. Tiff, on the other hand, couldn’t stand babies. Sad, since he’d loved children and had wanted them to have at least a couple of their own. She despised the idea of having to be responsible for another person. Although, in hindsight, he supposed it wasn’t really shocking since she could barely accept responsibility for the things she did. Most important of all, though, was the fact that he could never see Millie being unfaithful to him because she had something his ex-wife had always lacked. Something called integrity. If Millie wasn’t happy with him, she wouldn’t troll the local bars looking for an easy hook-up to dull the pain. Hell, no. Millicent would march right up to him, rip off his scrotum, and shake it over her head much like the Native Americans did when they’d taken a scalp from an enemy. Oh, Millie would probably give him the opportunity to make things right with her before she resorted to violence, but if that was unsuccessful, he had no doubt she’d go the other route.
His Millie could be a firecracker when crossed.
Fuck, now he was thinking of her with highly possessive pronoun usage? He was well and truly screwed.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep cleansing breath. “Okay, Nugget, old boy, we’re gonna walk through this. I’ll just do a good, old-fashioned pro and con list for dating Millie. Pro: That woman’s body is a work of art. Seriously, it’s like God took my wish list for the perfect woman’s body and made it happen with her. Big tits, small waist, heart-shaped ass….yeah, she’s got it all,” he groaned, shifting in his seat as he adjusted his tightening jeans.
Finally comfortable below the belt, he continued. “Okay, Nugget. Now for the con. She works for me. I see her all day, five days a week. What if we got sick of each other, Nugget? Or more likely, what if she got sick of me? If we start something and it doesn’t work out, will I end up losing the best nurse I’ve ever had? She certainly can’t afford to be without a job for long – not with Paisley in the picture.”
Looking at his dog, Mack frowned. Could dogs laugh? Because, honestly, it looked like Nugget was laughing his canine ass off at Mack’s struggle.
“This isn’t funny, fucker! Millie means something to me. And that one is both a pro and a con. On the pro side, at least I know that I’m still capable of caring about a woman. On the con side, I’m fucked because I care for this woman. I don’t want her hurt. And I certainly don’t wanna be the jackass that fucks things up and hurts her. The scary part is that I’m fuckin’ terrified that I will.”
Shooting back to his feet, Mack shoved one hand in his jeans pocket and eyed his dog. Nugget had his head tilted to the side as if he was asking, “Why?”
“You wanna know why, Nugs? I’m scared I’ll fuck it up with her because I’m shit at relationships. I’ve been avoiding them for so long, I can hardly remember how to have one. And Millie deserves to have a good, healthy relationship with a guy that can go all in. Do you think I could be ‘all in’?”
Nugget howled. He actually pointed his snout toward the ceiling and howled.
Staring at the animal, Mack growled, “I can’t tell! Is that a good howl or a bad howl?”
Nugget seemed to glare at him.
“You’re right. I’m wasting time, aren’t I?” he asked, lifting his arm and peering at the watch on his wrist. “She’s expecting me.”
Crouching, he offered his loyal companion a good rub on the tummy. “I want her, boy,” Mack admitted, lifting one hand to scratch behind Nugget’s ear. “I want her more than I can remember wanting anything ever. She’s sweet and dedicated. She’s so damn self-reliant, always so determined to handle everything on her own – even when she knows I’d help her. Stubborn and strong. She’s raising that little girl on her own, and she’s doing such a good job. Paisley is smart as a whip and cuter than any kid has a right to be. Fuck, I can’t deny… they’ve both weaseled their way into my heart. A day ago, I would have sworn it was impossible, but when she stared up at me in that parking lot like I was some kind of Superhero for taking the time to look out for her and her kid… that’s when I knew. I knew these feelings I’ve been trying to ignore aren’t gonna go away.”
The dog shifted on his side, lifting his head as if to say, ‘Whatcha gonna do ‘bout it, Silly Human?’
“I guess that means I’m gonna have to take a chance, huh, boy?” Mack grinned and petted his dog. “It figures that I’d end up waiting so long that now I’m gonna have a fuckin’ audience watching while I attempt to woo Millie. Jesus, my mom and sis are gonna revel in my downfall.”
Nugget sighed and laid his head on Mack’s knee, looking up at him with silent commiseration.
“Yeah, I know,” Mack murmured, rubbing the top of Nugget’s head. “I think she’s definitely gonna be worth it, too.” Offering the dog one last pat, Mack stood and reached for his coat hanging on the coat tree in the corner. “Wish me luck, Nugget. If everything goes well, you just might be meeting your future mistress tonight.”
