It was Sean's turn to blush now. He sighed and ran his hand over his face to try and get the image of her, naked, out of his mind before looking back over at her. “I think I made a mistake today that is going to go terribly wrong for us."
She raised one eyebrow at him. “What sort of mistake?"
He grimaced and looked at anything but her. “Your brothers grilled me pretty hard today and I may have said something I shouldn't have."
"Something like what?"
Sean could hear the fear in her voice. He walked to the bed and sat down on the edge. “They wanted to know if I had plans of making an honest woman out of you."
Her eyes widened. “Oh no."
"Oh yes,” Sean said, laughing. There was no mirth in the sound, only desperate whining to his ears. “I thought I did the right thing,” he said. “I told them of course I was going to marry you. Why wouldn't I?"
"And?"
"And… they assumed that's why I decided to make the trip this year. So I could propose to you in front of your family.” If possible, her eyes grew larger. She was gaping at him, her mouth forming a perfect “O” and if the red tint her face had taken on was any indication, he assumed she'd stopped breathing. “I told them I was going to but… I left the ring at home. They congratulated me and dropped the subject."
Macy snapped out of her stunned daze and took a deep breath. “So, catastrophe diverted, right?” When he didn't say anything, just sat there staring at her, she said, “right?” again. He shook his head. “They, your brothers I mean, cornered me when you came up for your shower. They said I didn't need a ring to ask you. If the sentiment was there, they didn't care if I placed some pretty bauble on your finger or not."
"So what? They're expecting you to propose to me now?"
His silence was all the answer she needed. She paled and walked to the bed, sitting down beside of him. She stared at the wall for long moments before lowering her head to her knees. “I think I'm going to faint,” she said, her voice coming out as a pitiful whine. Sean smiled and raised his hand, rubbing small circles on her back.
"I can always make another excuse,” he said. “I didn't give them an answer."
She sat up, pushing her hair out of her eyes before sighing. “This is all my fault,” she said. “If I hadn't lied, we wouldn't have to be doing this right now.” She shook her head and groaned, pitifully. “I got us into this mess. I need to get us out."
"What are you going to do?"
Her shoulders drooped before she sighed again. “Tell them the truth, I guess,” she said. “I just didn't want their sympathy when they found out how pathetic I really am."
"You're pathetic because you made up a make-believe boyfriend so they wouldn't worry about you?"
She nodded her head, her lips pursing. She looked miserable and Sean's heart clenched. “You're going to hate me when all this is said and done, aren't you?” she said, turning her head to look at him.
He smiled and said, “No. I couldn't ever hate you, Macy.” He pushed a lock of her hair away from her face, wanting nothing more in that moment than to take away the sadness in her eyes. To chase the frown lines away from her mouth. He knew telling her family she'd lied to them would be worse on her than them knowing the truth. It didn't take but a moment to see how close Macy was with her family and he'd be damned if he'd let a little white lie ruin her holiday. “Why don't we just do it and be done with it?” he said.
Her eyes narrowed. “Do what?"
He grinned. “Get hitched.” He slipped his arm around her shoulder when she laughed. “Come on, Macy. You know you want to marry me. Every woman does."
She laughed and those tiny lines around her mouth disappeared. Her eyes filled with mirth and the smile she gave him made his ignorant mistake seem all right. “You are insane, Sean. You can't ask me to marry you."
"Why?” he said. “No one has to know it's a show, now do they? Your family won't be any wiser to it. They'll get their Christmas wish. To see their baby girl get proposed to by the most dashing man they've ever met."
Macy laughed, loudly, holding her stomach as her eyes watered. “Sean…"
"What? Do you deny the fact?” he said, grinning. “I've seen the way you look at me. Say what you want, but we all know I'm a great catch.” She didn't look miserable anymore. Her face was lit with laughter. She looked happy and radiant and… beautiful. And he wanted to kiss her again. To feel her in his arms and feel the bliss he knew she could give him.
When her laughter was under control, she looked up at him. “You can't be serious."
"About me being dashing or proposing to you?"
She giggled and said, “Both."
"Oh, I'm very serious. Come on, what's it going to hurt? Come the New Year you can tell them I turned out to be a controlling, jealous jerk and you dumped me on my overbearing ass. No harm done.” She was still smiling and from the look on her face, she was contemplating it. “Come on, Macy,” he prodded, giving her a light shake. “Marry me. Be my wife… my ball and chain."
A gentle shake of her head and a goofy grin followed. “All right,” she said. “But I want it done right."
"Right?” he said raising a brow. “There's a wrong way to do it?"
She rolled her eyes. “Yes. Don't you watch movies at all?"
"Not those chick flicks you girls are so fond of."
"Well, I have, and I want the fairy tale. I want you on bended knee, being all romantic and schmoopy."
"Schmoopy?” He laughed. “Is that even a word?"
"I don't know. It is now,” she said. “Oh! And propose in front of the tree. It'll just add to the setting."
"All right. One proposal, on bended knee, in front of the tree. Anything else?"
"No,” she said. “The mushy stuff should cover it."
"Okay. When do you want this to go down?"
