The Perfect Gift: A Bad Boy Christmas Romance

by Mia Ford

  “I like that,” I told her as we approached the door that led into the house and I unlocked it. My house was always clean, having grown up with a family that had a slight case of OCD. My house was always tidy as a kid and the military had nailed that shut for me, so I wasn’t worried about how it would look inside.

  Molly walked inside as I turned on the light in the kitchen, taking in the spotless counters. “Can I get you anything to drink?” I asked her as I watched her slide her jacket off, revealing her curves. Jesus, I wanted to touch her.

  “Do you have hot chocolate? Mom used to make that for me on cold nights as a kid.” I nodded and moved over to the stove to heat up some milk as she placed her jacket over the end of a chair.

  “I love hot chocolate at night too. Coffee is great to wake up but when it’s dark and cold, I like something sweeter.” I smiled as I confessed this, feeling like a kid or something. I stirred the milk as I reached for the box in the cupboard and set it beside me. Once it was at a slow boil, I turned it down and added three packets to the pot.

  “Where are the mugs?” Molly asked as she walked behind me and I pointed across the small kitchen to another cupboard. She opened the heavy door and pulled out two mugs, reading them both. One was an Air Force mug that I received at some point in time and the other was a chipped green one that I’d brought from my parents that talked about living your dreams. It was my grandma’s and I held on to it these years after she died. She set them near me and leaned against the counter, staring at me as I mixed everything together. I used a large ladle to fill the cups and invited her to the living room to sit on the couch. We sat on the big couch in the living room as I turned on a light and smiled at her.

  “The place came furnished with all of this. I try to make moving easy unless I think I’ll be staying somewhere for a while.” I indicated the worn furniture with my hand.

  “It’s cozy in here, though. They did a great job with the cabin on the edge of the woods,” Molly told me as I handed her the bag of small marshmallows. She added a few to her cup and stirred it as I watched her. “Do you have a dream house in mind at all?”

  “I have lived a lot of places all over the world, Molly. I have seen a lot of things that all suited me well at the time. Now though, I like this. I like the quiet and the peace that I am offered here.” I shrugged. “Maybe I’ll buy something like this when the time comes. Don’t most men think about all of that outdoors stuff when they stop working?”

  “I don’t think Keith will ever retire and my dad runs a business from home. I only know some of the customers that come in and kill time. They seem happy with that. What do you like to do away from work?” Molly asked as I sat in silence. I didn’t want to tell her that I relaxed with women. I lost myself in them in ways she might not ever be able to handle.

  “I hang out with some friends from work here and there. You saw me at the movie that night and we went for a drink afterward.” I looked at her as she smiled and nodded.

  “I don’t drink too much. Noel, too,” I sensed a tone in her voice that much more than just disinterest in the subject. It was dislike.

  “Why not?” I pressed as she took a long sip of her drink.

  “I had some bad experiences with it in college.” Molly’s answer was vague and her tone casual, but her eyes showed all the emotion that she was trying to hide. I set my drink down and slid my hand over her shoulders, stroking her neck as she stared at me. “I haven’t wanted to be touched in so long.”

  “You have been, then?” I queried as she blushed.

  “A little bit, but mostly by myself.” The idea of her stroking her pussy made me instantly hard as I slid my hand into her hair.

  “Do you do that a lot?” I asked, my voice slow and controlled.

  “More now,” Her eyes were locked on mine as she answered and I cupped her head before I put my cup on the table. I leaned in to kiss her, unable to resist any longer. She felt so fucking good as her warm lips parted in response to my tongue, allowing me into her warmth. I tilted my head, tasting the sweetness of the chocolate and the marshmallows as I slid my tongue against hers. Molly moaned and I gripped her hair as my free hand slid over her hips. Molly’s innocence was so damn sexy even as I reminded myself that there was some darkness there as well. I couldn’t push her too far but the way she kissed be back without inhibition made me hold tighter onto her body.

