Christmas and Commitment (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 6)

by Kimberly Loth

  “They had some sort of Christmas air freshener behind me during dinner. Sorry.”

  “No, I like it. Christmas is my favorite holiday.”

  He stared at her for a moment. “Of course, it is. I think we need to talk.”

  Mia let out a breath. “Yeah, we should.”

  The door flung open. “I have your eggs!” Frankie yelled. He stopped dead when he saw Tristan. “Sorry, I thought you were alone.”

  “It’s okay, Frankie. Thanks.” Mia took the eggs from him and escaped into the kitchen.

  “Frankie, can you take Sera out and bring her back here?” Tristan asked.

  Frankie nodded, not bothering to hide his smile. “And I’ll make sure to knock next time.”

  “Don’t bother, Frankie. You’re always welcome in here,” Mia said.

  He left, and Mia didn’t know what to do, so she took out a few more bowls and started adding ingredients.

  “What are you making?” Tristan asked, coming into the tiny kitchen with her.

  “Gingerbread cookies.”

  “Can I help?”

  “Sure.” She looked him over. “Your shirt’s gonna get dirty though.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You’re a lot more forward that I thought. But if you insist.”

  Mia’s face flushed. “That’s not what I meant. I just didn’t want you to mess it up.” She dropped her eyes.

  He chuckled. “Relax.”

  He wore a t-shirt under his button down. It fit him nicely, and Mia still stared. He was far more pleased with that then he should’ve been.

  “What can I do?” He needed to direct his thoughts elsewhere.

  Mia swallowed. “Um, you can mix the dry ingredients together.” She pointed to the recipe, and he got to work. He’d hoped it would occupy his mind, but instead it gave him even more time to think about the woman next to him. It reminded him of his childhood, which was safer than thinking of the future.

  “I used to bake with my nannies. I actually love to cook. When I’m at home, I never eat out.”

  “But you told me you don’t eat cookies.”

  He pointed to his abs. “You think I can eat whatever I want?”

  Mia’s face reddened. He wanted to see that blush more often. He wondered what else he could say that would elicit the same response. He nudged her. “But I’ll make an exception tonight.”

  As soon as the dough was done, Tristan reached into the bowl. Mia swatted him with the spoon, getting dough on the back of his hand.

  He looked at the dough and then at Mia. It was such an unexpected move from her. He laughed, and so did she.

  “This is war,” he said.

  He brought his hand up and smeared it all over her face.

  “Oh, no way.” Mia threw a piece of dough at him.

  Tristan laughed and caught her around the waist, pulling her into him. He brushed her hair back over her ears and stared at her for a moment. She was vulnerable and innocent and had been hurt in the past. He might hurt her too, but he couldn’t risk his heart again. Not after Delilah.

  He couldn’t stop staring into her eyes. His heart soared knowing he caused her to light up that way. She was happy because of him. It was a look he wanted to see over and over again.

  “You’re gorgeous. Do you know that?” He ran a finger along her cheek.

  Mia shook her head and dropped her gaze.

  He whispered in her ear. “You take my breath away when you walk into a room. My fingers itch to stroke that beautiful red hair of yours.”

  He was going for broke and couldn’t stop himself. This thing between them was going to happen. It was inevitable. Just a friend, he laughed at himself. He must have been trying to get her to let down her defenses. That made him feel a little guilty, but holding her like this, he didn’t care.

  Mia was rendered speechless. Tristan pulled her even closer, which she didn’t think was possible, and moved them back a couple inches. He dipped his hand into the bowl and got a small piece of dough.

  “You need to taste this and decide if it’s ready to go in the oven.” He pressed the dough against her mouth, and she opened it. He gently pushed the dough in, his finger lingering on her lips.

  She swallowed. “Yep, tastes good.” She had no idea what was about to happen, but she was ready to go with it.

