Owned for Christmas

by Willa Edwards

  “When will this damn woman be satisfied?” Grant grumbled under his breath.

  Daniel laughed. He glanced over at his girl. She squinted, focusing on the tree. She looked the picture of a perfect cowgirl in a soft pink, flowered dress, chunky cable-knit cardigan and boots. It was hard to remember she’d been born and raised in the city.

  The dress stretched across her amazing tits, the hem high enough to give a glimpse of just enough silky skin to have his cock twitching in his pants. The sight of her standing there in his childhood home, looking so fucking gorgeous made him want to drag her back to his bedroom and fuck her all over again. His chest swelled with pride. This weekend had already turned out better than he’d anticipated. She fitted in perfectly with his family. She fell right into place with all of them, without missing a step. He hoped she liked the idea of making it permanent.

  “Move the damn tree this way, dummy,” Grant shouted, his tone stern and his jaw clenched.

  Daniel’s arms shook slightly as Grant took on the majority of the seven-foot fir’s weight. Daniel turned his gaze back to the tree before him, trying and failing to ignore the small, dark-haired woman surveying them from the other end of the room—at least some of his anatomy was. How he’d gotten so lucky as to have her in his life, Daniel would never know. He held onto the trunk a little tighter, pushing the tree toward his brother, trying to do as Kate had bidden.

  “That’s it,” she declared after a minute of staring at the tree in its new position. “It’s perfect.”

  “Finally,” Grant cursed beneath his breath. He twisted the screws in the tree base to keep the balsam fixed in place.

  Daniel glanced over at his brother. What bug had climbed up his ass? No one loved setting up a Christmas tree. It certainly wasn’t his favorite task of the weekend. But Grant seemed to be in a worse mood than usual. All Daniel could hope for was that he didn’t say anything to Kate. Daniel would kick Grant’s ass if he ruined this weekend with some asshole remark, especially when Daniel had such an important plan.

  With the tree fixed to the stand, Daniel backed out from underneath the balsam’s long arms. The smell of pine perfumed the air, accompanied by the scent of the sugar cookies his mother had just placed in the oven. Was there anywhere better on earth than here? If he was being honest with himself, there wasn’t. Not even Dallas.

  He couldn’t remember being this content in a long time. A huge part of it was due to the woman standing across the room, her mouth pursed in a cute little pout. She scanned the tree, inspecting his brother’s method of attaching the multicolored twinkle lights to the branches. She was everything Daniel had ever wanted—warm, loving, open. He’d known she was the one from their first exchanged word in the bank lobby while she’d waited for her father. Now he just had to prove it to her.

  Daniel stepped back to stand next to Kate, staring at the tree as she did. The balsam fir did look perfect in the living room, just the right size—big and lush but not bushy. Kate had made a perfect choice. She always did.

  “What do you think?” She nibbled on her pink bottom lip. Her big blue eyes always had a way of rocking him back on his heels, especially when she stared up at him with such an honest need to please.

  He slipped his arms around her and tugged her into his chest. He loved the feel of her in his arms. Her sweet smell tickled his nose, along with the aromas of home. It all felt right, seamlessly mixed together. Her soft body snuggled up against his.

  “It’s beautiful,” Daniel whispered, resting his chin comfortably on her shoulder.

  Kate nodded, glancing back to the tree, although her expression wasn’t entirely happy. He wondered what could be upsetting her. From where he stood, everything was flawless right down to the woman in his arms.

  “You know, next year we could do this all on our own. In our own place.”

  Kate dropped her gaze to the floor. She froze in his arms. Daniel fought back a sigh. He sensed her retreating from him, putting space between them. Even after a goddamn year, she still has to put a freaking wall between us. Will I ever prove to her I can be trusted? It wasn’t looking good.

  “I can’t.”

  She spoke into his chest, the words so soft he almost didn’t hear her.

  “Not yet.”

  “Why not? I love you and you love me. What else matters?” He tightened his arms around her, needing the feel of her. To know for sure that she was still there, that she wasn’t already on the run.

