Page 14 of The Christmas Gift

She pushed out of his arms. “You’re impossible.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Don’t feed me some bullshit line, Ivy, I know you feel the chemistry between us.” He wasn’t only talking about their physical attraction, they had that in spades. Their conversations, while playful, were genuine from the start. And although she’d expected to never see him again, she revealed parts of herself that spoke to her ease in his company. But if all she felt was physical attraction towards him, he would start with that. All he needed was a chance.

“That’s not—”

“I bet if I touch you—” He cupped her breasts, teasing the still puckered nipple before she shoved his hand away. He immediately missed the weight of them.

“I’m pregnant,” she whispered, eyes tightly shut.

Cor froze. His first thought was he’d misheard, but when she wouldn’t look at him, holding herself stiffly, he knew he hadn’t. What shocked him most was realizing he wanted her and the baby. Images of her pregnant, growing round in his arms made his chest tighten in anticipation.

“Did you hear me?” Her eyes snapped to his. “We’re having a baby.”

We.He blinked. The thumping in his chest became louder.

“Look,” she said when he continued to stare at her like an idiot. “I’m prepared to care for my child on my own. There’s no need to change your bachelor lifestyle for…me.” She looked around the room, and he guessed it was in search of her purse. “Now that you know, we need rules.”

Like hell.He wasn’t giving any part of her up.

“No.” Now he was more determined to make her his. He had wanted her before, but carryinghisbaby changed everything. “There is only one rule our relationship needs and you raising our baby on your own isn’t it.”

If all he cared about was money, shiny things, or loose women, Cor could have lived in any of the exclusive gated suburbs. But he’d chosen Bourbon to be part of the community, to form genuine relationships. And now Ivy was offering him a family.

“I have it all planned out,” she protested.

“That’s only because you were working with limited information.”

That first night, Cor assumed Ivy’s self-reliance stemmed from not having dependable people in her life. Hearing her resistance cemented that her need for control ran deep, or was a measure to protect herself from disappointment.

Ivy didn’t think he could commit.He didn’t know why, because they didn’t know each other, but her not wanting him involved stung.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he said, wanting to give her a few minutes to consider what he’d said, but not so much that she’d create a spreadsheet of why they couldn’t work. She needed a semblance of control and he needed to prove he wasn’t the playboy she thought he was. “While I’m gone, look around. Tell me what furniture you want to keep. We’ll replace the rest.”

“Cor—” she started to protest, eyes widening.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to make this your home.”

Chapter Four

Ivy

Closing her eyes, Ivy braced against the door in her friend’s suite. Her heart raced so fast she thought it would leap from her chest. Her heart wasn’t the only body part throbbing either. Had she stayed in Cor’s apartment a moment longer, she would have followed him into the shower.

Drat!It was just her luck to not only find herself pregnant but her baby’s father living in the same building as Blair—the friend she was currently staying with. He’d kept her frazzled and so turned on she’d lost the ability to think straight.

“I thought I heard the door,” Blair said.

Ivy cringed. In her attempt to get away from Cor, she’d closed the door with enough force to distract her friend from her writing. Blair was kind enough to share her home instead of Ivy having to sign a short-term lease or live out of a hotel. She’d been on her own for so long that she’d readily agreed to spend the holiday season with her friend. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be, I was waiting on you so we could head over to Sylvia’s café. Looks like you could use an extra hot non-caffeinated whipped cream mocha.” Blair sat on the loveseat. Her wild curls tamed in a messy bun on the top of her head.

“Extra hot does sound heavenly at the moment.”

“What’s wrong? Why are you holding your shoes?

She hung her shoes and handbag before joining Blair in the living room. “Do you remember my one-night stand in Wheelcaster?”

Blair blinked, her blue eyes coyly going to Ivy’s stomach. Ivy smiled when Blair’s cheeks reddened. “I don’t think I can forget.”

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