Christmas Showdown (6 page)

Would Kelly want the same?

Kelly dreaded that knock on the door.

Never had there been any doubt in her mind
that her baby needed a father, but one who had the power to make
her body melt was dangerous to her heart. And Trey’s kiss last
night had definitely done a job on her. She hadn’t slept a wink all
night. Tossing and turning, she’d wondered if her decision was
right for TJ, as well as for herself.

She glanced down at the little man holding on
to the coffee table as he wiped every single toy on to the floor,
laughing at what he’d done. As fast as she had packed his things,
he had unpacked them. Yet it was no big deal. He didn’t have that
much anyway.

Another knock rapped on the door, this one
louder, more impatient.

God. Kelly hoped she knew what she was doing.
Then she looked around and decided anything would be better than
this place, at least for the time being. As she pushed against the
couch to rise, something popped. That’s all she needed was another
broken spring.

“Kelly?” Trey’s deep, stirring voice bled
through as the door shook beneath his pounding.

“Hold your horses. I’m coming.” She took a
calming breath before she jerked the door open. “What?” Crap. The
man looked sexy in that black leather jacket and he smelled
heavenly. Soap. Aftershave. Something earthy. The irritating
thought made her edgy. “Did you think I’d skipped out last
night?”

His warm breath made puffs of white against
the cold air as he spoke. “No. I saw your car.”

Then he swept his gaze over her body, leaving
her feeling as if he had mentally stripped her naked. Her grip on
the doorknob tightened as her nipples hardened, and she didn’t
think it was the weather’s fault.

Dammit
.

“Then what’s the rush?” she managed to
say.

“Darlin’, if it hasn’t escaped you, it’s cold
out here.” He cupped her face with icy hands and she stepped back,
releasing his hold.

“Well, if you hadn’t wanted to start moving
at the butt-crack of dawn it wouldn’t be so cold.” In reality, TJ
always woke up around six or six thirty, so it hadn’t been a
hardship.

“Kelly,” he growled her name. “Can I come
inside or not?”

Not
was on the tip of her tongue, but
she moved further within.

The second he saw TJ, he went to him and
swung him up into his arms. “How’s my li’l buckaroo this
morning?”

TJ giggled in response while Kelly slammed
the door against the chilly morning.

“Momma seems to be out of sorts today. Did
you keep her up last night?”

No
. TJ had slept peacefully. Kelly
hadn’t, because each time she closed her eyes, she felt his lips on
hers, and then her mind soared a mile a minute in places better not
visited. Or she faced a gun in her face. The image still made her
sick to her stomach.

Trey tickled TJ’s belly where his shirt had
risen baring a span of baby fat. TJ batted the cold fingers away.
“How is he?”

“He’s fine. I’ve learned that children can
spring back almost as quickly as they can come down with
something.”

Trey set TJ down on the floor and his sexy
gaze locked with hers. “Where do you want to start?”

She turned away from his mesmerizing stare
and started to pick up the toys scattered about. “The two bags in
the kitchen and these things will be all I’m taking. Unless we’ll
need bedroom furniture or linen?”

“I’ve got that covered.”

Retrieving the last of TJ’s things, she
tossed them in the box. Finally she gathered up his sparse
Christmas gifts and placed them atop the toys.

“Then we’re good,” she said.

“Just these two bags and this box?” he
asked.

“Yes, Trey. Our entire lives fit in two
suitcases and a box.” A flush of heat spread across her face, neck
and upper chest, setting off a flutter of wings in her stomach.
“Unless you want to take this couch that just lost another spring,
or a mismatched mattress set that has seen better days.” She
paused, compressing her lips against the wall of tears that
threatened. When she was in control again, she raised her tired
gaze to meet his again. “I’m sorry. It appears I’m having
difficulties with this arrangement. I don’t see how it will work
and I don’t want to confuse TJ.”

“It won’t if you don’t give it a try. Kelly,
I don’t have all the answers, but it’s Christmas Eve. I want to
spend the holidays with my son. Let’s get some breakfast.
Afterwards we’ll go shopping. I could use your help on what to get
my family. Then we’ll head home and the two of you can settle in.
Okay?”

