His Christmas Baby: A Friends to Lovers Romance Read online

  I wasn’t .

  “Of course. He’s the only one I trust to keep my little girl safe.” He patted my cheek like the seven-year-old I swear he still saw when he looked at me .

  “I’m not a little girl Dad. What’s going on?” I was grateful he’d tried his best to give me a normal life, to shield me from his businesses that weren’t exactly legal. But now that my life of independence was in jeopardy, he owed me some answers .

  “Nothing for you to worry about Fiona. I made a deal I shouldn’t have and they fucked me. Now I have to un-fuck myself and fuck them harder.” He stood, buttoning his jacket over his expanded middle. “I need you to stay close to Keane, lovey .”

  Closing my eyes, I let out a calming breath. Whenever Dad called me lovey things were dire. I knew he loved me but he so rarely used non-possessive terms that it caught me off guard .

  “Are you in danger of prison or death ?”

  “Possibly both but I’m handling it. Knowing you’re safe will allow me to deal with it better .”

  And there was the guilt trip, as though it’s my fault he’s got gangsters and Feds after him. “Right. By all means go do what you have to do.” Frustrated I poured a couple fingers of whiskey, Irish of course, and knocked it back to keep my hands from trembling. Angry and frustrated, I knew voicing either emotion wouldn’t be helpful. Or welcome. “Where is Keane anyway?” The man couldn’t very well keep me safe if he wasn’t around .

  “I’m right here.” That deep voice sounded right behind me, the man moved like a panther. Or a ninja. “What do you need?” Stepping close enough that I could smell the intoxicating scent of his cologne, his deep green eyes raked over my face and stared into my eyes as though he could see every thought, every emotion. I knew I was being foolish. Keane wasn’t a mind reader. He was just a man. A beautiful man with a great body, but still .

  “Apparently you.” I hadn’t meant to say that, but I refused to be the silly little blushing virgin in front of Keane for another moment .

  His mouth twitched and then his tongue darted out and slicked across his plump bottom lip. “Good to know Fi .”

  I wanted to smack that smirk off his handsome face. Really I wanted to kiss it away, but I couldn’t. Instead I glared. “Hilarious Keane .”

  He winked and turned to my father, picking up a brown leather duffel. “New documents, cash, clothes and protection.” Shoving the bag at my father he just kept talking. “There’s a black sedan out front with two weeks’ worth of phones and anything else you might need. If you can’t get something call me .”

  My dad gave him a smile of gratitude and they shared a look of two men who’d done battle together, knew what the other needed without uttering a word between them. “Thanks brother. Keep Fiona safe .”

  Keane gave a solemn nod, running a big bruised hand through thick reddish-blonde hair. “No thanks necessary.” They shook hands, and before he left Dad wrapped me in his arms and kissed my cheek. He held me tightly for a long moment .

  “I love you Fi .”

  “Love you too, Dad.” Then he was gone, leaving me in the one position I tried to never be in since I’d turned sixteen. Alone with Keane .

  “Come on.” Keane steered me to the door, his hand resting hot and low on my back .

  “Come on, where ?” I took a step away from him so I could concentrate, because sweet lord the man was too potent .

  He sighed, giving me that look that said he thought I was nothing more than a petulant child. “To your place so you can pack a few things .”

  “No. Absolutely not. You can ‘keep me safe’ without destroying my routine .”

  “You want to stay at your place? What happens next time Fi? When I don’t get to you in time? Then I’ll have to explain to Seamus that I let his girl get killed and who knows what else,” he gave me a look that said he knew exactly what else and I shivered, “because she wanted to keep her fucking routine. Let’s go .”

  I hated myself in that moment. Felt like I let down feminists everywhere by not kicking him in the balls and storming out. Instead my body reacted like the inexperienced little hussy I was. So I ignored the my sensitive beaded nipples, the heat pooling low in my belly and the way my heart raced. I pulled the door open and marched to the car, slamming the door harder than I needed to .

