by K. A Knight
“You’re welcome, Brat,” I tease, smiling back at her as I climb on to my stool and start eating, both of us dining in silence, our elbows touching every now and again...it’s almost nice.
My phone rings halfway through and I put it on speaker. “What’s up, Baywatch?”
He grumbles then huffs. “Scarlett says I have to invite you over for Christmas tomorrow.” I hear a smack in the background. “Please.”
Nadia grins and looks at me. “I’ll be there, you might need to keep an eye on me in case I run away or get into trouble.”
I roll my eyes at her as Max snorts. “Nads, why are you with that asshole?”
“Nadia’s there? Give me!” Scarlett shouts in the background.
“Don’t make me tie you up again, baby girl,” I hear Max warn, before he comes back on the line. “Good, you can bring her tomorrow. One o’clock, don’t be late.” He hangs up and we share a look.
Am I really going to Christmas at Max’s house?
It seems so...and it’s all because of the woman currently grinning at me. I knew she was trouble.
We spend the rest of the day working almost silently. When she yawns, I glance up to see her finished with the map. I take a look, noticing how efficiently she labelled everything, getting me hard.
“Go get some sleep. I’ll wake you when we need to go to Scarlett’s,” I mumble, and she nods, a testament to how tired she must be if she isn’t fighting me.
“I need to swing by mine and get their presents,” she tells me before yawning again. “Night.” She shuffles from the room and I sit back in my chair, covering my eyes. Once again, I’ve ended up with this woman under my roof.
How the fuck are we supposed to work together?
It’s nearly time to leave and she’s still asleep. I nipped out to grab the bracelet and a present for Scarlett and Max, not wanting to turn up empty-handed. When I get back, she’s curled up in the guest bedroom. I stand over her, unsure how to wake her when she looks so angelic.
“Wake the fuck up,” I murmur then wince. Shit, I really am rusty around this woman. Why does she put me so ill at ease? I’m smooth, able to fool or charm anyone else, but here...I’m an asshole without meaning to be.
She doesn’t move though, deep asleep, and I scrub the back of my head and blow out a breath. Crouching down by the side of the bed, I grab my phone, unable to help myself, and snap a picture of her and pocket it before shaking her gently.
“Brat, wake up,” I say softly.
She makes this adorable little noise and burrows deeper into the covers, making me smile. I force it away in case she wakes up and notices and shake her harder, my fingers gripping her arm.
Her eyes fly wide as she sucks in a breath. When they land on me, she calms down and slumps back into the bed.
“What time is it?” she asks, groaning dramatically.
“Time you got your ass up, unless you want to miss Scarlett’s dinner.” I huff and stand up, crossing my arms as I watch her wrap herself up in the covers like a burrito.
“I’m cold,” she complains, pouting her lips at me. “Make it warm. Why is it so bloody freezing in your house?”
“I like it cold, helps the computers.” I arch my eyebrow at her and nudge her with my foot. “Get up.”
“Keanuuuuu,” she whines. “Make it warm.” Her eyes are huge, and she blinks sweetly up at me, her bottom lip poking out adorably, and I feel myself softening until, with a curse, I yank my phone from my pocket and turn on the heating.
“There, heating is on, I’ll make you a coffee, but you need to get up. We still need to swing by yours on the way,” I order, leaving before I do something stupid like offer to warm her with my body heat.
She comes down fifteen minutes later, so I pass her the coffee, frowning at the dress she’s still wearing. “I’ll grab something at home,” she explains around a yawn.
She throws back the coffee as I watch and then shivers. “Yes, caffeinate up!” she hollers, then passes me the mug. “More please.”
“What are you, Oliver Twist?” I grumble, and she laughs as she grabs the steaming mug and chugs it again as I watch with an arched eyebrow.
“Okay, let’s go!” She blinks then. “Wow, that caffeine hit hard.”
She heads down the hallway and I follow after her. By the time I get there, she’s already waiting by the car like an eager kid, so I lock up and walk to the driver’s side. “Excited?” I inquire, leaning over the top, and she seems to deflate a bit.
