Santa Baby~Chapter 13



Nerves were something completely unfamiliar to a man such as he. All of his life he'd been risky, daring, afraid of nothing; but now, now that he was at the door of the woman who had so quickly twisted his insides and left him confused and wanting more, he was terrified.

So terrified that he barely noticed his surroundings, which were of the lower-scale variety. Hell, the damn building he was standing in was falling apart, which figured into the reason its apartments rented so cheap. The hallway was dark and musty and alone. The door, that he was contemplating knocking on, was beat up around its edges, a thin coat of purple paint thrown on to camouflage its faults. It seemed that Shawn Brady had crossed over to the wrong side of town, and despite his own description of himself as being a snob, he hadn't even distinguished it.

Blowing out a shaky breath, he lifted his hand to the door and knocked lightly on it.

"Coming!" Came the reply to his knock, and the nerves he was experiencing became more acute at the sound of her voice. When she pulled open the door, wearing a huge terricloth robe, and studying him with curiosity, he wished he'd never come. "Well, hello there." She said brightly, running a fussy hand through her dripping hair.

"Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you out of the--the--"

"The shower?" She provided, her full lips turning up in a grin. "You didn't, I was just about to dry my hair actually. Luckily, I was already out of the shower when you knocked." She tried not to think about what his impression of her home must have been.

"That's good. Good." He chuckled lightly, then thrust his hands in his pockets, and glanced over her shoulder into the apartment. "Wh--where is--ah--"

"Maddy? She's in her room. Would you like to come in?"

"Umm--well, I hate to interrupt anything, I was just--I was--" My God, he needed to pull himself together. He did this kind of a thing for a living. It was his damn job to be charming and convincing and persuasive and friggin' smooth. "Actually, you know, I would like to come in. That okay?"

No! She wanted to scream. No, it wasn't okay for him to come in. In fact, this would probably be the end of the relationship before it even started. He'd take one look at her cracker box apartment, laugh in her face, and leave. Wasn't that the way things usually went with the men that took interest in her at the club? Wouldn't they always ditch her the second they learned she was poor and hopeless? Yet, she had to keep in mind what Shawn had told her the other night just before he kissed her. He wasn't like other men. He was going to be different. This was going to be different.

So, when she stepped out of the doorway and let him in, instead of scanning the room with critical eyes, he kept those eyes firmly planted on hers. "I've missed you." He whispered, lifting a hand to caress her cheek.

The move was so tender, so intimate that she was sure that her heart would melt away right then and there. Her lashes fluttered down to conceal the feelings which she knew were very apparent in her eyes. "Thank you." Was the only thing she could think to say.

And because he was also at a lost for words, he framed her face with his hands, kissed her lightly, and decided that conversation was overrated anyway.

The kiss was light and brief this time, for only seconds after it began, they heard Maddy and broke apart as quick as lightning. However, Madison Renee Black was no idiot and could very well read the look in her mother's eyes, when she came into the room. That look could very well be the beginning stages of Operation: Dad."Shawn Douglas Brady!" Her squeal was childish and light-hearted, masking any of the very grown-up thoughts that were already flowing through her clever little mind.

"Hey, Maddy." Shawn replied, scooping the girl up into his arms with an easiness that both mother and daughter had come to admire. "How's my girl today?"

"Great! Mommy baked Christmas cookies. Want one?"

"Good idea, baby, take Shawn into the kitchen for a cookie, while I go dry my hair and dress. I'll only be a minute."

"Sure, sounds great." He set Maddy back to her feet and slanted a glance at Belle's retreating form, before allowing himself to be taken into the kitchenette. He did notice the apartment now, especially since the woman in it was no longer directly in his line of view and so damn distracting. The kitchen was tiny but tidy. Neat and limited. Empty and yet so full of love and so welcoming.

