First Christmas
By
Dilys J. Carnie
***Season of Romance Series***
First Christmas
Copyright © October 2014, Dilys J. Carnie
NOTE: This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
Annie Seaton, you are my hero…without you I wouldn’t be a published author.
Thank you xxxx
Table of Contents
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
About the Author
Prologue
A shiver slipped down Belle Jones’ spine; it surprised her because the heat of the day must have been in the nineties. She looked up from her book. Her large sunglasses kept her eyes hidden, but she could appreciate the man walking towards her. His broad shoulders tapered down to narrow hips, he was carrying something in his hands but that didn’t deter from his bulging biceps or washboard stomach. In shorts and nothing else, he was a walking god.
He towered over her; he must have been well over six feet. He slipped his sunglasses atop his blond hair which was cut in a neat, short back and sides.
“Ma’am, would you mind if I trimmed your blossom tree, it’s hanging over onto my side and it’s hitting the greenhouse.” He held some sort of clippers in his hands; that was obvious to her now that he was closer.
His American accent spread over her like the sun warmed her skin. He looked like he was the gardener. These houses were billionaire status; she was lucky enough to have a friend who’d married a man with plenty of money. A short week’s break had seemed the answer as she grieved the loss of her Gran.
The small bed and breakfast establishment Belle owned on the Snowdonia Mountains was a million miles from the luxury of this place.
“I’m only staying here for this week, but I’m sure the owners wouldn’t mind at all.” Smiling at him acutely aware that the skimpy bikini she had on didn’t cover much at all.
“English?”
“Sort of, but living in Wales.”
He held out his hand. “Ethan.”
She took it, the stark difference of her skin to his rough fingers, and his strong grip made her gasp inwardly. A sizzle of electricity ran all the way up her arm, straight into her belly, and damn, that made her catch her breath. Realization dawned on her that he was looking at her, waiting for her to give her name.
“Sorry.” Trying to pull her hand from his clasp but failing to do so when he kept a gentle hold of it. “I’m Belle,” she whispered.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Belle.” The letters rolled off his tongue, seductive in its entirety. Tugging back her fingers she gripped her hands together, rubbing unconsciously, trying to take away the tingle.
Belle stood, she didn’t know why, but they stared at each other as the breath rushed from her, heart racing, stomach clenched as she gazed into deep blue eyes. The desire in them was plain to see. It was a split second before they each covered the small distance between them, until their skin was touching. He dropped the clippers and wrapped her in his arms.
“This is so wrong,” she whispered as his mouth wreaked havoc down her neck. “I’m not that kind of girl.”
“I know, but I can’t stop.”
Chapter 1
Six months later
Belle was daydreaming as she stood on the ladder trying to change a light bulb that wouldn’t come free. Damn, but she had to stop thinking about that afternoon but how was that even possible when the memory was so very real. . Belle had been so ashamed of the way she’d behaved, that after he’d gone it had taken her only a few moments to pack her bags and go.
The sound of voices reached her ears, and she cursed at the interruption as her fingers tried to unscrew the bulb. Jenny, who’d been here at the bed and breakfast for a while now, was probably getting ready to leave. She frowned; they weren’t expecting any guests now—it was too close to Christmas.
“Belle, we have a visitor.”
With a smile on her face, she looked around and froze. All six foot of Ethan stood behind Jenny…the man she’d met six months ago…the man she’d slept with. The father of her child. Her hand went instinctively to her stomach. At just under twenty-four weeks pregnant her tummy was hidden beneath a large sweater.
What it did do though, was knock her off balance and her foot slipped as she came down the ladder. A screech escaped from her throat before she fell. Belle prepared herself but a pair of strong arms caught her before she could land hard. Instantly his scent transported her back to that afternoon by the pool in North Carolina.
“Goodness me, Belle. Are you okay?” Jenny rushed over to her but she was being held safely in a pair of strong arms.
Belle pushed out of his hold, smoothing her fingers down her yoga trousers. She tried to ignore how much her hands were shaking.
“Yes, I’m fine.” A tentative smile tugged at her lips, trying to hide the shock of what had just happened and how she was trembling all over. “I just caught my foot on the rung.”
“You need to be careful in your c—”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine.” Belle interrupted Jenny before she had time to finish her sentence. “Off you go, home and get packed; that man of yours is going to be landing in Manchester soon ready to whisk you off for Christmas.”
“Are you sure?” Her friend looked concerned.
“Of course, go, go.”
“I’m sorry Mr?”
“Ethan Thompson.”
“Mr Thompson, Belle here will help you out. She owns Holly Cottage.”
“I’m sure I will be well taken care of.” Belle couldn’t ignore the trace of sarcasm in his voice.
They stood beside each other for a few seconds, saying nothing as Jenny took off with a wave.
