Christmas Showdown (8 page)

He wanted this—she wanted this.

Something slammed into their legs with nearly
enough force to bowl them over. They looked down at their feet to
discover TJ on his butt, giggling, before he started to roll.

Trey and Kelly burst into laughter. The
heated moment was shattered, but somehow more precious because of
their son’s antics and his happiness.

Kelly stepped out of Trey’s warm embrace. “If
you’ll watch him for a little longer, I’ll slip the sheets in the
dryer and start the comforter.”

“Sure thing.”

As she strolled back into the house, she
heard Trey make a roaring sound and turned to see TJ back on his
feet running from his daddy.

His daddy
.

A wave of emotion rose so quickly it almost
choked her. She never thought she’d be able to say those words.
Standing there, she realized Trey was right. He deserved a chance
and TJ deserved a father. Yet she had to be wise, cautious. Her
choices would affect TJ and he was the most important thing in her
life.

By the time she walked back outside, the sun
had begun to dip in the west, painting streaks of orange, yellow
and fiery red over the horizon as if the sky were a canvas.
Inhaling the serenity, she noticed all had fallen quiet. Pivoting,
she found Trey holding TJ and both watched her with expressions
that made her heart beat faster. TJ’s face held love so tender that
goose bumps raced across her flesh, while his father’s simmered
with lust that made her tense and swallow hard.

Licking her suddenly dry lips, she cleared
her throat. “He’s finally slowed down?”

“Yeah. I think the li’l buckaroo is ready for
a bath, pj’s, and
bed
.”

The emphasis Trey put on his last word made
Kelly’s nipples rasp against her shirt, beading into taut peaks.
Thank God she had her jacket on to hide the effect he had on her.
She licked her lips, this time reminding herself that she had to be
wise and lead with her head not her heart.

“He needs to eat something first. The food is
here. When did you call for it?”

Trey closed the distance between them. “Just
before we came outside.”

TJ jutted his hands to her. “Momma.” She
stepped closer and he crawled into her arms, hugging her neck.
“Eat.”

“Okay, baby. Let’s clean up.”

Trey held the door as they passed through it,
closing it behind him. “I’ll get things set up. Do you want another
beer?”

“Momma.” TJ began squirming. “Eat.”

“Okay. Sure.” She rushed off to the
bathroom.

When she and TJ returned to the kitchen, Trey
had already washed down the high chair and was standing with the
tray in his hand. The table had been set. She had removed TJ’s
jacket in the bathroom, so she slipped him into the high chair and
Trey fastened the tray. Then she slid her arms out of her own coat
and hung it on the back of a seat, along with TJ’s, before she
started to fix him a plate. The minute the food was set before him,
he dug in and she sat down.

Kelly realized that this was the first time
she had actually sat down with another adult and had dinner since
her parents had chosen not to dine with her and TJ. It seemed
strange, but at the same time comfortable. When Trey offered her a
spring roll she took one, tearing it in half and setting part on
TJ’s plate, part on her own.

“I should probably ask what you like to do
for fun?” He dipped his roll in sweet-and-sour sauce and took a
bite before starting on the hefty servings before him.

“Fun? Well, let’s see.” She tapped a finger
against her mouth. “Oh! There’s McDonalds, the playground, the
park, watching Bert and Ernie, and I can’t forget Big Bird.”

“I get the point.” He chuckled, but it held
little humor. “You know we could get Mel, my seventeen-year-old
sister, to babysit. Maybe we could do something together, just the
two of us. You know, to get to know each other better. Maybe a
movie or—” A lo mein noddle slapping him in the forehead cut him
off.

Kelly had to pinch her lips from laughing.
Instead, she turned to her son. “TJ, no.” Gently, but at the same
time firmly, she shook his hand. “We don’t throw food.”

His little lips puckered, his chin trembling.
Alligator tears filled his eyes.

“Please, baby. Eat.” She held up another
noodle and he took it, shoving it into his mouth, the reprimand all
but forgotten.

Trey wiped his forehead with a napkin. “He
has quite a right hand.”

“It’s the age. He’s discovering new things
and I’m trying to stop him from making it a habit.”