“I guess I forgot for a moment,” she whispers, and then shakes her head, making me cringe for reminding her.
“Forget, just for today, enjoy it,” I tell her, and she lifts her head, her gaze clashing with mine. “Who will it hurt to enjoy it?”
I get in, unable to look into those eyes again. I start the car in silence and pull away, the drive not taking long. The roads are empty since nearly everyone is with their family and businesses are closed today. When we get to her house, I turn off the car and look at her. “Need me to come in with you?”
She flinches like she’d forgotten I was here. “No, I’ll be back in a minute,” she mutters and slips out, slamming the door as she heads inside.
I wait, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel, resisting the urge to go inside after her. Her mood swings are giving me whiplash, but I understand. Today of all days will be hard. She told me about the tradition of her celebrating with her gammie. I need to rein in my asshole tendencies and help her in any way I can. Even if that means being nice—or trying to be nice.
The back door opens, making me jump since I had been lost in my own thoughts. She puts some Christmas bags in the back and then slips into the front, nodding at me, so I start the car and head to Scarlett’s. The silence stretches as I scramble to think of something to say. If we aren’t arguing, I don’t really know how to talk to her.
“We can check out the first bar tomorrow,” I say then wince. Work? Really? Fuck, why is this so hard?
“Okay,” she replies, and I sigh. The rest of the ride is just as awkward, and when we pull up at Scarlett’s, she hops out, grabbing her Christmas bags and heading up the stairs, buzzing to be let in.
“Just getting something, I’ll join you—” And she’s gone.
I grab my own bags and follow after her, seeing her disappear upstairs, and when I get to Scarlett’s floor, the door is already open with Nadia heading inside, embracing Scarlett. Max waits for me.
“Asshole,” he greets, and I smirk as I step inside, unbuttoning my jacket.
“Baywatch.” I nod, and then Scarlett heads my way, pulling me into a hug before I can protest.
“Hey, cutie,” she greets me and then lowers her voice. “Thank you for looking after her,” she whispers, before pulling back and then linking her arm with Nadia’s. “Wine?”
“God, yes,” Nadia replies, and they disappear into the kitchen, leaving Max and me staring after them.
“Dreading this?” Max coughs.
“Yes,” I mutter.
“Just wait. She’s going to make you put on a hat. I’m so taking a picture and sending it to Donald.” He laughs and barges past me to follow after the girls.
Fucking hell, what have I gotten myself into?
“No,” I snap for the fifth time, and Scarlett sighs, sitting back with the godawful red paper hat clutched between her fingers.
Nadia laughs, takes it from her, and ignores my glare, arranging it on my head, her face almost pressed to mine, and I can’t help but inhale, staring at her as she leans back and winks at me. “There, you can still be the Grinch though.”
A flash goes off and I turn my glare to Max, who’s laughing and showing Scarlett the picture he just took, but Nadia covers my mouth and glares at me. “Don’t you do your weird computer thing and delete it. Max, send it to me.”
I hear her phone vibrate. “Don’t you dare,” I mutter against her hand.
Nadia laughs as she grabs it and makes me watch as she sets it as he
r screensaver and then pulls her hand away. “Knew you were obsessed with me,” I tease, and she rolls her eyes.
“Pu-lease, Nunu, it’s in case I’m ever murdered so they know exactly who did it,” she fires back, and I can see Scarlett and Max laughing as they watch us, so I lean closer and lower my voice.
“I wouldn’t murder you, just take it out on your ass again. You did seem to enjoy that though,” I whisper, and she shivers, swallowing as she looks away.
I grin and lean back, smug as Scarlett and Max watch us. “What just happened?” she questions Max who shrugs.
“Presents anyone?” Nadia calls, trying to distract them.
Max grins, a knowing look in his eyes as he relaxes back, dropping his fork to his plate while Scarlett smiles. “Sure, let me grab them. Max can clean up.” She stands then and wags her finger in Max’s face. “Not by giving them to Milo, he’s getting chubby.”
“He’s just big boned!” he protests, as Scarlett snorts, walking away with Max’s eyes locked on her ass.
