As she approached, she noticed Bridget hovering nearby, excluded from their conversation. However, upon seeing Laura’s approach she turned to Dexter and seductively fastened herself to him. Irked, Dexter turned toward the bottled blonde and annoyingly removed her grasp from about him. Laura smiled. It really wasn’t polite on his part, however at that moment it was the perfect thing to do.
Aggravated at Bridget’s unwanted mauling, Dexter put her firmly to the side and returned his attention back to the gentleman with whom he was enjoying a conversation. Something red caught the corner of his eye, however, as it was approaching him rather swiftly. He looked up from the pinkish man and watched suspiciously as Laura approached. She looked far too pleased with herself. He wondered what she was coming over to gloat about now. However, the closer she advanced the warier he became. Much more than gloating lurked in those glittering green depths of hers. No, she looked as if she was far too happy.
Then, before he could react, she took the last few steps in two large strides, slid her body up against his, and wound her arms about his neck. “What the—?”
“I love you too.” She pressed a kiss to his mouth.
He faltered momentarily, before reaching up and dragging her arms back down. However, he did not remove her body. “What the hell are you doing?”
Laura grinned, then slid her arms back up, unrelenting. “I love you, Dexter.”
This time he sighed heavily in annoyance as again he reached up for her arms. “Will you stop this? What’s wrong with you? You’re talking like a crazed woman.”
“Dexter!” Bridget whined loudly, coming out of her sudden shock. “What does she think she’s doing?”
The gentleman he was talking with earlier, grinned amusingly. “It’s seems to me young man you’ve got your arms full. It’s not every day a man has two woman falling all over him.”
But Dexter was not pleased as he attempted to remove Laura’s arms once again. Bridget got louder as it was clear she was getting more excited. He could feel a throbbing begin at the back of his head. “Dexter, I mean it. Tell this little whore—”
“Shut up Bridget!” he barked.
“How dare you! If you don’t get rid of her right now, I swear I’ll leave and never come back.”
“Goodbye.” At that moment, it sounded like the best thing he heard all day.
Bridget’s eyes widened, then in a huff turned angrily toward Laura who still stood far too intimately within Dexter’s embrace, but refrained from sliding her arms back around his neck. Then in a dramatic sweep she fled out of the room of curious onlookers.
“That wasn’t very nice.” Laura pointed quietly out to him as she slipped her arms back around his neck.
“Brace yourself, you’re getting the same dose.” He reached up and gripped her arms.
“No, I’m not.”
He wavered. “Why not?”
“Because I love you.” She leaned close to whisper, “and you love me.”
His cold eyes warmed briefly before he dragged her arms down and muttered, “Now you’re simply talking stupid. Where would you get an absurd idea like that?”
“From you.”
“What?” he bellowed. “Have you lost your mind?”
He released her arms and Laura used the opportunity to slide them once more up his chest and lock them behind his head. Going up on tiptoe she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “Thank you for the cottage.”
His entire body stilled, then he asked, “What cottage?”
“I know Dexter. Everything.”
There was a moment’s pause before it occurred to Dexter that they had an audience. His gaze scanned the room over her head and locked eyes with his mothers. She simply shrugged and gave him the sweetest smile. He sighed in defeat then reached for Laura’s death grip about his neck.
“Come on. I think we need some privacy.”
Turning, he headed for his mother’s sitting room, taking Laura’s hand as he went. However, the pinkish looking gentleman urged them, “Well don’t leave us wondering. Do you love the girl or not?”
Dexter halted, then slowly turned around. Laura found herself holding her breath. His eyes locked with hers briefly before returning his attention to the inquisitive gathering. Then with an angry retort, he growled, “Unfortunately.”
Then quickly, before anyone could stop him, he hurried out of the room dragging Laura behind him. Once in the sanctuary of the sitting room he shut the door soundly then turned on her at once. “First of all, let me start by saying if you ever pull a stunt like that again I’ll—I’ll—.”
She wanted desperately to go to him, to put her arms back around his neck and kiss him endlessly. But she wanted to hear him say the words. She needed to hear him say the words. So she waited quietly as he scolded her for her lack of etiquette and conduct. When he finished he took a deep breath, looked at her searchingly, and then said, “What exactly is it you know and are bragging so arrogantly about?”
“Mr. Jenkins called me tonight.”
He looked vacantly at her. “Am I supposed to recognize the name?”
She smiled. “That’s okay, he didn’t know you either.”
His eyes narrowed. “What point are you trying to make?”
“Mr. Jenkins is the insurance broker.”
Again he looked at her blankly, obviously unable to follow her train of thoughts.
“He told me you didn’t pull any strings to receive the proceeds of my insurance.” At this, his face became hard, but Laura continued, “You told me the renovation came from the proceeds of the insurance claim.”
“I never actually said that,” he firmly stated.
“Maybe not in so much words, but that was what you had me believe.”
“I didn’t have you believe anything. I simply told you I was able to pull some strings together in order to pay for the reconstruction. You were the one who jumped to the conclusion it came from the insurance.”
