The Perfect Gift: A Bad Boy Christmas Romance

by Mia Ford

  I’d initially planned to find my own apartment and move in alone, but by then, I was so used to living with Alex that I didn’t want to leave. He’d officially asked me to move in with him on our six-month anniversary, and I’d been over the moon about it. I loved him more than ever before, especially because he was so good at taking care of me. It was truly like being with the best man in the world.

  Just after Rebecca and I had rekindled our friendship – we’d started slowly, having drinks together a few times a week, things like that – she met someone. A chubby brunette named Alice, who fell hard and fast for my best friend. They were the cutest couple, and it was great to finally see Rebecca so happy. Best of all, it made me feel as though she’d truly moved on from her weird obsession with me.

  I was getting to my feet just as the front door opened and Alice walked in. When she saw me, she smiled.

  “Hey, Molly,” Alice said. “I didn’t know you were coming over today. How are things going?”

  I smiled happily. “Good,” I said. “I can’t stay for too long, Alex said he’s actually going to cook dinner for me tonight.”

  Rebecca burst out laughing. “You might want to have a backup plan,” she said. “I’m pretty sure that to Alex, ‘cooking’ means mac and cheese from a box and soup from a can.”

  I shrugged. “I love mac and cheese,” I said honestly. “And besides, I love Alex. I think it’s sweet.”

  Rebecca shook her head. “You’re hopeless,” she said. “But I’m glad you found happiness and somehow managed to change my asshole of a brother into a good man.”

  I nodded. “It wasn’t on purpose,” I said.

  “No, he’s totally transformed,” Rebecca said. She turned to Alice. “Alice, you wouldn’t believe this, but my brother used to be the biggest player in Rolling Hills.”

  Alice snickered. “It’s not hard to imagine,” she said. She sat down next to Rebecca and started rubbing her back.

  I nodded. “He was like that before, but not now.”

  Rebecca rolled her eyes. “Speaking of family, are you coming to dinner this weekend? Mom is making a really big deal about it for some reason.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Alex told me he had a surprise for me, and that we’d go to your parents to celebrate.”

  Rebecca blushed. “Cool,” she said. “I’m glad Mom finally came around.”

  “Me, too.” When I’d first gotten together with Alex, his mother hadn’t exactly been…welcoming. But after a few months, when she realized I truly loved her son, she relaxed We weren’t super close, but I was enjoying building a relationship with her.

  My phone buzzed and I pulled it out of my pocket. There was a text from Alex that read: “coming home soon? I have a surprise for u.”

  I blushed. “I’ve got to get going,” I said. “I think Alex is starting dinner.”

  Rebecca laughed. “If you get food poisoning and want us to bring you some soup later, let me know.” She stood up and hugged me. I waved to Alice, then grabbed my bag and headed outside. Alex’s shiny Mustang was parked on the curb and I grinned when I saw him.

  “Hey,” Alex said. “I thought I’d offer you a ride home.”

  I smiled happily. “Thank you,” I said. Climbing into the car, I leaned over and kissed him. As always, kissing Alex made my heart thump faster and my nipples stiffen with excitement.

  Alex pulled away. “I have a surprise for you at home,” he said.

  “You mentioned,” I said, flushing. “What is it?”

  Alex laughed. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise!”

  I grew anxious and excited as Alex drove across town. As soon as we stepped inside our condo, I gasped. The living room was filled with peonies – my favorite flower – and takeout from Spice Nation, my favorite Indian place, was set up at the table.

  “This is better than your cooking,” I said, grinning. My stomach rumbled and I leaned over to kiss Alex.

  “I’m glad you approve,” Alex said, raising an eyebrow. “Because there’s one other thing I want from you.”

  “Oh yeah?” I blushed and bit my lip. “What?”

  Alex dropped to one knee. When he pulled a small Cartier box from his pocket, I gasped.

  “Molly Peters, will you make me the happiest man on earth by doing me the honor of becoming my wife?” Alex’s blue eyes shone with sincerity.

  “Oh my god!” I squeaked. “Yes! Yes!”

  Alex got to his feet and slid the beautiful diamond ring onto my finger. He pulled me into a close hug and kissed my neck. Tears of happiness welled up in my eyes and I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

  “I love you,” Alex said, pulling away, just so he could look at me. “I always will, Molly.”

  Happiness filled my chest and I couldn’t keep from crying. I was torn between staring into the face of my fiancé or staring at my ring.

  “I love you, too,” I said softly. “You’ve made me the happiest woman on earth.”

  Alex grinned. “Good,” he said. “I hope I can do that every day, Molly.” He reached up to wipe a tear from my cheek. “I love you more than anything, and I will always care for and protect you.” He smirked. “And give you lots of orgasms. I promise to do that, too.”

  I blushed. “You’d better,” I said quietly. “Because I’m looking forward to a long, happy, orgasmic life with you.”

  As I closed my eyes and nestled my head into Alex’s neck, I knew that everything had finally turned out just like a fairy tale. I’d never expected to find this kind of happiness, but becoming Mrs. Alex Travers was a dream come true. I had no idea what the future would hold – but I knew that as long as Alex and I were together, everything would be absolutely perfect.

