A baby for Christmas (Season of Romance Book 1)

by Carnie, Dilys J.

  Glued to her doorstep, Belle stared at him; the outside light had come on automatically in the darkness of the early evening. It gave his complexion a sallow look, she knew beneath the woollen hat he was wearing he was starting to lose his hair.

  “I thought you might like to go out?”

  “How many times must we go through this, Jack…I’m not interested, please just leave me alone.”

  “We went out for dinner, it was a great evening.”

  “No, we had a sandwich and it was a terrible evening.” She stepped back slightly as he came up the last two steps to the door. “I picked up the bill.”

  “I forgot my wallet or I would have paid.”

  He went to lay his hand on her arm, she slapped it away. “No, I paid and it wasn’t a date, it was a mistake.”

  “Belle, I thought we had something special going.” His voice was high pitched and irritable.

  Belle jumped when she felt the door open wider behind her and Jack stood back slightly.

  Ethan stood behind her. “A problem?” he asked in that sultry American accent.

  Belle looked back at him. He was much taller than Jack, his wide shoulders almost taking up the whole of the doorway as she turned sideways. His eyes were narrowed. Oh boy, he looked like he meant business. His full lips thinned and his body tensed.

  “No,” she answered. His vibes telling her that there could be trouble if she didn’t get rid of the guy on her doorstep.

  “Jack was just leaving.” She turned to stare at him “Weren’t you, Jack?”

  “But Belle, I love you.”

  “Oh, give me a break, you don’t love me. You love this house and the land that’s with it.”

  “Belle, no,” he cried.

  The snow started to fall faster, huge flakes turning the ground whiter, the night air colder. A shiver stormed through her body and Ethan put his arm around her pulling her into his warmth. Pulling back had not been an option when she saw Jack stiffen and his eyes follow Ethan’s arm. He was becoming a pest and it was the kind of trouble she didn’t want.

  Jack went to take her arm but Ethan pushed it away. He stepped forward, grabbing him by his collar and removing him forcibly from her front steps. He deposited him onto the drive, his feet sinking in the snow that had fallen earlier.

  “I think the lady has made it quite clear she wants you to leave.” He stood there with his arms folded. “Now get lost.”

  Jack straightened his jacket, flustered. “Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?”

  “A friend.” He looked at Belle “A very close friend.”

  “This has nothing to do with you so just butt out.” He tried to stand up to the man in front of him but given Ethan’s height of well over six feet Belle could only imagine he had the advantage of looking down on most people. Especially Jack who was only slightly taller than her five-feet four.

  Ethan leaned toward Jack. “I’m tired. It’s been a shitty day. I’ve just had to change aeroplanes three times. Flown for just over fifteen hours. And at the moment I’m dealing with a five hour time difference , I should be in bed getting my beauty sleep instead I’m out here freezing my ass off, so I’m not in the mood to argue with you…beat it.”

  Belle saw Jack swallow, stepping back. “But I just want to explain to her—”

  “Buddy, take a hint, she’s not interested.”

  Belle moved forward to the top step. “No I’m not.” And to prove her point she tucked her hand around the crook of Ethan’s arm just for show…yes it was just for show, not because she liked to touch him. Not because she wanted to see if he was as warm and hard as she had dreamed of since that night. No, it was just for show—to get rid of Jack.

  “You’re making a mistake, Belle. I love you, more than any other guy ever has—with all my heart and soul.” Jack turned, striding over to his car, twisting round before he opened the door blowing her a kiss before stepping in slamming the door shut. The engine spluttered to life before driving down her long drive.

  She quickly let go of Ethan’s arm and went back into the house. The warmth of the hallway was welcoming as she shivered rubbing her arms up and down…damn but it was cold out there. Not waiting to see if Ethan was behind her she strode through into the kitchen needing something to do with her hands. Belle could feel Ethan standing in the doorway while filling the kettle and switching it on.

  “I can make you tea, but not coffee. I’m afraid it makes me feel sick.”

  “Tea will do fine.” He sounded weary, and Belle turned to look at him noticing the dark circles and the exhaustion plaguing his face.

  “Sit down, Ethan. I’ll make you a sandwich, you look exhausted.”

  He didn’t argue as he pulled out the chair and sat down leaning his arms on the small kitchen table, he clasped his hands together.

  Belle went to the refrigerator, drawing out a large piece of cheese, and laying it on the chopping board she began to slice it. By the hairs on the back of her neck prickling against her skin, Belle knew he was behind her.

  “Go and sit down,” He said as he took the knife from her. “I’m not the only one who looks tired.”

  “This pregnancy thing is exhausting.” She stepped away from him to cut some of the bread that lay on the counter; she’d made it only this morning. Cooking was her joy, which was probably a good thing since her business was very food-orientated, although she only offered breakfast; she quite often cooked an evening meal for her guests.

  “Belle, go and sit. I’m perfectly able to make myself a sandwich.”

  No one except her Gran had ever spoken to her in such a caring way, and a tingle ran through her. His eyes were kind and his fingers on her arm, gentle yet strong; the kind of strength that made you think nothing could ever go wrong.

  “It’s the holidays, Ethan you should be home with your family.”

