Christmas Baby Daddy: Baby Daddy Romance Series, #5

By Lexi Banks

Finn: I'm good at making investments, making money, making profit. I'm not so good at making connections. While I've been with plenty of women since moving to New York City after college, I haven't found one that really intrigues me, makes me laugh, makes me think. So imagine my surprise when I decided to go home for Christmas and found my best friend's little sister all grown up. And boy, did she intrigue me. A little too much eggnog led to something forbidden between us, but when our families decided they hated each other over the secrets they're keeping, I figured nothing would come of that night. But when I come back home for the holidays this year, I realize I couldn't have been more wrong. It looks like our parents are the only ones keeping secrets. 

Abby: I've always thought he was hot, but he never gave me a second look. Not like I blamed him, I was a scrawny geek with glasses and braces. But this geek has become tres chic, and when he came home from Christmas last year, his head turned in my direction. One night of drunken passion had one little unexpected consequence: I ended up pregnant. But by the time I found out, he was long gone and our parents had made my brother and I vow not to talk to anyone in that family. That's why I'm shocked when he shows up at my massage therapy practice with a familiar look in his eye. But will he still look at me the same way when he finds out about our little Christmas present?

• Language: English
• Publisher: DM
• Release date: Aug 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393985808

Book preview

Chapter 1

Abby

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I finished massaging in the rest of the oil on Jenna’s shoulders, then I gave her a final pat and stood up.

There. Now, remember to drink plenty of water. You’re still on the dehydrated side, and that’s contributing to your shoulder pain. I’m going to give you this, too, I said as I pulled out a bottle of my favorite lotion. I’m just going to send this bottle home with you, but I want you to pick up one of your own before it’s gone, okay?

Is it expensive? Jenna asked as she took the bottle from me and read the back.

It’s a little pricier than some of the ones you’re going to find at Walmart, but not too bad. I can keep you supplied if you’d like to pick up a bottle every couple appointments or so, I smiled. I can give you a better price than if you’re going to walk into the store and buy one yourself.

Okay, I’d appreciate it, she said as she slipped the bottle into her purse. I just want my back to stop hurting.

That’s going to help. It’s penetrate deep into your muscles and help all the muscles relax, I smiled again. Okay. Do you want to make an appointment today, or would you like to wait until you find out your schedule for next month?

I’ll wait, she said.

Just give Mandy a call when you’re ready, we’ll be here, I said. She promised she would, and I left the room to go wash up while she got dressed. I liked Jenna, and I looked forward to when I’d get to see her again. She was such a quiet, timid girl, I knew it wasn’t likely she would ask her husband to help her with the lotion like I’d suggest.

I was surprised she married the man to be honest. From what I could tell, he was a jerk in so many ways. But then, I couldn’t really say anything about that. God knew I had my own history with jerks. I couldn’t exactly point that finger.

After drying my hands, I waited for a moment before heading back into the room. Jenna was also fast. She didn’t like to waste time, and I knew she would be dressed and ready to head out by the time I was back. She didn’t say much as we wrapped things up, then she headed out.

I checked my schedule. There were three more appointments that afternoon, then I could head home. It was a busy time of year for us. The last few weeks leading right up to Christmas were insane.

At first, it confused me. But, I soon realized why. Everyone was stressed out about the holidays, and stress had a way of settling into necks and shoulders. I gave more upper body massages between the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas than I did the entire rest of the year combined.

I didn’t mind. I liked to help people, and I knew my touch did wonders to bring healing. Making someone leave happy was the best feeling in the world, that was for damn sure.

After taking a moment to catch my breath, I headed into the lobby to greet my next client. I’d been working incredibly long hours over the past few weeks. I wanted to be able to afford a few Christmas presents for my daughter.

I was already scraping by. Between rent and bills, just keeping a roof over our head and food on the table took most of my paycheck. I’d always thought I’d make more as a massage therapist. I didn’t realize most of the pay for the job came in the reward of knowing I was helping someone.

My parents were my saviors. My mother, homemaker as she was, kept an eye on Samantha during the day when I was at work. But, I still would have preferred I was able to see Sammy more than I did. She was in good hands, that was for sure, but that didn’t change the fact my mother was practically raising her.

