The Homespun Holiday

by Sarah O'Rourke

  “Very funny,” he grumbled. “Seriously though, I usually just gave my ex a gift card to whatever fancy ass boutique she was favoring that year. She seemed happy enough with it.”

  “She must have been a very unique woman then,” Millie returned, being careful to keep her voice bland and without judgment.

  “Tiffany was a bitch to the nth degree, babe. She was a money hungry slut that enjoyed my money, but hated most everything else about me. Sadly, I didn’t realize it before I put my gold on her finger.”

  “Ouch.” Millie grimaced, her mind completely missing that he’d just used an endearment. “That’s… harsh.”

  Mack arched an eyebrow at that remark. “Believe me, I could say a lot worse about her, but I try not to use those words in the presence of ladies. You still have warm, fuzzy feelings for your ex, Mills?”

  “Okay, that’s a fair point,” Millie yielded quickly as her lips twisted in a bitter smile. “The nicest thing I can say about my ex-husband is that when he left town, he disappeared from our lives. I haven’t seen or heard from him in three years.”

  “Damn,” Mack murmured. “He doesn’t stay in contact with Paisley?”

  Millie laughed hollowly. “According to him, Paisley is the reason he left.”

  “What the fuck?” Mack growled, his golden brown eyes turning almost black.

  “Yeah, that was sorta my response, too, at the time. Parenthood was a little more responsibility than John could handle. He stuck around for almost the first two years of Paisley’s life before he split. He said he couldn’t handle the pressure of being a parent 24/7. I don’t know exactly what he expected me to say to that,” Millie confided with a sigh. “It wasn’t like I could return Paisley to sender. And even if I could have, she was my baby. I made it real clear very fast that in a choice between him and my daughter, she’d win every time. I think he stayed with us for approximately thirty seconds after I made that statement. Six months later, I was divorced. He hasn’t seen Miss P since he bolted nor has he sent a single child support check. Which, I’ve told myself is okay. That way if he ever comes back, he’ll have to pay the back child support before he’ll be able to see her. And since I know what a cheap bastard my ex-husband is, that should never even be an issue.”

  “Poor kid,” Mack rumbled under his breath as he shook his head in disgust.

  “It’s actually really okay. Paisley doesn’t even remember him. And I’ve been told that you can’t miss what you don’t have. Besides, I’d rather her have no dad than one that treats her as a burden he doesn’t want.”

  “True,” Mack conceded, “But if I ever meet your ex, I’m gonna break my foot off in his ass.”

  Millie laughed. “I don’t think you need to worry too much. Your foot is safe for now. Last I heard, John was drinking his way through Louisiana. He got some kind of job down there and is now remarried. No kids though, thank God.”

  “He sounds like a Grade A idiot,” Mack grumbled. “Just promise me that if he shows back up causing trouble, you’ll let me know. Neither Paisley or you needs that kind of garbage in your lives.”

  Millie nodded slowly. “I promise. It sounds like he and Tiffany would probably get on like gangbusters though, doesn’t it? They both sound like terrible human beings,” Millie pointed out, trying to lighten the mood.

  “That’s because they both are miserable people,” Mack returned without a hint of apology in his voice. “At least you got something awesome from your dick of an ex-husband though. He left you with Paisley. All Tiff left me with was a mountain of credit card debt that I didn’t know about.”

  “You’ve got me there,” Millie agreed easily. “Paisley is the best part of him – even if he doesn’t know it.”

  “Don’t give him all the credit, babe. That kid is your mini-me. She’s cute as hell. Especially when she bats those long eyelashes at ya. The little devil knows that’s how she can get me to cave to just about anything,” he admitted ruefully.

  Millie grinned widely at that tidbit of information. “Don’t feel bad. That’s how she gets me and her grandparents to do her bidding, too. You should know that she’s beyond excited to help you decorate for Christmas tomorrow. But between you and me, I think she’s more excited to see Nugget again. Since she got to play with him this summer, she still talks about him all the time.”

  “I guess getting her a puppy for her Christmas present would be out of the question?” he asked, sounding slightly hopeful.