“We need to talk and set the ground rules,
because I can’t—”

Trey pressed a finger to her mouth. “Later.
For the next couple of days let’s enjoy ourselves. Get to know each
other without making everything complicated.”

“But it is complicated,” she muttered behind
his finger.

Shaking his head, he dropped his hand to his
side. “Man, you’re stubborn. I didn’t know that about you.”

Kelly lowered her brows slightly before she
flicked a lock of her hair. “Redhead. Should have been a dead
giveaway.”

The deepest, most sensual laugh she had ever
heard burst from his mouth. “Yeah. It should have. Now bundle that
boy up and let’s get going.”

After donning her own coat, Kelly took
careful measures to ensure TJ’s ears were covered as they stepped
outside. The clean, crisp smell of a new day stroked her senses.
Clouds dotted the blue sky, the sun giving off a promise of warmth
later on.

The desert area of Arizona was amazing.
During this season the days were usually in the seventies, but it
was just as likely that the weather could reach the low eighties or
dip down into the fifties. The reason she had chosen this part of
the country was its dryness. A change from the snow and ice Denver
offered.

As she fought with the latch of the car seat,
Trey came over to assist her. “Looks like perhaps we need a new
one. Two. One for each of our vehicles.”

Kelly didn’t say anything because he was
right. Instead, she looked over at her car. “Maybe I should follow
you.”

“We’ll come back after Christmas and get
it.”

She turned to cast a sideways glance at him.
“This wouldn’t be a ploy to take away my ability to leave when I
want?”

He shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.” She didn’t
miss the gleam in his eyes as he held the door. Then he jerked his
head. “Get in.” When she did, he slammed it shut.

As he passed in front of the vehicle, she
watched him move with an air of confidence and strength. He truly
was a handsome man. A man who she knew could make her tingle like
no one had ever done before. By the time he climbed in, the first
seeds of arousal were firmly planted in her head. She turned away
from his gaze, not wanting him to see how he affected her.

The truck roared to life, jerking when he
shifted into gear. Pulling away from her home, she knew agreeing to
move in with him was a bad idea. It didn’t help that she hadn’t
slept with a man since her encounter with Trey two years ago.

Who had time? She certainly hadn’t.

Once she discovered she was pregnant and
began to show, her friends had started to dwindle. After TJ was
born, her life had revolved around him. So the last memory of being
with a man had been with Trey. How he had held her, kissed her,
made every inch of her body sing with pleasure.

“Any place you’d prefer to eat?” he
asked.

Unexpectedly, her mind went south and she
wondered what he would taste like? What it would feel like if he
went down on her? Moisture dampened her panties and she pinched her
legs together. She had to stop thinking like this.

“Kelly?”

“Uh?” She chanced a glance back at him.

He smiled, his eyes glued to the road before
him. “Breakfast?”

“Any place is fine with me.”

Trey slid his gaze once more to her. “Did you
know you get wrinkles in your forehead when you think too
hard?”

“I do not.” Reaching up, she felt several
ridges in her forehead.
Dammit
. He was right.

“See,” he chuckled. “You know you might be
more comfortable if you lean back and take it easy.”

Yeah. Easy for you to say—not so easy for
me to do
.

As Trey pulled his truck into the parking lot
of the restaurant, he wished Kelly could just relax, but clearly
she was strung as tight as a fiddler’s bow. Getting out, he moved
quickly to open her door and then TJ’s, peeling his son out of the
car seat. The boy had been good during the drive, but now he
reached for Trey’s hat, pulling the brim down.

Reaching out her arms, Kelly stepped forward.
“I’ll take him.”

“He’s okay.” Trey guided TJ’s hand down. “No,
li’l buckaroo. That’s Daddy’s hat.” Resting his son on his hip, he
bent into the truck, pulled out a box and flipped the top off.
“This is your hat.” He seated the small black felt hat on the boy’s
head, pleased to see he had guessed the right size.

“When did you buy that?”

“I had a little trouble sleeping last night.
Drove around some and discovered a lot of stores were open until
midnight for Christmas, including the Western wear store. Got there
just before the doors closed. I bought the little guy some boots,
jeans and a shirt, too.”

