Baby, It's Christmas & Hold Me, Cowboy Read online

  He drew his arms around her and pulled her close. She went willingly—practically melting into him—as her arms encircled his neck.

  They were nearly the same height, but he was so powerfully built that she felt small by comparison. Her breasts nestled easily against his chest, and her hips seemed to surge against him with a will of their own. But all that faded when compared to the perfection that was their kiss.

  He brushed her mouth gently with his, moving back and forth so slowly that she could have escaped at any time—if she’d wanted to. But what woman would want to move away from the wonder that was Tanner Malone?

  She felt the faintest rub of stubble against her chin. The friction delighted her, making her want to feel that slight scratchiness all over her body. Delicious images filled her mind, of them together like this, only more. Pressed hard and naked, in the most intimate dance of all. She was overheated and breathless, and all they’d done was kiss. Good grief, what would happen to her if they actually did make love? She would never survive.

  But it would be a glorious way to go.

  He drew his tongue along the seam of her mouth. The sensual movement pulled her back to the present. She slipped one hand up so that her fingers could bury themselves in his thick, dark hair. Her other hand moved down his back, feeling the movement of muscles against her palm. Then she parted her lips and invited him inside.

  The jolt when his tongue touched hers nearly made her scream. There was a flash of heat and energy, but that wasn’t what aroused her the most. It was Tanner’s reaction to their shared intimacy. She felt the muscles of his back tense. Strength turned to rock. At the same time, he took a step closer and pressed himself against her fully. She felt the length and breadth of his arousal...and it was as impressive as the rest of him.

  Kelly found herself getting lost in the experience of kissing him. She clung to him, wanting to be closer. His tongue moved against hers, then explored her mouth. Each caress brought with it new and exciting sensations. She found herself needing more, kissing him back, wanting more. She was thirty-two years old, and she couldn’t remember the last time a man had really kissed her. It was a sad statement on her life.

  But it wasn’t just being with a man that reduced her legs to jelly. It was specifically this man. Because she’d been on the occasional date, and those men had sometimes given her a chaste good-night kiss. Not once had she ever reacted so strongly.

  She wanted him, and it felt so good to want a man. She wanted to tell him that it was okay with her if he pushed her up against the counter, pulled down her jeans and panties and did it with her right there in the kitchen. She, who had never been daring enough to even leave the lights on.

  His hands moved from her back to her face. He cupped her cheeks as if he was afraid she would try to run away. Had she been able to speak, she would have told him there was nowhere else she would rather be.

  He nipped at her lower lip, then soothed the erotic ache with his tongue. He drew her lip into his mouth, sucking her and creating tiny pulls that tugged all the way to her breasts. Her nipples were hard and as hungry as the rest of her.

  “Kelly,” he breathed against her mouth, then slipped one hand under her braid.

  He kissed her again, deeply, and she welcomed him. They circled each other, stroking, learning, breathing heavily. She was so incredibly aroused. Shudders rippled through her as if they’d been kissing for hours. Maybe they had. Maybe the rest of the world had disappeared, and only they were left to live in the magic of this moment.

  Boldly, she let her hands trail down his back to the high, tight curve of his rear. As if reading her intent, he pressed against her, rubbing his arousal against her belly, making her gasp. One of his hands dropped to her waist, then moved up her side toward her breasts.

  In the back of her mind, a voice whispered that things were getting out of hand and wouldn’t that be nice. She caught her breath as his fingers moved higher and higher, reaching for her aching curves. Then her side vibrated.

  Tanner wrapped his arms around her and rested his forehead against hers. “I would like to take credit for that, but I’m not good enough.”

  She smiled faintly, still caught up in what had, until this second, been going on between them. “Too bad,” she murmured as she removed her phone from her pocket and stared at the display. “It’s the hospital. I’m guessing it’s one of my patients.”

  She tapped the screen to call work. Her head was still thick with passion, and she was afraid her voice would sound funny. She cleared her throat a couple of times before the nurses’ station picked up.

  “This is Dr. Hall. I received a text. How’s Wendy?”

  “Yes, Doctor. She came in half an hour ago...”

  The nurse continued talking, and Kelly carefully wrote everything down, but it was incredibly hard to concentrate because Tanner had come up behind her and was trailing damp kisses down the nape of her neck. It was all she could do to keep taking notes. Finally she hung up the phone.

  “You have a patient in labor,” he said, still standing behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his chest. “You have to go.”

  “Yes,” she said as she placed her hands on top of his. Had they really just shared the most extraordinary kiss?

  She pulled out of his arms and turned to look at him. Passion darkened his eyes to the color of sapphires. His expression was equal parts aroused and self-satisfied.

  “You’re something of a kisser, Dr. Hall,” he said.

  “I could say the same about you.”

  “Go ahead.”

  She laughed. “You’re a great kisser, Mr. Malone. Thank you.”

  They were standing close together but not touching. Then Tanner cupped her face. “I’m not sorry. The timing is probably poor, but I can’t regret kissing you.”