  “Don’t even joke about that,” she replied hastily, shaking her head in denial. “As much as I’d love to make her happy, I barely have time to keep little Miss P and I organized. I can’t imagine adding a dog into the mix right now. Besides, I thought you didn’t shop for presents,” Millie teased him, hoping to take the sting out of her steadfast refusal.

  “I make exceptions for cute kids and their moms,” he declared with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

  Millie chuckled and rolled her eyes. “If you give me a second, I’ll grab my shoes and be ready to go,” she said, walking to the hall closet where most of her shoes seemed to migrate. She opened the door and scanned the floor for a pair of heels that would work with her dress. Spotting a classic pair of black leather pumps with a three inch heel, she dug them out quickly and shoved her feet into the shoes. “So, where are we going, anyway?” she asked over her shoulder, gratified to find his eyes glued to her ass. It was nice to feel like she still had that special something that kept a man interested.

  “Well, before I saw you in that dress, I was going to take you to the Longhorn. We’ve got reservations for 7:30. Now, I’m not so sure. You… in that dress… looking the way you do right now… it’s a bar fight waiting to happen,” he said, his dark eyes gleaming with masculine interest as he watched her turn to face him. “Damn, you had to go and add those shoes. Now I’m positive there’ll be a fight if I take you out.”

  Millie blushed. “I seriously think you’re overestimating the male sex’s interest in me, Doc.”

  “And I know you’re underestimating your own beauty,” Mack countered evenly, watching as she approached him. When she was in arm’s reach, he moved quickly, capturing her hips and pulling her against him. “I love that there isn’t a conceited bone in your body, but you need to understand exactly how sexy you are, Millicent.”

  Millie gasped as his hands tightened on her waist, tugging at her until she was flush against his hard body, the very stiff proof of his interest in her stabbing into the soft flesh of her abdomen. Looking up into his tense face, she was intrigued by the little muscle jumping in his jaw. It was as if he was barely hanging onto his control.

  “You feel that?” he asked, gently pushing his pelvis against her until she gasped.

  “Y-yes,” she breathed, unable to break away from his hypnotic gaze.

  “That’s what you did, Millie. No one else is here. Just you. You’re gorgeous. Innocent beauty wrapped up in an achingly sexy shell.”

  “I…you don’t need to say things like that to me just to make me feel good,” Millie whispered, as her breath began to pass from her lips in little gusts of air.

  “I don’t lie, Millicent. And you should know by now that I very rarely do anything I don’t want to do. And I never say things that I don’t mean, baby. You’re old enough to be able to recognize when a man’s truly interested. But in case you’ve forgotten, I’ll tell you this much. A man can’t fake a hard-on, darlin’. The one I’m packing right now is all you’re doing.”

  “Oh, boy,” Millie murmured, exhaling a shaky breath just as his firm lips covered her mouth. Startled, she gasped, her lips parting as Mack’s tongue drove forward, plundering her mouth in a deep, wet kiss. And, dear Heavenly Father, could that man kiss! Mack might not have dated for a while, but he still knew his way around a woman’s mouth. He teased her tongue with his, drawing her closer as one of his hands moved to cup her ass. Gripping his shoulders, she nestled her body against his, pressing her mouth harder against his while her nippl
es pebbled behind the silk cups of her bra. Just when she thought her knees would give out on her, he slowly pulled his lips from hers, staring down at her with glittering eyes.

  “I didn’t mean for that to happen,” he declared in a voice roughened by passion, “but, I’ll be damned if I say I’m sorry. I think that might have been the best kiss I think I’ve ever shared with a woman.”

  “I know it’s the best kiss I’ve ever had from a man,” Millie returned breathlessly, silently loving the way he held her closely to him, cradling her neck with one hand while the other continued to squeeze her ass.

  Mack smiled at that. “Good to know. But I’m gonna let you go now and you’re gonna take one step back,” he informed her gently.

  “Why?” Millie asked absently.

  “Because if I don’t, I’m gonna find the nearest flat surface, lay you down, and take something I’m not sure you’re ready to give me yet,” he shared honestly, moving his hand to gently run the back of his fingers over the swell of her cheek.