  Hot Seller: First Time With The Major

  Blurb

  Molly

  I was living in a small, beautiful town. I thought that it would be predictable and comfortable, not life-changing.

  Then I saw Robert in the door of my cafe and my world turned upside down.

  Was I ready to give in to the intimidating and unfamiliar desire that was heating up my entire body?

  Was I ready to face my fears of the past?

  Chapter 1

  Molly

  I laughed as I unlocked the door to the shop, giving my best friend Noel a sharp look. “I can’t believe you told him that. You were on a date and he was being decent. We don’t have a lot of men in this little town, so why run off the ones that are here?”

  “I will not have some man ordering for me at a restaurant. I’m capable of making a proper decision for myself.” She leaned down to slide the muffins she’d made into the display case carefully, tossing her red ponytail over her shoulder.

  This was our coffee shop, called Mountain Brew. Being that we lived in Mountain Home, it certainly wasn’t original but it fit the theme of our little home. We were surrounded by mountains after all and a lot of our customers made a living from those beautiful peaks. I thought the shop was cute with tables and couches sprinkled around the bright, spacious room. I had the idea of adding some bookshelves and taking in donated used books from people in town to give customers something to do when they were here. There were a lot of poor people living around here that didn’t even have books to begin with, so we could provide that. Noel had agreed to the idea, but I knew that she wasn’t thrilled with it.

  I ran the front, and she did all the baking with my assistance. We got up early to be here, darkness settling around the cafe as we danced and sang in the kitchen. We drank too much coffee and laughed while we worked, making me so proud to have done this with Noel.

  I went to college at the University of Idaho and got a degree in Literature, so the books were all me. Noel was more business minded and did all the paperwork and numbers for our shop and I filled in the blanks. I picked out the unmatched, used furniture for the room and decorated the walls with a lot of old pictures of the town. I also had some colorful prints to match the vibrant purple walls and cl
eaned up the old fireplace in the corner. It was cold here a lot of the time and we needed it, and the old brick mantel attracted a lot of attention. It was a beautiful place.

  I smiled as Mike walked in. He was always our first customer and grabbed a coffee and a Danish before he went fishing. Mike was a retired hotel owner that opened fifty years ago and because of that, was very successful. He kept it up even to this day, and it did well while he fished several times a week and just enjoyed the beauty that surrounded us. “Good morning,” I told him as I straightened my dark ponytail, watching him walk to the front where Noel was finishing with the case.

  “Good morning, my ladies.” He always greeted us with those words and I grinned at Noel as she reached for a coffee mug.

  “The usual today?” She asked him as he pulled out his wallet. She got his coffee poured and grabbed his Danish while I turned on the sign that told everybody we were open for the day. I found a radio station that was light and fun and headed back behind the counter to get organized while Mike settled in the corner table with a newspaper. Noel went back to start making some sandwiches for the lunch menu and check on the soup that she started earlier today while I watched the front.

  There were enough customers to keep us busy, and I loved seeing them every day. I felt like I was part of the highlight of their day as they came in to greet me like they hadn’t seen me for weeks. There were a few older folks that came in, some freelance writers that worked at our tables and just some readers like myself. I watched the writers, wondering if I should do something like that myself since I did have a degree in Literature.

  I also had some things to write about. I had some things to release; issues that were going to ruin me if I allowed it.

  Noel had saved me from hitting rock bottom after college when she suggested that I move back to her home town with her and open a coffee shop. Noel liked that small town life despite having a blast in college where there was a lot to do and wanted to return. We’d lived together in the dorm and become close friends quickly, so I agreed. I didn’t want to go back home to my parents in Malad City but also didn’t have any other plans. I was too broken to want to move forward with my life. I agreed, and she told me that I could stay with her at her parent’s ranch house and open something in the empty building with her.

  I looked at Noel as she came out for a fresh cup of coffee, smiling at her as she looked at me. She was twenty-three and a natural redhead with bright blue eyes, thin and pale. Those looks had all the attention of the local men and she’d started dating a little once we were established in the cafe. She was a little too much for most of them so far and I just laughed and watched from a distance.

  I had dark brown hair and whiskey colored eyes that were a bit wide for my taste. My skin was a shade darker than hers and I was curvier than Noel was, too. I joked with her about how much it irritated me that she could eat double the pastries that I could and not gain a pound while it went right to my hips, but it was mostly in jest. I exercised by hiking around here and doing some exercise tapes at the house, so I was a bit toned. Noel just never stopped moving to begin with.

  I sighed and got back to cleaning the tables that were empty, thinking about the Starbucks that was located near the university. It was always packed with lines of people and didn't offer anywhere to sit, a fact that I brought up to Noel when she first suggested this. I didn’t want that.

