It Must Be Christmas
Page 32
“I love you, Chloe,” he said simply. “I’d do anything for you. Anything.” Nate turned and headed back to the door. He paused, hand gripping the knob. “We’re having Christmas Eve dinner at Travis’s house tonight. I want you and Derrick to come. Seven o’clock. Thirty-five twenty, Maple Creek Court.” Without waiting for her to respond, he left.
Chloe picked up the check and smoothed her fingers over the crisp paper. Nate Christensen really was an extraordinary man and she’d be a fool to let him go.
THIRTEEN
“Behave yourself or I will have your butt, mister.”
Derrick rolled his eyes as they walked under the portico to the looming front door of Travis Christensen’s house. The kid had some serious ’tude, but Chloe planned to change that.
“You act like I’m not house-trained, Chloe. But damn, have you ever seen a house this big?”
“Language,” Chloe warned.
“Yeah, okay. Think they have a butler?”
Chloe snorted. By the looks of the place, Travis probably ought to have one. Compared to Nate’s run-down ranch house, this place was a palace. Chloe looked down at her black leggings and thigh-length sweater and felt suddenly underdressed. Maybe she should have reconsidered coming tonight. After all, she was sort of dropping in, despite Nate’s invite. It’s not like she’d told him she was coming.
“I have no idea,” Chloe replied. “Just do me a favor. Say please and thank you and don’t complain about the food.”
“Please,” Derrick said. “You should see the garbage my foster mom fed us for dinner. These guys could serve me a cow’s butthole and I’d be happy about it.”
“Oh my god, Derrick.” Chloe resisted the urge to slap her palm against her forehead. “Language!”
“Oh, right.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry.”
He totally wasn’t sorry.
Chloe reached out and rang the doorbell, fully expecting a butler to answer. The sound of male laughter filled her ears as the door swung wide. “Hey Chloe,” Travis greeted with a knowing smile. “Glad you guys could make it.”
Now it was Chloe’s turn for a sheepish smile. “I hope this is okay that we’re just dropping in. Nate invited us but—”
“I’m glad you’re here,” Travis said. “Nate’s been a broody son of a bitch all night. Maybe this’ll pull his mood out of the shitter.” He winked at Derrick. Obviously, the Christensen brothers would do nothing to discourage Derrick’s ornery streak. Boys will be boys, she supposed.
Travis ushered Derrick in ahead of Chloe and said, “The girls want to open presents after dinner. You game, little man?”
He turned and looked at Chloe with wide, expectant eyes. Her heart felt like it might burst in her chest. “Travis, you didn’t—”
He answered her with a wink.
“You bet I’m game!” Derrick exclaimed. “Hey man, do you have a butler?”
The two walked farther ahead, Travis answering questions as fast as Derrick could lob them at him. She followed them through the foyer and into the vast living room. A giant Christmas tree decorated one corner of the room, the twinkling lights reflecting on the ceiling above. Two twin girls played near the tree, examining the colorfully wrapped boxes with gentle shakes. Travis led Derrick over and introduced him to the girls who waved sheepishly. They couldn’t have been more than five or six, but Derrick took it in stride and joined them in their hunt for whose gifts were whose.
Chloe’s gaze wandered to the opposite end of the living room. Grouped around a wet bar were Nate and the rest of his brothers. He looked up from the squat glass in his grip and a slow smile grew on his face as his eyes met hers.
“Thank god,” Travis murmured at Chloe’s side. “I was afraid he’d never snap out of it.”
Chloe gave him a sideways glance and Travis nudged her. “Don’t be shy. If you’re going to be a part of this family, you’d better get used to hanging out with a bunch of boisterous jackasses.”
She laughed. If the rest of Nate’s brothers were as funny and easygoing as Travis, there was no doubt that she’d love them all. She loved their brother, after all.
Nate crossed the room toward her. The simple act held her rapt. She’d never seen a man walk with such predatory grace. Every move precisely placed. The individual muscles of his body rolled with every step and it took a conscious effort for Chloe to keep her mouth from hanging open on rusty hinges. Nate Christensen was magnificent.
He stopped mere inches from her. Chloe looked up to see into his face. His presence overwhelmed her and infused her with a delicious heat. How could she have ever thought she could stay away from him?
“Sorry I didn’t call.”
“Let’s go out onto the patio and talk.”
“Derrick—”
“Will be fine,” Nate said. “Just for a minute. Please.”
