The Christmas Groom

by Taylor Hart

  “Well.” She breathed, not opening the door yet. “This was …” A smile filled her face. “It was awesome. Thank you.”

  Every part of him wanted so much more.

  “Timing.” She offered.

  He narrowed his eyes. “What?”

  She shrugged. “Sometimes, I don’t think I’ve ever had great timing in my life. Grandfather always told me not to say stuff like that because it made it come true, but even with my injury, I just felt like I could have won gold, ya know? If I’d had more time. It’s almost like I never got in sync with it.”

  He hesitated. “I don’t believe in perfect timing or getting in sync. I believe in right now. You act when you have to act. There’s no time like now.”

  Her eyes were locked with his. “Fast track?”

  The air thickened between them. Every part of Nathan wanted to take this woman into his arms. He didn’t know what to say, so he got out and ran around to open her door for her.

  Climbing out, she nervously gave him a half smile. “I can’t believe I told you all of that. I’m sorry.”

  Unable to resist any longer, he took her by the waist and pulled her in. Part of him knew this wasn’t fair to him or her, but the other part of him was thinking this might be his only chance. He tugged her closer, searching her eyes. “I’d like to be on the slow track with you, but I think the here and now is the only one offered. Don’t ever apologize for tonight, okay?”

  She blinked but didn’t pull away. “Okay.”

  Then he dipped his head to kiss her, and to his surprise and delight, she kissed him back. Everything stood still—the cold, the moonlight, the air around them. He felt like he was skiing again. Flying down the mountain. Caught up in the rush of soaring. The joy of gliding over crisp snow under a blue sky.

  This woman was pure, simple freedom. He could feel it.

  She pulled back, smiling. “If you still want to soak in the hot tub, you can. I have one here.”

  Chapter 9

  What had she just done? Storm tried to calm herself as Nathan nodded, letting her go but studying her face. “Are you sure?” he asked.

  It seemed like he was asking another question, and she shook her head. “If you’re wanting …” She couldn’t even say it. It would show what kind of a naïve girl she really was compared to the ones he was probably used to. “If you’re wanting that. I mean, I can’t. I’m not that kind of fast track girl.”

  His eyebrows went up, and it looked like he would ask another question. Then he put his hands up as if to surrender and moved back around his car. “I wasn’t asking for that.” He grinned. “Let me turn the car off, and we’ll go soak. Only soak.” He clarified, probably more loudly than was necessary.

  Now she’d done it. Without waiting for him, she moved toward the house, taking the steps two at a time. Nervous. Jittery. Why had she done that?

  Well, she knew what she’d been thinking. She didn’t want this date to be over. Gingerly, she bent over and picked up the frozen ground mat, having to stand and kick it first to unfreeze it before finding the key.

  Something had happened tonight. Something different. Something that had never happened to her before she’d lost herself.

  Grandfather had teased her so many times about this. He’d always said there would be a time when she wouldn’t be able to keep her wits about her when the right man was near her.

  She’d lied when she’d been in high school and had pretended not to understand him. Back then, she’d told him she wasn’t crazy about Sky. The truth was he hadn’t been crazy about her. She hadn’t had any other serious crushes to compare those feelings to.

  Now, as her hand trembled, she wondered if this was the kind of falling in love her grandfather had meant. He’d always said, “When a man is crazy for you, you’ll feel it. A man will move mountains for you. He’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy. But the thing about it is, both of you will be nervous, startled, taken completely unawares.”

  Sky was selfish, her grandfather had always told her. Grandfather had always said Sky would break her heart one day. And he had.

  Honestly, she still hadn’t forgiven Sky for what he had done. Just thinking of it ticked her off, and none of the help he’d given her over the past couple of months had made up for it.

  The truth was that she was marrying him because it’d always been the plan to marry him. Yes, she did think he loved her, in his own limited way. In a way that she sometimes felt only mattered because she’d known him forever. Still, she wondered what would happen if someone else came along and caught his eye. Would history repeat itself? Would he cheat on her after they were married?

  Jiggling the key in the lock, she swore. Thinking about Sky and tonight and …

  Why had she invited Nathan for a soak in the hot tub? She was getting married, for heaven’s sake.

  “Do you need help with that?”

  Just as he spoke the words, the door opened. All the strength she’d applied to it propelled her through the open space with forceful momentum.

  Without warning, two strong hands were on her shoulders, holding her firmly in place. “Whoa there.” He pulled her up.

  Even though there was a thick layer of coats and gloves between them, there was an electricity, a chemistry, like she’d never felt before.

  Turning, she stared into his eyes and wanted to kiss him again. It was powerful, this want. Nothing like she’d ever felt so quickly for a man before. “I’m okay.” She pushed out of his grasp and regretted inviting him in. This was asking for trouble.

  Trying to steady herself, she switched on the light switch and tugged off her gloves then bent to take off her boots. She knew her face was burning red. “Go ahead and take off your winter stuff. I’ll grab you a swimsuit, and you can change in the bathroom.”

  Twenty minutes later, they were situated in the hot tub, and she regretted asking him to come even more. Regretted it so badly she wished she could take the invitation back.

