Taming the Moguls (30 page)

“I’m only easy with you. You have magic in
your hands. I’m helpless to resist.”

He eased the nightgown off her shoulders and
stared at his beautiful wife as a surge of emotion threatened to
swamp him. “I love you so much. I wish I could show you. I’d given
up on ever finding love, but you were here all along.”

“All I know how to do is love you. And you do
show me, with every touch, every word, every time you look at me
and Alex. I’ll never forget what you did for us. I’ll never stop
trying to be worthy of that sacrifice.”

“Sacrifice?” He lifted his head from her
breast where he’d begun to tease. “Do I look put out?”

“You look turned on, which is just how I want
you to look.”

“I’m going to enjoy my sacrifice every day of
my life.” He ran his hands down her sides and cupped her dampness.
“Oh, poor me. You’d better do something before I die of
happiness.”

She led him to the den and, with her eyes on
him, lay down on the rug. She gently tugged his hand, and he
dropped to his knees. She tugged him closer so he was lying on top
of her. “Make love to me.” He tried to ease himself off because he
knew she wasn’t comfortable with that position, but she held him
tight. “Make love to me. No one’s coming between us ever again.”
She tucked her thumbs under the elastic of his boxers and shoved
them down. “If you make me beg, I’m going to think this is a
sacrifice.”

“Gretchen, you don’t have to—”

She silenced him by wrapping her fingers
around him and guiding him inside her. Her moan was like a match to
a ten-foot pile of kindling.

“I’ll be gentle,” he said through clenched
teeth.

She lifted her hands to his face. “Don’t.
Don’t be anything but you. Give me all you’ve got, Golden. I can
handle it.”

“If you want to change positions, just—”

She lifted her hips and urged him on. “If you
keep stalling, we’re going to get caught.”

He drove into her as instinct took over. Her
smile told him everything he needed to know. Love heals. It healed
them both as it brought them to the edge of reason and beyond.

“Merry Christmas to me,” she grumbled into
his shoulder when he collapsed on top of her.

He lifted his head and swiped a kiss across
her swollen mouth. “Merry Christmas to us.” He sat up and reached
for his boxers. “We’d better get dressed or Christmas morning will
have a whole new meaning for Alex.”

“It already does.”

Tommy’s head jerked toward the stairs. “Holy
crap, you scared me. I thought he was coming down.”

“I mean you’ve already changed the meaning of
Christmas for him. He has a father now, a real one. He’ll grow up
knowing how special it is to have a man in his life. He’ll know
what it means to be in a committed relationship, how to treat a
woman and be a man. I’m so happy I could burst right out of my
skin.”

He patted her butt. “Go get dressed. If he’s
not up by the time we’ve had a cup of coffee, I’m waking him. I
can’t wait to see the look on his face.” He watched her walk naked
into the kitchen and considered himself the luckiest man alive.

“What time are we going to the Dodge’s?” she
asked.

“Around four. Dodge said Sarah will have
enough food for an army. He wants to meet Alex, make him feel at
home.”

“That’s so sweet.” Gretchen carried a mug of
coffee to him. “Everyone has been so welcoming.”

Tommy sat down on the couch and took a sip.
When Gretchen joined him, he put his arm around her shoulders and
pulled her close. “That’s because they’re shocked I got married.
I’m known as a confirmed bachelor.” He kissed her brow. “You’re
totally ruining my reputation.”

She elbowed him gently. “It did happen
awfully quick.”

He slanted his eyes in her direction. “Are
you kidding? Ten years is quick?”

“To the folks around here it was quick. Your
sister was the only one not shocked.”

“She’s in love, so she wants everyone in
love. She likes you.”

“I like her, too. I’m glad you share a blood
relation with her because she’s gorgeous. I can’t wait to meet
Jack.”

“They’re driving down from Denver and meeting
us at Dodge’s.”

They looked up when the elephant roused.
Tommy set his mug on the end table and took Gretchen’s from her.
“Get the camera. I want to get a picture of his face.” He looked
down when Gretchen didn’t move, and he found her staring at him
with tears in her eyes. “What?”

“It’s the happy. I can’t hold it in.”