  We kissed for what could have been hours. Our teeth crashed together and tongues danced as I kept my hands in place, despite wanting to feel her full breasts in my hand; her hard nipple. I wanted to slide my hand under her skirt and tear through the tights to touch her.

  What would she sound like when she came?

  I grunted against her as my hand slid slowly up her body. I brushed her curves, sliding my fingers underneath the curve of her breast as Molly jumped. She pulled away from me, looking at me with wide eyes. “Are you okay?” I asked her in a breathless tone, searching her face.

  “Surprised. Like I said, it’s been a while.” She took a few slow breaths, inhaling deeply as she closed her eyes.

  I scooted closer to her, needing to feel the heat of her body. “It doesn’t have to go any further than you want it to. I didn’t bring you here to fuck you, Molly. You just taste so damn good.”

  She looked at me with dark eyes and found my lips with hers again. I felt her slipping and eased her back against the cushion of the couch, securing her in my arms as she moaned.

  I knew how to kiss a woman but there was something about Molly that was different. I loved the way her tongue moved with mine as I pressed against her gently, feeling her heart pounding in her chest and her nipples pressing through her bra.

  I pictured her naked with my hand tugging on them, making her cry out with pain and pleasure. I pictured her bound to my bed as I kissed her hungrily, I kissed her with everything that I had until I was moving between her legs and spreading her legs apart.

  Molly whimpered as she pressed her hands against my chest as if she wanted to push me away. Her lips were still crushed against mine and her tongue wrapped around mine as I moved closer. “Robert,” she murmured pulling away and looking at me.

  “Too much?” I asked as she nodded quickly. I placed a soft kiss against her lips and moved beside her, keeping her close to me. Molly snuggled against me, curling her legs under her body as she regained her composure. “Did I scare you?” I asked her as she opened her mouth and closed it. “Did someone hurt you, Molly? Did someone try to force you?”

  “No, nothing like that. I was with this guy in college and he was aggressive. He never forced me but he pushed and pushed me and I thought that I was in love with him. I tried to make him happy as best I could and keep my virtue but he just got cruel as time went on. I knew him a year and we were together for about six months before I found him in bed with two women at a party. It broke my heart even though I knew that he wasn’t good for me. I was trying until then, nearly convinced that I should sleep with him.” I stroked her hair as she shook her head. “I sound like such a weak, stupid girl and maybe I was. I don’t know.”

  She was just a victim to an asshole. I was that guy when I was younger and slept with a few women that didn’t really want it. I pushed Brittany out of my mind and kissed her hair. “You’re not stupid. He took advantage of you, Molly. He pushed you and you didn’t give in. You were strong, not weak.”

  “But I did things that he asked of me. I didn’t always say no.” She wrapped her arm around me and I felt anger fill me.

  “You wanted it to be special, Molly. You’ll have that still when you make the decision.” I accepted that it might not be with me since I didn’t completely understand how all of this affected her. “Sex can be beautiful. It can be intimate and comfortable when it’s with the right person.”

  “Can I kiss you again?” She asked as she moved to look at me. “I like that.”

  “Of course,” I told her, feeling the need deep inside of my body. I was so wrong for her. />
  I took her home a couple of hours later after a lot of long, deep kisses. We didn’t move any further than a few touches but I could see the confusion on her face when I parked in the driveway. I looked at her and turned her face towards mine after a look at the house, seeing it dark. “Do you feel okay?” I asked her softly as she smiled softly.

  “I like kissing you a lot. I didn’t feel like you pushed for anything, but I am all mixed up inside. I’ve never felt this way about a man, not even…him. I see that now.” She reached over to touch my leg, making my cock jerk. “Do you want to see me again or did I mess tonight up?”

  I chuckled and brushed my lips against hers. “Yes, I do. Can I take you to the movies in a couple of nights?”

  She agreed and we slowly said our goodbyes before I walked her to the door. I walked back to my car painfully aware that I should walk away from this. I wasn’t good for her but fuck if I wasn’t attracted to her.