TJ tugged at the hat until he had it off and
in his hands. He stared at it curiously, and then at Trey’s,
fussing when he couldn’t get it back on his head. Trey helped him
and together they walked into the restaurant.

Even though it was early, the place was
packed. Christmastime brought people out in droves. Of course, it
was the last day of shopping, so Trey wasn’t the only one waiting
until the last minute. Then again, he did pick up a few items, like
the hat, last night after he left his parents’ house.

Two large parties were waiting to be seated,
so when a smaller table opened up their name was called.

“We’ll need a high chair,” Kelly said to the
hostess.

By the time she had removed TJ’s coat and hat
the woman had returned with a high chair. The young brunette
removed the tray and Kelly placed TJ in the seat.

With the tray in place, TJ banged on the
surface until Kelly grabbed his hand. “No. We don’t pound on the
tray.”

“I noticed you didn’t have one of these
things at your condominium. Maybe we should pick one up.”

Kelly released a heavy sigh and took a seat
in the booth across from him. But he saw her eyes grow weary, her
cheeks redden before she shoved the menu in front of her face.

Shit
. He’d made her feel inadequate
again. Chastising himself, he decided on a different approach. “You
know what would be fun?”

She lowered the menu just enough that he
could see her eyes. “What?”

“The things in the guest bedroom aren’t age
appropriate for this li’l buckaroo. Why don’t we hit a furniture
store and pick out all new things? I don’t have the slightest idea
what to get and you will.”

Setting the menu on the table, she turned her
attention to him. “I thought he’d sleep with me. I mean—”

“Come on, Momma,” Trey groaned playfully. “TJ
needs a big-boy room of his own. Someplace he can play and
roughhouse. What do you say?”

Finally she smiled. It was the first one
today. “You’ll spoil him.” Love beamed as she looked at their
son.

“I won’t be the only one. Wait until my
family gets a hold of him.”

“Trey.” She frowned and he felt the air
between them tense. “I’ve been meaning to speak to you about that.
Perhaps we shouldn’t say anything to anyone until we’re sure this
will work. TJ and I can stay at your house tomorrow, while you
go—”

“Too late. Mom said she expects us no later
than ten tomorrow morning for brunch. Everyone wants to meet you
and TJ.” The waitress walked up at that moment with a pot of coffee
and he nodded. “What sounds good to you?” He picked up the cup and
blew the steam off the top.

After the waitress took their order, they
settled in, listening to the hustle and bustle around them.
Children’s squeals of delights and some crying rose above the
Christmas music playing softly overhead. Bulbs hung from the
ceiling along with silver garland, while strings of twinkling
lights lined the countertops. The festive feeling seeped beneath
his skin and he began to hum along with “The Little Drummer Boy”
tune, as he tapped on the tray to get TJ’s attention.

When Kelly’s gaze met his, he wagged his
brows. “’Tis the season.”

Damn. The woman was beautiful.

Today she wore another lightweight sweater
and jeans that molded her ass like a second skin. The pair of brown
boots on her feet looked as if they had been recently buffed into a
shine. Her flowing waves of red hair had been tamed in a ponytail,
while her beautiful green eyes appeared laden with the weight of
the world.

Not that Trey was a cynic, but most women he
dated wanted something from a man, whether it was pretty gifts,
financial security or a relationship. Kelly didn’t want any of
those things from him, which was probably the reason she brought
out the protective side of him. He noted that TJ’s coat appeared
relatively new, while her own was clean, but worn. Well, he’d
rectify that today.

TJ gnawed on a sausage link, his small
fingers holding on to it with a death grip. His mother pushed her
eggs around the plate, nibbling occasionally on a piece of dry
toast. Trey, on the other hand, found that his appetite was in good
spirits as he cleaned his plate.

Finishing off his coffee, he set the cup
down. “What do you say we hit the furniture store first?” He stood,
slipping on his coat while Kelly attempted to wipe the grease off
TJ’s hands. When the tray was removed, Trey swore more food lay
upon the floor than in the kid’s belly. He’d forgotten how messy
children were. Paying the bill, he left a larger tip then usual.
Kelly and TJ were already at the truck when he walked out of the
restaurant. In no time they were off.