Texas Christmas Tycoon, page 13
She stood up and they sort of awkwardly hugged. He realized that even though they’d both apologized, there was still something unsettled between them. They needed to talk and he hoped his surprise for the evening would help them. It was his way of showing her that he was the man she needed, even though he wasn’t perfect.
“See ya later,” he said.
“Braden?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for being here and welcoming me home. I haven’t had anyone do that for me—ever.”
If everything went right tonight, she wouldn’t ever come home to an empty house again. He realized then that his gut was right—that he needed to show her that he’d be here. Words weren’t enough, and he finally understood that.
He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. “I haven’t had anyone come home to me, other than my brothers.”
He kissed her, then turned and walked away because he wanted everything to be perfect. “I’ll see you at dusk.”
She nodded and he backed out of her driveway and went to Outlaw Tequila. He took his time going through the room that he had set up for her. He needed this to be something that Lea would never forget, for both of them.
He had never felt anything like this for a woman before and he knew he never would again. Christmas had taken so much from him in the past but this year, it seemed like it had given him back something, a woman to love and the magic of the season.
He intended to celebrate them both.
Chapter Thirteen
Lea didn’t know what to expect from Braden when she arrived at the Christmas tree on Main Street at dusk. She had taken a nap and then took her time getting ready for this evening, wearing a sweater dress and knee-high boots. It was chilly so she’d put on her coat and scarf as well. When she’d come home to him, she knew that things had changed between them. She wanted to believe that her fears were not important, but then he shut down, completely pulling himself back, and she wasn’t sure she knew him at all.
She knew he struggled with his emotions, and having heard about his father and his childhood, she got it. She knew that it was hard to trust feelings like love and caring. Heck, her mom had demonstrated to Lea again and again that those emotions never lasted. But this had felt special from the beginning, that first kiss under the mistletoe, the charming way he’d handled Lane’s confession that he found her hot. How he’d given her back her best friend by sharing memories of Rose. From the first night he’d spent at her house, she’d known that Braden was so much more than his past and his tough, hard-as-nails COO exterior.
She liked the man he was at his core, but she was beginning to think that he might not—that he might prefer the COO to the real man because it was easier to play a role than to be who he really was.
“Sorry about not being here when you arrived,” he said. “Will you come with me to Outlaw Tequila? I have a surprise for you,” he said.
This was what made it hard for her to figure him out. He was quick to shut her off, but he was just as quick to apologize and it was always sincere. “I can’t wait.”
“Good. I’m glad,” he said, taking her hand again and leading her toward the old jail that now served as Outlaw Tequila’s storefront and corporate offices. It was decked out in holiday lights and the garland had empty tequila bottles on it. Their holiday labels had the legendary Delaney bank robber Seamus’s wanted poster wearing a festive Santa cap.
“Do you ever wonder what motived your ancestors?” she asked. “I mean, there were legitimate jobs they could have had.”
“Yeah,” Braden said. “I don’t think about that too much, but I have the feeling that they didn’t like following the rules of society. Seamus was supposed to have had a quick temper and a problem with anyone in authority. He really hated the Highwaters.”
“He’d probably be rolling in his grave if he knew that Finn is engaged to a police officer,” Lea said.
“Yeah, pretty funny, isn’t it?” Braden said. He used his key fob to unlock the door and then led her into the shop. They went to the back where another locked door led up to the corporate offices. He unlocked it and then flicked on the lights, leading the way up the stairs and then down the hall to a closed door. He stopped and turned back toward her. “Um…close your eyes.”
She did it without question.
“Now, give me your hand,” he said.
She did and he tugged on it. She walked forward until he pulled her to a stop. “Okay, you can look.”
She looked around the room. She guessed it must be a conference room during the day, but it had been transformed into a magical landscape with a vast dark sky. Stars flickered above their heads and she noticed that one was bigger and brighter than the others. As she watched, the big star moved forward a tiny bit and she realized he had created the star for her to follow. She noticed he had set up a projector which was generating the star.
“Braden, thank you,” she said.
“You haven’t even gone on your journey yet,” he said.
“I love this. Okay so where do I start?” she asked.
“Here,” he said. “Let me take your coat.”
She handed it to him and he turned away to set it down, then came back to her side. She noticed he’d ditched his coat too. She took a step toward the star where it twinkled and when she got there, she noticed that there was a Tiffany-blue box with a white ribbon around it hanging from the star.
“For me?”
He nodded as she took it. “Should I open it?”
“Yes,” he said.
She carefully unwrapped the box and caught her breath when she saw the charm bracelet. He took it from the box and held it out to her. She noticed it had a gingerbread man on it. She held her wrist out and he put it on.
“I know that day baking cookies with my family wasn’t as smooth as it could have been, but it was when I first realized that I cared for you.”
She blinked thinking of how that day had been crazy and frustrating…and very, very special. “For me too.”