  “Okay,” Millie affirmed, trembling slightly as he slowly released her. Taking a small step back to put a little distance between them, she inhaled deeply. “I can’t believe we just…”

  “…kissed?” Mack supplied helpfully. “We did. And I won’t be happy if you act like you want me to take it back, Mills. A man does have his pride, you know,” he admonished gently, his gaze soft as he stared into her eyes.

  “I don’t want to take it back; I’m just not sure what it means,” she explained cautiously.

  “Neither do I,” he offered softly. “What I do know is that chemistry like what we have together doesn’t come along very often. You lit up like the fourth of July the moment I put my hands on you, Millicent.”

  “I’m sorry,” she apologized, looking away from him and feeling thoroughly embarrassed. “It’s been a long time since a man has paid me that kind of attention,” she muttered defensively. “I couldn’t help how…”

  “Hey,” Mack interrupted, gently covering her moving lips with the palm of his hand. “That wasn’t a criticism, baby. I loved it. And for the record, you aren’t the only one that got lit up by that kiss. I don’t remember anything ever feeling as good as your mouth under mine.”

  Shocked and bewildered, Millie could only stare dumbly at him. Was he serious right now? He’d felt that electrical current running between them, too. She wasn’t too sure what exactly it was that she’d felt. She only knew that his kiss had left her feeling wildly bereft and completely baffled. It seemed like his lips had burned a permanent imprint onto her body. Yeah, the kiss had been that good. Phenomenal, even. But she had no idea what that meant to him or if it would mean anything at all in the long run to her ongoing relationship with him. In short, her mind and her heart were fighting a vicious battle with each other because while her mind knew that an intimate relationship in the workplace rarely worked out, her heart wanted desperately for her to try and have a successful one.

  “Babe?” Mack called softly, shaking her arm gently to get her attention. Waiting until her eyes had focused on his face again, he chuckled softly. “Stop thinking so hard. There’s steam rising from your ears. Just go grab your coat and purse. Let’s go have a nice dinner and then we’ll go back to my place and talk.”

  “I’m not sure that a stop by your place is such a great idea,” Millie stated worriedly.

  Seeing her dubious gaze settle on him, he grinned again. “Don’t look at me like that. We were going to go by my house so you could get a feel for what decorations I’d need, remember? I’ve got no imminent plans to seduce you. At least, I don’t have any plans for tonight,” Mack amended quickly when Millie opened her mouth to object.

  “Fine,” Millie relented. “But you keep your lips to yourself until we figure out what the hell we’re doing here. Got it?” she asked, pointing her index finger toward his nose.

  “Got it,” he agreed. “But Millie,” he began, waiting until she turned to look at him again before he spoke. “I already know what’s going on with me, babe. I figured it out the second my mouth touched yours. I’m just waiting on you to catch up.”

  Startled by his words, Millie curled one of her hands into a tight fist, the nails of her hand digging into her palm. The small bite of pain assured her that this was no dream. Mackenzie Daniels really was here saying these things to her. She’d really kissed him, and they’d both really enjoyed it.

  “Millie. Get your very firm ass in gear before I decide that I want a tour of your house. Specifically, your bedroom,” he warned gruffly.

  “I’ll just grab my coat and bag,” she agreed quickly, spinning on her heel as she sprinted for her jacket.

  Five: Angels from the Realms of Glory

  Several hours later, Mack let himself back into his own house, and for the first time in a long time, he entered his home smiling. His dog greeted him at the door. Patting Nugget on the head as he tossed his keys in the ceramic dish on the entry table beside the front door, Mack slowly made his way to his favorite recliner.

  Sitting down, he released a long breath as he leaned his head back and focused his stare on the dog sitting at his feet, staring at him with something Mack could have sworn was amusement. “Don’t look at me like that, Nug. So what if I’m falling for her. You try to bite everybody that walks through the door, but you fell in love with Millie the second she came over the threshold. You’ve got no room to judge me,” he admonished his judgmental dog. Grinning while Nugget stretched his massive body out at his feet, Mack silently went back over the last few hours in his mind.