  Kelly drew in a deep breath. With his words, reality crashed in around her. Who they were—why they were together. This wasn’t a date, and they weren’t a couple. She was helping out a friend, nothing more. She didn’t do relationships. And Tanner—well, she didn’t know all that much about him except that he was in the middle of a $100-million construction job and had just brought an infant into his life.

  She took a step back. “I agree with both sentiments,” she said. “The timing is less than perfect. Everything about your life is changing, and the last thing you need right now is a woman getting in the way.”

  “That’s my excuse. What’s yours?”

  Kelly didn’t really have one except she’d fallen in the habit of being alone. Right now she couldn’t think why.

  “I would like to help you with Lia, but it will get complicated if we’re more than friends,” she said.

  She held her breath, then relaxed when he seemed to accept her explanation.

  “So now what?” he asked, shoving his hands into his rear pockets. She tried not to notice how the action pulled the material of his jeans tight. Thank goodness she’d been called to work. If not, they might have acted out her fantasy of doing it in the kitchen.

  “Now we agree to keep it simple. Friends. Good friends.”

  “I get the message. No more kissing.” His mouth tightened. “But I’ll be thinking about it, Kelly. Probably for longer than I should.”

  She swallowed. “Yeah. Me, too. I’ve got to go.”

  She collected her purse and walked out of the house. When she got in her car, she found her gaze drawn to the front door. What would it be like to know that after she’d safely delivered her patient’s baby she would be returning here? Not just as Tanner’s friend, but as someone important to him?

  She didn’t have any answers, she told herself as she backed out of the driveway. Nor were they necessary. For now she and Tanner would keep things simple—they would be friends. In time...

  Here Kelly wasn
’t so sure. In time, what? Maybe she would have to figure out why she’d spent all her adult life running from relationships. Maybe she could figure out what was wrong with her. As a child and a teenager, she’d always planned on getting married and having a family. What had happened to that dream? Was it too late to get it back, or was she destined to spend the rest of her life alone?

  * * *

  “Tell me good news, Artie,” Tanner said as his foreman slumped into the opposite chair.

  “It’s all good, boss,” the short, stocky man said with a grin. He gestured with his unlit cigar. “We’re sticking to your revised schedule, so we’re catching up a little each week. I’ve been calling suppliers, and for once they’re getting it right. If this keeps up, we’ll coast right up to our deadline. Oh, and the toilet problem is fixed.”

  Tanner let out the breath he’d been holding. For a while he hadn’t been sure they were going to come in on time, let alone on budget. Having the funding pulled when he was more than a third of the way through the project had about done him in. Between having to pay for labor and delivered supplies while trying to stall other orders, he’d been within days of going under.

  He leaned back in his chair. The situation had been unavoidable, he reminded himself. He always paid for many of his materials up front. Suppliers gave him a discount that way, and that discount had been figured into his bid on the project. Labor costs were paid as incurred. Most large projects required loans to float the costs of building until the general contractor was paid, but this time Tanner had decided to use his own money. He had enough, as long as the regular funding came through. Who could have predicted that one of the executives would embezzle the foundation’s money?

  “It’s November 21 now,” Artie was saying. “The exterior painting was finished before the first snowfall, just like we planned. The inside work is going faster than expected.” He held up a hand before Tanner could interrupt. “Every department is making sure there are inspections and quality checks every step of the way. No one is going to shortcut on this project.”

  “Good, because you know the rule.” Tanner made a practice of firing any individual or company who cut corners. Everything was built to code, with the finest materials available.

  Artie grabbed his clipboard and stood up. “That’s it, boss. Now I’m gonna go explain to the electrical contractor that hospitals need a lot of plugs. They’re saying we made a mistake in the design. No one needs that many plugs in each room. Not to worry. I know the design’s right, and by the time I’m done with them, they’re gonna know it, too. Gotta burn some calories with a little whoop-ass before Thanksgiving.”

  He gave a wave and stomped out of the room. Tanner grinned. Artie might not be the most refined guy in the world, but he got the job done.

  Maybe he should get a turkey for Thanksgiving, Tanner thought. Lia was too little to eat it this year, of course, but the rest of her childhood was on him. If he didn’t provide turkey and all the fixings, she would miss out on a special tradition. During his childhood in foster care, it had been hit or miss, and he didn’t want Lia to go a single year without that special day. Ryan and Patricia were taking the kids to a resort in northern California for the weekend, so Lia was the only family he’d have around on Thanksgiving. And he was hers.

  He was about to turn on his computer and start checking scheduling, when someone else walked into his office. He glanced up and saw his brother.

  “How’s life?” Ryan asked as he settled into the chair Artie had vacated. “Did you get much sleep this weekend?”

  “More than I thought. Lia wakes up every few hours, but then she goes right back to sleep. The baby nurse Patricia recommended is great. She calls me every couple of hours just to let me know that things are going well at home.”

  “Sounds like you have it under control.”

  Tanner nodded. “Here, too, Ryan. I know you’ve been worried, but the project is on schedule.”