As though she had no control over her own body, Chloe let him lead her toward the paned French doors that led out to a wide covered patio. The nip of the December air soaked through her sweater but Chloe didn’t know if it was the chill or the proximity of the man standing beside her that caused gooseflesh to rise on her skin.
“It’s so pretty out here.” White Christmas lights decorated the bushes and trees that dotted the yard while bright colored lights graced the hedges and the low stone wall that bordered the driveway.
“Travis did it for the girls,” he said. “They love Christmas.”
“You guys have each other’s backs, don’t you?”
“Always,” Nate said. “But I didn’t bring you out here to talk about my brothers.”
Chloe turned to face him. Nate rattled her unlike any man ever had. His proximity intoxicated her until she swayed with drunken giddiness. “What did you bring me out here to talk about?”
* * *
Nate stared down into Chloe’s luminous green eyes. She thought a bunch of Christmas lights were pretty? Hell, all of the lights in the world didn’t hold a candle to her beauty. “We didn’t really get to finish our conversation today.”
“We didn’t?” she asked wryly. “I think you said more in those ten minutes than you’ve said since we met.”
She joked to lighten the mood, but Nate wasn’t interested in levity. Not when so much still hung in the balance. “I didn’t say half of what I wanted to say.”
“We don’t have to do this tonight, Nate. It’s Christmas Eve and everyone’s inside waiting. I don’t expect you to make a big scene for my benefit. I wouldn’t be here tonight if I hadn’t really listened to what you said today.”
Nate wasn’t good at apologies. He wasn’t good at any of this emotional shit. He’d been dead since the day Miranda betrayed him and finally he felt like he was ready to join the land of the living. He was ready to quit wallowing in his own self-pity. He wanted to be happy. He wanted to heal from all of the tragedy that had weighed him down over the past few years.
“This isn’t about making a scene. This is about making things right and starting fresh. I want you to know that I don’t expect to pick right up where we left off,” he said. Nate swallowed against the lump of emotion in his throat. The swell of hope that threatened to choke the air from his lungs. “I know that I need to earn your trust and respect back. That the things I said to you can’t be fixed with a simple apology. I’m willing to take it slow, Chloe. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win you back and to prove to you that I’ll never disrespect you like that again.”
She smiled up at him, the expression so soft that it melted Nate’s heart. “Do you really think I could do what I do for a living and not believe in second chances, Nate?”
Relief washed over him. Nate lowered his mouth to Chloe’s in a slow kiss. Her arms came around him as she rose on her toes and her body melted into his as though they were no longer two people, but a single form. They came slowly apart, their lips lingering. Nate murmured against her mouth, “I’ll never give you a reason to have to give me a third chance.”
“
No one’s perfect, Nate.” She kissed him once, quickly. “I sure as hell don’t expect you to be. Your love is all the reassurance I need.”
“I do love you.” He pulled away to gaze into her face, wanting her to see as well as hear his sincerity. “I didn’t think I’d ever love anyone again, and you proved me wrong.”
“I love you, too, Nate. I think I might’ve fallen in love with you that first night.”
“In the coat closet?” he asked with a mischievous grin.
Chloe laughed. “Definitely in the coat closet.”
From the window, Nate noticed Derrick waving them inside. “You’ve got a houseguest for a while, huh?”
“Yep. It might end up being permanent. Does that bother you?”
Nate grabbed Chloe’s hand and twined his fingers with hers. “Absolutely not. I sort of like that little shit.”
“Good.” She squeezed his hand. “Because I sort of do, too.”
When they didn’t immediately go inside, Derrick threw open the door. “Hurry up, guys! Dinner’s ready!” The kid looked ready to gnaw his own arm off. “You should see the spread, Chloe. So much better than a cow’s asshole!”
Nate couldn’t control his laughter and it spluttered from his lips.
“Language!” Chloe shouted, but the kid was already hightailing it for the dining room.
“So,” Nate began as he pulled open the door for her. “Did you cash my check?”
“Are you kidding?” Chloe said with a laugh. “I deposited that bad boy fifteen minutes after you left.”
“Good. I can’t wait to see what you’ll do with it.”
“Oh, I have plans,” she said archly. “First things first, I think we need a new name.”
“Yeah? What were you thinking?”
They headed to the dining room where Nate’s brothers and the kids were settling down at the table. Chloe paused to look at him. “I want to call it the Nate Christensen Foundation.”