He placed a hand over hers. “So what do you
think?”

“About?” Tension climbed up her neck.

“You and me. Getting to know each other
better.”

Easing her hand from beneath his, she inhaled
and then released the breath slowly as she struggled with the
undeniable desire his touch stirred. “Maybe we should keep this
agreement platonic—for TJ.”

“Hmmm. That won’t work for me.” He trapped
her hand again with his. “You see, I’m having a helluva time
keeping my hands off you.”

“Trey—”

“Momma,” TJ whined. His tiny fists rubbed his
eyes. When he lowered his arms, his eyelids drooped, exhaustion
taking hold of him.

Kelly pushed from the table, her chair
scraping the floor as she jumped to her feet. “He needs a bath.”
She started to unfasten the tray and abruptly stopped. “Crap. I
need to put the comforter in the dryer and make his bed.”

Trey got to his feet. “You give him a bath
and I’ll take care of the rest. We’ll continue this conversation
later.”

“What if I don’t want to continue this
conversation?”

He gave her a wicked wink as he strolled off
to the laundry room whistling.

Her fingers felt like they’d turned into
thumbs as she released TJ from the high chair and picked him up.
Quickly she made him a sippy cup of milk. Maybe she’d just take a
bath with TJ and go to bed too. Then she remembered all the gifts
left to wrap.

Kelly knew without a doubt this would be a
very long night.

For the second time in the last thirty
minutes, Trey nursed a paper cut. He had no idea that wrapping
presents was so dangerous, or at least painful. After he made TJ’s
bed, he found several blankets and laid them atop the bed. Then he
went into the living room, built a fire in the hearth, turned the
radio on and gazed around, discouraged, at the stack of gifts. It
would be a while before he got the opportunity to woo Kelly,
because he first needed to get things ready for Christmas.

Trey had just finished wrapping the last
couple of presents he had purchased for Kelly when she stepped into
the room barefoot.

“Is he asleep?” Trey moved the small box he’d
just wrapped aside.

“The minute his head hit the pillow.” She
stood before him, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. “Uh,
Trey.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been remiss in thanking you for all
you’ve done for TJ today—for Christmas. I don’t know if I would
have ever been able to give him what you have in less than a
day.”

“Darlin’, you don’t have to thank me. He’s my
son, too. Besides, it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
And much to his surprise, it had been.

Kelly gazed around the floor where he sat
surrounded by numerous rolls of paper, tape, ribbon and bows of
every color and size. “Where do you want me to start?”

“Why don’t you begin with TJ’s. I put some of
his larger gifts in my closet. I thought we’d set them around the
tree and place a big bow on them, if that’s alright with you?”

“Fine.” She selected a couple of presents and
wrapping supplies before moving a good distance away from him, and
then she took a seat on the floor.

Soft music played in the background as the
fire crackled and popped, emitting a fresh woodsy scent. The
peaceful moment gave Trey a feeling of contentment, reminding him
of his parents. He couldn’t count the number of times he and his
brothers had snuck down the stairs and watched their mother and
father do the same thing Trey and Kelly were doing on Christmas
Eve. The domestic scene only deepened his desire to make things
work between him and Kelly. Within his heart, he knew they could be
a family—a real family.

Judging the size of the paper in his hand, he
chose a small box that held a belt buckle for Lance. “Do you like
to ride?”

“Horses?”

No, me
, slipped into his mind. “Yes.
Horses. We usually take an evening ride on Christmas.”

“I rode a little as a child. A friend gave me
riding lessons.” He watched her fingers work effortlessly on a
package as she spoke. “I guess it’s like riding a bike. Hopefully
it will come back to me.”

Trey took her willingness to participate as a
good sign. “I don’t know if you’d be interested in gardening, but I
have a small one beyond the backyard. Nothing but tomatoes,
cucumbers and zucchini.”

“Really? I love gardening.” A smile curved
her full lips, drawing his attention. “I noticed your flowerbeds
are bare out front and back. If you’d like I could plant winter
flowers. I mean, if you like flowers. I love the feel of soil, the
earthy scent.” Her eyes darkened.