  Some of the tension in his brother’s face eased. “I knew I could count on you.”

  “You can also count on me to take the kids when you and Patricia head off on your second honeymoon next month. I can handle them and Lia, too.”

  Ryan laughed. “Yeah, right. In your dreams. Your daughter is sleeping her life away right now, but that changes. Besides, we’ve already made other arrangements. My three are going to be well looked after.”

  “If you’re sure,” Tanner said. “I’ll be happy to take them.”

  “Worry about your own right now.” Ryan rose and shook his brother’s hand. “Congratulations again. Both on the project and on Lia.”

  “Thanks. Have a good time in Maine.”

  Tanner watched his brother leave, but instead of returning his attention to his computer, he rose and crossed to the window. His temporary office was going to eventually be the lab. Right now scaffolding obscured most of the view, but he could see out. It was a sunny autumn day, with temperatures near fifty. The dusting of snow had melted. But he didn’t see the leaves blanketing the hospital grounds. Instead he pictured his daughter sleeping peacefully in her crib.

  He was flying by the seat of his pants with her—which was what he’d done with most of his life. When he’d bought the business, he’d been afraid he would fail completely and publicly, but he hadn’t—despite his history of screwing up.

  Maybe he was maturing. It was bound to happen eventually. His business was successful, and so far fatherhood was even better than he’d thought it would be. He loved Lia, and he was willing to do whatever he had to so that he could give her a decent life.

  Thinking of Lia made him think of Kelly because for some reason they were linked together in his brain. And thinking of Kelly made him remember the kiss they’d shared on Sunday. The kiss he hadn’t been able to forget.

  He was done screwing up, he reminded himself. Which meant no more weekend flings with women like Lucy Ames. He had to go for someone right or not bother. When he’d first decided to take Lia, he’d told himself he wasn’t going to do the relationship thing at all. That would be easier. But now he wasn’t so sure. He might be willing to give it a try if it meant being with someone special...someone like Kelly.

  Chapter 8

  “So how’s my favorite girl in the world?”

  Kelly leaned back in her chair and smiled. “I’m great, Dad. How are you?”

  “Not bad for an old man.”

  Kelly shifted the phone so it nestled between her shoulder and her ear as she slipped off her pumps. She’d spent most of the on her feet. For once she hadn’t been interrupted by one of her patients giving birth, so she’d actually gotten through her regular appointments. Now it was nearly six on Wednesday evening, and the office was quiet.

  “You’re not old. You’re just getting started.”

  “I like to think so,” Daniel Hall answered. “But some mornings it’s tough to pull on my sweats and go jogging. The boys are starting to beat me.”

  “I don’t believe that.”

  Her father was as fit today as he had been when she was a little girl. He ran every morning with the high school athletes. Some of them were members of his church, but most weren’t. Daniel had been a fixture on the morning exercise scene through hundreds of students’ lives. He was always available to listen, or give advice if asked. More than one crisis had been averted because the kids involved had gone to Daniel. Somehow a man out jogging and sweating wasn’t nearly as scary as approaching a minister of a church.

  “Tell me what’s going on in your life,” her father said. “I know you’re keeping busy.”

  “Of course. It comes with the job.” She told him a little about work, then brought him up-to-date on the situation with Tanner and Lia.

  Daniel chuckled. “A newborn in the house and a girl at that. I can relate to his shock. You weren’t at all what I expected. Y
ou were pretty enough, but those diapers. I always wondered how something so small and sweet could produce something so nasty.”

  “Oh, Dad. You need to let the diaper thing go.”

  “I can’t. I’m scarred for life.”

  She grinned. “I think Tanner is going to be, as well. He’s still getting used to the challenges and the responsibility. Lia is a sweet baby, but it’s changed everything for him. He’s involved with a huge construction project at the hospital, and now he’s got a daughter.”

  “He’s going to find that she’s the greatest joy of his life,” he said. “Just like you’re mine.”

  “Thanks.” As always, his loving support made her feel safe inside. Even if her father had stopped being proud of her when she’d gotten pregnant, she never doubted that he loved her.

  “So,” Daniel said. “Tell me about this Tanner Malone. He sounds like a decent guy. Is he cute?”

  “Oh, Dad.”

  “That’s two ‘oh, Da-ads’ me in one conversation. What am I doing wrong?”

  “Nothing. It’s just that you’re matchmaking, and it’s not like that between Tanner and me.” She forced herself not to think of the kiss they’d shared. Despite the fact that memories of it haunted the past two nights...not to mention her days.

  “So there’s no spark between you two? Is spark the right word, or am I dating myself?”

  “No one says spark much anymore,” she said, then tried to figure out how to answer the question without actually lying. “As for Tanner and me, we’re just friends. Neither of us are in a place where we’d be comfortable having a relationship. He has a new baby and his work, and I’m always swamped with my practice.”

  There was a long pause; then her father sighed. Kelly’s hand tightened on the receiver. She hated that sigh—she knew it meant she’d disappointed him in some way.