Take a Mountain Man Home for Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Christmas Collection

by Crowne, K. C.

  The name was fitting in many ways. It was clear that Felicity threw her all into the restaurant, and I wouldn’t let a few broken pipes screw it up for her.

  Not if I could help it.

  And $50,000 was nothing for me. I gave her more than I offered as a surrogate because, to me, it felt like a drop in the bucket - not enough for what surrogates were required to do, and not really enough to do much for the diner. I’d have gladly given her more but wasn’t sure she’d be okay with it.

  I’d be surprised, knowing the hard-headed Felicity, if she was okay with the 50k. But it was nothing for me to give it, and I hope she understood it.

  I came from a family of doctors who came from doctors and researchers. I was wealthy long before I started my practice, and unlike some folks, I knew I was lucky. I was blessed and wanted to share that blessing.

  Hopefully Felicity would understand that and accept my gift without a fight.

  That hope didn’t last long, however, as someone pounded on the front door of the clinic. I checked the time - yep, it took ten minutes to walk from the diner to my office, and it was twelve minutes after I’d stepped out of the diner. She was right on my heels, alright.

  I didn’t get up fast enough, apparently, because the next thing I know, there was a knocking on my window.

  “Let me in, Abe. We need to talk.” She was shouting loud enough to hear, even though I had my windows closed.

  I yanked open the blinds and found Felicity staring back at me, a heated look in her eye. She held up the check.

  “What is this about?”

  I wasn’t prepared to yell in response to her, so I opened the window. “It’s a gift, like the note said. No strings attached,” I said.

  “Let me inside, Abe. I can’t take this.”

  “Yes, you can, Felicity. I want to support the diner.”

  “Let me inside.”

  I didn’t move fast enough to the door and before I could stop her, she was coming in through the window.

  “What in the hell, Felicity?”

  “We need to talk,” she said, both legs hanging over the windowsill. “I can’t take this.”

  “Yes, you can,” I said, offering her a hand - which she didn’t take. She glared at me instead.

  She hopped down from the window and onto the floor, nearly falling. I grabbed ahold of her, taking her by the waist.

  “I’ve got it,” she growled.

  “Sorry,” I said, pulling my hands away from her. “I didn’t want you to fall. What in the hell were you doing? I could have let you in the front door, you know?”

  “You weren’t moving fast enough; I took matters into my own hands - just like I will with the diner.” She pressed the now crumpled up check into my hand, but I refused to take it.

  “Felicity, if you’re worried this is an underhanded way of getting what I want, I promise you, it’s not. It’s just a gift.”

  “It’s an awfully huge gift,” she said. “Most people give like ten or twenty bucks. But fifty thousand dollars? That’s absurd.”

  She spoke the fifty thousand slowly, enunciating each word as if to make a point.

  “To me, that isn’t much. It’s the equivalent of someone giving ten dollars, honestly.”

  Her mouth opened in a perfect little O of surprise.

  “Listen, I came from wealth, Felicity. Then I made my own on top of it. I live quite comfortably and trust me when I say that it won’t even be missed.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” she stammered. “It’s too much for a gift.”

  “It’s not though,” I argued, shrugging. “Not to me. I write checks to charities regularly for that amount, or more.” Oh, that had been the wrong thing to say.

  “I’m not a charity,” she spat, slamming her hand - and the check - down on my desk.

  “No, I didn’t mean it like that. But I would like to give the money to the diner. Think of it as a gift to the town of Liberty.”

  “I can’t. I don’t take handouts from anyone. My parents taught me better than that.”

  “They obviously raised a strong, smart woman,” I said. “And that’s why I want to support you. I believe in you; I know you can be successful if you get past this hiccup. The building was old when you bought it, use my money to buy new equipment and do the necessary repairs, and—”

  “I’ll do it,” she said, interrupting me.

  “Do what? Accept the check? Good,” I said.

  “No, I meant I’ll be your surrogate.”

  She kicked out her chin and stood tall, staring a hole right through me.

  She meant it. I walked over to her, my hands on her shoulders. She kept her chin up high, and she seemed determined, but there were still tears in her eyes.

  She was desperate. And I couldn’t do this. I just couldn’t.

  “No,” I said. I held up a hand to stop her from arguing. “Not unless you’re sure. I don’t want you to do it out of a sense of obligation, but because you’re truly okay with it. If you’re not, that’s fine. The money is yours regardless. You don’t have to do this, it’s too much to ask and I realize it now.”

  “I can’t take the money for free.”

  “And I won’t let you sign up to have my kid if it’s only because you need the money,” I said.

  “Abe, please—”

  I wiped a tear that fell from her eye, my hand on her cheek. She leaned into that touch, and I was surprised when she didn’t pull away. She closed her eyes and heaved a deep sigh.

  My heart broke for her.

  She was a good woman, a sweet person who deserved better than the crap she was dealing with. I wanted desperately to help her.

  I also wanted to stop the tears from falling.

  She nibbled her lower lip, and my gaze fell upon her mouth. So pink, so soft. I wondered what it might feel like, what she would taste like.