“After the holidays we can go shopping for
whatever you need. The li’l buckaroo and I can help. If he’s
anything like me, he’ll like getting down and dirty.”

Their eyes met and he swore they weren’t
talking about gardening anymore. Then she looked away and started
on another present.

He stood, needing to stretch his legs. “Would
you like another beer?”

“No. I think two is enough for tonight.”

“Afraid I might take advantage of you?”

That’s exactly what she was thinking, judging
by the wariness in her eyes. Moving before her, he extended her a
hand.

“Dance with me.”

“Trey?”

She went quiet again, continuing to stare up
at him. Her innocent beauty was like a beacon calling out to him.
He let his gaze slip lower to the rest of her body, one he had held
close and made love to, but which seemed so utterly different
tonight.

Kelly was the mother of his child, not just a
woman he picked up one wintery night.

What would she think if she knew that he’d
foolishly stopped in Denver on his way to Atlanta last year on the
way to another conference? He’d flown in early. Like an idiot he’d
haunted the honky-tonk where they had met for two nights, hoping to
run into her again, but she never showed. Now he knew why she
hadn’t been there. She’d been home taking care of their child.

“It’s one dance, Kelly. What can it hurt?
It’s Christmas Eve. We should be celebrating.”

His timing was right. When she reached for
his hand, the song switched to a slow, sultry tune. She hesitated,
but he pulled her up and into his arms. The second their bodies
touched, something rolled through him with an impact that stunned
him. His pulse raced, his heart beating out a staccato.

The need for this woman had to be unnatural.
Trey barely knew her, but damn if his feelings didn’t go beyond
anything he’d ever felt for another.

Burying his face into her hair and inhaling
her soft feminine scent, he slid his hand down her back, resting it
in the small hollow and urging her closer. She fit perfectly
against him as they moved together, like they’d danced a million
times before.

The way her svelte figure glided against his
was fire to tinder, sparking the flame inside him. He smoothed his
cheek across hers until he nibbled on her earlobe, blowing a warm
breath into the shell.

Kelly moaned his name. He answered by raining
butterfly kisses down her neck, pleased when she arched into him,
making his mouth dry and his chest constrict so that his breathing
took on a whole different rhythm—taut and labored.

As her body said one thing, her mouth said
another. “We shouldn’t—”

Trey stole her objection with a gentle kiss,
one that cajoled her lips apart as he slipped inside to convince
her he knew what both of them needed. Her mouth was warm, sweet
like honey as he tasted her tentatively. He didn’t want to move too
fast—to scare her.

Taking his time was heaven and hell.

While he stroked her back and smoothed his
palms up and down her arms, allowing her time to get used to his
touch again, he burned for her with a fire that threatened to
consume him. Each kiss set off a series of tingles in his groin
that tightened and tugged at his balls while a roar started in his
head. He pressed his growing erection to her belly because he had
to. He knew the moment she surrendered, her body relaxing into his,
her tongue seeking. His heart thudded against his chest with
anticipation.

“Darlin’,” he whispered before he angled his
head and deepened the kiss.

Another low moan eased from her throat. Her
fingers clutched his t-shirt, her hold growing firmer around
him.

Somewhere along the way his hands had slid
beneath her shirt, the silky skin of her back making his mind spin.
When he moved to cup a breast, she gasped, breaking their
caress.

“Trey, please.”

“Please what, darlin’? Stop?” His fingertips
breached the barrier of her cotton bra, finding a needy nipple that
reacted to his touch, hardening. “Or please more of this?” He
squeezed the bud lightly. “Or maybe this?” He shoved her shirt
upward, leaning down to replace his fingers with his mouth.

Kelly made a small choking sound before she
grasped his head. For a moment he thought she’d push him away.
Instead, she pulled him closer, crying out his name.

“Oh my God,” she groaned.

Trey felt the tremor that snaked through
her.

Sucking harder, he flicked his tongue over
the tip, his teeth adding more pressure.

“Trey!” Shaking, she did push him away this
time. “Wait. Oh God. Wait.” Face flushed, she lolled her head back,
her eyes closing briefly as her mouth parted on a breath.