  She’s laughed and assured me that this town was smaller and slower. A coffee shop would do great but we wouldn’t be slammed like some of the places you see on every corner in other places. It would be a great place for people to warm up and relax on cold days and just chat on the warmer ones. The hours were early morning to the afternoon, so we had a lot of free time if there was any energy left after baking in the early hours of the morning. We were closed early on the weekends, only staying open until one as opposed the three o'clock like we did during the week.

  By the time we were closing for the day, Noel had gotten a message from her date. He wanted to go to the movies tonight and she asked me what I thought about it as I drove her Jeep home to the large house.

  “Apart from the meal, he sounded nice. I say give it a try,” I told her as I drove down the main road lined with shops and restaurants.

  “When are you going to give it a chance?” Noel asked me as I stared forward at one of three stoplights in our little town. “It’s been two years, Molly. You’re not in college anymore.”

  “I know but I am not ready,” I told her in a tone that made it clear I didn’t want to discuss this. I didn’t want to think about Lance and what he did to me in junior year; what any other man could do to me if I gave him the chance. I didn’t want to face any of it and I jammed on the gas pedal a bit hard when the light turned green, jerking forward as I pressed my lips together. “Sorry,” I told her, gripping the steering wheel tightly as I focused on the road. I was here because of her; working and driving this car, with a roof over my head. I didn’t want to ruin any of that and I forced the past out of my mind as I drove the rest of the way home.

  Keith and Marta Jones were her parents. They were high school sweethearts that got married right after graduation, with Keith going to work for a construction company while she stayed home and did bookkeeping in their home office. He moved up to management and she got more clients and once they had kids, they moved into this house and made it in a small town. It was a dream for some people and Noel had a great childhood. Mine wasn’t awful and my parents were kind people, but we didn’t have a lot of money. I worked hard in school to earn a scholarship for college and sometimes wondered if it was worth it now.

  I was working in a coffee shop. I loved it but it seemed like something that should be a part time job while I pursued my dream, but what was that? I could read a lot now, but I suppose I always thought I might work in a famous library or teach. I’d never say that to Noel, though. It was a fun job and I loved the customers but life was just a little stale sometimes. It seemed like I should have more being twenty-three with a bachelor’s degree, but a lot of people just worked normal jobs. Didn’t they?

  Chapter 2

  Molly

  We had roasted chicken and sweet potatoes for dinner that night. I was pretty tired and was going to go to sleep early but Noel rushed out of the house for her date as her mom just shook her head. Noel looked a lot like her though she had her father’s nose and eyes. “She was so mad last night about him and look at her go.” We were washing dishes together and she handed me a plate to dry.

  “She said she’d never go to dinner with him again. Maybe she is just going to try different scenarios now,” I joked as I wiped it clean with the yellow towel and added it to the pile beside me.

  “How are you doing, Molly?” Marta asked as she looked at me with warm brown eyes.

  “I’m great. Everything is going so well at the cafe. We’re busy enough to make something without being insane,” I told her as I glanced at her with a smile.

  “I know. I am glad it’s doing well but what about you? Are you happy here?” She pressed as I looked out of the window to stare at the meadow in front of their house.

  “It’s beautiful here. It’s small and I am getting used to such a small town. Home was slightly bigger.” I paused as I licked my lips. “I just feel like I should be making more of a difference in my life.”

  I grew up wanting the college scholarship and then to move to some big city for an exciting job. I only had some of that.

  “You are, Molly. Noel loves having you here and everyone is crazy about the cafe as well as you girls. It’s a big thing for people to have a regular place to go. I think that humans need a schedule and you provide them somewhere to go.” She laughed. “If you think about it, we just work here too. I work from home doing the books for clients and Keith’s business. It isn’t all that exciting.”

  “You’re happy, though. You have Keith and a family,” I told her as she looked into my eyes.

  “Is that what you w
ant for yourself?” She asked as I shrugged. “Noel said that you had a bad experience in college with a boy. Is that why I haven’t seen you dating anybody?”

  It was so much of the reason and I blushed as I thought about Lance. His blonde hair and bright blue eyes still haunted my mind and I blinked to force the image out of my mind. “I’m just settling in. That’s all.”

  “This is a small town and you’ve met everyone that lives here in the last eight months since you opened the shop. There’s not much settling to do, although you will get a bit of a trickle from the air force base nearby.”

  I hadn’t heard about the base. I suppose nobody had come in that was obviously in the military. “Really?”

  “Be careful with that, though. Those boys are here for a time and gone and it won’t do you any good to fall for someone like that.” Marta shook her head. “Noel’s sister fell for that back when she was a senior in high school. He broke her heart in half!”

  “Oh, I won’t fall for that.” Charm was something I’d never fall for again. Lola was now happily married with twins so she survived it. Maybe I would as well.

  “It’s hard sometimes. They can be so charismatic. Lola’s guy had all of us fooled and then one day he was gone. She never heard anything from him again. It was a relief when she met Jack at the diner! She fell so in love with him and now they gave us those beautiful babies. Life happens the way that it’s meant to.” Marta smiled as she looked around. “I think we’re done. Want to have some tea with me? I made a chocolate cake that Noel is now going to miss out on.”