All I Want for Christmas is You

by Brenna Lyons

  The one niggling question he had to ask was still there. “Are you sure I'm not rushing you?” He'd been stalling his parents for a month, and he didn't mind doing it for a year, though saying so would certainly pressure her.

  “Probably better sooner than later.”

  Something in her tone warned that it was more complex than it sounded. “Is it?”

  Robin peeked up at him, a mischievous smile curving her lips up. “Well, now that we're on the subject…obliquely.”

  What subject?

  “There was a little something I wanted to mention.”

  That piqued his interest. “Yes?”

  “Maybe a new ornament for the tree this year. You could show me where you got that beautiful one.”

  David worked at that, coming up short of any answer. “Okay…”

  “I was thinking something in pink or blue.”

  The words echoed in his suddenly blank mind. Then thoughts crowded in. “How long have you known?”

  Her smile faded, and she worked her lower lip between her teeth nervously.

  Signs. Have there been signs? None that he could remember.

  The doctor! “You said it was just a routine visit.” She'd lied to him, and that hurt.

  Forget that. How long ago was it? A week? No more than two weeks. His mind settled on about ten or eleven days, since it had fallen at the beginning of a work week.

  “It was,” she replied. “Sort of. I mean, I was due for a yearly anyway, so I asked the doctor to check, and…” There was something meek in that.

  “And you kept it a secret from me, because…”

  “When I asked you… Back in November, I mean…” A touch of scarlet bloomed along her cheekbones, and she cleared her throat.

  His mind caught up at last. How many times had he ranted internally at the idea that he was helping her conceive what she'd see as “Zach's baby”? Too many for his mental health.

  “If you think I had any intention of being anything but Daddy to my own child, even as far back as November, you don't know me very well.” No matter how many times he'd argued about how insane it all was or practiced how he'd explain it to his parents, he'd decided to keep that part aboveboard.

  A slight smile curved the corners of her mouth back up. “You're not upset?”

  “Hell no.” As long as it's my baby and not Zach's, that is.

  She grimaced. “But your parents might be.”

  David sighed. Unfortunately, Robin might be right about that. “No more upset than they would have been if you'd wound up pregnant while you were engaged to Zach.” He stored that thought away to use on Pop, if it became necessary.

  He noted, in surprise, his ease with the idea of Robin and Zach together. Maybe this relationship had laid his brother to rest for both of them and not just for Robin.

  “Zach would never—” Robin shut her mouth with an audible snap.

  David smiled. “I don't mind you making comparisons. As long as they stay favorable to me,” he teased.

  “Is this one?” She seemed earnest in that question, too serious.

  “I think so.” They'd been so at ease, he'd nearly forgotten the possibility of creating a child existed between them. Knowing his brother, Zach and Robin had obsessed over the precautions to prevent it, until after they were married and it was acceptable for her to get pregnant. Preferable for her to.

  Moving Robin into his condo had been an education. She often moved to put things where Zach had, stopped herself, and changed them purposely. It almost seemed as though she needed to discard the organization his brother had imposed on her.

  Sorting through Zach's belongings and those they'd purchased together had been harder. In the end, she'd given many of his trophies and other memorabilia to Ma and Pop. A few pieces of furniture had replaced David's own, but most of them had gone to other family members or been donated to charity. As each decision was made, her mood seemed to lighten.

  “But your parents—” she persisted.

  “Let me worry about telling my parents.”

  “Not up on the beams,” she joked weakly.

  He laughed at the mental image of that. “No. Definitely not.” The only “open air” on the site these days was the roof anyway. And while he seriously doubted Pop would toss his only living son—the father of his only grandchild—off the roof, David wasn't about to tempt him or give him ideas.

  “Should we invite them to dinner?”

  “No. I'll take care of it.”

  “How?”

  David wished he knew. “I'll take care of it,” he promised. “Now…” He lifted Robin across his lap. “I think it's time I took you to bed.”

  “Bed? David, it's only eight-thirty.”

  He scooped her up in his arms and stood with Robin cradled against his chest. “You are the one who just told me she's pregnant,” he noted.

  “Pregnant. Not six years old. I'm not even tired.”

  “Who said anything about sleep?”

  Her mouth—open to protest—shut, then curved in an impish grin. “Oh, well… In that case, carry on, McDuff.”

  ———

  February 8, 2010

  Robin shot a raised eyebrow at David and got a smug smile in return. She still wasn't sure what his plan was. Sex games at the office had never occurred to her before, but he'd apparently put a lot of thought into whatever he had planned for her.

  She turned away, placing one foot on the lowest riser of the stairs for the trailer…and it struck.

  The buzzing against her clit and slit was so intense and unexpected, she stumbled. David's hands were there, catching her and swinging her up into his arms, but he didn't stop the damned panties immediately.

  That came two steps later, leaving her gasping for breath and cursing him silently. Her head spun in sickening circles as he slid sideways through the door Barbara had thrown open for them. Trying to regain her sense of balance, Robin pressed a shaking hand to her forehead.

  Okay, there is no way I could have done that in the club, with the butt plug in, and acted unaffected.

  Mollie was already on her feet and on her way across the office. “What is it? Is she okay?”

  David didn't crack a smile at that, and Robin hoped he was truly remorseful for activating the panties while she was on the stairs. He settled her on her desk chair and opened the zipper on her jacket. “She's fine. Barb, can you get Robin some water, please?”