“If you’ll excuse me for one moment and take a seat, there’s something I have to do.” Belle spoke hurriedly, her voice shaky and not giving him a chance to reply as she shot out of the room.
Running upstairs to her bedroom and into the bathroom, she rinsed her face with cool water.
What the hell was he doing here? How had he found her?
The OBX beach was a far cry from the Snowdonia Mountains where they were now almost knee deep in snow. It had been almost six months since that afternoon which was imprinted on her mind, and was now growing inside her body. Embarrassed and ashamed of her behaviour, it had taken a short time to pack her belongings and hightail it out of there. It had been sex—great sex, the best she’d ever had—but that’s all it had been.
Ethan Thompson walking back into her life was not good. Belle peered into the mirror on the wall; her skin was pale. Probably from the shock of seeing Ethan but also from the terrible morning sickness that had plagued her. The doctor said she was fine and had offered her something to help with the nausea, but that hadn’t even been an option in her book.
She should have made more of an effort to find him, tell him that he was going to be a father, but she hadn’t wanted for him to feel responsible. It had been one time, not even for a whole night.
Belle thought for all of two seconds…she wouldn’t tell him. Find out why he had come then get rid of him...pronto. Standing up straight, she smoothed down her short red hair, pinched her cheeks t
o try and put some colour into them, fluffed up her large jumper so that her little bump was hidden.
She took a deep breath. I can do this…I have to.
Belle slipped out of the bathroom and downstairs, stepping into the room where she’d left him. Seeing he wasn’t there, a heavy sigh escaped her. If he wasn’t there, then where was he? Could she be so lucky that he’d decided he didn’t want to see her after all?
She dug her hands into her trouser pockets, heaving a deep sigh of relief. Passing the window towards the kitchen, it was automatic for her to stop and admire the view. Belle never got sick of it, the Snowdonia Mountains of Wales covered in snow and right on her doorstep. Large abstract flakes dropped from the sky to the ground getting deeper by the minute. They were used to the weather at this time of year changing quickly; she’d grown up with it.
Belle had lost her parents when she was just a baby, leaving just her and Gran. When Gran had passed away six months ago, Belle had been devastated and had escaped to her friend’s beach house to nurse her grief. God, she missed her, more than words could say. Belle let her hand fall to her stomach, now this was all she had.
The beautiful holly tree right outside the window was abundant with berries. She would put her coat on and cut a few branches down so that she could put some in the kitchen. They made a beautiful display. Turning away, she made her way down the narrow hallway and into the large kitchen that had been modernised for the summer when the season was in full swing. They were usually filled to capacity with climbers and holiday makers.
“Perhaps now we can talk.”
Belle gasped. “I thought you had gone.”
“No, you hoped I had, but now that I’ve found you, I’m not going anywhere.”
“What do you mean?” She grasped the back of the pine-coloured chair as he leaned against the matching countertop.
“I mean, I didn’t use a condom.”
Well, that was straight to the point!
His American accent surrounded her, and she held on so tight her knuckles turned white. The huskiness in his voice enveloped her senses leaving a groan caught in her chest. There was something between them that lit a fire so hot, it was orgasmic just talking to him. It didn’t help that he had a body that would put any man to shame. His blond hair was slightly longer, but he’d taken his coat off, and stood before her in jeans and thick sweater. The bright colour brought out the intense blue of his eyes.
Damn, but this was not going to end well.
****
Ethan wasn’t sure why he’d felt the need to be with Belle. For sure he wondered if she could have been pregnant with his child. He knew he had been irresponsible not using a condom, but he hadn’t even touched her and his body was already tingling with excitement. What was it about her? What attracted him to her to such an extent that they had had to rip each other’s clothes off.
Even now he was struggling to keep her at a distance. He remembered how soft she felt, her scent of sweet roses, her little moans and gasps as he’d touched and stroked her. Those sounds had haunted him night and day.
She’d been easy to find; he’d checked in with the people who’d owned the house she’d stayed in, after they’d returned from a three month cruise. Then he’d had to make sure his brothers were okay without him at Pine Tree Valley up on Beech Mountain in North Carolina where he lived.
The family-run business did everything that was needed in the mountains, skiing, sledging, with rooms to let at the lodge his sister ran. The lucrative Christmas tree farm which he ran with his youngest brother kept them busy at this time of year.
His oldest brother was the sheriff; and Reagan had taken on the role of father when their dad had died ten years ago. If it hadn’t been for him everything would have fallen apart including their mom.
Bella looked pale, it could be the shock of seeing him, however the way her hand kept going to her stomach protectively he was sure it was as he had expected.
“You’re pregnant?”
“Yes.”
She didn’t deny it, just a simple answer to the most important question he’d ever asked anyone.
“Were you ever going to tell me?”
He could see her face go even paler and he reached out to steady her.