Piqued, she claimed, “You didn’t deny it.”
“No.” It was one word, but it held so much power in what she would say next.
“Adell denied having anything to do with it either.” Suddenly she felt very nervous. “Which left only one conclusion.”
He looked unsmiling across the room at her without uttering a word, waiting for the inevitable as he saw it.
“Y-you.” Once the word was out, she went very still and held her breath fearfully. Praying he had the strength to confess. Or to deny, which Laura would dig the biggest hole to bury herself in.
Sighing, he got to his feet and ran a hand through his hair as he turned his back to her. “I don’t see how it matters who paid for the renovation. The point is it’s done.”
“Because I owe that person an immense amount of gratitude. They have given me—”
He spun around angry, “That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. Dammit, Laura, I don’t want your gratitude.”
Slowly, she began to smile and had enough confidence to take a step closer. “It was you.”
Frowning heavily, he stared at her. “Don’t you dare utter a single thank you. That’s not why I did it.”
Her smile turned into a full beam. “I told you.”
She nearly took pity on him, so uncomfortable he was becoming. “Tell me what?”
“That you love me.”
Physically he did not move, however the jolt from the depths of his hazel eyes, brought Laura to a new level of understanding. “Cursed woman, you want me to say it don’t you?”
Grinning suddenly, Laura nodded as her heart accelerated.
“First let me ask you, did Mother have anything to do with this?”
“Let’s just say she helped me clarify things. I thought it was she who bought me the cottage and believed whomever paid for the renovations, also gave me the little cottage. You gave her a duplicate.”
“My immaterial way of turning the gift insignificant.” He paused, then said. “You were so devastated at the loss of your
mother’s Christmas village, I thought you might like it. I didn’t want to accept the small cottage brought back memories of our night together and might have had something to do with me choosing that particular piece. So I bought mother a duplicate. I just didn’t realize she would leave it out for everyone to see.”
“I’m glad she did. Otherwise, she would never have confessed it was you who bought it for her.” Laura frowned suddenly. “But I don’t understand. You’ve hated the whole shelter idea from the beginning. You’ve wanted me to fail. Why would you pay to have the home rebuilt?”
“I still disagree with you using the home for a shelter. As a financial consultant there is no logic to operating that kind of business.” He paused. “But it was your family’s home and I could see how much it hurt you to lose it after the fire. I couldn’t bear to see you lose it again.”
Laura’s expression softened and the urge to be in his arms was greater than ever, but first, “You wanted me to fail with the shelter because you feared I would lose my home?”
He frowned. “I think I put it that way when you came to me for help. But I never wanted you to fail. That was why I—”
She waited and when he suddenly fell silent, a look of discomfort on his face, she asked, “Did you have anything to do with the success of the first Bingo Charity Night?”
A pause, then he nodded. “I might have made a few very heavy suggestions to some of my biggest clients that your shelter was a good charitable cause and that they should invest. I promised them a tax break if they did.”
“But I don’t understand. You fought me every step of the way? You hate the shelter.” Her heart glowed warmly but she needed to clarify.
“And I still do,” he sternly told her, pinning her with a hard gaze. “And before we go any further, let’s get this straight. You are no longer in charge of the shelter’s bookkeeping. I’ll handle that end of it, thank you very much.”
“Ok.”
“And you’ll leave the insurance coverage to me. I’ll look after it.”
“All right.”
“As well as any other legal matters.”
“That’s fine.”
“Good.” His expression eased. “You just concentrate on healing those girls.”
She smiled. “I will.”
He nodded, “Now you’re thinking straight for once.”
Laura couldn’t help but laugh. “I would have gladly let you take over any one of those responsibilities—except helping the girls. But you weren’t my biggest supporter. Why did you fight me so much?”
“I needed you to—” Dexter stopped, then looked at her squarely before admitting, “I needed you to hate me.”
“Why?”
With his eyes downcast he replied, “Because I was beginning to care.”
Heart glowing, she sighed sweetly. “Really?”
Frustrated, he shoved a weary hand through his hair. “Look Laura, I’m a fraud. Whatever you think you feel for me isn’t real. You deserve better. You’re a decent woman who deserves a worthy man.”
Laura grimaced and cocked her head, shooting him a look saying with a smile, “You think I’m a decent woman? Lord, I was looking for something a little more flattering.”
He looked up and frowned. “That’s not what I meant.”
Sighing, she took a few steps closer to him. “Dexter, how can you say you’re not worthy? Look at what you’ve done for me. I can never repay that kind of generosity.”
“I’m not looking for repayment.” He angrily amended.
“My point is you did it not out of coercion but out of kindness and compassion.”
He opened his mouth to say something but Laura quickly interfered.
“And out of love, Dexter. Whether you will ever acknowledge it or not, your heart has a wonderful ability to give. Will you allow it to receive?”
This time he had nothing to say as he stared openly back at her. Then, “I don’t deserve you.”
She grinned softly. “I don’t think you have a choice.”
On a serious note, he needed to point out, “I don’t know if I can love you the way you want to be loved.”