  Without a word, Keane slid behind the wheel and started the engine. Strong capable hands maneuvered us through traffic but I refused to notice .

  Nope.

  Not noticing at all .

  Keane

  D id she have to wear that dress when we’d be in the fucking car all damn day? The damn thing was practically indecent, barely skimming the tops of smooth porcelain thighs, the white dress hugged her tits and was only held up by two tiny white strings. One flick of my wrists and she would be bared for me. She looked both the prim and proper school girl and the virginal whore all at once. And it messed with my head. She was Seamus’ daughter, not some piece of tail I take what I need from and move on .

  I wanted to take it all—more than I wanted anything right now—but I also wanted to give her more pleasure than she’d ever known. Dammit. And the worst of it? Fiona had no idea just how tempting a picture she made. But I noticed. So did every asshole we encountered with a cock, at the gas station, the grocery store, drugstore. The restaurant we stopped for breakfast. They all stared at her, imagined doing unspeakably dirty things to her and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it .

  “Do we really need to go out of town to stay safe? I have classes. Tests and projects to complete. This is my last semester .”

  I groaned and clenched my jaw to keep from snapping at her. Did she not get that the Red ‘Rocks didn’t give a damn about her summer session ?

  “I heard you the other five hundred times Fi. Did the dagger stuck in the hood of your car yesterday not clue you in to how fucking serious this is?” I had to shake my head. Had I ever been that young and naïve? Of course not. Life had handed me and Seamus nothing but a bowl of shit. Shitty parents. Shitty neighborhoods. Shitty opportunities. That’s how we ended up here, the most powerful Irish criminal organization in Boston. That’s why Fiona was now in danger and under my protection. “Look I know you’ve never given a right fuck about the family business but -,”

  She reeled back against the passenger door like I slapped her .

  “How dare you say that to me! If I hadn’t taken over the books and the management of Cerulean Shipping you would all be behind bars Keane. Federal bars. The kind that keep you locked up all but one hour a day.” Arms crossed, she pointedly turned away from me, staring out the window at the nothingness that whipped by. I felt the tension as it rolled off her, the steam coming off her almost visible. “Contrary to what you think Keane, I do appreciate everything Dad has done for me. But you’re right, I don’t want any part of that life. I hate that when I get a call or a visitor after eleven, that I automatically prepare myself to hear that the only family I have left is gone .”

  Exhaling a frustrated breath, I wanted to apologize because she was right. About everything. It had been Fi who’d negotiated real contracts with big name firms. And she was solely responsible for making Cerulean Shipping profitable on its own, instead of just a legit way to wash dirty money. But that didn’t change anything .

  “Whether you want it or not Fi, you are part of this world. I’m sorry, but -,”

  “No, don’t apologize. You’re not sorry, and I don’t need you to be. At least now I know what you really think of me .”

  “You’ve no fucking clue what I think Fiona.” If she did, she would run miles in the opposite direction .

  She didn’t respond. Didn’t argue. With a grunt, she slid on oversized sunglasses to shield her eyes and shoved a pair of those damn near-invisible buds into her ears, seconds before tiny music blared out of them. Ignoring me .

  Fuck. I’d hurt her feelings, the last thing I wanted to do to her. But at least she wasn’t crying. I couldn’t fucking stand the sound
of a woman crying, not after years of hearing my ma cry after my father’s drunken tirades that ended with one of us beaten and bloody. I preferred my women like this, feisty and strong. If she wasn’t naked and screaming my name, then I wanted them to have some fight in them. And Fi, she was full of fight .

  I couldn’t help but smile. As much as Seamus tried to shelter her, Fiona was smart and strong. Most women either feared me or wanted to fuck me, a few fell into both categories. Fi didn’t fear me, but there were times, like yesterday before we’d left to pack, that I thought she felt this thing between us too .

  Even if there wasn’t a damn thing we could do about it .

  I couldn’t think of anything but the miles of legs on display as the car ate up the road, carrying us to a safe house far outside the city. No one but me and Seamus knew about this place, which is the only reason I would dare stray so far from the city right now. The place was more than rustic, but we had enough supplies to last for two weeks .

