Baby Under the Christmas Tree

by Teresa Carpenter

  He nodded and closed his eyes.

  Elle bit her lip. Poor little guy. Because she couldn’t help herself, she kissed him lightly on the forehead before rising to her feet. She only moved two steps before he popped up.

  “You stay,” Troy demanded.

  “No.” She shook her head. “Daddy’s here. I have to go home now.”

  “Daddy seeping.” His eyes watered and distress tightened his features. “You stay!”

  “It’s okay, sweetie,” she tried to soothe him, “Daddy’s here with you. I have to go to work.”

  “No. You stay.” He threw himself back on the bed and started screaming.

  “Fudge sticks.” Elle hurried back to the bed. “Troy, stop that now. Daddy’s sleeping.”

  The boy turned his back to her and continued to screech at the top of his lungs. Goodness. She’d heard fire trucks less shrill. Elle waited for Max to wake up, but he slept on, obviously out for the count. Unbelievable.

  The kid was turning red. She panicked a little; she couldn’t just let him scream himself to sleep.

  “Troy, enough. Come here.” She lifted him into her arms and rocked him gently. He weighed next to nothing but he was strong. At first he fought her, but after a few minutes he relaxed against her shoulder.

  When she thought he was sleeping, she tried to put him back in the bed. He woke and frantically shook his head, clinging to her. Resigned to staying until he slept peacefully, she carried him down the hall and found his nursery. As soon as she stepped inside, he began to scream.

  She immediately backed out of the room and the screaming stopped.

  “Okay, that’s really getting old,” she told the boy, her nerves frazzled around the edges. “I’m doing my best here. So no more screaming.”

  He patted her cheek, and she knew she was being played by a two-year-old. And then he wrapped his little arms around her neck and whispered, “I miss Donna.”

  His grandmother, not his mother. Any subconscious sympathy for Amber disappeared. Her neglect of her child went way beyond these missing hours and bordered on the criminal.

  The faces of her young niece and nephews rolled across her mind’s eye. She was such a softy when it came to kids she couldn’t just stand by and let Troy suffer.

  Okay, all right; Elle stopped fighting her aggravation with the situation and decided to do everything she could to help Troy. If that meant working with Max, she’d do it. But from what she could see, putting Troy in Max’s care only moved him from one mostly absent parent to another mostly absent parent.

  Troy deserved a happy home with people committed to his emotional and physical welfare.

  Which meant Elle had some hard questions for Max. If he couldn’t give Troy what he needed, maybe they’d have to redirect their efforts.

  Determined to get the kid settled, she made her way to a guest room and lay down with him.

  He immediately slipped from the bed and pulled on her hand. “Daddy.”

  Now he wanted Daddy? Feeling a bit like a yo-yo she allowed him to drag her back to the master suite, where she eyed Max with evil intent. Wake up and take care of your kid already.

  Digging deep for patience and channeling her new resolve, she tucked Troy back into bed beside his father and sat on the edge of the mattress, prepared to wait until the boy fell asleep.

  He smiled at her and pushed the blanket aside. “Night-night.”

  He wanted her to lie down? With him and The Beast? So not a good idea. But she was exhausted and a glance at the clock on the nightstand told her this was her only chance of getting any more rest before work. She set her cell alarm for forty minutes and stretched out on the very edge of the bed.

  Troy scooted close and within minutes his little body went lax in sleep. Elle considered leaving, but couldn’t get her eyes to open. The corner of her mouth twitched. The kid had gotten her into bed on their first meeting.

  And she was in bed with The Beast. Nobody could ever know. Least of all Max.

  It was her last thought before she drifted away.

  * * *

  A kick to the gut woke Max. Instantly alert, he powered up onto his arms and flipped over, ready to fight. A hard lesson learned from his time on the streets.

  But it was only Troy turned sideways in the bed and reaching for more territory. That didn’t surprise him as the memory of last night flooded in.

  Now, seeing the ever-efficient Ms. Austin also sharing his bed, that caused a brow to rise. And other body parts, too.

  Long and lush with a waterfall of vibrant red hair, the woman made him want. Too bad she had the personality of a piranha.

  Had he imagined her in his bed? Hell yeah. Had almost gotten her there last year at the Gala before he came to his senses. He’d love getting tangled up in those long, pretty legs, but getting entangled in a relationship? That was a no-go. And she had picket fence written all over her.

  The idea of a street rat like him with Daddy’s little princess was ludicrous. The sex might be great but he had nothing more to offer her. Money and fame didn’t keep a couple together; he’d seen that often enough in the league. Seriously, what would they talk about?

  What the hell? Since when did he worry about conversation with a woman? Never.

  Which only served to show he was in a weird place.

  He sat up on the side of the bed, scrubbed both hands over his face. And then he looked at Troy. His son.

  Max had been on his own forever. The truth was hockey fit him to a T because he didn’t play well with others. What he contemplated was insane. No, it was beyond insane.

