An Unexpected Holiday Gift

by Martha Kennerson

  “But Colby’s good now.”

  “Yes, he is, for the most part. He still has respiratory issues from time to time.” Mia sat back down and took another drink from the bottle.

  Keylan’s jaw tightened. “So are you saying that what happened between us was just built-up need?”

  Mia could see the disappointment in his eyes and she knew she had to be very clear with her next statement. “No.” She placed her bottle on the table, took his hands in hers and pushed out a deep breath. “What I’m saying is that I’ve never made room in my life for anyone other than my aunt, uncle and Colby. What I’m saying is that I want you to be part of my life...our life. That is, if you want that, too.”

  Keylan pulled Mia onto his lap. “I want that very much.”

  Mia cupped his face and kissed him. “Do you want to stay tonight?”

  “I’d love to but I want the first time we make love to be special.”

  “I’m sure it will be,” she whispered, hoping she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt.

  “I have an idea.”

  “What’s that?” Mia was fighting hard not to show her disappointment.

  “Remember when I said we should take our winter break kids on vacation to my family’s private resort up on our mountain?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why don’t you let me take you this weekend? We can spend some quality alone time together and you can see for yourself what a great opportunity this could be for our kids.”

  Mia bit her lip and thought about all the advice her aunt had given her over the years. She was finally ready to listen. “Well—”

  Keylan held up his right hand. “Before you say no—”

  “Yes.”

  Keylan’s face lit up. “Yes... Did you just say yes?”

  “Yes, I did. I know my aunt will watch Colby, so...yes.”

  Keylan kissed her on the corner of her mouth. “There’s one thing you should know before we go any further...”

  Chapter 20

  Keylan didn’t want to scare Mia off, but he knew if they had any chance of having something real he must be honest about who he was and what she was getting into. “You asked me about the bodyguards.”

  Mia nodded but remained silent.

  “Do you remember what my family, specifically my brother, went through with the EPA a few months ago?”

  “Yeah.” Mia frowned. “They claimed that your company, under your brother’s leadership, disposed of something illegal.”

  “Gas cylinders, which are not only illegal, they’re also bad for the environment. The EPA claimed it was done all for money.”

  “That’s crazy, since your family’s worth millions.”

  “It’s more like billions,” he corrected.

  “Seriously?” Mia’s face contorted.

  “Seriously.”

  “Well, the real story came out, right? People lied.”

  “You’re right, but what’s not wildly known is that one of our biggest competitors was behind the whole setup. They even tried to go after my brother but got China by mistake.”

  Mia’s brows drew together. “What do you mean, they got China by mistake?”

  “She was driven off the road while driving Alexander’s car. She ended up hitting a tree.”

  “My God.”

  “Which is why my family has increased everyone’s security.” He held her gaze, trying to keep his emotions under control because the thought of someone coming after him but getting Mia and Colby by mistake made his blood run cold. “That security includes anyone in our lives, too.”

  “Are you saying we could be in danger?”

  Keylan watched as Mia’s eyes darted to the area of the house where her son slept. “No. The men who were driving the car were eventually caught but they’re refusing to name who hired them.”

  “That’s good. I mean, it’s good that they got caught, not that they won’t talk,” Mia explained.

  “I know what you meant. We don’t think there’s anything looming against us from that threat, but we can’t be certain and we’re a very wealthy family, so we always have to be careful. Now, with the IRS and OSHA in the mix, we’re being extra cautions. Which is why I’ve assigned a security detail to watch over you and Colby.”

  “You’ve done what?” Her eyebrows stood at attention.

  “When you’re with the Kingsleys, you’re with the Kingsleys. We won’t take a chance with your safety, even if it’s not really necessary. I hope you’re okay with that.” Keylan was praying that she would be.

  “I’m okay that you care enough to want to protect us, but I’m not sure how I feel about being under constant observation.”

  “I get that, but as long as we’re together you will be, and not just from my security.”

  Mia released an audible breath. “The media.”

  “Yes. My security team will be discreet. The media won’t be, especially when we’re together. Can you handle that?”

  Mia rose from his lap and walked over to stand in front of the massive Christmas tree that now graced her family room. Her back was turned to him and her arms were folded across her waist.

  Keylan knew things could be over before they’d even gotten started and the thought was killing him. He was only waiting for the words so he could figure out how to counter her argument and convince her to change her mind. He wasn’t prepared to lose them.

  Mia turned to face him and his eyes held hers. Keylan could almost see the different ideas and scenarios as they crossed her mind.

  It was several long and painful moments before Mia finally whispered, “I can handle it.”

  Keylan smiled and stood. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close to his heart. The idea of losing her scared him beyond anything he’d experienced before. He whispered, “Everything’s going to be fine. I promise.”

  “I know,” she said.

  “One more thing.” Keylan released her, pulled out his wallet and retrieved two business cards. “Here you go.”

