Baby Under the Christmas Tree

by Teresa Carpenter

  “You do remember I just brought Troy to live with me. You’re the one talking to me about quality time.”

  “You’re a smart guy.” She yawned delicately. “You can handle both.”

  “You think so?” He had to admit her confidence in him felt good. Having her support surprised him. He’d thought she would want him to put his commitment to Troy first. Instead she thought he could do it all.

  He didn’t doubt his ability to lead the team. But it did stretch his comfort zone. On the ice he was totally a part of the team. In the locker room he tended to sit back and observe, then go his own way. If he took this on, he’d have to change his ways. Then again, lately he’d been doing a lot of things he didn’t normally do.

  Like sitting here talking to Elle about his feelings. Had he once wondered what he’d talk to her about? Apparently there was nothing he wouldn’t yammer on to her about.

  Because that bothered him, he took Troy from her and pushed to his feet. Reaching for her hand, he pulled her up, too.

  “It’s bad timing,” he said.

  “It is, but life is rarely convenient. And with that, I have to go.”

  “Wait.” He tightened his hold on her hand. “I heard from Amber.”

  “What?” she said, forgetting to lower her voice. The exclamation caused Troy to stir. His tiny brow wrinkled, displaying his displeasure. Elle rubbed his back and he relaxed.

  “Tell me,” she demanded.

  “She’s back,” he told her, referring to Amber. “She said she’d be waiting for me when I got to my place.”

  “Oh, joy.”

  “Said she wants to pick up Troy.”

  “That’s it? No explanation? No apology?”

  “No. I know her plan. She’ll play dumb, then innocent, and finally she’ll be all repentant.”

  “Quite the repertoire.” Elle gathered her purse, a computer bag and Troy’s backpack.

  “She knows all the tricks.” Max looped the strap of his gear bag over his free shoulder and held the door for her.

  She flipped out the lights. He got another whiff of cherries when she strode by him.

  “Do you ever—” She broke off and, shaking her head, took off down the dim corridor.

  With his longer stride he quickly caught up to her. “I know exactly what I saw in her, and it sure wasn’t mother material. I don’t do relationships.” He hit the down button for the elevator. The doors opened and they stepped inside.

  “How—” She stopped again, eyed him strangely. “You’re the last person I would think of to get caught in a situation like this.”

  “Thanks. I think.” They arrived at the bottom floor and he motioned her ahead of him toward the outside doors. She stepped through then held the door for him. The air fogged with their breaths, and a brisk wind held the smell of the nearby ocean. Elle pulled a blanket from Troy’s backpack and tossed it over the sleeping boy. They both started up the ramp toward team parking.

  “We’d had an important loss,” Max heard himself say. “I’d played badly. Stupid story short, I drank more than usual, she was pretty and more than willing to help me forget. We used condoms, yet she still got pregnant.”

  “I guess it happens.”

  “I’ve never told anyone but Harold this, but I think she wanted to get pregnant, that she sabotaged the condoms.” Where did that come from? He was a regular blabbermouth tonight.

  She froze midstride. He swung around to find an appalled expression on her face and sympathy in her eyes.

  “I’m sorry if that’s true.” She squeezed his arm. “People shouldn’t play with other people’s lives. She deliberately targeted you?”

  He lifted a shoulder, let it drop. “My feeling is that any player would have done. Some people believe I got what I deserved.” He started walking again, but got only a few paces when her hand on his arm stopped him.

  “They’re wrong. Is it a pretty story? No. Is it real? Yes. Regardless, nobody deserves to have their life toyed with.”

  He stared into her earnest gaze. “Thank you for that.” He’d stopped caring what people thought of him a long time ago, but he appreciated her faith in him. “Come home with me.”

  She blinked at him, her pretty brow pulled into a delicate frown. “What?”

  Realizing she was shivering, he took her elbow and led her toward their vehicles.

  “I don’t want her upsetting Troy. Can you follow me and take him to his room, stay with him?”

  “I can take him to my place,” she offered without hesitation. “Keep him for tonight.”

  “No, I want him with me.”

  “Okay, I’ll follow you.” Again no hesitation.

  “Hmm.” He hummed his thanks, tucked her into her car, buckled Troy into his seat and drove home carefully keeping track of Elle in his rearview mirror.

  Predictably, Amber was parked in the middle of the driveway, leaving him and Elle to park on the street.

  He lifted a sleeping Troy into his arms, then met Elle and walked up the drive, deliberately putting her on his side away from Amber.

  “It’s about time,” Amber said, climbing from her car. Moonlight shone off her long blond hair. She wore a tiny black dress and impossibly high heels. Beautiful as always, but it was all on the surface. “It’s been over an hour. You could have hurried knowing I was waiting.”

  Ignoring her, Max continued to the door and slid his key into the lock. Inside, he handed Troy off to Elle. “Thanks.”

  “Hold it.” Amber jumped in front of Elle, her impressive cleavage bouncing. “He’s going with me.”

  Max inserted himself between the women. “No. He’s not. Elle, take him upstairs.”