  He looked down at her belly then back up to hold her gaze. “I am with my family.” His eyes dropped to her tummy.

  Oh dear Lord, what could she say to that? Her heart raced as light-headedness came over her. Worriment furrowed his brow and before he could say anything she pulled the chair out and sat down, it was either that or fall down.

  Damn this man was going to make it hard for her to turn away.

  Even from the very second she had laid eyes on him she had known he was different. But Ethan was only here because he felt responsible… how could she live with that?

  ****

  A peculiar desperation clawed at Ethan. He had a feeling that Belle was going to fight him. But his mind was set; he was here to be with her whether she wanted him to stay here with her, or if she was willing to come back with him to Pine Tree Valley. He understood she had her life here; he may have to make some major decisions about his own way of living back home. For he was sure there was no way he was going to let her go.

  Ethan handed her the tea she’d prepared, before sitting down to his sandwich. He watched her sip the hot drink. Her hands held a slight tremor so to give her space he took in his surroundings. The kitchen was warm and friendly; yellow wallpaper with white daisies blended nicely with the pine units. Even though it was freezing out it felt all cosy inside.

  He took a bite of the sandwich, closing his eyes as the flavour hit his tongue.

  “This is good.” The pleasure in his voice was obvious despite how the evening had unfolded.

  Ethan gathered his senses as she spoke to him; he’d honestly never tasted anything so delicious in his life. “Did you bake the bread?

  “Yes.” He heard the smile in her voice as he took another bite.

  “It’s real good.”

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying it, I love to cook. It’s a new recipe with some extra ingredients I’ve added”

  He noticed she had several roasts in the refrigerator. “Why do you cook meat and such a lot of it if you’re a vegetarian? Do you have guests coming in?”

  “No, I don’t take bookings at this time of year…Christmas is for famil
y,” She shrugged her shoulders. “I used to love spending the time with my Gran, we used to go to the midnight mass on Christmas Eve.”

  Belle sighed and Ethan noticed how sad she looked.

  “Your Gran has passed away?”

  “Yes, that’s why I was on holiday when we—”

  “Met.” He raised his eyebrow at her obvious reluctance at saying the word.

  Belle nodded obviously still embarrassed by their encounter. But he wasn’t, she had been the best thing that had ever happened to him, that sounded so lame…jeez they’d only been with each other a small amount of time. It was crazy…this whole thing was.

  “Yes, well…I’m glad you like the food.”

  “So tell me why do you need to cook all that food for just one person?”

  “To take to the women’s shelter.”

  Why was Ethan not surprised, he didn’t know her but it was the kind of thing he would expect from her.

  “Ethan, how long are you here for? Have you booked into a hotel?”

  He choked on his food. “Are you serious?” Ethan growled as he tried to dislodge the food from his throat.

  Getting up from her seat Belle hurried over to him patting his back until he gathered his breath.

  Hell, he was in bad shape if her small warm hand on his back could turn him on even while he was choking. She stood close; his eyes were level with her breasts snug beneath her red sweater. Was it natural to get so lustful by her just being close to him…?

  Reaching for his tea, he gulped it down, the hot liquid burning his throat in the process…Jesus.

  Belle headed back to her seat and he couldn’t stop watching the small sway of her ass cheeks in black pants, snug and round. God help him, he remembered how soft they felt. He shook his head; he had to get his head out of his boxers. He eased back in his seat, his gaze watchful as he rubbed the back of his neck. He was tired. It had been a long flight and he was still adjusting to the time difference.

  “Belle, I’m not going anywhere until we resolve this problem…you are carrying my child.” He frowned. “Did you think I would just walk away from that?

  “I...or my child...we are not your responsibility.”

  He noticed she put a protective hand to her small belly as she spoke, and the fear in her eyes shocked him. What the hell does she think I’m going to do?

  “But that’s where you’re wrong, honey. It is my responsibility; you are carrying my son or daughter.” He leaned his elbows on the table. “Do you know the sex yet?”

  “No, I didn’t want to know.”

  He nodded approvingly. “Belle, I don’t know what you expect of me but I will not be walking away from you or my child…I was hoping to take you back to my home…to Pine Tree Valley.

  It was her turn to cough and choke. He rushed to the sink, running the cold water from the tap into a glass from the drainer. Going down on his haunches, he patted her back gently as she tried to catch her breath.

  “Take a sip,” he said, passing her the glass. Belle took it from him but he had a feeling that the water would have been over his head if her coughing fit had not taken precedence. Once she’d regained her composure, her eyes met his, they were as green as the Christmas trees they sold on the farm, deep and dark…and oh boy, they looked mad. The dark green eyes holding his mesmerised him; he couldn’t stop looking at her beautiful face. The way her small nose turned up at the end, the long dark eye lashes that were so seductive, the deep cupid’s bow of her lips that was so delicious to taste.

  “Ethan—”

  “Thompson.” He raised a grin.

  “No way on this earth am I leaving my home with a man I’ve only—”

  “Slept with,” he interrupted, narrowing his eyes so she couldn’t see the mirth that he knew was in them.

  “Once,” she interjected.