  Mia accepted both cards. “‘Her Winter Wear,’” Mia read from one card. “Who’s Kirby?” She held up the second card.

  “Her Winter Wear is a store down from the Galleria. You’ll need to go by there for your outfits for our trip.” Mia shook her head. “Yes. You have no idea how cold it’ll be on our mountain. I’m talking below-zero weather. Baby, let me do this for you, please.”

  “It doesn’t look like I have much of a choice. It won’t be a very romantic trip if I’m trembling and my teeth are chattering the whole time.”

  “Oh, you’ll be trembling, and your teeth just might chatter—but not from the cold,” he promised, gifting her with a wicked grin.

  Mia licked her lips and gave him a shy smile. “Do I ask for Kirby?” She glanced again at the second card.

  “Only if you need help with your security.” Keylan laughed.

  “What?”

  “Kirby is heading up your security detail, making sure everything runs smoothly.”

  “Everything like what?”

  Keylan removed his phone from his pocket and sent a text. “I’m going to let Kirby explain.”

  There was a knock on the door and Keylan smiled. He walked to the door and opened it. “Come in. It’s time you met Mia.”

  Mia’s mouth fell open and closed quickly. She offered the beautiful petite brown-skinned woman standing before her, wearing jeans and a hot-pink blouse and looking like she belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine, a lopsided grin.

  Keylan smirked. “Not what you expected?”

  “Not at all,” she said, offering her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” Kirby replied, clearly not surprised by Mia’s reaction.

  “W
e thought it would be more appropriate if you had someone less obvious but just as deadly protecting you and Colby,” Keylan explained.

  “I assure you, ma’am, I’m quite capable of protecting you and your son. I’m a martial arts expert and I can take down anyone that gets in my way, regardless of their size.”

  “I have no doubt. And call me Mia. Please have a seat.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Why don’t you explain the home surveillance—?”

  “Surveillance?”

  Keylan took Mia’s hand in his. “You didn’t think those ornamental balls in the tree were just for decoration, did you?”

  “Um, yeah.”

  Kirby pulled out a small tablet, pressed a couple of screens and views of multiple angles of the outside of Mia’s house appeared.

  “What the...?”

  “I can monitor what’s happening outside and around your house and the street, for that matter, regardless of where I may be,” Kirby assured her.

  “Is that really necessary?” Mia’s eyes jumped from Kirby to Keylan.

  “This is more about the press,” Keylan said.

  “The press?” Mia declared.

  “They tend to sneak around looking for opportunities for stories. Some even try to go through your trash when it’s left out on the curb overnight,” Keylan warned.

  Mia pulled her hand free and walked into the kitchen. Keylan followed her. “I know it seems like a lot to deal with—”

  “Because it is.” Mia looked up at him. “But I can handle it.”

  Keylan leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. His phone rang and after checking the screen he said, “Baby, I have to take this.”

  “No problem.”

  “Kirby, can you go over the rest of the details for Mia’s security with her?”

  Mia’s eyes grew wide. “The rest...”

  Keylan walked outside and brought the phone to his ear. “What’s up, Roger?”

  “It’s done. You’re back in.”

  “Really?” he asked, surprised.

  “You doubted me?”

  “No, but I didn’t think you’d know anything that fast.” Fear marred his excitement.

  “The doctors cleared you and you’ve already met the community service hours with working at the foundation full-time, so you’re good.”

  “That’s great.”

  “You don’t sound like it’s great,” Roger concluded. “You lace up tomorrow night. They’re expecting you at the ten-o’clock news conference before the two-hour practice. You fly out right after tomorrow night’s game. You can’t play yet, but you are expected to be on the sidelines. You’ll miss tomorrow’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s games, but after that you hit the floor.”

  Keylan really was happy to be getting back to work, but his relationship with Mia was so new...fragile. He wasn’t sure how well she could handle what was about to happen. “I have to prepare Mia.”

  “Prepare Mia for what? You’re an NBA superstar, not to mention a bona fide billionaire. She has to know what that means. Groupies—”

  “This isn’t about women. It’s about her privacy and our time together,” he replied.

  “Look, man, we’ve talked about this already. Settling down at the height of your career is a bad idea. Don’t get me wrong—I liked Mia and I think her kid is great. I just don’t think now’s the time to be playing husband and father to someone else’s four-year-old son.”

  “I’m so glad you didn’t make a derogatory comment about Colby, because I would have had to fire you on the spot.”

  “You know me better than that.”

  “I do... Sorry. I’m not playing at anything. I’m in love with Mia and Colby.” Keylan was done fighting his feelings and he was prepared to do whatever was necessary to prove that to both of them.

  Roger sighed. “Okay. I got your back no matter what.”

  “Thanks. Now let’s hope Mia does, too.”