  He was leery of letting a woman into his life. At least he’d know what to do with Elle if he gave in to that insanity. But taking on Troy? He’d barely survived bottles and changing diapers.

  But he’d made up his mind. He was going to bring Troy to live with him.

  Amber had messed up for the last time.

  He glanced at the clock. Saw it was close to six. No doubt Elle would want him to wake her, send her off to work. But the sight of Troy sprawled out sound asleep between them decided him against that course. He wasn’t risking waking the kid.

  But he did need to make plans for more permanent arrangements. The kid had responded to Elle last night, calming from his screaming jag much more quickly than he ever did for Max. That was recommendation enough for him. Reaching for his phone, he stepped out of the room and made a call to the Director of Public Relations.

  Quickly laying out his problem, he asked for Elle’s help for the morning.

  “I need her here,” Ray Dumond stated. “The Jaden issue requires immediate attention. Damn, Max, couldn’t you exert a little control?”

  “I was under perfect control.”

  “You know what I mean. The men listen to you.”

  “Jaden was already buzzing when we got there. He was reminded of the rules. There wasn’t much more I could do except guard his back.”

  “That’s something, I guess. No one was seriously hurt?” Dumond showed concern for the first time.

  “We take a bigger beating on the ice. Ray, I need Elle for a few hours. And then I need your help. I’m going to claim custody of my son.”

  “You already have custody of Troy. You made sure of that as soon as you had confirmation he was yours,” Ray reminded him. “I’ve never understood why you pay that witch when you don’t have to.”

  “Because she’s his mother. Because I don’t know anything ab
out raising a kid. Because I’m always on the road.” Because he’d thought she had to be a better bet than he was, but this latest stunt had proved him wrong.

  This wasn’t the first time she’d left Troy with someone and not bothered to show when she said she would. But it would be the last. He’d warned her what would happen if she left Troy at risk again. Leaving him with a stranger was the last straw.

  “He barely knows me, Ray. It’s my fault,” Max confessed. “I should have tried harder.” Amber had caught him in the oldest trap known to man. And he admitted he’d been resentful. Unfortunately Troy was the one to suffer. But that ended now.

  “Ray, I need help. It doesn’t have to be Elle.” In fact, he preferred almost anyone else. “Maybe that new girl, Jenna, can help me. I have the minimal setup for him here, most of which he’s outgrown. I need to find a nanny. And it won’t take long for the press to get wind of this. You know Amber will make trouble. We need to be prepared.”

  “You’re right about that. It would have been bad if this woman took Troy to the police.” Ray’s knowledge confirmed Elle had already filled him in on the events of the night before. “Okay, I’ll give you someone to help, but you owe me a player event for this, no skipping out on the Gala this year. And I want something from you for the auction. And you were right the first time. Elle is the best one for the job. Let me talk to her.”

  Max stepped back to view Elle asleep in his bed. How perverse of him to take delight in her presence there. And how appalled she’d be if she were awake for this conversation.

  She really was lovely. When she was asleep.

  “She’s lying down with Troy and we just got him to sleep. Can I have her call you later?”

  “Yeah. Listen, I need to know how bad this could get. People expect hockey players to be rough, they’ll forgive a little wildness. As long as no innocents are hurt. Tell me straight, Max, what’s the worst Amber could say? Any kink, any slaps, we need to know now so we can protect you and the team.”

  “Ray, what’s with you and Elle? Is that what you really think of me?”

  “Max.” Ray sounded weary now. “I’ve been around too long not to ask the questions. Be happy I’ll believe what you tell me.”

  “Why does the world care what I do in bed? Why can’t I just play hockey?”

  “You can, but you won’t get eight million dollars for it. Celebrity is a part of the entertainment package you signed on for. Now, do I have anything to worry about?”

  Max bit off a curse and spilled his guts. “Kink is relative, isn’t it? We had a good time but there were no whips and chains, if that’s what you’re asking. And I’ve never hit a woman.” He rubbed a knuckle over one thick eyebrow. “But it doesn’t really matter what I say, because I don’t doubt for a minute she’ll lie to get what she wants.”

  “And she wants Troy?”

  “She doesn’t care about him or she wouldn’t leave him with strangers. She wants the money that comes with him.”

  “Did you get the name of the girl she left him with last night? We need to get a statement from her before Amber can get to her.”

  “Elle got it.”

  “Yes, Elle would. Good. She’ll know how to take care of this. Do what she says. What was that noise?”

  The sound of Max’s teeth grinding together. But beggars couldn’t be choosers, so he unclenched his jaw. “Nothing. Anything else?”

  “Yes. Be nice. I want Elle still to work for the Thunder organization when she’s done helping you.”

  “Very funny.”

  “I’m not making fun.” Ray barked out the words. “I’ve seen the friction between you two, and this is too important to muck up. I expect professionalism from both of you.” There was a pause. “I’ve got another call. Send Elle in as soon as you can.” The line went dead.