  She tried to move around them and again Amber shifted, blocking her way. “That’s my son, bitch. You’re not taking him anywhere.”

  Max advanced to tower over her. “Apologize to my friend or this conversation is already over.”

  “Max.” She petted him, pretending affection. “Don’t be that way. I was a bad girl.” She simpered, turning his stomach with her false show of intimacy. “You made me wait—isn’t that punishment enough?”

  “You were inconvenienced a few minutes,” he sneered as he stepped away from her. “What about the people you’ve left waiting for days?” He saw Troy starting to stir and motioned for Elle to go on.

  Amber saw the gesture. She seemed to realize if Troy got away from her now, she’d lose any chance of taking him with her. Smart of her, because she was right.

  “I don’t think so.” She sidestepped, blocking Elle’s exit again. “He’s coming with me. Come to Mama, Troy.” She tried to take the toddler.

  “Stay away.” Elle turned, using her elbow to protect Troy from the other woman.

  “Max, tell your girlfriend to give me my son before I hurt her.”

  “I’m not his—”

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know what’s happening here, Amber,” Max derided, cutting Elle off. Wanting to deflect Amber’s attention from Elle, he gently took Troy. He met Elle’s questioning gaze. “Thanks,” he whispered.

  To Amber he said, “I haven’t heard an apology. It’s time for you to leave.”

  “I’m not leaving without Troy.” She crossed her arms over her chest, plumping up her breasts. It just served to make her look desperate.

  “Mama?” Troy blinked and rubbed his eyes. He made no move toward his mother. His eyes closed over again.

  Elle stepped to his side,
placed her hand on Troy’s back. “If you care anything for him,” she said, “you’ll leave before you upset him.”

  “Bitch.” Amber’s arm swung and her hand connected with Elle’s cheek. “Don’t tell me how to be with my son.” She turned a ferocious glare on Max. “Troy is my son. I won’t give him up without a fight or a big check.”

  Before he could think, before Amber stopped talking, Elle reacted. She stepped forward and grabbed Amber’s hand.

  “You will apologize, now,” Elle said.

  “Go to hell.” Amber tried to pull away and flinched. “Let go.”

  “No.” Her cheek an angry red, Elle smiled for all she was worth. “It’ll only hurt if you struggle. Your son is half-awake, so your little tantrum is over.”

  “Elle.”

  “No, Max.” She never looked at him as she turned with Amber toward the door. “This is between us women. I have four brothers,” she whispered to Amber, “all much bigger and stronger than you, and all have hit their knees when I use this hold. My daddy taught it to me. Now smile so Troy knows everything is okay, and then say you’re sorry.”

  Max should step in, but Elle had things handled, and the way he felt, her approach was much gentler than his would be.

  Amber sent Elle a venomous glare and opened her mouth.

  Elle must not have liked what she saw in Amber’s expression. She smiled sweetly and tightened her grip.

  “Sorry!” Amber gasped. “I’m sorry. And I’m leaving. Let go.”

  “Say bye-bye to Troy,” Elle demanded.

  “’Bye, Troy.” Amber glared at Elle, snatching her hand back when Elle released her at the front door. She barely glanced at Troy, who’d fallen back asleep. “Mama will see you soon.”

  Elle reached for the doorknob and pointedly held the door open wide. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

  Amber stepped over the threshold and turned back, her glance targeting him. “Max,” she implored him.

  The door shut in her face.

  Max advanced on Elle, watched the expressions flicker across her face: satisfaction, chagrin, regret and pain as she touched her cheek.

  He took her hand, kissed the palm. “Are you okay?”

  “I will be.” She attempted a smile, grimaced instead. “I’m sorry if I overstepped myself, but instinct took over. As the only girl in a houseful of boys, I learned to defend myself. And you did tell her to go.”

  “Let me kiss it better.” He lowered his head, gently pressed his mouth to her cheek. “You are so hot.”

  “Ha.” She gave a surprised laugh. “Fool.”

  “Sexy.” He feathered his lips to hers, kissed her softly. “I feel so safe.”

  Laughing out loud, she shook her head. And then he watched in horror as a flood of tears filled her brown eyes. Blinking frantically, she turned away and swiped at her cheeks.

  “Hey, whoa.” He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her back against his chest. “Don’t cry. You’re okay. We’re all okay. Because of you.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m being silly.”

  “She hurt you.” In his house. Impotent rage flowed through his blood. But he held it in check, for her.

  “Yes. No. It’s not that.” Her breath hitched. “Troy.”

  He sighed, glancing down at Troy. He was asleep against Max’s shoulder. His mother’s appearance hadn’t been enough to fully penetrate his sleep.

  “Troy will be fine,” he told her, hoping he spoke the truth. In bringing Elle home with him Max had hoped to spare Troy a nasty scene. Instead it had only made it worse. “If anyone should apologize, it’s me. Or Amber. She’s the one who got violent. You were subtlety in action.”