  I don’t know what got into me, but I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers.

  I only wanted to stop the tears.

  But she kissed me back, opening her mouth to mine, and I couldn’t stop.

  God knows, I should have stopped.

  Felicity

  Abe’s beard brushed against my face, tickling my skin. It was softer than I expected it to be, as was the hair on his head. My hands were entangled in his locks, pulling him into me.

  Until that moment, I had forgotten how good it felt to kiss someone, and to be kissed.

  It had been since culinary school that I’d been with anyone. So three, maybe four years? Jesus, that should be illegal.

  All of those years of going without the touch of a man made me crave Abe even more.

  And let’s face it, it was also Abe - a man that I had admired and dreams about for the last year or so since he first walked into my diner.

  His tongue brushed against mine, and it felt like he sucked all the air out of me. My heart raced in my chest, and I didn’t even realize that my hands had now moved lower, fumbling with his belt.

  His hands slipped underneath my shirt, hungrily reaching for my bra. He unsnapped it, and my breasts fell free. He pulled off my shirt and tossed it to the side, lowering his face to my breasts.

  I’d always thought I had nice breasts - they were round and fairly large D cups. My friends had always joked that I was blessed in the chest.

  Abe was certainly enjoying them, his mouth exploring every inch until he took one of my nipples between his lips.

  I audibly gasped, throwing my head back as I moaned.

  His tongue moved over my nipple, and it felt like he was licking somewhere much lower. My panties were getting wetter by the minute.

  And in that moment I needed him more than I needed anything in my entire life.

  I grabbed ahold of his head, pulling him up to kiss me again, pressing my bare breasts against the roughness of his white coat.

  Abe made quick work of my pants, slipping them off me. He lifted me up and sat me down on his desk, knocking a coffee mug to the carpet. Whether it brok
e or not, I didn’t notice.

  Nor did I care.

  All I cared about was getting him inside of me.

  He slipped his pants down, just enough to free his erection. I had only a second to take him in, to see just how big he was, before he thrust against me. Our bodies collided, and he rubbed that thick member against my pussy lips.

  My insides were crying out to be filled by him. He grabbed his member and guided it toward my opening, teasing it with the tip before parting my lips and sliding inside of me.

  His cock stretched me open, and I cried out as he buried himself deep inside of me.

  “Yes, yes,’ I whimpered.

  At long last, I had what I needed.

  My nails dug into his back. He was still wearing his lab coat and shirt underneath it, which was a shame. But we’d had no time to remove all that.

  His lips smashed against mine as his cock moved in and out of my body, fucking me with precision and desperation.

  He’d been single for as long as I knew him, so I wondered - had it been a long time for him too? The way he fucked me, I believed so

  He was desperate and hungry.

  Just like me. It didn’t take long for my first orgasm to wash over me, hitting me hard as I moaned, burying my face into the crook of his neck to silence the screams that were trying to escape.

  Abe grabbed my hips and held me down onto the desk, even as my body trembled and quaked with pleasure. He held me in place as he continued fucking me.

  After my orgasm subsided, he slipped out of me. I whimpered, “No, please, don’t stop.”

  I still needed more of him.

  And his hungry smile let me know he wasn’t done with me either.

  “Turn around,” he growled.

  I slid down from the desk and did as I was told, bending over with my ass in the air. Abe stepped up behind me, grabbing ahold of my hips and guiding himself back inside of me.

  I cried out as he entered me from behind, going even deeper than before.

  My head fell forward, hitting the desk as he jackhammered in and out of me. Abe reached down, grabbing my hair, helping to lift my head up. He lowered his head, kissing my back as he fucked me with the same desperation as before.

  “Your ass is perfection,” he growled. “Everything about you. Just so fucking perfect.”

  I’d never heard him talk this way before. Abe was always so professional, so clean-cut. Hearing those words from him, along with his heavy breathing and animalistic growls, sent me over the edge again. He let go of my hair, and my head fell forward again. I gripped the edge of the desk as I came, my body writhing in pleasure underneath him.

  And Abe slammed himself inside of me one last time.

  His cock pulsed inside of me, throbbing as he spilled himself into me.

  We came together like that, on his desk in his office. And it was the best orgasm of my entire life. Nothing had ever come close to making me feel as good as he did in that moment.

  He held me there like that for a moment, our bodies taking a minute to return to normal. My breathing eventually slowed, and Abe helped me to stand - even though my legs felt like jelly. He chuckled as I fell into him, and he had to hold me up.

  He gave me a quick kiss, but I saw it in his eyes right away.

  Regret.

  “Felicity, I’m—”

  “You don’t have to say it,” I said, stepping away from him. I steadied myself against his desk. “I know, this can’t happen again.”

  “Right,” he said. “I’m not looking for anything serious.”

  “Neither am I,” I lied. Well, it was only a partial lie. I wasn’t looking too seriously, but it would be nice to find someone. My head was still spinning, I wasn’t making a whole lot of sense, even to myself.

  “Good,” he said. “So while that was amazing, we probably shouldn’t let it happen again.”

