A Christmas Promise (The Buchanan Brothers 9)

“Can I come in?”

“Why would I want you to do that?”

“Because I have something for you.”

It was then she realized he was holding something behind his back. Curiosity had always been her Achilles heel and she found herself wavering. “Fine. But make it fast. I have plans.”

He followed her into the living room of her apartment and noted the half-eaten Chinese and the empty pizza box on the floor. Good God, she was definitely losing her human being status. “I’m not judging but…”

“Get to the point,” she snapped, embarrassed beyond belief. Why hadn’t she picked up a little? She’d never been this messy but she hadn’t much cared about anything and now she was excruciatingly aware of just how awful everything —herself included — must appear. She swallowed her next bitter comment when Laird produced a beautifully wrapped package. “What is this?” she asked warily.

“It doesn’t tick, I can promise you that,” he said, handing the package over to her. “I think you’re going to like it.”

“Why are you giving me presents?” she asked, her voice bordering on a plaintive wail because, drat it, tears seemed close by. “Laird…what’s going on?”

He took a deep breath and said, “You were right. I didn’t realize how close to the nerve you’d hit with some of the things you’d said the other night and I didn’t know how to deal with it. But of all the things that you said, it was the things I was feeling that really threw me. I’ve never in my life felt the way I do than when I with you. And that was before we even had sex. What I didn’t realize, until too late that is, is that I was falling for you from the minute we met. That first day when I came to your apartment and took you to mine after what happened to Emma. I didn’t know what it meant to love someone until you.”

Tears burned behind her lids. She didn’t know if she could hold them back even as she blinked furiously. Don’t cry. Don’t. Cry. “I don’t understand…” she said, bewildered. “Are you saying…you’re in love with me?”

Laird seemed tongue-tied and gestured to the present. “Please open the gift.”

Lana stared a long moment, trying to make sense of the Twilight Zone episode she’d just landed in but finally, at a loss of what else to do, opened the present with shaking fingers. The luxuriant softness of cashmere met her fingertips and she gasped as she pulled the beautiful blanket Laird had purchased at the fundraiser dinner, tied with a lovely ribbon from the wrapping. But even more striking than the blanket was the beautiful ring tied within the ribbon. She gasped and nearly dropped everything. Her startled gaze met Laird’s. “Laird? Oh my God, it’s beautiful…” and she couldn’t manage any more words or keep the tears from falling. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll make an honest man out of me,” he said, moving closer to gently caress her cheek, wiping away the tears. “I’ve been an idiot for a long time. As Vince so eloquently put it, I’ve been dicking around for longer than I should’ve. And you’re right…a man should work. I guess I’ve been playing at being an adult for so long I forgot what it meant to actually be a responsible adult. To that end, Vince has agreed to give me a position at Buchanan Enterprises. I don’t know what I’ll be doing — hell, knowing Vince I might end up getting his coffee and rubbing his feet but I don’t care. I want to remember how it feels to be proud of an honest day’s work because you’re right, I should be doing more with my life.” He swallowed, looking as if he might cry as well. “I might need some help being the man you deserve but I swear to you, I’ll work my ass off to be the man you can be proud to call your husband.” He was proposing. Her stunned brain could barely manage the reality of her situation. It wasn’t until she saw that he was shaking as he put the ring on her finger that she knew, this was the real deal. He was serious as a heart attack. This wasn’t Laird being the jokester, this was Laird being a grown-up and he was scared shitless. “What do you say?” he asked nervously when all she could do was stare at the ring and then back at Laird. “Is that a yes?”

Yes. Yes. A million times yes. “Yes,” she whispered, tears spilling freely as she landed in his arms. “I will marry you, Laird Tiechert. I will.”

“Oh, thank God,” he breathed, gathering her tightly. “I was prepared to beg but I wasn’t looking forward to it.”

She choked on a laugh and a hiccup. “Maybe I should’ve held out a little longer,” she teased and he groaned.

“I might’ve died from the pressure.”

It was then she suddenly remembered that she probably stank and her cheeks bloomed with heat as she scrambled away. “I stink,” she wailed. “Is this the story we’re going to tell our kids about how you proposed?”

“Damn straight,” he said, going straight to her with the grin that she’d fallen in love the moment they’d first met. “But I love the way you smell, baby, remember?”

Then he scooped her into his arms and she went shrieking and laughing as he carried her to the bedroom.

He was a keeper, she thought giggling as he gleefully stripped her of her clothing without even batting an eye at the fact that she was several days past her deodorant’s expiration and realized that life with Laird would never be dull.

That was practically a promise.

And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

-Epilogue-

Laird grinned, his heart ridiculously full as he watched his fiancée flit around the house hanging Christmas decor and singing off-key to the Christmas music on Pandora. Could she be more adorable? Not possible. And how had he never appreciated the simple beauty of a woman’s touch in his home? Everything Lana had touched she’d made warm and cozy. Although they had practically spent the equivalent of the national debt in Christmas decor because, as Lana pointed out, they were starting out from scratch and they had to build in some traditions for their kids, he was happy as a clam.

Kids.

Whoa.

If someone had said to him a year ago that he’d be gleefully embracing the idea of fatherhood and marriage, he would’ve laughed and asked what drugs were they taking and could he have some. But there was no doubt that he was happier than he’d ever been in his life and everyday seemed brighter than the last.

Hell, there was definitely some magic in that woman’s touch because he was well and truly intoxicated whenever she was around.

And hot damn, his wife was hot. There was that, too.

Lana sent him a dazzling smile and then popped an adorable expression as she realized she needed something else —how that was possible, he didn’t know but he was happy to oblige whatever she desired. “I can’t believe we forgot tinsel,” she said, distressed. “Do you think we can make another trip to the store?”

“For you, anything,” he said. “But it’ll cost you.”

She graced him with a sassy, sly smile. “And just what exactly will the toll be?”

He patted his knee with an openly licentious grin. “C’mon over here and find out, pretty thing.”

She straddled him, her pert rump fitting snugly against his quickly plumping cock and she matched his grin with one of her own. “You’re a naughty boy,” she purred, grinding slowly on his cock, driving him crazy with her newfound confidence. He filled his hands with her full breasts and she leaned into his grip, smiling with pleasure as he teased her nipples through the thin sweater. “On second thought, tinsel can wait…” she fell forward and sealed her mouth to his.

Within a heartbeat, their clothes were off and they were fucking like bunnies — happily committed, but very, very naughty bunnies.

Lana rode him like a banshee, crying out with pleasure as she came hard and quick against his cock, milking his shaft with each violent spasm. His soon-to-be wife was a lustful creature with a voracious appetite and he couldn’t believe what a lucky bastard he was.

A lucky bastard who just might’ve knocked up his pretty woman.

And, you know what? That was just fine with him.

Fatherhood, marri