He was ordered to take a seat at the small round table in the corner of the room, while Madison played hostess and brought him one of the sugar cookies and a tall glass of milk. She then took the seat next to him, folded her hands in her lap and watched him eat. "You've kissed my Mommy, haven't you?"

The question came so abruptly, so out-of-nowhere that Shawn had to take a long sip of milk to clear his throat and give himself the chance to think of an answer. "Umm--"

"Don't worry, I don't mind or anything. I'm not one of those kids who is overly protective of their parents. I mean, sure, I don't want you to hurt my Mommy, but--" She caught him completely off guard again when she looked up at him with those terribly adult eyes. "--I don't think you will hurt her. Not on purpose anyway. So, how's the cookie?"

He was about to tackle that question, when Belle--thank God--appeared in the doorway. She'd thrown on a pair of wrinkled levis and a plain T-shirt, and Shawn decided that she looked just as sexy in that as she had in the black cat suit from the club. "Sorry 'bout that. Enjoying your cookie?"

It seemed that his gift with words would go unneeded today, for it was Maddy this time who interrupted whatever answer he might have given. "Mommy, can I stay over at Aunt Meredith's house tonight?"

"Well, I--"

"Thanks!" She jumped up from the table and threw her arms around her mother, then placed a kiss on Shawn's cheek. "I'm gonna go play in my room for a little while. It's nice to see you again, Shawn." She gave neither of them the chance to respond and was out of the room like a shot.

Shawn blinked after her, then turned his gaze up to Belle. "Well."

"Yeah."

Smiling and deciding to take advantage of being left alone with her, he got up and pulled her into his arms. "Why don't we go out tonight? Give your daughter a reason for all the trouble she just went to to get us alone?"

Belle giggled, then pressed her lips to his cheek, which to her delight had the beginning stubble of a beard on it. This man was sexy, charming, and terribly normal. "I've got to work tonight."

"That's fine. We'll just stay at the club after your shift, have our date there."

"Sounds like you'd already planned to come to the club tonight."

"Hell yes. You see," He lifted her hand, kissed it, then pressed it against his rough cheek. "I like watching you work. So, tonight?"

"Yeah--" She took a deep, steadying breath and met his eyes. "--tonight."


Santa Baby~Chapter 14



"How do I look?" Belle Black wheeled around and presented herself dramatically to the women around her. Tonight, she was the main attraction. The center of attention. The star of the show. Alex had given her the lead dancing spot in his choreographed Christmas extravaganza, and she was ecstatic about it. Tonight, she would stand out from the other girls and be in the spotlight. Tonight, she would be a star.

And it really was no wonder that Shawn would be coming to watch her tonight--one of the most nervous nights of her life--after all, things couldn't get much worse, and his presence there would only serve to make her more nervous. And when she was nervous, her talent and gracefulness would fly out the window, in their place would be a clumsy, big-footed buffoon. So, everything was just great. So friggin' great. And tonight, she could lose everything.

She smoothed her hands down the light blue silk of her costume and looked from woman to woman, anxious to hear some opinions about her appearance. After all, if she had to make a fool of herself tonight, at least she could be beautiful while doing it.

It was Jenifer who stepped forward and spoke first. With her sparkling chocolate-colored eyes, she swept a criticizing glance over Belle and nodded. "Eh, you look all right, I guess."

"All right?" Belle literally felt her heart sink.

"Ah, honey, I'm just kiddin'. You look incredible. This guy is going to be tripping over his own tongue." The rest of the girls were quick to add their agreement, and Belle's nerves settled a little, that is until Meredith rushed into the dressing room--late as usual.

"Belle! Belle, oh my God, hon. I have news for you! You'll never believe it." Still wearing a pair of sweat pants and a baggy T-shirt, Meredith shoved through the crowd and hurriedly crouched down beside Belle's chair. "Guess what?"

Raising an eyebrow, Jenifer butted in. "What?"