Four: Little St. Nick
Millicent Robbins stared blankly into her closet for the fourth time in fifteen minutes and wondered if the good doctor would believe her if she called and canceled
because she had nothing to wear. It wasn’t quite a lie. Honestly, her wardrobe mostly consisted of colorful scrubs for work and what she considered her ‘mom’ uniform, which was mostly comprised of jeans, yoga pants and tee shirts. She had a couple of dresses that she wore to church on Sundays, but nothing fancy. She didn’t own a thing that screamed, ‘Take me! I’m yours!’
Flipping through the hangers, she chewed on her lower lip. It would have helped if she’d asked where he was taking her tonight. Were they going to the local café ran by the McKinnon family or were they going to venture out to a nicer restaurant? Maybe he was planning on cooking for her at his house. The options were endless. She paused when she spotted a dress she’d bought last year when one of the stores in the Knoxville mall had its after-Christmas sale. It was a deep green, off the shoulder velvet dress that hung just past her knees. It was made to fit tightly, highlighting her curves rather than trying to hide them.
The bottom line was the dress was hot. And she meant that in the figurative sense. That dress would make her body look good. She’d worn it exactly one time to a family friend’s wedding and she’d been asked out at least four times, compliments of her well-fitted dress. Did she want to tempt the Doc tonight, she asked herself nervously as she pulled the velvet sheath from the closet and held it up in front of her.
There was really only one answer to that.
Hell, yes!!
Giggling at her own silliness, Millie quickly hung the dress on the door and traded the bra she was wearing for one that didn’t have straps. Opting on the silky black matching panty and bra set she had stashed for a special occasion, Millie changed quickly. She wasn’t sure what it was about wearing matching panties and bra that made her feel so naughty. Perhaps it was because she was dressing with half her mind on undressing later…maybe with a certain someone watching…
Her body froze as she realized where her mind had just gone, Millie swallowed hard. What the hell was she contemplating? Sleeping with Doc? She couldn’t do that? Could she? Did he even see her that way? Or was she getting excited for a night of nothing more stimulating than planning his holiday with his family?
Crap, what the hell was wrong with her? This was crazy. She was acting like a crazy woman. Correction, she was acting like a crazy, horny woman. It’s like she was suddenly swimming in and swamped with hormones, and she could think of nothing but jumping on Mack and having her wicked way with him. Or maybe it was just the realization that she hadn’t had sex in… holy hell, she hadn’t had sex in three years! And that sex she’d had three years ago with her ex-husband had been mediocre at best. Good sex was more like six years ago.
Sighing heavily, she hung her head. Maybe she owed her body a good orgasm that wasn’t caused by the battery-operated boyfriend she kept buried in her nightstand. She could have sex without strings, right? She was young. She was hip. She could do the mattress dance with a guy and not get attached to him, couldn’t she?
Whether she could or couldn’t, however, was irrelevant. She definitely shouldn’t be thinking about having sex with Dr. Mackenzie Daniels. He was her employer. More than that, he was a pretty great boss, allowing her to bring Paisley into the office when she had no babysitter and allowing her to have a flexible schedule when things got hairy at home. Bosses like that did not grow on trees. And as much as she enjoyed watching his fantastic body with its toned ass and muscular legs move around the office, that was as far as it could go between them. He was the most decadent of eye candy, but, unfortunately, she was on a permanent man diet. Now, if somebody would just explain that to her whiny vagina, things would be swell.
Standing up beside the bed, she reached for her dress, taking it off the hanger and slipping it over her head. She felt the soft material slide down her body and over her hips. A quick walk to the bathroom off her bedroom to look in the full length mirror hanging on the back of the door confirmed just what she’d hoped. The dress still looked killer on her. Turning from side to side, she looked at her outfit from every angle, trying to find any flaws and thankfully found none.
“Okay,” she whispered, smoothing the velvet material over her hips one last time before pulling up the zipper on the side, “I can do this. It’s just a meal with my boss. My boss who says he’s also my friend. My friend who I’d like to see naked,” she murmured to herself, wincing when she realized what she’d just said. “Oh, God,” she groaned. “I want to fuck my boss. I wanna fuck him hard in bad and dirty, dirty ways,” she whined plaintively to her reflection.