  “I can soon remedy that.” Ethan stood and her hands gripped the edge of the table pushing back. They stood facing each other off.

  He was close enough that he could almost hear her heart beating as her breath came through her slightly parted lips. She was so tiny, so petite compared to his big frame, he was almost afraid to touch her.

  “Not a chance,” she said looking up at him, her tone emphasising her words. “No way. Ethan the first time was a mistake, there won’t be a second time. We don’t even know each other, we were strangers in the night…it was a huge mistake”

  He looked down at her, and she moved further away but he just followed until her back was against the wall. He reached up and placed his hands on either side of her head, and the wall was warm beneath his touch.

  “We may have been strangers but what we had, what we did produced a baby…our baby... and you can bet your life I am not walking away from that.” He leaned down. “The small seed inside of you was made out of passion, a feeling of connection between two people. Do you have any idea how rare that is, this thing that is clawing at my gut is you. I want to get to know you. I want to explore what we have together.”

  He let his mouth touch her small shell-like ear, her skin warm and soft to his lips.

  Chapter 3

  Belle sucked in a breath when as his lips touched her ear, just a whisper, just a touch, so gentle and light; it literally took her breath away. How was this so? How did he do that to her, take her breath away with a simple touch? But it wasn’t just his closeness that tugged at her heart, it was his words.

  A dry mouth made her swallow hard, her mind raced for answers that would suit them both. This was crazy, he was just feeling responsible and she couldn’t base any relationship on him just wanting to do the right thing. The circumstances of her condition were not going to change but she’d seen too many young women marry just because they were pregnant. At the women’s shelter there was plenty there to remind her of that.

  Belle laid her hands on his chest…it was hard, solid and warm to the touch even beneath his clothes; she remembered all too well how that felt—skin on skin. From somewhere deep, the strength came to push him away.

  She walked across to the sink and rinsed her hands with cold water; the blast of iciness gave her a focus away from him. Picking up the towel from the hook she dried them, before turning to face Ethan.

  He stood with his back to the unit that she had been leaning on, his arms folded, his expression unreadable. Belle swallowed back the dryness in her throat.

  “I know you’ll want to be part of your son or daughter’s life. I will never deny you that but I will not go with you just because we are having a child.”

  He didn’t say a word although his jaw tightened and his lips thinned slightly but his eyes were still gentle. Her heart thawed a little.

  “However seeing that you’re here and Christmas Eve is tomorrow…by the way, haven’t you got family you need to spend it with?”

  “I have, but I’m not ready to leave here yet, I’ll find a hotel somewhere.”

  Belle took a deep breath. “I was just going to say, I have guest rooms that are empty and I’d be happy to let you stay in one of those until you can get a flight.”

  “Thank you, I’ll take you up on that offer.” His reply was instant.

  “Okay…would you like to bring your stuff in? I assume you have a suitcase or something?”

  Ethan nodded. He took his coat from the back of the chair, shrugging it on before retrieving some keys from his pocket. He went through to the hallway and she followed him.

  Standing by the staircase, Belle smiled and let her hand run up and down the banister, caressing the smooth walnut wood. When she was a child her Gran would slide down first so she could catch her at the bottom. Belle wished that Gran was still alive so that they could have shared the months ahead.

  Her friends were her family, but nothing prepared a woman for being a mum, a single mum.

  The door opened and Ethan walked back in, his shoulders and blond hair covered in snow. His jaw was darkened by growth and he looked tired. It was just after seven; Belle’s stomach rumble
d reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since lunch. Normally she tried to get at least two meals a day. First thing in the mornings she was still feeling a little off with the morning sickness.

  Belle smiled at Ethan as he climbed the stairs which curved to the right, narrowing toward the landing. She took him along the hallway to the left choosing the bedroom furthest away from hers.

  Opening the door, she stepped inside and switched on the two lamps. All the rooms were large and each had an ensuite. The new décor had only been redone last year, the finished results were good. The pale blue with white trim left the room looking fresh. She walked over to the bathroom door and opened it.

  “There are clean warm towels and the water is hot if you prefer a bath.” She turned back to him. He’d left his case on the floor and taken off his coat which he hung on the back of the door.

  Making himself at home, she thought.

  “I wouldn’t mind a shower,” he said rubbing his jaw “And probably a shave.”

  “You do look tired.” The words came out before she could stop them.

  He nodded. “Just a little.”

  “Do you want to have a nap, and then I’ll cook you something to eat later?”

  “Belle, I don’t need you to take care of me like I’m your guest.”

  “But you are,” she said trying to keep the conversation as impersonal as she could.

  “No…I’m not and you know it.”

  She sighed, her hands reaching into her trouser pockets.

  “We have a lot to talk about…I know that I just thought it would be easier if we kept things on a just friendly basis.”

  He laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound.

  “I’ll have a shower. I can make myself something to eat. “He looked at her with another frown. “Have you eaten?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “I’ll do us both something. You should be resting with your feet up you look as if a gust of wind would knock you over.”

  “Charming. Thanks for telling me I look awful.”

  She turned to go but not before he caught her elbow, turning her around.

  “You look beautiful—” he let his thumb smooth beneath her eyes “—but tired.”