"Surprise me. If I know when it's going to happen, I may not be able to pull it off. I'll be too nervous."
"Fine. One surprise proposal, coming up before the end of the week."
Two days later and Macy was a nervous wreck. She kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sean hadn't given her any indication to when he was going to “pop the question,” and as each new day dawned, fear they'd be found out for the conniving little liars they were mounted. By the time her Grandma Avery arrived, she was ready to ask Sean instead, just to get it over with.
Everyone was still giving her little looks. Looks that said they knew something she didn't. Hushed whispers went silent when she walked into a room; coy glances and beaming smiles were met with almost everyone she looked at. If Sean didn't do this sometime soon, she was going to bust.
She crossed the room to him, stopping once she reached his side and grabbed his arm, angling her body close to his. “I can't wait any longer."
"Wait any longer for what?” he asked. Macy gave him a peeved look and raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh! You mean the…"
"Yes. Do it now,” she whispered.
His eyes widened. “Now?"
Macy nodded her head. “I'm tired of all the looks. I feel like a circus freak. They all know and they're just waiting. The sooner we get this over with, the better off we'll be. Things can go back to normal. Er, well, as normal as they were."
She saw him glance around the room and when he looked back at her the look in his eyes scared her breathless. “They're all watching us,” he said. He smiled and she knew it was for their benefit. He raised his hand, pushing her hair away from her face before leaning toward her and lowering his head. She thought for a moment he was going to kiss her and was disappointed when he didn't. “Just look confused,” he whispered in her ear.
When he straightened, Macy thought her heart would burst from her chest. The twinkling lights from the tree caught her attention and it was then she realized they were standing in front of it. She suddenly couldn't breathe. Each breath squeezed her lungs before it was wheezed out in shallow pants. Sean winked at her and grabbed her hand before turning to face the room.
He smiled and said, “Can I have everyone's attention?” The silence that followed was damn near eerie. Not a single sound was made. Even the kids stopped what they were doing. Every eye in the room was on them and Macy remembered what he said. “Look confused.” She turned her head to look at him, scrunching her brows.
Sean cleared his throat before saying, “I'd like to apologize for not making the time to meet you before now but there is a reason I cleared my schedule to make this trip.” He turned to glance at her and the smile he threw her way caused her heart to skip a beat. “I'm in love with your daughter,” he said, turning to look at her parents. “She's the best thing to ever walk into my life. I don't know how I ever managed before she stumbled into my clinic and I plan on seeing that she's there for a very long time to come."
When he looked back at her, Macy didn't have to fake anything. The sincerity in his voice as he spoke to her family shocked her and she almost believed him. When he bent to one knee in front of her, the audible gasps from those in the room was drown out as the blood rushing through her veins whizzed past her ears. He smiled up at her, her left hand firmly in his.
"I love you, Macy Carter,” he said, softly. “I wanted you the moment I laid eyes on you. The moment you smiled at me I knew. I knew you were what I had been waiting my whole life for. The one person placed on this earth for me and me alone and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. To see your beautiful face every morning when I wake up and know that when I close my eyes at night, you'll be right there by my side.” His hand tightened on hers, his voice lowering a fraction as he stared into her eyes. “Marry me, Macy. Be my wife."
By the time he stopped talking, tears filled Macy's eyes. He looked so sincere, his words doing more to her than they should have. The room was still silent and Sean was looking up at her expectantly. She swallowed the lump in her throat, hoping her voice didn't tremble. “I'd love to marry you, Sean,” she said, the tears filling her eyes escaping when she realized she meant it.
The room burst into roaring shouts and laughter. Sean stood, his gaze never leaving her own. When he kissed her softly on the lips, Macy knew the bittersweet taste of loss. For when Christmas came and went, her dream would be over. She'd once again be Macy Carter, secretary for a veterinarian clinic, not the fiance of Sean Mathis, a man who made her fall in love with him in an instant when he bent to one knee and made her believe for a brief moment that his words were heartfelt.
"Oh, Macy!"
Macy turned at the sound of her name, watching her mother cross the room with tears rolling down her face. Taking in the scene around the room, they'd been successful in their little ruse. No one was the wiser. They all seemed happy and even her grandmother was crying. Macy smiled when her mother released her and grabbed her hand, pulling her across the room to the women who had gathered to offer their congratulations. She glanced at Sean, watching the men gather around him, offering him the same treatment.
An impromptu party ensued then. Wine glasses were dusted off, and filled, and toasts rang out in rapid succession. Two hours and three bottles of wine later and the atmosphere in the room was one Macy had never seen. Her family was giddy. She'd never seen them so happy.
She glanced over at Sean. He was watching her while her brothers talked his ear off. The look on his face caused a shiver to race up her spine. His gaze roamed the length of her body and heated her skin from across the room. He took a drink of his wine, his eyes locking with hers over the rim of the glass. A tiny smile lifted of corner of his mouth when he lowered the goblet and if she didn't know any better she would swear he was thinking naughty things about her.