  He let go of her and stepped back. She wasn’t sure what happened, but Tristan had crossed that invisible barrier they both had up, and she’d let him. Now, her body was aware of his every movement, and a humming filled her ears. He had her all mixed up. She was a bit angry too. You didn’t touch women like that when you just wanted to be friends. Friends with benefits, maybe.

  He cleaned the mess as she threw two trays in the oven.

  “Do you want to watch a movie?” he asked.

  “I don’t have a TV, just a fireplace.” She pointed to the living room where the TV should be.

  “It’s hidden,” he said. He walked over to the fireplace and opened the wooden picture of the bear that hung there. To her surprise there was a flat screen inside with a Blu-ray player, movies, and the remote.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” she said.

  “What’s your favorite movie?” Tristan returned to the kitchen and wiped down the counter. Mia stared. This was not a man who should be wiping down counters.

  “A Christmas Story.”

  He chuckled and set a couple of bowls in the sink. “I’ve never actually seen that.”

  Mia’s mouth dropped. “For real. Oh, we have to watch it.”

  “Okay.” A loud rapping came from the other side of the door, along with a loud bark. “That’ll be Sera,” he said.

  “You can go ahead and get that. I’m gonna go clean up. I’ll be right back.”

  Mia escaped into the bathroom and sent a very long and detailed text to her sister. She had entered uncharted territory and needed help.

  Woooow. Um. Movie means make out time. Brush your teeth.

  Of course, that was the first thing Vi thought of. Mia had bigger things to worry about.

  Oh gosh. I’m sweating. I don’t get why he didn’t kiss me in the kitchen.

  Duh. He’s dragging it out. He wants it to be special. You might want to get back out there or he’ll be worried. You got this. Don’t overthink it.

  Mia didn’t know what she’d do without Vi. That woman calmed Mia’s every worry. Well, not really, but she certainly helped. Vi sent a gif of a celebrity cheering, and Mia smiled. She put the phone away and stepped back into the living room, trying not to overthink things.

  Tristan snagged the couch before she could, and Sera stood next to him, looking forlornly up at him.

  “She’s allowed on the couch.” Mia tried to keep her voice even. They hadn’t talked about anything. About what this meant, about where things were going. Nothing.

  “Good, but you get the spot next to me. Sera can lay next to you. Come here, but bring the blanket.”

  Mia grabbed the blanket and sat closer to him than she was comfortable with. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into him. He smelled like a man should, woodsy and warm. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. His body felt nice against hers, and she tried not to let her mind wander too much. She didn’t want to let him get to her heart, and yet she feared it might already be too late. She wondered if he could hear her heart beating. It felt like it might push out of her chest.

  He flicked on the movie, and she snuggled into him and rested her head on his incredibly hard chest. This was heaven.

  A wet nose touched Mia’s cheek. Her eyelashes fluttered. She pushed away the nose and turned her head. She pressed herself into Tristan’s side and slid her hand across his chest.

  What the hell?

  Her eyes flashed open, and she scrambled off the couch. Somehow she’d fallen asleep with him. He rubbed at his face and pulled out his phone.

  “It’s eight. Who knew sleeping on a couch could be so comfortable.” He sat up. “I should go. I’ll check in w
ith you later. Okay?”

  Mia nodded. He and Sera slipped out the door, and Mia sat on the couch for a long time, just thinking. Nothing had happened last night, and he left without much encouragement. Sure they cuddled, and he played with her hair, but that was it.

  Mia had pretty much decided she wanted to see where this went. She was tired of disappointing relationships. Tristan was incredible, and she’d take a fling with him if that was all she could get. Anything past that was completely unrealistic. She lived in Iowa and he in Florida. It would never work.

  But she could make this the most memorable Christmas ever.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Tristan showered and took a very long drive. He had to get a certain red-headed beauty off his mind. He hadn’t spent a night with a woman in a long time, and he hadn’t even kissed this one. But oh how he wanted to. It took every inch of willpower he had to leave that room without taking her into his arms and kissing her senseless.