  Flashbacks of my past flooded my mind as I started the engine and pulled down the hill to return home. I walked in and stood in the living room, still smelling her perfume as well as her desire.

  Fuck.

  Chapter 10

  Molly

  I got up slowly the following morning, tracing a dying rose with my finger as I blinked sleepily. I didn’t get home too terribly late but was so used to staying home at night. Nothing I’d done for years had been as exciting, or as confusing as last night. I knew how badly Robert wanted me but he didn’t press me. I could feel the tension in his body as we kissed and the way his erection was pressed against my thigh, intimidating and large. God, how would that ever feel inside of me?

  I blushed as I took a quick shower and dressed for work. I told him about Lance. That was embarrassing the more time passed and I looked back. I knew that it still hurt me at times but that didn’t make it all right to just talk about it on a first date.

  I pulled my hair into a messy bun and glossed my lips with a deep pink color before heading downstairs. Noel was waiting for me with curiosity burning in her eyes as I groaned softly. “So, how was it?”

  “Your mom told you, I see.” Noel wasn’t home and I hadn’t told her about the date after work.

  “Yes, when I got home. How was it?” She demanded as we walked through the garage to the car.

  “It was…intense. It was fun. He’s so charming, Noel but he’s forty-two!! That’s so much older.” I looked at her as she got into the driver’s seat.

  “You know, it really isn’t. You’ve always been mature for your age, much more so than anyone that we knew in college,” she assured me as she started the car and raised the garage.

  “Was I mature when I was catering to Lance’s demands?” I asked before dropping my head back against the seat.

  “You fell for the wrong man, Molly. It happens to the best of us and I am so glad that you didn’t sleep with him. You knew it was wrong. It won’t always feel that way.” She drove into town and turned to head to the cafe as I let out a sigh.

  “I told him about Lance. The gist, anyway.” I looked at her as she parked next to the police car. “Things got heated and I kind of freaked out. It just spilled out.”

  Noel smiled at me and turned the car off. “Did he run screaming from you and bring you right home?” I shook my head. “He gets a point, then.” We got out and greeted the officer as he watched us go inside and lock the door behind us. I yawned and went to make coffee first thing while Noel went back into the kitchen to get things started in there. I got two steaming cups and brought them inside of the kitchen as I helped her mix some batters, pouring them into the baking pans carefully. Everything had to look good and I turned on all the ovens before sipping my drink. “It’s tough having a life with this schedule, isn’t it?”

  “Worth it. I think that as time goes on, we can get some more people on here and maybe get a break. I don’t want to just work and have nothing else, and neither should you.” She smiled at me as I slid a pan into the oven.

  “You’re right. I have been hiding out for too long.” We baked and talked about Robert as she swooned, telling me that she was going to trade Nate for him.

  “Older men are so sexy. They know just what they’re doing and they do it so well. Right?” She asked as I raised an eyebrow.

  “When did you go out with an older guy? And all I did was kiss him, but he was so good at that.” I thought back to it as I smiled dreamily and Noel squealed.

  “I did in college but I never told you. I met him at a bar and we hooked up a few times. It was amazing but just a fling.” Noel shook her head sadly. “Now I can live vicariously through you.”

  “We will see if he takes me out again. He might have come to his senses,” I joked as she shook her head at me.

  I walked out to brew all the coffee and start the fire as I looked around. I did love this place and was proud of it and I checked around the dining room as I sang along to the song on the radio. Despite being tired I felt happy, even hopeful. Maybe this would work out well and we could become something.

  My core ached as I thought about him and I hoped that I’d get to see him again. I finished and walked over to the front door to unlock it, grinning as Mike walked in. “Morning.”

  “Good morning, beautiful,” he greeted me with a wink as I shook my head. I turned the sign on and walked with him to get his order as Noel brought out the second tray of baked goods and said hello. She gave him a fresh muffin and I got his coffee as he tipped us and walked away. I watched Mike, guessing that he was around sixty or seventy. He was retired I was guessing since he was here every day and told us that he used to work for the mechanic in town. He seemed happy here.