  She fumbled her hands in his sweater, twisting her delicate fingers in the knit. “It’s not that simple.”

  But it should be. Nothing else mattered to him but her. Clearly, she didn’t agree.

  Kate turned, staring up at him, swamped with sadness and fear. That certainly wasn’t the emotion he was going for. A deep pain stabbed in his chest. The distance between them echoed, big and wide, keeping them miles apart. “Daniel, we talked about this before.”

  “Yes we have, but you’ve never given me a good answer.” Daniel kept his voice low, attempting to prevent the conversation from traveling too far. He didn’t want to draw attention from his mother or brother to the fact that Kate was turning him down—again. Or that he was such a dope that he’d keep asking this woman to love him, when she gave him no sign that anything had ever changed.

  “I’m not ready.” Her eyes became misty and Daniel wanted to kick himself in the ass. He hated being so damn pushy, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted Kate, forever. He didn’t have any choice but to keep pushing her.

  He’d never known another woman like Kate. Her heart was so big, so vulnerable. He wanted to kill the man who had hurt her, who’d taken her trust and destroyed it. Even a year later, Daniel still fought to reclaim it, though he didn’t seem any closer most days than he had the first day they’d met.

  He was sick of fighting invisible demons. He was sick of attacking some guy he couldn’t see, some guy who didn’t deserve her love in the first place. Why couldn’t she see he was here for her? That he wasn’t leaving?

  “Damn it, Kate, can’t we ever be happy? Just the two of us. Without him.”

  Kate pulled back. Daniel knew he’d gone too far. They never mentioned the man who had hurt her. It was an unspoken rule between them and he’d broken it. Immediately, he wanted to suck the words back in, to rewind time and never say them. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a movie and turning back time was not an option.

  Her lower lip trembled. She focused her eyes on the carpet once more. Daniel wanted to smash his head against the nearest wall. I really am an asshole.

  “Daniel, you have to stop pushing me. You can’t force me to be ready, no matter how much you want it.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.” He reached out to her, hoping to draw her back into his arms.

  She stiffened, stepping back from his embrace. His heart sank to his shoes. The space between them grew wider. It was big enough now that they could play football. She sniffled slightly, a soft, tiny noise that stabbed him right in the chest.

  “I just need some time alone,” she released in a rush, spinning away from him and all but sprinting across the room. She raced past the partially lighted tree, hardly giving it a look.

  A chill ran through him at the sound of Kate closing the door as she left the tiny house to wander out into the wintry night. He wanted to run after her, follow her out of that door and make her see sense. They were great together, so why couldn’t she see that? Why couldn’t she see how much he loved her?

  But there was no point. She wouldn’t listen. She was always walking out on him in one way or another. This time was no different.

  “Good job, asshole,” Grant grunted from the other side of the room, a smirk on his face. The bastard almost seemed happy that he and Kate were arguing. What kind of jerk rooted for that?

  “Bite my ass,” Daniel shot back.

  His brother chuckled. At least one of them had found something to be happy about.

  * * * *

  Kate walked out int
o the cold night, hugging her arms around herself. She’d left the house so quickly she’d forgotten to take her coat. But she’d had no choice. She’d had to get out of there. She couldn’t breathe in that little house. With Daniel’s attention on her, demanding her commitment, her forever—both more than she could give. The cold was nothing compared to the weight of his disappointment.

  For the first time in her life, she was acting like her mother. Coveting what she couldn’t have. She wanted Daniel, but she wanted Grant too. How could she possibly have both men? She couldn’t. At some point, she’d have to choose.

  Kate tipped her head back, staring up into the dark sky. A million tiny stars winked back at her, brighter than she’d ever seen, but she couldn’t truly appreciate it. Not with the heaviness of her heart.