"He's a lawyer. He's a fuckin' lawyer, Belle, can you believe it? I mean, shit! We already knew the stud was rich, but stinkin', filthy rich? Well, damn!" She threw her arms around Belle who had suddenly become quiet and still despite the celebrating going on around her.

A lawyer? Christ, what was she supposed to make of that little tidbit of information? "A lawyer?" She whispered, looking up at Meredith with confused eyes.

Meredith didn't notice the confusion, or if she did, she simply chose to ignore it. "Yes! Oh, Belle, I'm so happy for you!"

Before Belle could respond or even comprehend the news, Alex was barging into the dressing room, taking the sight of half-naked women in stride. "Shit, ladies, what are you doing to me? Come on, we have five minutes 'till show time. Stop your gabbin' and get out here!" His blue eyes cut purposely over to where Meredith stood. "Slacker." He mouthed, winking, then disappeared back through the doorway.

Belle was relieved to have a distraction. And the look that Meredith and Alex had shared definitely counted as one. She grinned knowingly at her friend, who still had stars in her eyes. "Anything you want to tell me, buddy?"

Meredith simply shrugged, a goofy grin spreading across her lips. "Yeah, Alex and I had sex this afternoon." At Belle's shocked expression, she giggled. "On the bar." She skipped off to her own dressing table, still smiling.

"On the bar?" Belle managed to choke out, suddenly appalled at the mental images that had, without warning, popped into her mind. "Oh, God." With a weary sigh, she gave her reflection one last check, pushed thoughts of Al and Meredith--and Shawn--out of her mind and went out to meet her audience.

She took her place behind the curtain and began the breathing exercises that Jenifer had taught her to keep calm before the shows. In--and out. And in--and out. She was going to be okay. It was going to be just fine. Hell, Shawn was probably not even out there yet. Yeah, that was it, she was worrying over nothing. Shawn wasn't even there.

Listening to the rhythmic sound of Alex's voice as he announced the show, she actually managed to calm herself down a little. And Jenifer's breathing exercises were kinda working; but just as the calm was beginning to settle in, the storm was waiting and ready to show its ass.

The first face that greeted her as the curtain's opened was Shawn's. He was leaning against the bar--in what she now thought of as his normal location. The sexy smirk that was on his face completely vanished when he caught sight of her as well. To put it mildly, she looked exquisite. The cat suit or the Mrs. Claus suit had not done the girl justice, but this costume did. This costume captured every curve of her body, every hint of blue in her eyes, every golden fleck of skin. And it was also the most revealing little outfit he'd ever seen.

Yes, when he saw her the smirk fell off of his lips, the smile disappeared from his eyes, and they were immediately replaced with an anger--so acute, so real--that it had all of Belle's nerves rushing back times ten.

The costume was baby blue, he noted. The exact color of her eyes. Hell, that Turner asshole had probably picked it out especially for her, especially considering the fact that it left so little to the male imagination. Shawn Brady was no fool. He'd seen the look that asshole had given Belle the other night. He'd seen the jealousy flash through those startlingly blue eyes. And now he knew what that jealousy felt like, for he was feeling it too.

The men around him broke off into catcalls and whistles almost instantly, while Shawn's gaze remained on hers, growing darker and more intense by the second.

On stage, Belle was sweating under that heated gaze and trying desperately to focus on her performance; however, as she continued to belt out the chorus of "Let It Snow!", she knew that her heart wasn't in it, and that fact was becoming reflective in her performance. So, with the slightest bit of hesitation, she stopped singing, stopped dancing, sent an apologetic nod to her crude audience and fled from the stage. It wasn't the coward in her that sent her running, it was the small light of hope that had suddenly been extinguished.

Why had she imagined he could be different? Why had she let herself believe that this time it could be real? But it wasn't different with Shawn, and it hadn't been real, because she'd not only felt the heat from his eyes on that stage, but she'd understood it. And she'd seen it in other's eyes before.

Jealousy and a lack-of-respect were difficult things to overcome.