  Could Robert be? I knew that he wasn’t retiring tomorrow but he could make a life here unless he decided to transfer. I knew how the military worked that way and he could move almost anywhere if he wanted to.

  I pushed the thought away as the door opened and more people came in, forcing a bright smile on my face as I helped them. At the end of the day, this cafe was my constant in life. I shouldn’t think about anything more.

  The morning still seemed to drag even with the steady flow of regulars coming in and I let Noel sit down for her break first to eat since Nate came in to see her. I watched them, thinking how cute they were together.

  I grabbed some soup for my own break and took it to the same table that I sat at when Robert was here. I still felt the electricity in the air from that day and my phone chimed when I was mid-bite. I checked it to see a message from Robert asking if I was free tonight. My heart soared. He wanted to see me again. I replied that I was and he said that he would pick me up at six again if that was enough time after work for me.

  I agreed and returned to my lunch with a smile on my face. Noel noticed and asked if lover boy contacted me for another romantic date as I blushed deeply. “Yes.”

  “For tonight? He’s into you,” she smiled at me with bright eyes as I shrugged and took my place at the counter.

  “Maybe,” I agreed as the lunch crowd started to leave and we cleaned up. I wiped down the tables and cleaned the glass as I hummed the song that was playing over the speakers. I was tired but the adrenaline running through me, along with the coffee, seemed to balance that out. I knew that I should sleep a little bit when I got home but I wanted time to get ready for Robert.

  We walked in to smell a roast cooking slowly in the oven as my stomach growled. “How was it last night?” Marta called out as Noel and I glanced at each other curiously.

  “Who do you mean?” Noel called back with a wink as her mother poked her head out of the kitchen.

  “Both of you, sillies.” She laughed as we went into talk to her. Noel told her about the dinner she’d had with Nate and his roommates before she looked at me like the cat that swallowed the canary. “And your night?” Marta asked, trying to contain the laughter at the look on Noel’s face.

  “It was nice. We went to that Asian place in town and had a nice dinner,” I replied as
I felt them both staring at me. “He’s a good man.”

  “I’m sure that he is. One thing I will say is that Robert is a gorgeous man!” Marta told me as I smiled at her. “He seemed pretty smitten with you.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” I told her as Noel smirked at me.

  “He asked her out tonight as well. Does that sound like something a confident, older man would do if he was smitten?” Noel challenged me as I rolled my eyes.

  “Why, yes it does. Where are you going?” Marta asked as she leaned on the counter.

  “He mentioned the movies last night, but I’m not sure.” I shrugged, feeling like a child. I had no idea what I was doing and last night still had me reeling.

  “I don’t know if you’re ready for this, but I made a huge roast for dinner. He’s invited to stay and eat before the movies,” Marta offered as Noel clapped her hands.

  “Oh, my goodness.” I imagined sitting at the table with the two of them watching us and Keith interrogating Robert. He looked at me as a daughter now and he’d protect me as fiercely as he would Noel. “No. We can’t do that.”

  I got ready, dressing in some gray slacks that were perfect for dinner or the movies, paired with a lavender shirt that buttoned up over my curves. There was no time for a nap since the idea of him eating dinner here got me all worked up, so I freshened up my makeup and hoped for the best. I was just slipping my feet into some black flats when I heard the doorbell and groaned. There was no way that I would make it to the door before anyone else, so why bother trying?

  Chapter 11

  Robert

  I smiled as the door to the house swung open, seeing Marta and Noel looking out at me. “Good evening,” I greeted them, wondering where Molly was.

  “Hi, Robert,” Marta said brightly as she glanced at her daughter. “I made a huge roast for dinner tonight with some vegetables and I was wondering if you’d like to join us, assuming you didn’t have plans for it with Molly.”