“Give it your best shot and hand me the
camera. I don’t want to miss this, and neither do you.”

Alex stumbled to the top of the stairs and
glanced down at the tree. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and blinked
again before taking off like a shot. Tommy snapped pictures until
Alex barreled into his legs and hooked his mom with an arm, holding
them together in a group hug. “This is the best Christmas ever!” He
looked up. “Thanks, Mom! Thanks, Dad!” He turned, dropped to his
knees, and picked up presents.

Tommy blinked as his arms went limp.

“You okay?” Gretchen asked.

Tommy nodded and tried to clear away the lump
in his throat. Never once had Alex reminded him of Ryan, not with
his sweet nature and hero worship, but Tommy’d never understood
what it meant to be a father until those words came out of Alex’s
mouth.

“It’s the happy,” Gretchen explained. “It’ll
knock us both over the head for a while.”

He tugged her into his arms. “For forever, I
hope. We’re a family. We’ll make it official, but we’re already a
family. He’s my son. I’m just so…overwhelmed with happy.”

“Best Christmas ever.” She lifted her lips to
his, sealing it with a kiss.

Epilogue

Lyle followed Erica up the stairs to his
parents’ house and admired the sway of her hips. She turned at the
top of the stairs and held out her arms. He went willingly and felt
everything inside of him settle into a contentment like he’d never
known. She pulled back, raised her left hand, and admired the ring
she found under the tree.

“I can’t stop looking at it. See how it
shines in the light?”

“Nope. All I can see is you. You look
happy.”

She lifted her brown eyes to his. “I’m
over-the-moon happy. I love you. This has been the best
Christmas.”

“Erica?” Jack called from the kitchen. She
squealed, pivoted, and rushed into his arms.

Lyle leaned against the bannister and watched
as she held her hand up for him to see. He used his hands to
inspect the diamond and, from his expression, Lyle knew he
approved. Erica waved Lyle over, so he pushed through the
crowd.

“Congratulations,” Jack said. “You’re getting
one heck of a woman.”

“You don’t have to tell me.” Olivia walked up
and linked her hand through Jack’s arm. “I have everything you need
to get started planning the wedding. I’ve got websites, dress
shops, florists. We’ll have your wedding planned in no time.”

“I really want to keep it simple.” Erica shot
a pleading look at Lyle.

“Nonsense,” Olivia said. “You only get
married once. Besides, with your gorgeous hair and drop-dead
figure, when I’m done with you, Lyle’s going to swallow his
tongue.”

Lyle felt Erica shiver and stifled a
laugh.

“Pipe down,” Jack warned his fiancée. “If
Erica wants simple, she’ll get simple. It’s her day.”

“When is the big day?” Olivia asked. “Jack
and I are having a May wedding.”

Erica glanced at Lyle. “We really haven’t
talked about it.”

“We can go down to the Justice of the Peace
and save everyone the trouble,” Lyle said. Erica relaxed against
his chest, but his mother narrowed her eyes. She must have heard
him even though she was across the room and in conversation with
Tommy’s new wife.

Jack cleared his throat. “No matter when you
set the date, I’d like to give you a wedding gift now. The house
and the land here in Hailey is yours. Yours and Lyle’s. You can do
whatever you want with the wind tower. I’ll sign it all over before
we head back to Denver.”

“Jack,” Erica said, “you don’t have to do
that. Lyle has a house.”

“He has a cabin. I know you’re in love, but
you need space. I want you to have it and I won’t take no for an
answer.”

She looked up at Lyle. “What do you
think?”

“I think it’s very generous.” He gripped
Jack’s shoulder before leaning in to pat his back. “Thank you. Now
I don’t have to wonder where we’re going to put all the kids we’re
going to have.”

Erica elbowed him in the ribs before Olivia
pulled her into the den and retrieved a giant notebook from her
bag. She ushered Erica onto the couch and opened it on her lap.

Kevin waltzed up and offered Lyle a beer.
“Congratulations. I see you made it official.”

Lyle nodded. “I did, although I’m not sure
how happy she’s going to be now that Olivia’s got her looking at
that wedding notebook.”

