A baby for Christmas (Season of Romance Book 1) (7 page)

“You have your mum’s name.”

She nodded.

“I’m sorry.”

Belle turned to him her head tilted back
a smile on her face. “What for?”

“For missing out.”

“I never went without, financially or
emotionally…my gran loved me fiercely she was my mum and dad rolled into one. I
had a very happy childhood.”

When he thought about his own parents
and the loss of his dad when he was twelve Ethan understood. However he was
lucky still to have his mom and siblings, he reminded himself how lucky he was
to have the family he did.

“This is how I know that I can do this
on my own. You don’t need to feel responsible. It was just sex.”

Without thought, he bent down and kissed
her. He had meant it to be soft and caring but instead within seconds it was
intense and hungry as a need rippled through him not just sex but something
more intense.

Belle didn’t have a chance to pull back.
A strong hunger rippled through her, the chemistry between them so strong that
she was sure the heat from them would melt the snow around their feet. It was a
kiss so erotic, so explicitly sexual that she had no choice but to wrap her
arms around his neck surrendering to the moment.

“Jesus, Belle—” Ethan moaned the words
against her mouth. Warm breath meeting cold air funnelled around them as they
both sought control. He had one hand wrapped around the back of her neck and
the other on her lower back pressing her close to him.

Belle thought it amazing that he was
more than at least a foot taller than her but their thighs were pressed
together. She was very aware of his hardness and the heat that was emanating
from him. Her fingers grasped at the front of his jacket inadvertently pulling
him closer, wanting more than he was giving.

He walked her so that her back was
against the tree, she would have lost her balance if he hadn’t steadied them
both. His hand rested beside her face against the trunk, and still he kept his
mouth on hers, effortlessly gliding. The moan that was elicited from her chest
only interrupted by her whispering his name.

Her fingers fumbled with the buttons,
one glove on and one off wasn’t enough for her, the need to feel him with both
hands was overwhelming. She slipped off her other glove letting it fall to the
ground. Belle’s fingers sought and found the hard muscle she knew existed. His
scent, the smell of the pine trees around them, drove her further into a haze.
Time no longer meant anything.

She gasped when his cold fingers settled
on her breast. His thumb dragged over her hardened nipple.

 Jesus
.
She barely
registered the sudden cold from the snow that dropped onto their heads from the
branches above. The erotic glide of his tongue against hers made the muscles in
her tummy contract as the heat pooled lower down.

The only sound was the beating of her
heart as it pumped the blood around her body. The silence around them was
almost spiritual; their passion locked inside the cloak of magic that echoed
the love of her parents.

When Ethan slowly lifted his head it was
as if he was caught in a battle between want and willpower. Bella lifted her
lashes, dazed as he looked down at her with eyes that were deep and dark, full
of want and desire. His mouth was unsmiling as he buttoned up her coat before
crouching down to pick up her gloves.

 “So now you have your answer.” He
stepped back away from her.

“Answer?” She could still taste him on
her lips.

“Sex, one night?”

She frowned gazing at him dizzily
wondering in her heart how any man could kiss her like he did, and make her
feel completely brain dead.

He tugged her hand. “Come on its getting
dark.”

Ethan walked at her pace, and she was
glad; it gave her time to reflect. Each and every time he kissed her, Belle
fell just that bit harder. God, it was going to be so difficult to turn him
away. There was no way she could marry this man knowing that he could fall in
love with someone and hate her at the same time

“Stop it.”

“Huh, what?”

“You’re thinking again and I just know
they’re not good thoughts.”

“How do you know that,” she asked hating
the way he was able to do that. What was he a mind reader? Damn!

“Because the look on your face says it
all…you have very expressive eyes, Belle.”

Do I really?

She looked down trying to hide the
windows to her soul. They reached the steps to her home and he turned the
handle, propelling her in with his hand resting on the small of her back.

“Why’d you kiss me, why are you even
still here,” she asked him swivelling around to face him as he closed the door.
Even though she knew that Ethan kissed her like she was the most special person
ever, it was sinful, decadent, yet...gentle.
Caring?

“Seriously, Belle you have to be kidding
me.”

She wrinkled her brow before turning
away from his gaze and unbuttoned her coat, hanging it up with her scarf and
hat before making her way into the kitchen. Belle lifted the nut roast from the
refrigerator to prepare it for tomorrow, setting it on the counter top trying
to ignore Ethan leaning against the doorframe.

“You know a guy could get an inferiority
complex when a girl prefers to be with a nut roast rather than him.”

Belle couldn’t help the smile tugging at
her lips when she swung around to face him. He’d taken off his hat and gloves,
and his hair was tousled as if he’d run his fingers through it a few times. Her
stomach flopped over; how one year could make such a difference in one’s life
was scary. Last Christmas she’d been standing in this very same spot chatting
with her gran helping prepare food for Christmas Day for them both and a couple
of visiting friends..

 Here she was pregnant, alone with
a man in her kitchen whom she’d only known a few days, and yet he was the
father of her child…it was like something out of a novel. Damn, when did life
become so difficult?

Belle crossed her arms. “Very amusing
but at least the roast does as I tell it to.”

“What is it that you would like me to
do, Belle…please tell me because I don’t know.” He came further into the room,
settling his hands on the back of the chair.

Her body tensed. He was right; he had
tried to be what he thought she needed, it was impossible to fault him for
doing that? Ethan was trying to make the best out of a situation they’d both
created. So what was the big deal, he was good looking…gorgeous in fact.
Had
a body that was breathtaking.
So what was the problem? He…he didn’t love
her and that was more important than all of those physical attributes.

He was kind.

He was caring.

“You know, I really need to go and make
sure the fire hasn’t gone out.” She bolted out of the room into the living
room. The fire didn’t really need fuel, that didn’t stop her from bending down
to retrieve a log. Setting the guard aside while she threw a fresh log onto the
burning embers.