  Of all the trouble she’d gotten herself into over the years, this had to take the cake. Not only had she slept with two brothers, but she was now stuck in the same house with them and their mother for the holidays. Throw in a good bout of amnesia or an evil twin and she’d be smack in the middle of a fantastic soap opera.

  “You never told him, did you?” Grant’s deep, gravelly voice reached her across the snow. Kate tensed. She knew that voice so well. Her heart pounded a little faster at the sound and her temperature increased.

  She turned her head toward Grant. He stood a few feet away from her, his body tense, his face hard as granite.

  “You never told Daniel that you’ve been with me.”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t know until I showed up here that you two were even related. It never occurred to me he needed to know the details of what happened between us.” Daniel knew more than enough just being around her. He knew how much Grant had hurt her. He knew how much it kept her from him. She didn’t want Daniel to fight with his brother over her.

  “Thank you.” The crunch of snow announced his approach, reverberating in the quiet stillness. “But you can’t keep hurting him like this.”

  “What other choice do I have?” Kate turned to Grant, wanting to be furious with him but his close proximity startled her. The air escaped her lungs in a gasp. The honest need in his gaze, as if he were a little kid searching for praise, was so strange and unlike the stern Dom she knew.

  “Do you love him?”

  Her stomach flopped at the thought of responding to his question. She knew it would hurt him. Regardless of how he’d wounded her, she had never wished the same on him. But she’d always told him the truth. She couldn’t start lying to him now.

  “Yes.”

  Grant stared at her for a moment. She almost thought she saw regret in his eyes. It was foolish to believe when all the evidence proved the contrary. But she couldn’t stop her stupid, foolish heart from believing that he’d cared for her once.

  “Then you have to let him know. You have to tell him who you are, what you need—even what happened between us.”

  Kate shook her head, squeezing her eyes tight. Tears formed behind her lids. “I can’t.” She remembered all too well how other men had run from her desires. That was why she’d gone to the club to find someone who would understand her, who would be able to give her what she craved. Grant had fitted the bill and then some. And they both knew how well that had gone.

  “He’s not like you. That’s what I love most about him.” She took a deep breath, steeling herself against her next words. “He won’t understand.”

  Quickly, Grant stepped toward her, capturing her hands in his big grip and pushing her back against the farmhouse. The shingles bit into her back, his fierce hold keeping her from escaping. He caged her in with his body, his presence massive, blocking out everything else. Her muscles shook, longing raking through her, almost tearing her to shreds.

  “I know what you are. I can see it.” He tightened his hands on her wrists to just this side of pain. He pulled them higher up the side of the building, increasing her vulnerability. The joints in her shoulders screamed. It became harder to breathe with her back arched at an awkward angle. She wanted to hate it, to hate him, but she couldn’t.

  “I see your needs in the way your eyes darken when I do this, the way your heartbeat speeds up and your breathing becomes labored. Your pussy is probably downright dripping right now and all I’ve done is hold down your hands.”

  Kate dropped her gaze, hoping to avoid his stare, and not confirm his words, even if they were true. Just because her body responded to him didn’t mean she had to accept it. She could live without this feeling, this completeness, the wholeness that came from being held down and controlled. Other people did. She could too. She could do it for Daniel.

  “You’re a submissive, honey. No amount of playing house with my brother will change that.” He ran the pad of his thumb along her cheek, heat following his touch. “If you don’t think he’ll ever notice, you’re fooling yourself.” Grant stared down at her with fierce bewitching eyes that always made her knees weak. “You can’t hide from who you are forever, Kate.”

  The way he said her name pierced her like a dagger to the heart. Her stomach churned. A part of her, deep inside, wanted to hear him call her ‘pet’ again.

  “If you keep lying about what you want, you won’t just be hurting yourself. You’ll hurt him too.”

  Kate wanted to scream and rail against him. She wanted to kick him in the shins and run away. She hated what Grant was saying. She hated how he knew her. She hated how he spoke with such authority.

  Most of all, she hated that he was right.

  “What the fuck?”

