She tutted at me. “Your mother and I want what’s best for you, and since you went and got yourself knocked up, what’s best for you is finding a handsome Alpha who will put a ring on it.” I choked on a guffaw, but she wasn’t joking. Her blue eyes were sharp enough to cut steel.
“You know I love you, and I’ll love that little peanut with everything I am, but honey, you reallydoneed to find yourself a mate. I’m not saying that you’re not capable of raising a child on your own. Your Mum could’ve raised any one of you kids on her lonesome, but that’s the thing—she didn’thaveto. She had me to lean on, and I want that for you. Being a parent is one of the hardest things in the world. Rewarding and fun, sure, but it’s damn hard.”
“Yeah… I just…” I trailed off, not really having a counter-argument. I slumped back into the cushions of the chair, chagrined. “I don’t know.”
“Idoknow, honey. Now I’ve been talking to a friend of mine, that sweet young woman from art class?” She looked at me pointedly. “And she happens to think her little brother is exactly what you need in your life.”
“No thanks.”
She huffed. “Oh, I wouldn’t pass this one up, if I were you. He’s just your type. Tall, dark and brooding with big, well-worn hands.” She winked at me and my face went up in flames. God, she knew me well. I might as well have “sucker” stamped on my forehead. “So yes?”
I wrinkled my nose and looked down at my stomach. I wasn’t really showing yet. It could probably be passed off as being a little on the pudgy side. I could have a night of no-strings-attached fun with a sexy guy… Not like I could get pregnant, right?
“Fine. One date,” I agreed. “Nothing’s gonna come of it, though.”
“You never know,” Ma tittered with a twinkle in her eye. “It might just be a Christmas miracle.”
Yeah right, when pigs fly.
CHAPTER 3
Nathaniel
“Damn, little bro, you’re gonnaslaytonight,” my sister Lila teased, coming up behind me. She wasn’t wrong. My reflection smirked right along with me as I checked myself out in the full-length mirror that had always hung on the back of the bathroom door. I looked pretty damn fine.
My hips and ass—my best assets, in my honest opinion—were encapsulated in my favorite pair of skin-tight black denim jeans. Combined with a long-sleeved white button-down with a black vest hugging my chest, all I needed was a matching tie and I could be the main course.
Lila giggled and elbowed me out of her way, fussing with her hair in the mirror. “Got a hot date tonight?”
I spun in a small circle. “As a matter of fact, I do.” At least I hoped he was hot. Ma seemed to think he’d be right up my alley, and well, she’d never steered me wrong before. Not that I was regularly taking dating advice from my mother. That was just weird.
She gasped, one hand flying to her mouth. “Legit? Aw, munchkin, I’m so proud.”
I glowered at the nickname. Wasn’t my fault I’d been born prettier than her. It was just part of my charm. “Shut up and share the mirror. I need far more makeup for this yuletide thing. It’s not Christmas without a little glitter, you know.”
All dolled up and glistening, I slipped into my favorite fuzzy winter boots, which had little pom-poms dangling from the sides, and shrugged into my blazer. Ma said the gala was indoors, so I probably didn’t need a coat. It’d just be something extra to lug home if tonight went anywhere.
Man, I was hoping it went somewhere.
The Christmas party was in full-roar when I arrived at the banquet hall. I took two steps inside and my jaw dropped. Whoever had decorated this place? Wow, they were a genius.
Strung up around the ceiling and encircling the sturdy wooden beams of the building were endless strands of glittering lights. They cast a cozy glow throughout the place, outshined only by the twin crystal chandeliers hanging above the tables. A massive Christmas tree sat nestled away from the hubbub, decorated to perfection with a star on top and presents nestled underneath.
Eye on the prize,I reminded myself, glancing around the room in search of my date. I’d only been given a brief description by Ma, who’d been gushing about him all afternoon. “He owns his own business, Nathaniel!” she’d exclaimed, her eyes bright with excitement. “He’s a self-made man, and according to Marina, he even put her through college. That’s damn admirable.”
That was code for: Don’t fuck this up, boy-child. I’d only smiled amicably. It would be what it would be. Even if he was the hottest Alpha on two legs, if he was an asshole, I was out. The end.
My stomach fluttered with nerves as my gaze finally settled on a dark-haired man sitting alone at one of the smaller tables.He seemed to be scanning the crowd—looking for me?—and my heartbeat ramped up. Shit.Here goes nothing.Holding my breath, I approached the stranger with what I prayed was suave confidence, but holy hell.
I was expecting hot, but I wasn’t expectingthis.
I might’ve gasped. I stared, blinking down at him, enraptured by the gorgeous god of a man sitting in front of me. He was tall and sturdy, with broad shoulders and a wide chest, and those arms… From what I could see beneath the tight sleeves of his shirt, the man had muscles.
His dark eyes locked into mine, as deep and rich as coffee, before a small smile tugged up the corner of his lips. He cleared his throat and stood, offering a hand. His black hair fanned over his forehead, short but thick. I was dying to run my fingers through it.
“You must be Nathaniel.”
“Yeah,” I squeaked as my face went up in flames. The moment our skin touched, a tingle of electricity went shooting up my arm, effectively shorting out my brain. “I—sorry, I’m weird about meeting new people and I—”Oh god, you’re making it worse!“I’ll shut up now. Uh, mind if I sit? Here? With you?”