  “I agree. We shouldn’t do that again, unless— Well, unless I’m going to give you a baby, I guess—”

  Abe held a hand up. “I don’t want you to make a decision about that right now. You need to think long and hard about this, and unless I’m 100% certain you mean it, that you’re doing this because you want to and not just for the money, it won’t be an option. And even if it is, we will go through a clinic and IVF—”

  “Oh yeah, right,” I blushed for having temporarily forgotten about IVF. For some reason, I’d assumed we’d do things the old-fashioned way. How silly of me, I thought. This wasn’t a personal thing - it was meant to be a business transaction, of sorts. I needed to remember that if we were to do this. I couldn’t get too close to him; it was all just clinics and needles and them inserting the embryos in me. Not pregnancy like I’d always imagined it to be.

  And that was better, I thought. Less risk of getting too attached or too close to Abe.

  “I should get back to the diner,” I said, gathering up my clothes.

  “The check is yours, regardless. Please take it.”

  I didn’t even entertain that with an answer.

  The answer was no.

  I wouldn’t take handouts, not from anyone.

  I got dressed and avoided Abe’s eyes as he led me to the door. Of course, by then, nurses and other staff had started to arrive. I never experienced the so-called Walk of Shame in college, but there was a first time for everything.

  I’m sure they’d heard us.

  I’m sure they knew what we'd done in there.

  There’s no way they couldn’t know.

  But Abe kept his head up, not even fazed by the stares from his staff. He walked confidently to the front door with me.

  We didn’t say much.

  There was so much we should have said, but I couldn’t stomach bringing it up.

  I had a lot to think about.

  Ooo000ooo

  “You what?” Leah exclaimed.

  I hushed her, not wanting the staff in the back of the diner to hear anything. We were still closed; the plumbing was still an issue. We’d probably be closed for a few days, at least. The inspection was likely not going to go in my favor either, not with the plumbing issues.

  But Leah always came over for lunch on Wednesdays, usually for the Wednesday special. I let her in and quickly made something while Allison continued training with Gavin.

  Leah had just wanted a chicken wrap and side salad, so I made it up really quickly for her. She had barely touched the food though, once I let out that I’d had sex with Abe in his office.

  “Felicity, that’s amazing,” she said with a smirk. “I knew I was right about you two.”

  “Yeah, I guess. But he made sure to tell me that it couldn’t happen again, and I know that it can’t.”

  “That’s what you guys say now, but with that kind of chemistry between you — it’s bound to happen again.”

  “It can’t.”

  I hadn’t mentioned the rest of it yet, about the surrogacy. Allison’s opinion had helped a lot, but she was young. She’d never been pregnant. Leah had a child of her own along with her stepdaughter, Matilda.

  She might have some insight that Allison wouldn’t have.

  I bit my lip and stared at my hands, picking at my thumbnail as I tried to think of the best way to phrase my question.

  “Uh oh, what’s that look for?” Leah asked, picking up on my mood right away.

  “It’s just— well, Abe asked me to do something for him, and I’m not sure about it. Like, I want to help him out, and it would help me in a lot of ways too, but it’s asking a lot.”

  “I need more details than that, babe.”

  I sighed and closed my eyes. I spit everything out, downplaying the need for money since I didn’t want Leah to offer her own money.

  “So, Abe offered me 30k initially, then upped it to 50k, if I’d be his surrogate, but also offered the cash to me even if I chose not to do it. There’s no strings attached, but I can’t, in good faith, take that amount of money without doing something in return.”

  When I
opened my eyes, I found Leah staring at me with raised eyebrows.

  “What?” I asked.

  “He wants you to have his baby?”

  “Yes, but as a surrogate. I wouldn’t be in the baby’s life or anything, merely carrying the child and using my eggs, I assume.”

  “Are you comfortable with that?”

  “Honestly? I don’t know. I mean, part of me thinks it would be a nice gesture, if he wants a family, you know? He’s definitely got the financial assets to care for a child, so I’m not worried about that.”

  “But would he make a good father?”

  “I think so.”

  “Well, I would hope you’d feel more confident about that answer if you’re going to have his baby,” Leah said.

  “You’re right,” I sighed. “But what do you think? Do you think it’s crazy that I’d even consider it?”

  Leah reached out and took my hands in hers, offering me a sympathetic smile. “No, I don’t think you’re crazy. Surrogacy is a gift to those who can’t have children of their own; it’s an incredibly generous act. Only you can make that decision, and I support you either way. But I think you need to be sure about this - and the first step would be to vet Abe, make sure you’d be comfortable with him raising a child you carried. I think that might be the first step if you’re seriously considering this.”

  I nodded and reached for my phone. “You’re absolutely right. I don’t have to make this decision in a vacuum, I need to look at everything before deciding.”

  “Who are you calling?” she asked.

  “Abe. So we can talk about this. I won’t tell him what I’m doing, but I want to meet him - in his home - and get to know him on a personal level, see if that has any effect on my decision.”

  “Good girl,” Leah said, patting my hand.

  She turned her attention to her lunch as I stepped outside.

  I took a deep breath and dialed Abe’s office number.