“Jesus, Belle, don’t look at me like that, what the hell do you think I’m going to do?”
He picked her up into his arms before striding through the hallway into the living room and sat down in one of the large overstuffed chairs. He kept hold of her as she tried to get off his lap. Belle struggled for a second but Ethan tightened his grasp and kept her close.
“You didn’t answer me, were you ever going to tell me that my child was growing inside you?”
She lifted her gaze and her eyes were full of tears. “No I wasn’t, I figured we had been a one night stand and you wouldn’t want the responsibility.”
Ethan couldn’t help but flinch, if he hadn’t been determined to find her, he would never have known.
“Do you think I wouldn’t want to be part of my child’s life? Did you really think so little of me?”
“I don’t know you, Ethan. It was only one time.” Belle shrugged her shoulders. “What was I meant to do?” She lowered her head and he dropped his face into her neck. Her scent was just as he remembered, soap and roses, simple but oh so alluring.
“Did you really think that I wouldn’t want to support my own child?” He looked up, but was unable to read her expression.
“It was only one time,” she repeated. “For goodness sake, we know nothing about each other.” Her fingers pushed against his chest and he covered them with his own. She drew in a deep breath. “We don’t even know what movies we like, what’s our favourite food, what colour do we like?”
“ ‘Armageddon’, big juicy cheese burger, and green, the same as your eyes.”
Her lips tugged into a smile and it lit up her face just for a second, before a frown appeared between her eyes.
“So?” He raised his eyebrows at her. “Come on, you have to come clean now.”
“This is silly,” she said her soft Welsh accent brushing over him like a breath of fresh air.
“No, this is getting to know each other, we made a child together.” Ethan laid his hand on her small belly briefly closing his eyes…his child. He felt her draw in her breath as he splayed his fingers over the top of her sweater.
“ ‘The Notebook’, vegetarian chilli and blue.”
“You’re a vegetarian?”
She nodded.
“You see, now we’re getting to know each other.”
Belle narrowed her eyes. Ethan’s heart constricted as he saw the tear drop hovering on her bottom lash. What was it about this woman that made him forget about everything but her? He’d gone back to the house the next morning intent on wooing her, getting to know the woman he’d made love to. But she’d left and he’d felt a loss, and that had both infuriated and intrigued him.
Ethan hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. He’d never not used a condom before, and had certainly never been so out of control that the thought hadn’t even entered his mind. His respect for women had always kept him prepared, and he felt so bad that he’d put her in this position.
He ground his teeth together. When she looked at him, he’d never felt so good. Ethan sensed a connection to her; it was as if it had been there forever. These strange feelings and the intensity of his emotions surprised the hell out of him.
“I’m sorry. I should have made sure you were protected.”
“It was as much my fault as yours. I’m a grown woman. I knew what the consequences were.”
Chapter 2
Belle cursed the tears that were filling her eyes. How could this man, this man who she’d only met once, do this to her? It was crazy romance book stuff. Her vulnerability had been overwhelming, losing her Gran devastating, and she’d blamed her low morale and indifference to her normal sensible self for what had happened. Love at first sight…pfft... a
lot of codswallop. The thought alone was ridiculous.
Taking in a deep breath, Belle pushed herself to her feet distancing herself from him. Being too close made her into a person that was unrecognisable. Thoughts whirled in her mind that weren’t normal or sensible. And she was always utilitarian about everything she did …except of course when she’d been on holiday, where she’d through her usual cautionary persona out the window. It was a reminder for her never to go away on her own again.
She frowned at the sound of someone banging on the door reached them. She glanced at her watch. Six o’clock. Who could be calling at this time? She had no visitors planned until after the holiday.
“Excuse me while I see who that is.”
Ethan nodded and crossed one long leg over the other, his hands clasped on his lap and she knew he wasn’t going to be easy to get rid of. Belle closed the door behind her walking along the large hallway to the front door. The incessant banging wasn’t letting up.
Bloody hell! She could see the outline through the coloured glass at the top of the walnut wood. Jack! Damn as if she didn’t have enough problems. Her heart picked up speed. Belle had gone out with him once, now he wouldn’t leave her alone. He was fast becoming a nuisance.
Hand on handle, Belle breathed in slowly before she opened the door. A blast of cold air hit her and she shivered. Jack moved to come in, but she stood firm at the opening, blocking his way. A fresh decorated Christmas holly wreath swung slightly on the hook she had put up, and the fragrance of pine permeated her sense of smell.
Belle loved the holidays, always had done she and her Gran had baked Christmas puddings and cakes together. This year when it had been just her baking…it had been depressing but she’d been determined to see it through. That’s what Gran would have wanted.
“Jack…what do you want?” The being nice to him had obviously not worked. . He’d become more persistent, a different tactic was needed and then he might just get the picture.
A baby for Christmas (Season of Romance Book 1) Page 1