  Of all the sights Daniel thought he might walk into, he had never expected this one. White-hot rage surged through him. His brother had Kate pushed up against the house, her hands held in his tight grip. Grant stared down at her so intensely every instinct in Daniel’s body flared with fury.

  “Get the fuck off her,” he screamed, running toward them, concern for Kate the only thing on his mind. He knew his brother was upset with him for not coming home after their father died, that all the responsibility for the ranch had fallen on Grant. Maybe Grant was even upset that he didn’t have someone of his own to love. But nothing justified this.

  Grant instantly dropped her hands, stepping back almost three full feet in one long stride. He looked down, his head hanging in shame.

  Damn right. He should be fucking ashamed. What the fuck is Grant doing touching my girlfriend?

  “Are you okay?” With shaking hands, Daniel explored her body, examined her face, her cheeks, her neck. He didn’t find any injuries, at least not that she let on, but the rock in his gut still wouldn’t shrink.

  “She’s fine,” Grant responded for her, irritation tingeing his words.

  What fucking reason does he have to be irritated? He’s the one who attacked Kate.

  Kate nodded to Grant. “I’m fine.” She clasped her small delicate hand around Daniel’s, squeezing it reassuringly. “Really.”

  “What the hell were you doing?” He turned to his brother, red flooding his vision.

  “Nothing,” Grant growled, his body tense. “I was just showing her something.”

  Confused, Daniel looked back and forth between the two of them. “What could you possibly be showing her by pushing her up against the house?”

  Unable to meet Daniel’s eyes, Kate dropped her gaze to the ground.

  That’s never a good sign.

  “Nothing’s going on, Danny.” Grant took a threatening step toward his brother, his fists slightly raised. “Just leave it alone.”

  “This is my girlfriend. I love her. I’m not going to just leave it alone.” Daniel glared up at his brother, the pieces finally clicking together in his head. All the offhand comments, all the stolen looks. “What’s going on between the two of you?” He motioned to Kate.

  Grant crossed his arms over his chest, widening his stance. “Kate and I know each other from Dallas.”

  She finally met Daniel’s gaze, her eyes huge. She fumbled her fingers at her sides. He fought back the urge
to reach out and grab her hand, to steady her and help her. That was always his role—the steady, calm protector.

  “Is this true?” he asked.

  Her eyes misted and her chin wobbled. She appeared about to cry—and damn it, he hated that. If Grant had done this to her, he was going to pay for it.

  “It’s okay, Kate,” Granted stated.

  His brother’s voice remained calm and reassuring, which only irritated Daniel further. How could Grant be composed right now? Daniel was about to punch a hole through the wall of the house.

  “You can tell him the truth.”

  What truth? What are they talking about? He focused on Kate, the worst scenarios he could think of floating in his head.

  She gulped and raised her eyes to meet his for a second time before returning her attention to the ground. “Grant is the man I was with before you.”

  Daniel recoiled, almost as if he’d been struck. A punch probably would have been less shocking.

  This couldn’t be true. If Grant and Kate had been together, he would have known. Right? He would have seen somehow. Though they never talked about the asshole who had hurt her. She didn’t like to delve into that pain. Could Grant really be that asshole?

  “He’s the one who left you? The one who broke your heart?” Daniel yelled at her, not entirely sure why he was so angry.

  “I left her because I had to come back to this ranch and take over after Dad got sick,” Grant growled through a clenched jaw. He fisted his hands at his sides. “You weren’t man enough to do it.”

  Daniel raked his fingers through his hair, wanting to pull it right out of his scalp. “I’m so fucking sick of you throwing that in my face. I didn’t come home. And you did. Get over it. No one forced you to. No one made you give up anything,” he spat the words like bullets, hoping they hit their target and blew a hole in him as big as the one he’d made in Kate.

  “That’s not true. You made me give up everything. I had to come back here. Someone had to help Mom out. And everyone knows you’re too big a pussy to work this ranch. Just like you’re too big a pussy to satisfy her.” Grant pointed at Kate.