  They should’ve talked. He wanted to know what she was thinking. She’d had trouble with relationships in the past, and he desperately wanted to restore her faith in men. He wouldn’t cheat on her, but he wasn’t sure he could risk letting himself fall for her.

  He spent nearly the whole day driving around. Seeing the snow calmed him and helped him sort out his feelings. All roads lead back to Mia. For the first time in six years, his heart didn’t ache with Delilah’s absence. At the same time, there was an underlying guilt because he felt like he was betraying his wife.

  He arrived at the hotel with his mind still swirling with uncertainty. In the lobby, he spotted dark red hair, and his heart skipped a beat. The woman turned. It wasn’t Mia, and disappointment flooded his veins.

  He stepped into the elevator, and it hit him.

  Here he was worried about her stealing his heart, and she already had. He’d be crushed if she were to walk out of his life right now. He had nothing to lose by pursuing her because he was already in too deep.

  He stopped at her door and knocked. A dog barked. Mia cracked the door open, and Sera stuck her nose out.

  “How does she keep ending up in here with you?” Tristan asked with a chuckle.

  Mia smiled. “Frankie can’t handle her. He makes me go with her when he takes her for walks. Then she doesn’t want to go back to your suite alone.” Sera took one look at him and raced back to the bedroom.

  “And to think I’ve been tipping him generously.” Tristan stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Maybe he should be tipping him even better. Every time Sera ended up in Mia’s room, Tristan had an excuse to talk to her.

  “Did you have a nice day?” she asked.

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess. I just went for a drive. What have you been up to?”

  She wore a loose tank with a visible sports bra and short sports shorts. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail. He liked seeing her with her hair swept away from her face.

  She looked at her outfit and crossed her arms. “Oh, I thought I’d check out the yoga class.”

  How he’d like to see her in that class.

  “Do you want to go ice skating?” he asked.

  She swallowed and dropped her gaze. “Can’t that hurt your head?”

  “Last I checked, ice skating isn’t a contact sport, nor does it involve high speeds. I should be fine.”

  She pursed her lips. “Yeah, well, I’ve never been skating, so the contact sport might be a thing.”

  “You’ve never been ice skating?”

  “There’s a lot of things I haven’t done.” She bit her lip in that way that made him crazy.

  “Let’s go then. We’ll eat dinner while we’re out.”

  “What about your friends? Are they coming?”

  He raised his eyebrows at her. “Do you want to see Seth again?”

  “No,” she said a little too quickly. “I don’t want to take you away from them.”

  “They’re skiing tonight. No worries.” It was a lie, but he wasn’t about to tell her that he’d rather spend the evening with her. That worried him as well. He didn’t get the opportunity to see them very often, and here he was ditching them for a girl.

  “Give me a few minutes to get ready. I don’t think I can ice skate in yoga shorts.”

  “I’m going to take Sera back and change as well. I’ll be back in fifteen.”

  Tristan barely stepped into his suite, and his phone buzzed.

  Party in your hot tub. Seth was anything but subtle.

  Can’t. Going out with Mia. But you can come get a key.

  Be there in a sec.

  Tristan put on a sweater and jeans and shaved. He had no idea what tonight would bring, but he was kind of hoping it would be his last first kiss.

  He shook his head.

  When had he become such a romantic? And why was he thinking that long term?

  Sera barked at the door, and he answered it. Seth stood there in swimming trunks.

  “I thought you were just getting the key.”

  “We’re all ready to go. The others will be here soon. We’ll be gone by eleven. Promise.”

  “Take the key anyway in case you need to get back in.”

  Seth nodded. “How you’d score that babe?”

  Tristan had to restrain himself from punching Seth in the nose. “Her name is Mia, and it’s not like that.”

  Seth guffawed. “Dude. This is for real? Wow. I’m impressed. Good luck, man. I didn’t think you’d ever be tamed again.”