She’d already done her hair. It was nothing complicated, just a simple French twist held steady by a few bobby pins. It was actually a pretty standard hairdo for her. With a five-year-old kid that kept her hopping from dusk ‘til dawn, she sort of had to rely on a simple yet classic style when it came to hair and makeup. Reaching for her favorite tube of lipstick, she quickly put it on and smushed her lips together. A dash of face powder and a quick swipe of the mascara wand later, she was as ready as she was ever gonna be.
Grateful that her parents had said they’d watch Paisley overnight, she wouldn’t have to rush for a change. She could actually take her time at dinner and enjoy Mack’s company without one eye on the clock. “Speaking of clocks,” she muttered out loud as she moved into her living room, clicking off lights along the way. A quick glance at the glowing numbers on the cable box showed it was almost six and she briefly wondered if Doc was going to stand her up. The flash of headlights shining through her living room’s bay window a few seconds later quickly put her mind at ease, and for a couple of moments she was giddy with excitement, almost as if the football captain was picking up the head cheerleader for a date.
“Get ahold of yourself, Mills,” she chided herself sharply as she reached for the remote control on the coffee table to turn off the Christmas carol cd she’d been playing on the stereo. “Mackenzie Daniels is just a man like any other man. You’ve been on dates before, woman; this is nothing special.”
Except even as she said the words, she knew she was lying. This was something special. In fact, special wasn’t a strong enough word. This was extraordinary, and she knew it. Because Mack Daniels didn’t date, or, at least, nobody she knew had ever witnessed him on a date.
And that would make her the first.
“Oh, God! I’ll be the first date he’s gone on since moving to Paradise! And everybody that sees us is gonna know it,” she yelped out loud, her eyes darting toward the door as the doorbell chimed. “Oh, shit! Shit, shit, shit!” she whimpered as she took an involuntary step backward and bumped into the Christmas tree in the corner. “Damn,” she groaned as she stumbled over one of the wrapped presents underneath the tree, “Get a grip, Millicent.”
“Millie?” she heard him call from outside the door. “You okay? I heard you curse.”
Well, crap. It appeared that the man had not only a body made for sinnin’, but the hearing of a bat, too. She was gonna be in for a hell of a night, she could already tell. “I’m fine, Doc” she called back to him. “Just stubbed my toe,” she lied nervously as she hurried toward the door, pasting what she hoped was a believable smile on her lips and opening the door for him. “Hi,” she greeted him brightly, stepping back and motioning him inside her home.
“Wow,” she heard him breathe as she closed the front door behind him. “You look gorgeous, Millie.”
Turning to face him, her forced smile became a genuine one as his compliment warmed her. “Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself,” she replied honestly as her eyes roamed over him. Standing there, dressed in one of his navy suits with his blonde hair slightly mussed, he looked mouthwateringly delicious. And damn it, she wanted to take a big ole bite of him.
“Millie?” Mack called to her. “Millie, did you hear me?”
Blinking rapidly as she recognized the fact that Doc had been speaking to her, she shot him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“I asked about your foot,” he said, nodding down at her bare feet. “Is
your toe okay?”
“Oh! Yes. It’s fine,” Millie returned dismissively. “Just a little stumble over one of the gifts over there,” she added, gesturing at the brightly wrapped Christmas presents under the tree.
“Oh, God,” Mack groaned, staring at the gifts under the tree. “If my family is coming, that means I have to have gifts for them, too, doesn’t it?” he asked, obviously put off by the idea of shopping.
“Well, it is customary to give out presents on Christmas morning,” Millie returned carefully, trying not to grin when her employer made a face, sticking out his tongue and shuddering dramatically. “You’ve never given gifts before?” she asked slowly, watching him closely.
“I gave them money. Or sometimes, gift cards if they told me what store they liked. But actually going into a store and buying some crap that I had to come home and wrap in stupid ass paper? No, I’ve never done that.”
“Well, if you’re going to try to provide a traditional Christmas with you mom and sister, I’m afraid shopping for gifts and wrapping them will be part of the process,” she informed him, choking on her laughter.
“Well, fuck,” Mack muttered, his shoulders sagging. Turning his head, he offered Millie a pitiful look of despair. “I don’t suppose you’d consider…”
Holding up a hand, Millie began to shake her head. “I can NOT do your Christmas shopping for you, Boss. I don’t even know your momma or sister. A gift should come from the heart of the giver. Only you know them well enough to know what they’d like.”
“They’re women. I don’t shop for women. I didn’t even shop for women when I was married to one.”
Millie giggled and shook her head incredulously. “No wonder you’re divorced.”
The Homespun Holiday Page 5