“Big boned or filled with the food you keep sneaking him?” she calls, winking at him over her shoulder when she catches him looking. She disappears into the bedroom and he turns back, a grin stretched across his face as we stare at him. “So, Baywatch, how’s civvie life?”
“Peachy, how’s stalking life?” he retorts, glancing at Nadia who looks between us…
That asshole.
“Present time!” Scarlett announces. Thank fuck.
We all gather on the sofas. Max sits on the floor and I sit next to Nadia with Scarlett on my other side. She takes the roll of Santa and passes out presents, all prettily wrapped up with ribbons and notes...she gives me one last, and I stare at in shock.
She bought me a present?
I turn the glittering silver label over, which says “Merry Christmas.” I remain frozen and Nadia moves closer.
“I know you’re not used to it, but this is normal, take it,” she whispers, before going back to her own present.
Scarlett watches me, looking nervous. “Okay! Maxy first!” she calls, and Max takes the large box in his hands and shakes it before ripping into the wrapping paper like a kid, and when he does he stares in surprise.
“What is it?” Nadia demands impatiently, and he turns it around to show us. It’s a framed picture of him and another guy. He looks at Scarlett and she sniffs.
“It doesn’t have a place yet, but I figured whenever we move, we could hang it up. I owe him everything and he’s your family, after all,” she tells him, and he sets it gently down before getting up and kissing her, hard.
Nadia and I sit there awkwardly as he pulls back and strokes her cheek. “I love you so much, angel, it’s perfect, thank you.”
He sits back then, and Scarlett wipes her eyes and looks at Nadia. “Your turn.”
She carefully opens the paper and then stares down at the bear in the box, tears filling her eyes, her face pale as she lifts it up and sniffs it, her eyes closing in pain.
As if drawn by it, I scoot closer and wrap my arm around her shoulders. “You okay?”
“It smells like her,” she murmurs.
Scarlett slides to the floor and crouches in front of her, covering her hands. “I didn’t know if this was okay, but I took some of her shirts and had them made into a bear, so you can always keep her close. I know you couldn’t stand to have them in the house, I thought this could be different…” She trails off then, worry in her eyes. “D-Did I mess up?”
Nadia brings it to her chest, the tears finally overflowing, sending a sharp pain through my chest. “I love it, it smells just like her.”
Scarlett smiles and kisses her hand before sitting back and looking at me. “Your turn.”
I groan dramatically to draw all their eyes, including Nadia’s, and then fake an angry look. “Presents, ugh.”
She grins at me knowingly, a thanks in her gaze, and I wink, understanding she needed time to collect herself. I carefully unfold the paper and fold it back up, and pass it to Nadia who snorts and rips it into pieces as I watch.
Shaking my head, I look down at the cardboard box, and back up at Scarlett. “Oh, let me get you some scissors.”
“No need,” I tell her, pulling my pocket knife out and cutting it open. I peer inside at the bright orange, glossy box, my eyes wide as I pull it out and a reluctant smile curving my lips. It’s a picture from Max’s birthday party, all of us there smiling, a little drunk, and framed. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” Scarlett says sweetly, and I place it next to me on the sofa just as another box lands in my lap. I stare at Nadia in shock.
“How did you know you would see me?” I frown and she laughs.
“I was shopping and saw it, thought it might cheer you the fuck up. I was going to give it to Max to give to you.”
Curious, I open it quickly, and a startled laugh bursts out of me. “Grow my own girlfriend?”
“Well, it’s about the only woman who can put up with you. It was either this or the blow-up doll.” She laughs.
“I’d have gone with the blow-up doll.” Max snorts and I roll my eyes as a parcel hits him in the face.
“For you,” Nadia calls, and then winks at me. I raise my eyebrow in question, and she nods at Max who tears into the present, his mouth falling open as he holds up tight red shorts which say “Baywatch” on the side.
I laugh as he groans and looks at her. “He told you, didn’t he? Don’t encourage him!” he protests.