Nate smoothed a thumb over her cheek. “I didn’t give you that money for bragging rights, darlin’.”
Her gaze went liquid and it stirred Nate’s blood. Goddamn, he’d never met a more amazing woman. “I know that,” she said, low. “Like you said, this money is about your legacy. I want this to be the start of it.”
“You two ready to eat?” Carter asked as he got his girls situated and set up with plates. “Or would you rather stand at the head of the table and make goofy faces at each other all night? I mean, I’m okay with that; I’m sure we could all use the entertainment.”
Nate threw his brother a look. “Hush.” He placed a quick kiss at Chloe’s temple. “I love you.”
“It’s a damned good thing, too,” she replied. “Because you’re never getting rid of me.”
Nate led her to the table and pulled out a chair. Chloe took a seat next to Derrick and he eased her in toward the table. “Good. Because you’re not getting rid of me, either.”
Peace settled over Nate’s heart and soul. He had everything he’d ever need right here in this room. And he was never letting any of it go. Finally, life was good.
Don’t miss these other delightful novels from New York Times bestselling author
Jennifer Crusie
Welcome to Temptation
Tell Me Lies
Crazy For You
Fast Women
Faking It
Bet Me
Maybe This Time
From St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Also available in an eBook Bundle
www.stmartins.com
Coming soon …
Somebody Like You
By Donna Alward
Available in February 2017
And look for these other novels in her Jewell Cove series
The House on Blackberry Hill
Treasure on Lilac Lane
Summer on Lovers’ Island
From St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Looking for more great reads about the Billionaire’s Club?
Don’t miss Mandy Baxter’s
Tall, Dark, Billionaire Texan
Stories include:
The Billionaire Cowboy
The Billion Dollar Player
Rocked by the Billionaire
The Billionaire Sheriff
From St. Martin’s Paperbacks
About the Authors
Jennifer Crusie was researching her dissertation on the differences in the way men and women tell stories when she got sidetracked into writing romance novels.
Her first book was published in 1993 (which pretty much finished off any hope of her getting that PhD), and her twenty-second book, Maybe This Time, came out in August of 2010, all of which she considers a minor miracle, especially since she is also a New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author.
Visit her website at: jennycrusie.com. Or sign up for email updates here.
While bestselling author Donna Alward was busy studying Austen, Eliot, and Shakespeare, she was also losing herself in the breathtaking stories created by romance novelists like LaVyrle Spencer, Judith McNaught, and Nora Roberts. Several years after completing her degree she decided to write a romance of her own and it was true love! Five years and ten manuscripts later she sold her first book and launched a new career. While her heartwarming stories of love, hope, and homecoming have been translated into several languages, hit bestseller lists, and won awards, her very favorite thing is when she hears from happy readers!
Donna lives on Canada’s east coast with her family which includes a husband, a couple of kids, a senior dog, and two crazy cats. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading (of course!), knitting, gardening, cooking … and is a Masterpiece Theatre addict. You can visit her on the Web at www.DonnaAlward.com and join her mailing list at www.DonnaAlward.com/newsletter. Or sign up for email updates here.
Mandy Baxter lives in rural Idaho. She’s a part-time pet wrangler, a full-time sun worshiper, and only goes out into the cold when coerced. She loves black clothes, pink appliances, and thinks junk food should be a recognized food group. In the summer, she can be found sitting by the lake, enjoying the view from her dock. She also writes urban fantasy under Amanda Bonilla.
Visit her website at: mandy-baxter.com. Or sign up for email updates here.
Thank you for buying this
St. Martin’s Press ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content,
and info on new releases and other great reads,
sign up for our newsletters.
Or visit us online at
us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
For email updates on Jennifer Crusie, click here.
For email updates on Donna Alward, click here.
For email updates on Mandy Baxter, click here.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Hot Toy
by Jennifer Crusie
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Christmas at Seashell Cottage
by Donna Alward
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Christmas with the Billionaire Rancher
by Mandy Baxter
Acknowledgments
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
About the Authors
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizati
ons, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
“Hot Toy” previously appeared in Santa, Baby in 2006.
IT MUST BE CHRISTMAS
“Hot Toy” copyright © 2006 by Argh Ink.
“Christmas at Seashell Cottage” copyright © 2014 by Donna Alward.
“Christmas with the Billionaire Rancher” copyright © 2015 by Mandy Baxter.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
www.stmartins.com
eISBN: 9781250106384
Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945 ext. 5442 or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / October 2016
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.