  Growling his displeasure with the whole situation, Max returned to the bedroom in time to shut off Elle’s alarm before it woke her or the boy. Max eyed the bed. Troy had moved into Max’s space and Elle had rolled toward the middle. The only space big enough for him was next to her.

  Max could have moved Troy, but where was the fun in that?

  Feeling ornery, he climbed in behind Elle’s lush form and, pulling her to him, laid his head next to hers on the pillow. Her hair tickled his nose and the sweet scent of cherry blossoms filled his senses. For all of a moment he savored how delicious she felt in his arms before sleep knocked him out.

  CHAPTER THREE

  ELLE WOKE UP wrapped in the arms of a man. And he was warm and solid and it felt really, really good. And right, they fitted.

  Disoriented, she opened her eyes and stared into the blue eyes of a toddler sitting next to her in the bed. She blinked, as much to kick-start her brain as to clear her vision.

  And it worked; she remembered the midnight call from the jail and driving Jaden and Max home. Remembered the brunette dropping off a coat that turned out to be Max’s son, Troy. And that’s where her mind tripped up; this must truly be a dream. Or maybe a nightmare, because no way had she actually climbed into bed with Max Beasley.

  Yep, that must be it. A dream. Complete with sensory perception, the baby’s tug on her hair, the whisper of the man’s breath on her neck, the smell of soap and coffee. And the feel of a warm, hard male along the length of her back.

  She closed her eyes and willed herself to wake up, but she couldn’t concentrate with the feel of strong arms holding her close. How long had it been since she’d woken in the arms of a lover? Not since she’d broken it off with Brad, which was—well over a year ago.

  Too long by far.

  “Wake up.” A soft hand patted her cheek. “Mama.”

  Not even close, kid.

  Wait. Coffee?

  “You know, it’s amazing,” drawled a sleep-husky voice. “I can actually feel you thinking. What surprises me is you haven’t jumped up screaming about your virtue. I knew you really liked me, Ellie.”

  Elle stiffened at the first sound of his voice and then she scrambled until she sat up against the black leather headboard. She glared down into eyes much more alert than his voice implied.

  “I thought I might be dreaming,” she declared. He grinned at that. “But I was right the first time. I’m in the middle of a nightmare.”

  “Now tell the truth, Ellie.” His smile never dimmed. “You know you’re crushing on me.”

  Troy crawled up the bed and into Elle’s lap. Without thinking about it she kissed his light curls.

  “I know you’re a sophomoric moron. And my name is Elle.” She eyed the coffee cups steaming on the nightstand behind him and debated with herself whether it was worth reaching over him to get to one.

  As she couldn’t do so without coming into intimate contact with his bare chest, she chose to set Troy next to Max and then scooted to her side of the bed and walked around. It might not be graceful but it was safer.

  Avoiding Max’s smirking gaze, she caught sight of the time.

  “Ten after nine! Shoot, shoot, shoot. How could you let me sleep so long?”

  “Calm down. I just got up myself.”

  “You’ve been up long enough to make coffee.”

  “Coffee doesn’t count. I’m not awake until after I’ve had a cup.”

  Anger roared through Elle. She’d like to argue with him but how could she when she felt the same way? And it was really good coffee, too, which somehow made it worse.

  “It’s still your fault.” She relucta
ntly set the cup down and began looking for her shoes and socks. “You knew I needed to get into the office early today to do damage control for Jaden and you deliberately took advantage of me last night.”

  He lifted one dark eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t take advantage of you last night, or we’d both be in a much better mood this morning.”

  “This is not funny.” She shook a finger at him. “This is my job. You’re golden, but I have to earn my spot every day.” Spying her shoes under the bed, she went down on her knees to grab them and then bent to see if her socks were under there, too.

  “You can stop looking for your shoes and thank me. I called Ray and you’re mine for the day.”

  Elle popped upright and stared at Max. That couldn’t be right.

  “Excuse me, you did what?”

  He propped himself up against the headboard and crossed his arms over his massive, bare chest. “I called Ray and told him I needed your help today. So you’re not late.”

  “I am not going to thank you.” To hide her reaction she continued the search for her socks. This was so not good. What must Ray be thinking? No doubt he believed they were sleeping together. She’d probably arrive at the office to find her desk packed and her keycard revoked. Ray had a strict hands-off-the-players rule.

  “You said you just woke up yet you’ve had time to make coffee and call my boss?”

  Troy clambered into Max’s lap. He flinched and quickly resettled the boy. “Careful of the jewels, kid.” To Elle he said, “I talked to Ray earlier when Troy kicked me awake at seven.”

  “Max, I can’t take a full day to babysit for you. We’re really busy at the office right now. We have the Jaden issue to deal with, the press is all over us about the rivalry series coming up with the L.A. games and the annual players’ Wish upon a Puck benefit for the San Diego Hope Cures Foundation is only three weeks away.” She spotted her socks inside her shoes and rolled onto her butt to pull them on. “I don’t have time for this.”