  “Daddy.” Troy patted Max’s cheek without opening his eyes. “Night-night.”

  At the sound of Troy’s voice she turned in Max’s arms. With a last swipe at her eyes, she focused her attention on the boy.

  “He’s right. Time for him to be in bed.” She glanced at Max through her lashes. “Need help?”

  “I won’t say no.”

  “Mama bye-bye?” Troy asked sleepily. He lifted his head from Max’s shoulder and blinked at him.

  “Yes. Mama went bye-bye,” Max confirmed. He looked into Elle’s brown eyes. “She outstayed her welcome as soon as she insulted you.”

  “Maybe I should go,” she whispered.

  “No.” He wasn’t ready for her to leave. Didn’t want the scene with Amber to be what she left here with.

  Wrapping a hand around the back of her head he held her still and claimed her mouth in a sensual kiss. Her warm response was immediate and erotic. She opened to him, shifted closer, invited him in. He deepened the embrace, enjoying the feel of her, the taste of her, the heat of her.

  Breathing hard he pulled back, pressed his forehead to hers. “Stay.”

  “We shouldn’t,” she denied, passion making her voice husky.

  “Stay anyway.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  STAY. HE SAID IT so easily.

  And oh, he tempted her so.

  Being held tight against his hard, strong body just added to the juice already revving through her system. The encounter with the she-witch had been both appalling and exhilarating.

  The problem was that the mix of passion and adrenaline just served to muddle her thinking. She and Max were supposed to be at odds, downright hostile. But as the week advanced she’d found her emotions changing. Which was totally disconcerting.

  The whole situation left her feeling queasy, like she used to when she was a kid and she felt out of control. But no matter how she tried to organize her feelings, they refused to be categorized into a neat little box.

  At the same time, she’d never felt so alive, so drawn to another person.

  So when he tugged on her fingers, she went.

  “Okay,” she submitted on a rush of desire, “but I’m going on record that this is a very bad idea.”

  He stopped and swooped in for another kiss. “It’ll be worth it. Because I have the feeling being with you will be very, very good.”

  She blinked at him. “Let’s put Troy to bed.”

  He grinned, his dimple flashing rakishly. Her knees melted and, that easily, all reservations vanished. She was so lost.

  Together they got Troy ready for bed: she stripped him down while Max gathered the boy’s pajamas and the nighttime pull-ons Troy used.

  Max took every opportunity to amp her already tingling body. A rub of his hand here, a sniff of her hair there, caging her against the changing table so his body touched hers everywhere. It was distracting, tantalizing, thrilling.

  The boy slept through it all.

  “Can you hurry?” Max whispered against her neck, his breath warm on the exposed skin. Longing shivered down her spine.

  “Behave.” She arched her neck, giving him better access even as she sought something to sidetrack him. “I see you made some changes in here.”

  “Took me a while but I finally converted the crib into a bed. The bedding is what you bought.”

  “And your hockey stuff.” Posters, an old hockey stick and puck, along with a framed jersey decorated the walls. “It looks great.”

  “The jersey is my first with a professional team. The Anaheim Ducks.”

  “I’m sure he loves it.” The jersey was the retro colors of orange, black and gold, which went well with the muted beige and brown, red and blue of the five-sport bedding set she’d picked up while shopping with Michelle.


  “I know I love it when he’s in bed.” He swung Troy into his arms and carried him to the bed.

  She pulled the covers back and Max settled the boy on his pillow. He looked so tiny, so sweet, sleeping in his big-boy bed. She tucked him in and kissed his cheek, then watched as Max did the same.

  When he stood up, she wrapped her arms around his neck, looked into his eyes. “He’s gotten to you, hasn’t he?”

  “He’s cool for a kid.” Hands on her waist he walked her toward the door. “What do you expect, he’s my son.”

  “Softy.”

  “Watch it. I have a reputation to consider.” In the hall he pulled the door closed behind them. Drawing her close he lowered his head and opened his lips over hers. That quickly, her nerves ignited, sending tingles sizzling to her pulse points.

  “Last chance to change your mind,” he said against her mouth. “Once we get to my room, there’s no turning back.”

  He didn’t fool her—all she had to do was say no and he’d stop. She knew that about him. He was a man of honor and strength, of restraint and surprising modesty. He’d fallen for his son, and she was falling for him. Hard.

  She should walk away. That would be the smart thing to do. Safer for her heart and her career. But in this moment all she wanted were his arms around her, his hands and mouth making her feel alive, desired, loved.

  Lifting onto her toes, she buried her fingers in his short, soft hair, holding him in place while she bit his lip then soothed the nip with her tongue.

  He groaned, angled his head to snag her mouth again and deepened the kiss, telling her with his actions how much he wanted her.

  He swung her up into his arms and lifted his head long enough to say, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  In his room he laid her on the bed, followed her down. The weight of him felt so good. She clutched him to her, trailed kisses down his neck, arched into him when his fingers found a sweet spot.

  Humming his approval he stroked her again then worked his hand under her blouse, lifting the garment up and over her head.