He cleared his throat. “The star is moving.”
She glanced up and noticed that the star was drifting along the sky. She followed it and it led her to a large shipping box. Getting into the moment, she ran over to open it up, but she still couldn’t figure out what the box held until Braden helped her lift it out of the box. It was a three-foot-high replica of her store—a copy of the one on Main Street, decorated for the holidays. “It lights up,” he said, flicking a switch.
It was beautiful and so personal and perfect that she was almost afraid to go any further. She wondered when she’d bared her soul to Braden. She’d been so careful in learning all about Braden that she hadn’t realized he’d been learning her secrets too.
She might not trust her feelings enough to say them out loud, but she could no longer pretend that this was casual. She loved Braden, really loved him. And that scared her. She wasn’t sure that he felt that way about her or that he’d even want to stay with her if he did.
“Thank you,” she said. “This is so sweet and special.”
“Just like you,” he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her.
She put her hands on his shoulders and returned the embrace, holding nothing back because she no longer had any place to hide.
*
Braden had two more surprises for Lea. This was going better than he could have anticipated. He had nearly screwed everything up earlier in front of her shop, but this was better. He’d spent a long time trying to figure out what made her tick. Whenever they weren’t together, she was on his mind.
And he had to admit, it was a welcome distraction from the things that normally dominated his thoughts during the holidays. Lea had made him really start to enjoy everything about the season and that was just the beginning. He knew she was changing him, making him feel like he was finally able to be himself. But at the same time, years of conditioning made it difficult to just let go. But when he had Lea in his arms, that changed. When he held her, he felt like the man he wanted to be.
He had never thought that a woman would make him feel like this. And he knew that no other woman would have. It was only Lea.
He’d had the idea for tonight when she’d told him that she’d never wanted anything for Christmas. Everyone wanted something—it was just that some presents meant too much to the recipient to ever say them out loud. It was like wishes. She was too afraid to say what she wanted because naming those things could make her vulnerable.
But he’d guessed that she wanted to have a Christmas that was special to her. Not the traditions that everyone else had, because Lea’s upbringing hadn’t afforded her that. She did things during the holidays for others and he wanted to do something that was just for her.
And he could only hope that this grand gesture would show her how he felt. Because every time he thought about saying the words to her, he knew he couldn’t. They simply wouldn’t come, and he didn’t want to lose her.
“The star is moving again,” he said.
“Again? You’ve really outdone yourself, Braden,” she said. “No one has ever done anything like this for me.”
“I wanted to show you what you’ve given me,” he said. He’d reached out to some friends who dealt in special effects and they’d come out to Last Stand to rig up this room. He’d told them what he’d wanted, and they made it happen.
“What have I given you?” she asked.
“Hope,” he said. “And maybe a little bit of the Christmas spirit.”
“I think you had that all along, but it was buried beneath the hurt and pain of the past,” she said. “So really I didn’t do anything but put you in touch with it.”
“You did a lot more than that,” he said. “Come on.”
He could tell she wanted to talk some more but he wasn’t ready, so when she moved toward the next flickering star and the present that he had waiting for her, he held back. Was this going to be enough?
This time the box was small and flat, and he and Lane had colored the wrapping. She lifted the box and smiled when she saw it. Lane had been very careful when he’d colored on the paper for Lea.
“This is so cute. I’m going to have to be careful not to tear it.”
She carefully undid the wrapping and then she opened the box. Inside was an ornament that was built around an old television set and he and Lane had recorded themselves singing the “Twelve Days of Christmas” for her. She played it and then blinked as she looked back at him.
“I love this. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. He hadn’t realized how anxious he was for her to open each of her presents. He wanted to make sure she understood what she meant to him. “One more star.”
“I’m so overwhelmed with these gifts,” she said.
“In a good way?” he asked. He hoped it was good. But maybe it was too much. His brothers always said he took things too far, and he had to admit, he did. He’d never been someone who could stop halfway and maybe that was why he’d been reluctant to ever get involved with a woman for longer than a few nights. He was an all or nothing kind of guy. And going all in hadn’t been what he’d wanted…until Lea. He wanted to leave no doubt in her mind that he’d seen the woman she was, and he loved her for it.
“Yes, in a good way,” she said. “Let’s follow the last star.”
She walked further and when she got to the last star, he saw her turn back to him. He’d set up pillows and a blanket on the floor and had the flat-screen TV with a large star on it.
“What is this?”
“Sit down. I found a Spanish film of the Three Wise Men and I thought we could watch it,” he said.
She smiled. He hadn’t wanted to go overboard with expensive gifts, and that was why he’d started with the film. He knew that for a woman like Lea, it was the personal things that mattered.
She turned and threw herself into his arms and he caught her and hugged her tightly to him.
“Thank you for giving me my Magi’s journey and for making it so perfect. I’ve never had a Christmas like this,” she said.