  Tristan swallowed. “Yeah. Neither did I. Have fun tonight. I’ll see you guys tomorrow, and if Mia asks, you all were skiing tonight.”

  Seth creased his eyebrows. “Why?”

  “She seemed worried that she was taking me away from you guys. So I lied.”

  “Holy hell. When’s the wedding?” Seth chuckled.

  Tristan punched Seth on the shoulder and slipped out the door. He was far from a wedding, but he could totally picture her walking down the aisle in a long white dress. He wiped his palms on his jeans and knocked on the door.

  She opened the door, and his breath caught in his throat. She’d done her makeup differently, adding smoky eyes and deep red lipstick. She wore a shirt that fell off both shoulders, but hugged her chest tight, and knee-high boots.

  “You look amazing,” he said.

  “Thanks. I worried it might be too much.”

  He shook his head. “I mean, I think you look great in leggings and loose sweaters too, but this is nice. Different. I feel like I learn more about you every day .”

  “And what did you learn by this?” She pointed to her outfit.

  “That the sexy librarian myth is totally true.”

  She laughed. “Let me grab my coat.”

  Wow, how things had changed since the first time he’d seen her in her Christmas sweater and mom jeans. Knowing her now, he thought he would find her sexy in a paper bag.

  He helped her put her coat on, lingering just a little too long on her shoulders. He’d begun to think about her and the future, but now, all he could think about was what she’d look like out of that shirt. He kept telling himself if he took it slow, he could back out anytime.

  They got into the car, and he reached over and wove his fingers into hers. She grinned. Tristan rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand, loving the feel of her skin. He couldn’t imagine what she was thinking, but he liked to think she’d dressed a bit sexier tonight for his benefit.

  “So you live in Florida, right?” she asked.

  “Yeah, right on the beach.” Someday she was going to live there too.

  “Do you like it?”

  “I love it. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

  She was quiet for a few minutes. Even the silence was comfortable with her.

  “What do you do for work?”

  “I don’t.”

  She paused for a second, as if it were still sinking in.

  “What do you do all day? You don’t have a job or anything?�
� She spoke with curiosity, not judgment.

  “After Delilah got sick, I gave up my day-to-day involvement in most of my businesses. I still own a lot of them, but just as an investor, so mostly I fish and watch the water.”

  “Doesn’t that get boring?”

  “Have you ever seen the ocean?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “The ocean is never boring. You should come visit me sometime.”

  She let out a breath. “Yeah, maybe.”

  A sinking feeling settled in Tristan’s chest. She didn’t seem all that enthused. Maybe he read more into her interest than he thought. He might be working himself all up for nothing.

  “Um, maybe we should have that talk now.” He needed to know where he stood in her eyes. Because he was falling hard, and if she didn’t have the same interest, then he needed to cut his losses before he lost his heart again.

  “Yeah, we should.” She snorted. “You told me you don’t want a relationship ever again. But even if you did… this is so unrealistic.”

  “Why would it be unrealistic?”

  “You’re in Florida, and I’m in Iowa.”

  “People do long-distance relationships all the time.”

  “I don’t want to be disappointed, because I’m not sure I’d recover from you.”

  “Mia, I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.”

  She stared out of the window. “We should just make the best of the time we have right now and not think about after. Can we do that?”

  “So… what exactly do you want?”

  She turned in her seat and looked right at Tristan. “I want a fling. I want to let whatever happens here, happen, and not worry about January first. I want good memories. I want you. But no lies about what happens in the future.”

  He pulled into the parking lot of another resort, the entire site lit up. At valet parking, he handed a guy the keys. He tried not to think of her cynicism. Though, he supposed she had reason to be that way. This should be what he wanted, and he’d told her early on it was what he wanted, so this was perfect for him.

  He’d play her game for now, but he had no intention of ending things after the first of the year. He’d move to her tiny town if he had to. There was something special about this girl, and he wasn’t about to let her go.