  All she could think about since he came out of the bathroom in the old red, white, and blue swimsuit that Grandpa kept around was how amazing he looked. It was also refreshing to see him a bit embarrassed about being so pale-skinned, which made her feel less self-conscious.

  They sat opposite of each other, the only light coming from the moon. After they’d adjusted to the water, he asked, “So are you regretting asking me to stay for a soak?”

  She wondered at his uncanny ability to read her mind. “How do you do that?”

  Shrugging, he leaned deeper into the hot tub. “So you were?”

  “No.” She playfully splashed him. “How do you do that?”

  He grinned. “You know my political background is all about reading people. I could sense the instant you invited me to stay you kind of regretted it.”

  “Yet you stayed.” She found it half-amusing and half-annoying. If he could tell, why was he here?

  “Well, I didn’t say I wasn’t out for my own self-interest.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He gave her a sharp look, but his voice was soft. “I’m pretty sure I haven’t felt this way about a woman in a long time. Then I find out you’re getting married in three days, but it’s obvious you’re doubting your decision, yet you have all this land tied to it.” He grinned wider. “This is the makings of an interesting adventure, so I guess I’ll play my part as the ‘friend,’” he said, making air quotes, “in this movie.”

  Warmth spread through her. She scoffed, thinking about what he’d said earlier about the “friend” and how they sneak in and steal the girl. “Pretty sure my life is too messed up for any ‘friend’ to mess it up.”

  “Do you want someone to mess it up?”

  She considered the idea. “Oh, wait, are you saying you’ll marry me?” She couldn’t help laughing. When he didn’t laugh, the awkwardness resurfaced, and she found her heart beating wildly out of control.

  “I wasn’t saying that, so relax.” He put up a hand. “However, I
did mention I’m an attorney. I happen to work at a large law firm, and I have a guy that does land transactions all the time.”

  “Really? So you think he can help me get out of this whole mess with the land trust?”

  He looked doubtful. “I’m thinking maybe. I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

  Since her hopes already were up, they sank at doubt. “I couldn’t afford much, but I could be on a payment plan for later.”

  He shook his head. “I think this one’s on me.”

  Not knowing what she should do now, she followed his lead and relaxed in the warm water. “Oh no, no way. I mean, I really appreciate that, but I couldn’t let you do it. We’d have to work out a payment plan or my firstborn child or something,” she said facetiously, feeling much lighter than she had in days. If she could get out of this whole situation, it would mean so much. “Oh my gosh, this could be the best Christmas ever.”

  He closed his eyes. “‘The best Christmas ever.’ It sounds like one of those cheesy hallmark movies women watch.”

  She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Right, ’cause I can tell you don’t know anything about them if you mention them.”

  He looked away. “Well, I did date a woman around Christmas once, and she was a complete addict. Wouldn’t quit watching the twenty-five-day countdown or something.”

  She pointed at him, as if she could read his thoughts. “You watched them too.”

  “No,” he said quickly.

  “Yes.” She laughed. “Admit it. You’re a hopeless Christmas movie guy.”

  He sputtered and said wistfully, “It’s not girly to watch Christmas movies.”

  She splashed him. “You totally just proved my point.” Curious, she shifted topics. “So tell me about the women you’ve dated.”

  He blatantly averted his gaze to the bubbles in the hot tub. “Um, what do you want to know?”

  It hit her hard to realize that yes, he was that kind of guy. Probably not waiting until marriage. She felt her cheeks burn. “Never mind.”

  “No way, Goodman. What do you want to know?”

  Trying to resist, but curiosity winning out, she stared at him. “Why aren’t you married?”

  Their eyes held for a few seconds, and she got lost in the deep blue of his. Her stomach fluttered. He let out a sigh. “Okay, I’ve dated quite a bit. I kind of had to have a date to a few functions now and again.”

  “Arm candy.” She blurted.

  He narrowed his eyes.

  “You needed someone pretty. That’s who’ve you’ve dated your whole life, isn’t it?” She knew she was right. Maybe this was how he felt when he pulled thoughts out of her head. “You’ve dated women for how they looked and who they were connected to.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You make it sound like they didn’t date me for the same reason.”

  Incredulous, she stood. “I can’t do this.” Anger pulsed through her. She thought about everyone who’d cut her loose when she couldn’t compete in the Olympics any longer. “You’re one of those ‘drop you’ types. The kind of guy who drops you the minute you’re not ‘the perfect woman.’”

  His eyes narrowed. “I’m not Sky, okay?”

  His words ticked her off, but she didn’t move.

  “Just sit.”

  She still didn’t move, heaving in a breath.

  “Sit. Please.”

  She felt foolish because she didn’t really want to get out.

  “Please.”

  She sat with a splash. “You may be in denial, but you are one of those types.”

  Nathan let out a long breath. “I don’t drop women.” He looked away. “Fine, since we seem to be doing this and I don’t know why I’m telling you, I had one girl I dated for almost two years during my first and second years of law school at Harvard. She, Clarissa, was more of a free spirit. Art major. Had to come to school based solely on her talent and hard work. She was good. Great even. She wanted to just get married. Out of the blue.”