Macy took a gulp of her own wine, trying to get her overactive imagination to take a backseat. She'd wanted Sean for longer than she could remember and having him look at her like he wanted her in return was too much. It caused things low in her belly to clench. Her breasts tingled, aching for his touch, and heat ran laps over her limbs.
Her pulse was racing all of a sudden and she found it hard to breathe. She emptied her glass and turned, walking to the kitchen to refill it, emptying it at once before refilling it again. Her head was swimming by the time she made her way back to the living room. Her gaze immediately sought out Sean. He wasn't there.
A slight noise behind her caused her to turn her head. Sean was walking down the hall toward her. She saw him glance up above her head and she followed his line of sight. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the mistletoe directly overhead. Lowering her gaze, she watched him stalk the hall. By the time he reached her, her body was humming with anticipation.
He never said a word, just lowered his head and took her lips in a hard, demanding kiss. His tongue slipped into her mouth and she wasn't sure who moaned the loudest, her or him. Long minutes with the taste of him overpowering her senses and she knew the wine was a bad idea. She just wished she could care. At the moment the only thing that mattered was Sean and his urgent kisses. The way his fingers tangled in her hair and held her to him. The noise in the room vanished, the only sound she heard was her heart beating out a frantic tattoo against her ribs.
When Sean pulled away, his hot breath teasing her lips with the promise of more, she opened her eyes to look at him. “I've had too much to drink,” he said. His gaze skimmed her face, stopping once he reached her lips. “My thoughts keep running away with me."
"What are you thinking?” Macy held her breath and waited for his answer.
"I'm thinking I'm tired of pretending we're a happy couple.” Macy couldn't have been more hurt if he'd slapped her. She tensed, waiting for the next blow, and steeled her heart for the pain to follow. “I want you,” he said.
Macy blinked. He wanted her?
"I'm tired of pretending,” he said again. “They all think we've been living together for two years. That we've shared a bed for two years.” He nodded, staring at her lips. “I'm tired of pretending."
She opened her mouth to say something-what, she had no clue-but she couldn't utter a word. She stared at him, feeling the heat of his body pressed against her own and took a steadying breath and forced the words to come. “What are you trying to say, Sean?"
"I'm trying to say that I want you. Now.” His fingers skimmed her jaw, his lips sliding softly across her own. “Come to bed with me."
Macy had to force herself to breathe. The wine she'd consumed had already fogged her mind enough to make standing without teetering to one side harder than it should be. Sean's sensual kisses hadn't helped her feelings of vertigo and now, his little confession left her weak kneed and feeling flushed.
The rational side of her brain told her this was a bad idea, that they were drunk, but the other side, the side that had secretly wanted this man for longer than she cared to remember, was jumping with joy. He wanted her, just as she'd wanted him. But what happened in the morning? Next week when they were back at work and their little lie was no longer an issue? Would he regret it? Would she?
She would worry about that later. Blame it on the mistletoe, or maybe the wine, but whatever the reason, Sean wanted her. And she wanted him.
The what-ifs lasted as long as it took her to climb the stairs, Sean's hand firmly in hers. Once behind her closed bedroom door, nothing else seemed to matter. Their clothes were peeled away in haste, hands roaming flesh as they stumbled back onto the bed. Sean kissed a fiery trail over her collarbone and down to her breasts before sucking one peaked nipple into his mouth. His fingers skimmed her taunt stomach and tangled into the wiry hair covering her sex. One flick of his fingers between her folds and Macy gasped. He pulled away from her moments later and walked back across the room. Macy watched him, curiously. “What are you doing?"
He picked up his jeans and fished out his wallet. “Condom."
She blushed. How could she have forgotten something so important? When the little foil wrapper was in Sean's hand, he crawled back into the bed. They fumbled with a condom wrapper for nearly five minutes before getting it torn open. Macy was laughing as she looked up at him, her limbs trembling as their flesh touched from shoulders to feet.
"Are you sure about this, Macy?” he asked.
She nodded her head, not trusting her voice. He smiled and leaned down, his lips sliding across her own. His hands mapped out every inch of flesh he could touch and left goose bumps pimpling her skin. When he sank between her thighs and sheathed himself inside her body, Macy moaned at the feel of him. He stilled, looking down at her and she thought for a moment he'd sobered up as she had. The look on his face was one she'd never seen as he looked at her. It left her breathless and on the verge of tears. He looked at her as if… he loved her.
Macy blinked and looked away, wrapping her arms around him and urging him to move. She closed her eyes, feeling him fill her and the look on his face stayed burned into her mind's eye. His fingers were toying with her breast, his lips gliding across her shoulder to her neck, up the curve of her jaw to her waiting lips. His kiss wasn't hurried as it had been downstairs. It was a slow, lazy slide of lips and tongue. Languid kisses that made her feel boneless and spent. Tingles raced up her spine and the tell-tale clenching in her stomach signaled her release moments before her world shattered, her hold on him tightening as she begged him to move faster. He followed her a few minutes later.
They both lay there, breathing heavily as the noise from downstairs continued. Sean moved to her side, pulling her into his arms and wrapping her in a small cocoon of heat. She sighed contently, snuggling into his embrace. How could anything ever go wrong after a night with him? Her world was finally perfect.