blush rise in her cheeks.
He grinned at her. “It’s okay with me. I’d rather not throw caution to the wind just yet or anything, but if it happens…yeah.” He trailed his lips down her jaw while he slid his hand under her PJ shirt to stroke her bare belly with the back of his fingers. “I think you’d make a terrific mom. I’d love to make you one.”
She shivered. “Keep this up, and I’ll beg you to make me one now.” Truth was, she couldn’t wait. She would love knowing a part of him—of both of them—was growing inside her. “But I’m afraid my mom would work black magic on us if she thought it would stop it from happening.”
“Don’t worry. Your mom’s evil powers are no match for mine’s baby-making vibes.”
“You’re probably right.”
“When do you want to tell them?”
“As soon as possible. I want to sing it from the rooftops. I want to call Sam and Macy too—although Macy said she knew what you were giving me. Ghost told her.”
“Are you serious? Damn him. I told him not to, just because I figured she might torment you. The pitfalls of our best friends being together, I guess.”
“Oh, it’s okay. If he were going to propose to her, I would want to know beforehand. He’s not, is he?”
Brian shook his head. “Not that I know of. But give him time.”
The thought of Ghost and Macy tying the knot made her want to laugh out loud with joy. If most people thought Candace and Brian were an unlikely couple, then those two were damn near impossible to imagine together. But beautiful. No one who saw how much they loved each other could deny that.
Candace caught Brian’s face between her hands. “At the risk of sounding extraordinarily sappy, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life. You’ve given me the best Christmas ever.”
“I’m glad, babe. You don’t know what I’ve gone through trying not to let my cover get blown. I could tell your mom got to you at the party, so I debated proposing that night, but I had to try to see it through. I already had this planned before I knew she’d said anything, though. I want you to know that.”
That’s right, he had. He’d mentioned it in the bathroom before her mother nearly caught them. “So this is why you’ve been a little weird lately? Were you nervous?”
“I was going apeshit. Ask Ghost.”
“I can imagine what he’s listened to,” she laughed. “You did great. You totally had me going with the drawing.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “Seriously? You thought I’d do something that lame? Of course, in some people’s opinions, the whole thing was pretty lame.”
“Ghost’s, I assume?”
“Exactly.”
She laughed. “Well, I didn’t think it was lame, even if it had only been the drawing and not a ring. It’s beautiful.”
“I can do a drawing for you anytime. It’s not something I’d do for your Christmas present.”
“There are lots and lots of things you can do for me anytime, Brian Ross, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate them every time you do them.”
“Oh yeah?” He leaned forward and nuzzled her neck. “Then why don’t I carry you into the bedroom and do some of those things? Before we go sing from the rooftops.”
“Yes, please and thank you.”
He pulled her from the couch and up into his arms. Kissing her all the way, he carried her as if she were feather-light to their bed. Her husband-to-be. Her fiancé. She could hardly believe it, though she’d known all along, in her heart, it would happen.
His hands roamed her body, sliding against her silky pajama top. Teasing her nipples to aching little peaks. She gasped and arched against him. He took the opportunity to slide her pants down a bit, so that the first little red-and-black heart tattoo he’d given her was visible just above her panties.
“Where it all started,” he murmured, and ran his fingertips over it before placing a kiss on it.
Candace threaded her fingers through his hair.
He grinned at her. “It’s okay with me. I’d rather not throw caution to the wind just yet or anything, but if it happens…yeah.” He trailed his lips down her jaw while he slid his hand under her PJ shirt to stroke her bare belly with the back of his fingers. “I think you’d make a terrific mom. I’d love to make you one.”
She shivered. “Keep this up, and I’ll beg you to make me one now.” Truth was, she couldn’t wait. She would love knowing a part of him—of both of them—was growing inside her. “But I’m afraid my mom would work black magic on us if she thought it would stop it from happening.”
“Don’t worry. Your mom’s evil powers are no match for mine’s baby-making vibes.”
“You’re probably right.”
“When do you want to tell them?”
“As soon as possible. I want to sing it from the rooftops. I want to call Sam and Macy too—although Macy said she knew what you were giving me. Ghost told her.”
“Are you serious? Damn him. I told him not to, just because I figured she might torment you. The pitfalls of our best friends being together, I guess.”
“Oh, it’s okay. If he were going to propose to her, I would want to know beforehand. He’s not, is he?”
Brian shook his head. “Not that I know of. But give him time.”
The thought of Ghost and Macy tying the knot made her want to laugh out loud with joy. If most people thought Candace and Brian were an unlikely couple, then those two were damn near impossible to imagine together. But beautiful. No one who saw how much they loved each other could deny that.
Candace caught Brian’s face between her hands. “At the risk of sounding extraordinarily sappy, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life. You’ve given me the best Christmas ever.”
“I’m glad, babe. You don’t know what I’ve gone through trying not to let my cover get blown. I could tell your mom got to you at the party, so I debated proposing that night, but I had to try to see it through. I already had this planned before I knew she’d said anything, though. I want you to know that.”
That’s right, he had. He’d mentioned it in the bathroom before her mother nearly caught them. “So this is why you’ve been a little weird lately? Were you nervous?”
“I was going apeshit. Ask Ghost.”
“I can imagine what he’s listened to,” she laughed. “You did great. You totally had me going with the drawing.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “Seriously? You thought I’d do something that lame? Of course, in some people’s opinions, the whole thing was pretty lame.”
“Ghost’s, I assume?”
“Exactly.”
She laughed. “Well, I didn’t think it was lame, even if it had only been the drawing and not a ring. It’s beautiful.”
“I can do a drawing for you anytime. It’s not something I’d do for your Christmas present.”
“There are lots and lots of things you can do for me anytime, Brian Ross, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate them every time you do them.”
“Oh yeah?” He leaned forward and nuzzled her neck. “Then why don’t I carry you into the bedroom and do some of those things? Before we go sing from the rooftops.”
“Yes, please and thank you.”
He pulled her from the couch and up into his arms. Kissing her all the way, he carried her as if she were feather-light to their bed. Her husband-to-be. Her fiancé. She could hardly believe it, though she’d known all along, in her heart, it would happen.
His hands roamed her body, sliding against her silky pajama top. Teasing her nipples to aching little peaks. She gasped and arched against him. He took the opportunity to slide her pants down a bit, so that the first little red-and-black heart tattoo he’d given her was visible just above her panties.
“Where it all started,” he murmured, and ran his fingertips over it before placing a kiss on it.
Candace threaded her fingers through his hair.
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