“Me either. Thank you for all you’ve done for me this year. I thought I knew everything about the holidays, but you’ve shown me that there is so much more than just getting through them.”
She snuggled up closer to him, and he let out a relieved breath. Yeah, this was the best Christmas ever.
*
Lea curled next to Braden as the movie ended. He hadn’t watched the movie so much as he’d watched her. The thick pillows that he’d had placed on the floor were very comfortable and the blankets had been cozy and warm. Lea’s perfume was intoxicating, and he remembered how it smelled even stronger between her breasts.
“Thank you for this romantic evening. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a night more,” she said.
Braden was the first to admit that he wasn’t a romantic, but he thought he’d done pretty good for Lea.
“You’re welcome. I wanted to make this Christmas one to remember,” he said.
“You made it very special for me,” she said.
He lifted himself up on one elbow and looked down at her, sliding his hand over the silky fabric of her navy-colored dress, which had shifted during the movie revealing the upper curves of her breasts. He leaned down and dropped a kiss on each of them then looked up at her. He wanted her. She shifted around next to him, her hand running over his chest and down between his legs to stroke his erection.
It felt like it had been years since they’d made love instead of just one day. But he needed her like he’d never needed another woman before. He was rock hard, and his blood was flowing heavy in his veins, making him feel like his skin was too tight. He pushed his hand up under her skirt, feeling her skin, so soft and smooth, and caressed his way up to the top of her thighs.
He felt the humid warmth between her legs and when he cupped her feminine center, she arched underneath him. He pushed the fabric of her skirt out of his way and pulled her panties down her legs, tossing them aside. Then he drew her legs apart and crouched between them. He had been thinking about tasting her all day. He parted her with his thumbs and then ran his tongue against her clit. She arched her hips and her hands fluttered in his hair.
He shifted around and got closer, sucking her delicate flesh into his mouth. Bracing himself on one arm, he fondled her breast through the fabric of her dress and bra. She writhed underneath him as he drove her toward her climax, then grabbed his head and her thighs tightened around him. She arched up into his mouth again and again until she cried his name as she came.
He shifted to her side, undoing his pants and shoving them down far enough so he could free his erection.
Lowering himself over her, he rubbed the tip of his cock against her, moving his hips until the tip of him was just at the entrance to her body. She reached between his legs stroking his shaft and drawing him closer to her. He couldn’t wait another second—he drew back his hips and then drove himself deep inside her. He looked up and when their eyes met, she tangled her hands in his hair and drew him up until their mouths met as well. She sucked his tongue deep into her mouth.
He plunged into her until he couldn’t go any deeper. Finally they both came together, crying each other’s names. He collapsed against her and she held him tightly in her arms. He had never felt anything like this. The sex was good, but it was more than that. His soul felt lighter when he was with her.
He felt like he’d found his soul mate and that scared him. This night had been for her, but he realized as she stroked his back, that it had been for him too. He’d wanted to have someone of his own, someone he could love and care for. And he’d found that in Lea.
“I love you, Braden,” she said. Her words were softly spoken but they echoed loudly in his mind. “And that scares me more than you could ever know.”
He lifted himself on one arm so he could look down at her. “Why does it scare you?”
“Because I don’t know if I love you because this is new and I’ve never met a man like you before or if I really love you,” she said.
He wasn’t sure how to take that. “I care for you too, Lea. I haven’t ever done anything like this before.”
She shifted. “You care for me?”
He nodded. She was shifting underneath him, and he moved off of her, then turned away to clean up with the edge of the blanket and zip his pants up. When he turned back around, she had her panties back on and her skirt tucked around her legs.
“I do care for you.”
“But that’s it?” she asked.
“You just said you weren’t sure that the love you felt for me was real,” he argued.
“I’m not. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you,” she said getting to her feet.
He wasn’t sure what more he could do to show her how he felt. And now that she was hedging on her feelings, did he even want to admit how much he needed her?
“No, you just said you’re not sure those feeling will last,” he said. “I don’t know how to take that. I did this tonight to show you what you mean to me, to help you see how one kiss under the mistletoe changed everything for me.”
“Tonight, you showed me something I never thought I’d find. I need to know that what you showed me is love. Do you love me?”
He stood there his hands shaking. “God, this is harder than I thought it would be.”
“What is?”
“Telling you I love you. I love you so much, Lea. Please know that I never thought I’d find a woman like you.”
She smiled then threw herself into his arms. “I love you too, Braden. And I’ll do my best to stop doubting your love. After all,” she said with a laugh, “I’ve worked hard to land the big, bad COO. He’s not getting away from me anytime soon.”
Epilogue
One Year Later
He had his Christmas playlist blasting out holiday tunes while everyone was chattering. Braden scooped up his nephew and carried him to the big two-seater easy chair that he and Lea had selected especially for moments like this. She came and sat next to him as Lane opened up the book.