“A word of advice,” Kevin offered. “Nod and
agree with whatever she suggests. Your opinion doesn’t matter
anyway, so save yourself some grief and just go with the flow.”

Jack snorted. “Amen to that.”

Lyle looked at Kevin before jerking his head
in Jack’s direction. “Jack here just gave us an early wedding
present.”

“He did?” Kevin asked.

“His house. That means the cabin is yours as
long as you need it.”

“Are you serious?” Kevin sputtered. “You’d
let us stay in the cabin until we can afford to get our own
place?”

“Sure. Stay as long as you want. I’ll be
across the river living in the lap of luxury.”

“Sweet. I’m leaving for training the second
week in January, so we won’t move in until February.”

“Whenever. The place is yours.”

“I appreciate that,” Kevin said. “As soon as
we sell the house in Denver, we can move out.”

“That’s up to you. I’m sure Dodge will be
glad you’re close when he starts calving.”

“I’ll make it back just in time.”

Tommy walked up and held out a hand to Lyle.
“I hear congratulations are in order. It’s going to be like wedding
central around here for awhile.”

“We may do what you did and slip away and get
hitched.”

“I highly recommend elopement,” Tommy
said.

Dodge eased past the group with Alex in tow.
He led the boy to the window and pointed toward the barn. “That’s
the feedlot where the cows stay in the winter months so we can feed
them hay and get them fat.”

“Uh oh,” Lyle said. “Look’s like Dodge has
found a willing victim.”

“Alex is fascinated with the animals and the
ranch.” Tommy slapped Kevin’s shoulder. “I think you’re going to
have some competition as Dodge’s ranch hand.”

“You and your beautiful new wife will have to
buy your own ranch,” Kevin suggested.

Tommy pursed his lips. “Not a bad idea. With
the development at Bear Stream starting construction next year,
land will be a good investment.”

Dodge smiled as Alex ran to tell his mother
that Dodge had promised to let him help with calving. “He’s a great
kid,” Dodge said to Tommy.

“He is. His mother did an incredible
job.”

“Alex said he’d have to ask about the calving
because
his dad
said he could help out in
the ski shop this winter.”

Tommy shrugged. “What can I say? I’m
irresistible to women and kids.”

“Congratulations,” Lyle said. “That’s
awesome.”

“It is. If someone had told me last December
that I’d be married with a kid by this December, I’d have told them
they were crazy.” He shook his head and took a sip of beer. “It’s
been one hell of a year.”

“For all of us,” Lyle said.

Kevin raised his bottle. “A toast. To good
friends, the women who love us, and the surprises that keep us on
our toes.”

“Hear, hear,” they said in unison.

“Just think,” Dodge said. “By next year, one
or all of you could have a baby.”

“Or one on the way,” Tommy added.

Lyle looked around at the men in the kitchen.
None of them even flinched. “Shall we make a bet?”

“Such as?” Kevin said.

“First one to knock up his wife gets…”

“Gets what?” Jack asked.

“He gets it all,” Tommy said. “He gets it
all.”

###

Christy Hayes writes romance and women’s
fiction. She lives outside Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, two
children, and two dogs.

Angle of
Incidence

Dodge the
Bullet

Good Luck, Bad
Timing & When Harry Met Sally

Guiding the
Fall

Heart of
Glass

Mending the
Line

Misconception

Shoe
Strings

The Accidental
Encore

The Sweetheart
Hoax

http://www.christyhayes.com

http://www.facebook.com/ChristyHayesAuthor

http://twitter.com/SeaHayes

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Continue on to read the first chapter of one
of the books that started it all: Dodge the Bullet.

“Why the hell would I want to do that?” Dodge
stretched his legs in the club chair of Thornton’s cramped
insurance office. He’d taken off his hat, a fifteen-year-old
Stetson coated with dirt and grease, and ran his fingers through
his hair.

“Don’t make me remind you of our agreement.”
Tommy Thornton straightened in his seat behind his desk. “I’ve come
to expect a certain amount of bucking on your part, but this isn’t
one of those circumstances. You can whine from now until doomsday,
and I’ll still need you to help me out.”