  As far as first dates went (and yeah, he wasn’t going to try fooling himself any longer… this had definitely been a date), this one had, without a doubt, been the best first date he’d ever had. Maybe it was because he’d known Millie for several months and knew they had things in common. Perhaps, it was great because he’d made up his mind to be himself and not try to disguise the gruff, surly asshole he knew he could be. Millie knew what he was like, anyway. She’d have known if he was putting on an act for her, so he didn’t bother. Crazily enough, she seemed to enjoy his company in whatever form it came.

  The bottom line was they’d had a great time together tonight, and it was undeniable that they shared an insanely hot chemistry when they were together. He could still taste her kiss on his lips. Millie’s unique flavor of strawberries and wine was branded on his tongue, and he knew that no matter how many women he kissed, it would be her sweet addictive taste he craved until the day he died.

  “Fuck,” Mack groaned. “I’m waxing poetic like a damn girl with her first crush,” he said out loud, chuckling at his plight as he shook his head in amazement. He couldn’t help how he felt, though. Hell, if he was honest, he was a little relieved that he could feel this way at all. He’d honestly thought that his ex-wife had killed his ability to feel anything beyond the most basic of emotions for anyone.

  Luckily, however, Tiff had only soured him against women. She hadn’t completely ruined him. If she had, he wouldn’t be able to feel this way about Millie.

  Now, he wasn’t a man that would say he believed in love at first sight, insta-love, or any of that other bullshit (he did still have his balls, after all), but he could say – without the worry of losing a single man point - that the way Millie had made him feel tonight was pretty damn close. He’d been seeing her for months around the office, but tonight he’d really seen her. He’d seen all of her. The beauty… the maturity… the shy girl that lurked just behind the eyes of the stunning woman he already knew. And all of it – every single bit – he liked. No, fuck it. He loved.

  God, his sister would have a field day with these budding feelings he was having when she arrived in a little over twenty-four hours. Yeah, his sibling was gonna give him hell. Bree had told him love would creep up on his ass again when he was least expecting it, and damn if the little brat hadn’t been right. Again.

  He gave brief consideration to the idea of trying to hide his changing feelings fo
r Millie from his family, but just as quickly dismissed the notion. Pretending that he didn’t feel anything for her when he very much did would only drive him nuts and potentially alienate her, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. Millie wasn’t a dirty, little secret, and he’d be damned if he treated her like one. No, he’d endure his sister’s endless teasing and “I-told-you-so”s if it meant he could be with the beautiful woman that worked for him.

  He’d wasted enough time trying to ignore the gifts that fate had put right in front of him. He’d spent way too many years wallowing in self-pity, avoiding relationships in a bid to protect his heart from being broken again. He’d shunned romantic entanglements for years because he didn’t want to risk putting his heart back on the line, but when you found a woman… or rather, the right woman, he found that it was easy to throw caution to the wind and take a chance. After spending tonight with Millicent, he knew, unequivocally that she was that woman.

  Tonight, he realized that he was sitting across the table from his future, staring her in the eyes. And instead of being terrified…instead of wanting to bolt… he’d wanted to snatch her up and never let her go.

  It was crazy. It was happening entirely too fast. He was entirely too cynical and jaded for a woman as sweet and kind as Millie, but none of that mattered. Tonight, his heart had recognized its mate, and it wasn’t keen on letting her go – not for a minute or hour or day.

  He reached into his pocket for his phone and dialed her number before he allowed good logic to change his mind. He wanted to hear her voice, dammit. He’d made himself take her home earlier even when both his dick and his heart had screamed at him to make her stay with them. He’d be damned if he deprived himself of this small joy.

  “Hello,” her sweet, sleepy voice greeted him groggily. “Doc?”

  “Hey,” he murmured quietly into the phone, grimacing when he realized that he’d woken her up. Even half-asleep, she sounded sexy as hell. He’d spent the better part of the evening with his tongue in her mouth once they’d gotten back to his place after dinner, and he still wanted more. Shifting uncomfortably, he adjusted his stiffening dick in his pants. “Were you sleeping?”