“Scar, you’re up.” She passes the present over carefully, and Scarlett looks down at the tiny box before opening it with just as much eagerness as Nadia showed, and then freezes, staring at the necklace with a blue glass charm dangling from it.
“I know she wasn’t your gammie, but she thought of you like a granddaughter. Like my sister. She would want you to have it,” Nadia says softly, and Scarlett looks at her with tears in her eyes.
“Nads—”
“Scarlett, it’s fine, I know you always loved it, and it’s not like she’s using it, plus you know I’m more of a ring girl...please, take it. She would want you to, this way she’s with us both.” I lean back to give them some room as they embrace, and then Scarlett turns carefully to me, lifting her hair.
“Will you help me put it on? Max isn’t good with tiny things,” she jokes and I snort.
“Not what I heard,” Nadia and I say in unison, making Scarlett giggle.
I do the clasp and she lets it drop on her neck before turning to us with a smile. “Best Christmas ever,” she declares.
“You haven’t seen my presents yet,” I tease, and they all gape at me. “Well, when I found out I was coming, I might have pulled a few strings,” I grumble and grab the bags, keeping the box for Nadia in my pocket, which will be given to her in private.
Max opens his first, grunting in approval as he checks out the new handgun. “New Russian hardware, supposed to be clean and pack a hell of a punch,” I inform him.
He checks it out, unloading it and looking down the sight before slapping my shoulder. “Thanks, man.”
Scarlett laughs when she opens hers and holds up the pillow with Max’s scowling face stretched across it. “You seem to like his face, right?” I joke, and she smacks my legs as she cuddles it.
“What, no present for me, Nunu?” Nadia scoffs.
They all look at me, but I stare them down until Max and Scarlett move closer together and search through the presents, then I look at Nadia and jerk my head down the hallway. She frowns but nods, and I get to my feet and head to the bathroom, leaving the door open behind me.
A couple of minutes later, she slips inside and I shut the door, blocking it as she turns to face me with a smile. “What, getting me alone to feel me up again, perv? There’s no desk in here, but I suppose the sink could work, right?”
“Don’t tempt me,” I warn, before pulling the box out and handing it to her. “Merry Christmas, Brat.”
She opens the box, her eyes widening i
n shock as she pulls out the silver bracelet, the polished surface catching the light and shining. “Keanu,” she whispers silkily, my cock turning hard at the sound of my name on her lips.
Then she turns it over and jerks her eyes to me with a glare as I grin.
“Brat?” she yells and then steps closer. “You had it engraved with ‘Brat?’”
“That’s your name.” I grin and then let it drop. “It also has a tracking device in it. If we’re working together, I need to know where you are. Put it on.”
Her face seems to drop, filled with disappointment. “That’s why you bought it for me,” she whispers as if to herself, and then puts it on her wrist. “There, now let me by.”
She doesn’t even look at me, just at my chest, and I sigh, stepping forward. “Nadia—”
Her eyes jerk up to mine, filled with fire and anger. “Why even come? Why even buy us something, pretend you care? You don’t give a shit about anyone but yourself, why pretend?”
I snap, I can’t help it, she hit too close to home, and I let her see it all erupt. All that the coldness masks, the truth I hide…
She’s pinned to the sink in seconds. I grab her hand as she gasps and press it to my cock. “Does this feel like I don’t care? Do I look like I don’t care? I care way too fucking much,” I whisper, my voice deadly and uncontrolled for once.
She swallows but doesn’t back down, her hand stroking my cock through my pants, making me groan and lean into her. “Then why? Why push everyone away?”
Vulnerable before her, I have no answer. Not with her body pressed against mine, with her hand on me and her eyes stripping me bare. She sees everything all too much, and instead of fleeing before it...she presses closer.
Raising herself up on her tiptoes, she’s like a magnet, and I can’t help it. I lean down, and the first touch of her rosy lips to mine has me wishing I was a better man, a saint, but I’m not.
I’m a sinner, and right now...she’s my guilty pleasure.
Groaning, I suck on her bottom lip before licking the seam, and she opens. I sweep my tongue inside, all the while pressing against her exploring fingers.