  * * *

  Keylan walked back into the house just as Kirby and Mia wrapped up their conversation. “If you have any more questions or if you need anything, call me or just press the panic button I gave you.”

  “I will, and thanks for making those adjustments we discussed.”

  “What adjustments?” Keylan asked, his tone harsher than he intended.

  “You can go, Kirby. I’ll explain things to Keylan.”

  Kirby’s eyes danced between Keylan and Mia. Clearly she was looking for permission to leave.

  Keylan nodded and Kirby hurried away.

  “Wow, you really are the boss.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Mia shrugged, took a seat and crossed her legs. “It’s just every time I suggested an alternative to her plan, she reminded me that you were her boss. Of course, I reminded her that me and my son were the people she was protecting and if she wanted my cooperation she had to be flexible.”

  “What adjustments do you think need to be made?”

  “If we’re going to make this work—”

  “If...”

  “Yes, if. I can’t have my life changed completely.”

  Keylan understood that this was all new to Mia and her wanting to maintain some form of normalcy in her life was completely understandable. However, his first concern was for their safety. He went and sat next to her on the sofa.

  “I get our being together will be an adjustment, one I’m willing to make. But I need to set some boundaries.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like, I don’t need to be driven around from place to place. I’m more than capable of driving myself. Your security can follow us around if they must, but that’s nonnegotiable.”

  “What else?” Keylan folded his arms.

  “They can watch from a distance. We don’t need a shadow. It’s bad enough having my house and place of work under constant surveillance.”

  “Wait—”

  “No, you wait. If they sense something is wrong, they can absolutely make their presence known. I just don’t need anyone following us around in the grocery store.”

  Keylan’s face went blank. “Anything else?”

  “Nope, that’s it.” Mia slid over, climbed onto Keylan’s lap and used her right index finger to smooth his wrinkled forehead. “Stop brooding and kiss me.”

  Keylan captured her finger and kissed it. “You’re going to make me crazy.”

  “I know.” Mia imprisoned his face in the palms of her hands, kissing him passionately on the lips and losing herself in the moment. “You sure you can’t stay tonight?”

  “I wish I could. I have news,” he whispered.

  “News?”

  “Yes. I’m going back to work.”

  Mia went poker-faced. “What...? When?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  Chapter 21

  Mia fought the tears she wanted to shed. She knew she was being extremely ridiculous but she couldn’t help it. She enjoyed working with Keylan every day and she was looking forward to the plans they had just made. Don’t be that girl. Mia pasted on a fake smile and said, “That’s great news. When do you leave?”

  “In the morning, and I have you to thank, too. If you hadn’t submitted all my volunteer hours so diligently, Roger would have never been able to pull this off so quickly.”

  Yeah, well, that was before. “You’re welcome. I was just doing my job.” Mia was choking on disappointment and shame for even feeling such a way. Don’t say it... Don’t say it. She lowered her head but before she knew it, the words were falling out of her mouth. “I guess we have to postpone our weekend.”

  Keylan used his thumb and index finger of his right hand and captured her chin. He raised her head and held her gaze. “O
f course not, baby. This week’s games are tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday. I have practice Friday morning and I’m off Saturday and Sunday. We can leave Friday night and return Sunday night, just as planned.”

  “Really?” Mia’s face lit up and he laughed.

  “Yes, sweetheart, really.” Keylan sealed his promise with a mind-blowing kiss. “It’s getting late. I better go.”

  “If you must,” she teased.

  “I know I won’t be playing, but I’ll be on the sidelines. Will you and Colby watch?”

  The look of excitement in Keylan’s eyes at such a simple request made Mia’s heart skip several beats. “Of course we will.”

  “Walk me out.” They stood in her doorway and Keylan gave her one final kiss before saying, “Don’t forget to bring something not-so-warm and preferably see-through for our nights in front of the fireplace.”

  Mia was suddenly warm herself as she stood and watched Keylan get into his car and drive off.

  * * *

  “Thanks for coming with me, Sandra. I’m not sure I could have done all this without you,” Mia declared the next day.

  “Spending the afternoon shopping with other people’s money? Color me in.” Sandra laughed. “I still can’t believe this change. Usually you send me with a list and your credit card to get gifts for you. You even had me get my own gift card. Now, not only have you bought your own Christmas gifts for everyone, you got me helping you pick out clothes for your sexy weekend with KJ.”

  “Shh...” Mia looked around the store.

  “No one’s paying attention to us. The only thing those personal shoppers—” Sandra pointed to the two saleswomen pouring wine into glasses and arranging an assortment of finger foods onto platters “—are concerned with is making sure you’re happy and willing to spend as much of KJ’s money as possible. I wonder what kind of credit line he has here, anyway.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m not looking to spend—”

  “Here we are,” the taller of the two women began as she handed them both a glass of wine. “We have a few refreshments, too. Please enjoy.” She pointed to the plates the smaller woman had placed on the table that sat between them.