  If Fiona didn’t kill me first .

  Fiona

  “W hat is this place?” I gave the small cabin a quick onceover and grabbed a few bags from the back of the sleek SUV. I didn’t care how big or tricked out it was, as long as it was clean. When we arrived it was the middle of the day and blazing hot, though luckily the area had plenty of shade thanks to thickly leafed trees. I sat bags and boxes filled with food and other supplies on what passed for a porch with just a few slats of wood that had been sanded, weatherproofed and nailed down. We unloaded it all in silence and I figured Keane wouldn’t answer my question. Why would he when no one else did? Not that it mattered. This place would be home for a few days, maybe a few weeks. Then I could resume life as usual .

  “It’s a safe house. No one knows about it but me and Seamus.” His look said he thought I’d broadcast it to the world and I wanted to smack him .

  “Then I’ll make sure to Tweet out GPS coordinates,” I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes in annoyance. More at myself than Keane though because, dammit, why did it matter what he thought of me? Why did I care what some gorgeous ginger gangster thought of me? I sighed when he pushed the door open because I did care. I was bothered that he thought I didn’t care about Dad’s business. I gave up nights, weekends and pretty much all of my free time to Cerulean Shipping. They had no idea how much I did. Not even Dad .

  Rather than stick around for more tension and quibbling, I went to check out the rest of the cabin. It was as small as it looked from the outside, with three doors down the right, a large living area to the left. The first door revealed the bathroom with a small shower, sink and toilet. Bare bones to the max. Next to the bathroom was…an empty room. Okay. The other room must be the master since it took up the other side fully. Pushing open the last door, my heart plummeted .

  “You have got to be kidding me!” The room had a dresser, a desk and an empty closet against one wall. And a bed that wouldn’t even fit a hobbit .

  “What?” Keane called out from the kitchen, annoyance dripping from the drawn-out word .

  “Have either of you actually been up to this place before ?”

  “No Fiona, it’s for safety not luxury .”

  Sometimes I asked myself how I could be attracted to such an asshole. “Great then you can have the room.” I heard his footsteps before I felt him, smelled that purely male scent that made my body react instantly .

  “Shit.”

  I turned to him with my best smile. “Looks safe enough, right? You’re welcome.” Walking back down the hall and away from Keane, I found the bag I needed for a quick shower and change. “I have no problem sleeping on the couch,” I told him when his shadow fell over me .

  “We’ll share the sofa. It rolls out to a full-sized bed .”

  I stood and took a step back when I realized how close he was. “No need. You have the bed .”

  With a roll of those green eyes that seemed to change with his mood, he raked a hand over his well-maintained beard. “Don’t worry Fi, I’m sure I can control myself .”

  I winced at his words, feeling them as sharp as he’d meant them to be. Like I needed a reminder of just how little he thought of me. “Yeah Keane you’ve made it pretty clear what you think of me. Thanks.” Bag in hand, I locked myself in the bathroom, hoping the water would be hot enough to erase this day from memory. And if I were lucky, there would be no hot water left for him .

  After showering, I put on a pair of cottons shorts and a sleeveless BU t-shirt and took my books out to the deck at the back of the cabin. The cabin overlooked a small greenish-blue lake that was probably manmade, this would be a nice place to spend the summer. If it had a human-sized bed it would have been perfect. Still though, the place was quiet, serene and beautiful. The perfect setting to get some reading done for my Business Solutions course. Everyone hated attending school during the summer, but by taking this summer session I would be finished more than a year ahead of my friends .

  Then I could start my life. My real life, that may or may not include Cerulean Shipping. I’d built that company to what it was, felt possessive of it too. But as long as it was linked to the Cearul crime organization, it was a bad long term bet. I turned that thought over and over in my head as the sun slowly sank behind the trees, cooling everything down .