  “But you didn’t?” Her heart was racing, and she didn’t know why.

  He pressed his lips together. “It wasn’t that I didn’t. I just had a plan that didn’t include marriage until after law school. After a few years of putting in my dues and then being financially stable. My father didn’t just give me all his money. I had to work, and then I took what I earned and reinvested, bought more companies. It hasn’t been easy.”

  She watched him. “Commitment-phobe.”

  He frowned. “Excuse me?”

  “You’re afraid to commit. My guess is you’ve had a million of the right girls right at your doorstep, but you were afraid.”

  “Uh, no.” He tucked his head to the side. “That’s completely wrong.” But by the lilt of his voice, she knew it was true.

  “Did your parents have a good marriage?”

  He looked away from her. “I don’t know why that’s relevant.”

  “Did they?” She pressed, unsure why she wanted an answer so badly.

  A long moment of silence passed before he said, “I think so. I … it was hard on my mom, the things my dad wanted. Being in the public eye. But I think they were happy. What do you think, Ms. Psychologist?”

  She thought about how he’d been raised. Obviously his father was a big part of his life. “Your father didn’t want you to get married.”

  Sharply, he looked up at her. “How did you know that?”

  Satisfaction wove through her. Not necessarily because she was right, but because she could do it to him too. “I didn’t know until now.”

  Nathan sat up straighter in the hot tub. “I guess that was part of it. Yes, looking back, I regret I made that decision because of what my father thought.”

  “And you feel like you lost the one you loved.”

  Hesitating for a minute, he put his head to the side. “Maybe a bit.”

  It was strange to understand someone like him—someone from wealth and Harvard. Their lives were completely different, but with this latest information, they no longer felt so different.

  “My father was a good man, but he was intimidating. He got what he wanted. Looking back, I probably should have lived my own life, done my own thing.” He sighed. “Part of me admired my brother for doing that—just walking away.”

  “But you couldn’t?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not going to lie. Part of me was afraid of striking out on my own. Part of me liked having the Pennington name.”

  It was funny to her that she actually understood.

  “What?”

  Storm schooled her expression. “Nothing.”

  He paused. “You could do it.”

  “What?”

  “Walk away.”

  She held his gaze. “Uh, no. I have people counting on me. I have all this land. I—”

  “It’s your life.”

  Not liking the intensity of his words, she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “You don’t understand.”

  “I do. You tell me I’m in denial, but I think you are.”

  “I’m in denial?” She scoffed. “See, that proves you don’t understand anything. If you did, you wouldn’t be saying that.” But it left her uneasy to realize she hadn’t thought of walking away. Could she really do that?

  Neither of them spoke for several moments. Steam wafted around them.

  When she flashed open her eyes, he was still staring at her. “I have a fiancé,” she insisted, trying to remind herself.

  He shrugged. “Why are you marrying Sky?”

  The only thing she could do was tell the truth. “I don’t know. I guess when Sky cheated on me, it was a fulfilling of one of Grandfather’s prophecies—that he would break my heart. Grandfather never trusted Sky, but it almost made me saddest that Grandfather had been right. Does that sound stupid?”

  “No.” He looked sad. “Everyone has demons.”

  She nodded. “It’s like I can’t decide if I feel more sad because Sky cheated on me or if I haven’t been able to so
rt out my feelings in regards to what Grandfather said. Now, knowing what he did, it’s like he didn’t trust me with the land by myself.”

  He sucked in a deep breath. “You’ll figure it out.”

  “Thanks.” It was nice to have someone trust her even if she didn’t trust herself.

  “But that still doesn’t explain why you’re marrying him.”

  “What do you mean? I’m not walking away from all of this. I can’t.”

  “Why him?”

  She laughed, feeling stupid. “’Cause there aren’t any other takers, okay?” Despite her humiliation, she didn’t look away.

  For a few moments, they didn’t speak. Then he lightly splashed her.

  She could tell he was trying to smooth it over, and she halfheartedly splashed him back. “So tell me more about your Christmas addiction.”

  He hesitated then shook his head. “Fine. If you’re ignoring your problems, we’ll talk about something else. Not much to tell about my addictions. I just love Christmas. Maybe I watch all the movies on my own.”

  She laughed. “It’s funny because usually I’m a Christmas junkie. I like to watch all the new Christmas movies too. I like to bake cookies, sit by the fire, and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. This year just feels different.” She didn’t want to talk about the main reason it was different—Grandpa was gone, but it was so glaringly obvious that she couldn’t ignore it. “Oh!” She suddenly remembered. “I have to help at Sagewood tomorrow.” Her mind spun with all the things she had to do for her business too. “I can’t forget that.”

  “What is Sagewood?”

  “It’s an assisted living center for the elderly.” She shrugged, unsure of why she was telling him all of this. “My grandfather and I volunteered there every year. It’s been a tradition.” Fitting it in tomorrow could be tricky. She would have to cancel selling her gear tomorrow.

  “I’ll go with you.”

  This floored her. “You’re here to ski, remember? Enjoy yourself. Be the millionaire you are.”

  His lips quirked up.

  “Oh, don’t tell me—you’re a billionaire, aren’t you?”