Laura felt her heart hasten. “Then love me the way I need to be loved.”
His brows came together as if her words hurt. “You’ve been through so much in the last year. I couldn’t bear it if I were to hurt you.”
Stepping closer, she replied, “We’ve both been through a lot to finally find each other. I am happy, Dexter. More than I have been in years. I love you.”
He reached up timidly and stroked his hand against her cheek. Gently brushing her hair aside, he allowed himself the joy of touching this woman who had aroused an emotion in him which had laid dormant for far too long, from the moment they shared this very night together last year on Suicide Point. A memory that nearly cost him the life of another person he cared deeply for.
He allowed himself to take the blame for his father’s death and in doing so forgone his ability to love. With this woman, those emotions had been stirred and jolted. She deserved so much more, he believed. He may not sing her praises or sweep her off her feet, but he would do everything in his power to give her all the love she needed.
“You.”
Puzzled, her brows dipped slightly.
“I love you.” He told her. Then with a blissful heart she slipped into his embrace and hungrily accepted his kiss of devotion. With this silent joining, a life of joy and happiness, along with healing and forgiveness sealed a fate irrevocably forged.
The End
Note from Author
I truly hope you enjoyed reading Misfortune, Christmas with Scrooge as much as I enjoyed writing it. This book is the first in “The Miss Book Series”. If you would like to be notified of the next book in the series, please sign up to my newsletter here. Please continue to the following page to read an excerpt from Book #2 about Daniel Keller, the facts-dribbling computer nerd who falls in love with next door neighbor and promiscuous party girl, Sonya Elliott. And as always, if you enjoyed the story and would like to leave a review on Amazon, it is always welcome and appreciated.
Sincerely,
Peggy Ann Craig
Excerpt
Misunderstood
(In Love with the Nerd)
Chapter 1
Sonya Elliott thanked heaven for the umpteenth time for placing Daniel Keller across the hall.
Taking a quick look down either side of the apartment corridor, she slipped across the carpeted hallway and tapped sharply on his door.
The I-really-really-need-this-job interview was in less than forty-five minutes and, wouldn’t you know it, the zipper on her dress got snared in the lace of her panties. Her many attempts to release it were fruitless and, as she didn’t have eyes on the back of her head, she couldn’t see just how bad the damage was.
Becoming impatient when she received no immediate response, she banged harder for a second time. She refused to be late for this appointment, and though she hated asking for help, she needed another set of hands.
Daniel’s door finally opened and he peered around the corner from over the rim of his thick glasses. With one finger he pushed them back up the bridge of his nose and gave her a quick once-over.
"Ah, I see you have manifested your ability to connect with the universal system of propulsion."
Rolling her eyes, she said, “English, Daniel.”
He gestured toward her outfit. “The ability to change direction. Or in this case, your mind. As I see you have chosen to go against my advice to wear the blue dress.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She brushed his comment aside with a twitch of her wrist. “As if you have any taste.”
Which was no joke. Daniel Keller possessed as much color in his wardrobe as he did in his life. As long as she had known him, he was a rather reserved man for someone so young. And dull. Dreadfully dull.
When initially they met nearly a year ago, she thought him older than his actual thirty-one years of age. But soon d
iscovered his aloofness was more a result of him being, what she perceived, a bit on the bashful side. Something which, thankfully, had changed upon getting to know him better. She was sure she wouldn’t have bothered with him if he had remained in his little cocoon, for they had absolutely nothing in common.
“By not being able to choose between the red or blue dress, you created an internal conflict.”
“Well, of course. Do you have any idea how much a Versace dress cost? Even second-hand?”
“No, I can’t say that I do.”
Which didn’t surprise Sonya. The only thing that interested Daniel was the technical world. All his time was spent on any one of his computers, or down at the institute at which he worked. She sincerely couldn't figure him out. Not that she tried.
Daniel was a great neighbor and a real sweet guy, but he hardly fit into the circle she associated with. She was certain the group she hobnobbed with would find him a dreadful bore. As she, herself, admittedly found him to be at times. Whenever the discussion strayed in the direction of science or technology, she would have to change the topic in a fast hurry. Really, it didn’t surprise her in the least the guy was still single.
Not that he was unattractive, she had to concede as she watched him rake his fingers through his short but stiff brown locks. He had one of those dark polished looks about him. A look more popular on the legislative assembly channel rather than the ESPN channel.
Her eyes followed the movement of his hand and admitted he did possess a rather gorgeous head of hair. But, unfortunately, lacked any sense of style. What Sonya wouldn’t give to see him bear a Johnny Depp just-out-of-bed-after-hours-of-wild-sex look.
She smirked at the thought and automatically shot him a grin, which, typically, received no response.
“Got a girl in there, have ya?” She smirked and enjoyed the look of discomfort that came over him.
“No, of course not, why would you ask?”
“Relax Daniel. I was only teasing.”
“Oh.”
Shaking her head, she thought he really ought to laugh more, and peered through his thick eyeglass lenses for any sign of mirth. As predicted, nothing. Zilch. Not even a spark.
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