  His mother's brow creased in worry, and she placed a hand to Robin's cheek. “Maybe we should take her to a doctor.”

  “No need. We already have, and Robin will be fine, as long as she doesn't make sudden moves and eats small meals.”

  Barbara jerked to a halt halfway across the floor, a smile erupting on her face. “She has morning sickness?”

  David nodded, and Barbara hurried toward him with the cup of water held out to him.

  “I do not,” Robin protested. This was his idea of “taking care” of the situation?

  He raised one eyebrow and shot her a hard look. “You have another explanation you'd like to give them for why you nearly collapsed on the stairs that way?”

  She opened her mouth to do so, but the realization of what she'd have to admit to stopped her short. She shook her head, her face burning.

  “Good. Then you won't mind the pampering everyone is going to give you, will you?”

  As if in confirmation, Barbara handed the cup of water to David and pulled out her cell phone, most likely to get her husband on the line and start the communication lines buzzing. In a few minutes, Pop would be here. Who knew what would happen then? But whatever it was, David had done the one thing that would ensure no explosions; he'd fanned the flames of the family's protective nature in her direction.

  Damn him for it.

  David offered the cup to her with a shit-eating grin pasted on his face. “Here, honey,” he crooned.

  “Better hope nausea doesn't kick in while you're still kneeling there,” she replied coolly.
“It might get messy.”

  “Ah…the snippy comebacks have started already,” Barbara noted. She laughed, most likely at something Neil said in return.

  Truth be told, Robin hadn't had a single complaint about pregnancy, so far. She wouldn't have even known she was pregnant if it hadn't been for missing her period. But now, his entire family would be hovering, watching for some sign that she was sick or fatigued, pampering her mercilessly.

  He shrugged. “Probably better than old Cool Whip.”

  “Maybe.” She took the cup and swallowed a mouthful of the water.

  Over his shoulder, she saw Barbara hand the cell phone to Mollie. The meaning of that was clear. Neil had passed his phone to Cal.

  Oh, we are in full Carson family mode now.

  David leaned toward Robin and nibbled at her ear. “I'll make sure you're sitting before I set off the panties again,” he assured her.

  “Maybe I'll take them off.” Of all the boneheaded ways to announce I'm pregnant…

  He groaned into her ear. “You naked under those jeans is still a treat.” He crowded closer, and she felt his cock go rigid against her knee.

  Her mouth went dry, and she drained the cup of water, trying to wet it again.

  Yes, knowing she was going commando would be arousing for him but damned uncomfortable for her. “Guess you won't know which I choose, then.” Let him wonder. He deserves it.

  “Cal thinks you should take the day off,” Mollie called out. “I happen to agree.”

  Robin spoke before David could take them up on it. “Don't be ridiculous. I'm fine.” Some corner of her mind said that she was being peevish and reminded her that she'd never been so short with David's family before. One more change, she noted.

  Or maybe it really is a pregnancy temper. That was an argument for later.

  “Are you sure?” His tone was a blatant offer of a day in bed.

  “I am going to get you back for this,” she warned in a whisper his mother would miss while she was talking to Cal.

  “Anything you want.”

  Robin had to admit that held appeal for her.

  As if he could read her thoughts, David leaned toward her, tilting his head to one side.

  “This doesn't get you off the hook.”

  “Yep. Got it.” His breath warmed her face.

  At the end of her self-control, Robin wrapped her arms around David and kissed him.

  “Cal wants to—Never mind.” Mollie's laugh said it all.

  David deepened the kiss, his fingers threading through her hair to draw her closer. The paper cup slipped from her fingers and went skittering across the floor. When he pulled away, she was dizzier than she had been outside. Robin gripped his jacket with her fingertips and tried to right her senses. Her breathing was thin and fast, and she tried to force it to slow without much success.

  The door opened, and Cal strode in, the cell phone still pressed to his ear. Neil, Les, and Ross crowded in behind him. Cal took one look at her trembling and ordered her home in the tone he had that announced no argument was allowed.

  “Yes, sir,” she replied weakly. Her head was still in a flat spin, and she wasn't entirely sure how she was going to get to the truck this way.

  David eased her back into his arms. “Don't worry. I'll make sure she stays in bed.”

  Les offered a hoot of laughter at that. He cleared his throat and hunched his shoulders at a warning look from Cal.

  Mollie reached between them and fastened Robin's jacket. “And don't bring her back until she's steady on her feet.”

  David's expression said that she might not be steady on her feet for a long time.

  “Guess it's a good thing I have so much extra time on the books,” Robin grumbled.

  There was a moment of silence. Then his entire family erupted in a mixture of snickers and outright laughter.

  Loose Id(R) Titles by Brenna Lyons

  All I Want for Christmas is You

  Close Enough to Human

  Brenna Lyons

  Brenna Lyons wears many hats, sometimes all on the same day: former president of EPIC, author of more than 65 published works, teacher, wife, mother… She's a member of ERWA, WRW, TELL, MWW, IWOFA, WPM, and Broad Universe. In her first five years published in novel-length, she's finaled for 6 EPPIES (in five different categories), 3 PEARLS (including one HM, second to Angela Knight), and a Dream Realm Award. She also won Spinetingler's Book of the Year for 2007.

  Brenna writes milieu-heavy dark fiction (in 18 established worlds plus stand-alones), poetry, articles, and essays. She teaches classes in everything from POV studies to advanced editing, networking to marketing. Brenna loves talking to readers and can be reached via her site at http://www.brennalyons.com/