  Thinking about school and the future was a fine distraction from the man who was a constant presence in my mind. My heart. As I prepared dinner though, I couldn’t stop thoughts from straying to Keane, his image had provided the backdrop for my teenage self-exploration. I wanted him and I hated myself for it since he looked at me and saw a little girl playing at being grown, and one he didn’t like all that much at that .

  No point dwelling on the things I couldn’t change when there were plenty of things I could .

  Yeah. No point at all .

  * * *

  H ow is it so hot in here? It had been on the chilly side when I curled up on one corner of the oversized sectional and dozed off, but now the heat was welcoming but almost oppressive. Popping one eye open I did a sweep of the room just to make sure we were still at the cabin and the past few days hadn’t been a nightmare. Wait…we ?

  It all became clear. The hard wall of heat pressed against my back, the hard bar of melted steel around my midsection. Keane. I tried to move, to slowly wiggle out of his grasp without waking him. But his grip only tightened, my breasts now resting on his sinewy forearm. Dammit .

  “Be still,” he murmured in a sleep-heavy voice and pulled me closer .

  I wanted to stay right where I was and savor the chance to be in his strong arms, but it would be foolish to do it. Having him pressed up against me only made me wish for things I shouldn’t, and I vowed when I turned eighteen that I couldn’t survive Dad’s world if I acted foolishly and hoped for the moon. So I tried to pull away again, but he gripped me tighter and slowly ground his hips against me. He forced his truly spectacular hard-on between my ass cheeks. Shocked by the sensations rocketing through my body before settling on my clit, I released a strangled plea, “Keane .”

  “Shhh,” he whispered in my ear and drew a shiver from me. “Stay here,” he growled and pressed an open-mouthed kiss to that spot right behind my ear. He wasn’t the first man to kiss me there, but none had turned me on this way before .

  I groaned when he did it again. And again when his thumb grazed my already hard nipple, igniting a fire within me. When his thumb came back across my nipple I whimpered loud and turned to look up at him. Big mistake .

  Simmering green eyes seared into me before he lowered his mouth to capture my mouth in a kiss that showed me I knew shit about kissing. Every tentative press of the lips I’d experienced in the past, every makeout session before this moment had been nothing but child’s play compared to the way his mouth incinerated my body. He licked at my mouth, in my mouth. Sucked at my tongue, all while his hand massaged and squeezed my breasts. On and on the kiss went while my body slowly began to smoke from the fire building between us and his c
ock throbbed against me .

  “Why,” I asked breathlessly. Why was he doing this? “You don’t even like me .”

  He chuckled but his hand never stopped, pinching the tight bud of my nipple between his thumb and forefinger then sliding down my belly. “Does this feel like I don’t like you Fi?” His hands gripped my hips tight and I could feel every glorious inch of him surrounding me .

  It certainly didn’t feel like he didn’t like me, but this was just a physical thing. It had to be. Dad always said a man didn’t need to like a woman to fuck her. Was I going to let Keane fuck me here on this sofa? “Oh,” I let out a surprised gasp when I felt his hand slide beneath my shorts and tangle with the moisture between my thighs .

  “And this doesn’t feel like you don’t like me .”

  His fingers felt delicious down there, much better than my own ever did, and my hips began to ride his hand. “Who said I don’t like you?” I don’t know how he managed to get that many word out of me, because I was pretty sure my brain diminished cell by cell as he circled my clit and one finger dipped inside me. “Oh hell. Yes,” I moaned unintelligibly and he only laughed low and deep in my ear, rubbing his beard against my sensitive skin, further enflaming me .

  “You’re so fucking wet Fiona. Is this dripping pussy for me?” I couldn’t speak, could only feel the hot sensations pinging through my body, releasing a whimper when he stopped. “Are you wet for me Fiona ?”

  “I don’t see anyone else,” I said grumpily and the bastard still wouldn’t move his hand. “Yes Keane, all this is for you.” Only you. That must have satisfied him, because he kept up a slow and steady pressure circling my clit while one finger slid in and out of my pussy. Soon my body tensed and that welcome tension coiled through me like a whip. He swallowed the cries of my orgasm with his mouth on mine .