The heat from the orange flames was
welcoming and familiar. It was about the only thing at the moment that was. Her
whole life was turning upside down and Belle didn’t know how to stop it. The
tingling of her skin told her that he’d entered the room.

“You have to stop running at some point,
Belle. The problem is not going to go away.”

For a second she stood squeezing her
eyes shut and breathing in before slowly turning around. He’d come into the
room and was standing by the sofa his hands shoved into his jeans pockets.

“I know, I’m sorry you see it as a
problem…but I’ve told you I will work it out you can go home. I will let you
know nearer the time when you can return to see your baby.”

****

Ethan couldn’t believe the words coming
from her mouth. What did he have to do to prove to her that he wasn’t leaving
here without her and their baby? He took the two steps that would place him
right in front of her and took hold of her upper arms.

“Are you kidding me? Really? Damn it,
Belle I’ve fallen for you I thought you’d realised that?” He watched the
shocked expression cross her face. He didn’t care if she didn’t reciprocate his
love; it wasn’t an issue just as long as she knew he cared. That’s all that
counted, and perhaps who knew? She might learn to love him as much as he loved
her.

“You love me?”

He nodded. “Yes.” His voice was hoarse
but he couldn’t help it he’d never felt such strong emotion in his life.

“But we hardly know each other.”

“Honey, I fell in love with you the
moment I saw you in that blue bikini, with those little freckles on your nose,
and the way those beautiful pink lips parted when you said my name.”

“But—” She frowned. “You asked me to
marry you because of the baby?”

“No, I asked you to marry me because I
loved you. I was always going to come looking for you but when I found out you
were expecting our child it was the cherry on top of the cake.”

Belle tilted her head to one side. Her
almost black eyelashes fanned halfway covering her green eyes, but not before
he saw them dance mischievously. “Take me to bed.”

Ethan shook his head as the words
registered, and he remembered the last time he’d seen those eyes do that when
she’d been naked in his arms.

“Did you just say—”

She leaned in using her mouth to stop
him mid-sentence and kissing him hard. No lingering, no smoothness just a
knock-your-socks-off kiss. Heat rushed through him scorching his skin until it
was burning hot.

Her scent enveloped him as her hands
rubbed up and down his back. She tugged him closer until every inch of her was
against him. He could feel the friction from his head to his growing erection,
and to the soles of his feet.

He
wanted
her here right now, right
this very second. They needed to clear up a few things but Ethan just didn’t
have the will power to stop. He turned her around carefully and he walked her
back until her legs hit the edge of the sofa and she sat down. He went down on
his knees and the reality of the baby came crashing around his ears.

 Damn what was he doing?

Her hands were beneath his sweater and
 he let her pull it off when he lifted his arms. She leaned forward
drawing his T-shirt up and the minute her lips touched his skin, he let out a
groan that sounded loud in the room. Her head lifted up to look at him.

Somehow he found the strength say those
words. “Is this okay?”

She frowned.

“The baby.”

Belle smiled, “Oh yes…you have no idea
how horny I feel. It’s quite natural at this point in the pregnancy.”

“Well, isn’t that lucky for me,” he said
mischievously.

“Lucky for us both.” She smiled back at
him her hand curled around the back of his neck drawing his head down and
burying her lips in his neck.

Every cell in his body jumped as their
hands swept over each other. He had his hands beneath her sweater, slipping it
over her head leaving behind a T-shirt. For a moment he stopped and looked at
the bump that was a lot more visible through the thinness of her top.

Her fingers took hold of the hem lifting
it over her head. He traced his finger down from her shoulder to the over
spilling of her breast from her bra.

“The pregnancy has made me bigger
there.” She spoke in a whisper.

“It has and I think I’m going to like you
being pregnant. Gorgeous.” He breathed out the word as he lowered his head
letting his lips drift across the soft skin before peeling back the materiel
and licking her nipple, making it instantly harder. He needed to see all of
her; it wasn’t enough he wanted it all.

“I’ll like it better when we’re both
naked and you’re inside me.”

His head shot up, her expression was so
sexy that the words tumbled out of him as he tried to keep himself together.
“Jesus, Belle I—”

He stood, pulling her into his arms and
lifted her at the waist. She automatically wrapped her legs around him, her
arms surrounding his neck as his mouth crushed hers in a kiss that made his
heart thump in his chest so loudly it deafened him and he buried his face in
her neck.

She’d entered his life and from the
minute he’d seen her, he’d been lost in the wonder of her smile, the greenness
of her mesmerising eyes and the connection between them. No other woman held
the slightest bit of interest to him…only Belle. Never in all the time he’d been
looking for her had he thought he was just doing his duty. It was about finding
her for him, about getting her back where she belonged…in his arms…in his bed.

At first he’d thought it was pathetic
and stupid wanting a woman he’d only seen once. Now he knew differently…he
loved her…

He.

Loved.

Her.

 The hands that had wrapped around
his neck now ran up and down his bare arms making the hairs stand on end from
the friction of her skin on his. He could feel the muscles rippling as her
fingers swept over them.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Not a damn thing…everything is just
perfect.”

He strode out of the room and up the
stairs, pushing her door open. He sat on the bed with Belle straddling his lap.
She cupped his face, her fingers caressing, he could feel the day’s growth rasp
against her soft skin. He immediately parted his lips when her mouth covered
his in a kiss full of desire. Her lips moved against his, the persistent slide
of her tongue teasing as it as it flicked and tempted.

Ethan stood, turning around to draw the
covers back. He gently laid her on the bed before pulling her trousers off
along with her socks letting them drop to the floor. He sucked in a deep breath
as he looked down at her, so beautiful.