I hoped I’d get a lucky break one of these days and have more time to spend with her. But, only time would tell.

The Christmas music grew louder as I got closer to the front. Mandy loved Christmas. She started blaring the music starting the day after Christmas, and I was sure she’d keep it up long into the new year if I didn’t cut it off the day after the holiday.

I would rather ignore the entire day, but I didn’t want to ruin it for everyone, so I just painted on a smile and bore it. It was just a few weeks, after all, then I could go back to ignoring the expectations of closeness and coziness that came with the time of year.

I’ve got someone coming in on the hour, I said to Mandy when I reached the lobby.

He’s already here, actually, she replied. Surprised, I looked into the waiting room and promptly froze.

My next client was there, alright. All six feet, two inches of him.

He was exactly the same as I remembered him. Tall, muscular. A gym rat, really. His blonde hair and blue eyes that seemed to stare right into my very soul. His chiseled jaw, his tight clothing. I could see his frame right through the thin puffer jacket he wore.

It was cold in Ohio, but he was one who always wore the thin, goose down jackets, claiming they were warmer than the five layers I insisted on wearing to try to keep the Smithson winds at bay.

Finn Russel rose from his seat with the same, heart-melting grin on his face I remembered so well.

Surprise, he said.

I was speechless. I had no idea he was back in town, and I didn’t know what he was doing there. Of course, it was likely he was there for Christmas. Though he was always a bit of a deviant, he was close to his parents and would often visit them over the holidays.

I’d not seen him since last Christmas – a night that had changed my life forever.

Mandy looked at him with a familiar smile on her face. It was the look she gave clients she thought were good looking. I tried to ignore it. I knew he was good looking. I’d made the mistake of fucking his brains out this time last years.

It was a night of hot passion and the best sex I could have asked for.

And it produced my daughter.

Of course, Sammy wasn’t a mistake in my eyes. She was the best thing that’d ever happened to me. I wouldn’t trade her for anything, and every day I spent working she was on my mind. I wanted her to have the best life possible, and I was going to do everything in my power to make that happen.

And Finn had no idea.

He’d gone back to his life in New York City right after Christmas, and it wasn’t long after things had fallen apart with our parents. Being neighbors, they were constantly in each other’s business. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was forbidden to talk to any of the Russels.

So, when I found out I was pregnant, my life only grew more complicated. I couldn’t talk to Finn, and I hoped I’d never be pushed into a position like this. I assumed the more successful he became in New York, the less likely it was for him to come back.

Clearly, that wasn’t the case.

A thousand feelings ran through my body at once, and desperation set in. I didn’t want Mandy to suspect anything out of the ordinary. In all my life, I’d never met a woman as nosy as Mandy Dufrane. So, without a word, I gave Finn a curt nod and turned on my heel, walking back to the therapy room without saying a word.

We stepped inside and I closed the door, only then turning to him with a deliberate fierceness that ran through the core of my being.

What are you doing here? I snapped.

That’s a greeting for you, he said with a smirk. I crossed my arms and glared at him, so he continued. I was in town for the holidays, and I thought I’d stop by and get a rubdown.

He winked at me as he spoke, and I hated that a blush rushed through my cheeks. I couldn’t help it. I was thinking about that night since I first laid eyes on him, and judging by the look in his eyes, I figured he was thinking the same thing. But, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it had just been a good time for him. A hookup.

I was the one who had to change everything about my life as a result. It was hard not to have a level of resentment toward him despite the fact he didn’t have a clue about Sammy.

And even with him standing here in front of me, I intended to keep it that way.

Should I strip down? he asked with another grin.

Are you serious? I asked. I was trying to buy time. I had to think. I had to figure this out. I wasn’t sure I could do this. Any of it. He wanted me to put my hands all over him again, and I wanted to do it. I wanted to touch him, I wanted him to touch me.

But how could I? I knew as soon as I started it would be hard to stop, if not impossible. I didn’t want to be put in that position again. Well, I did, But I wasn’t going to let it happen.

Our parents hate each other these days, in case you didn’t get the memo, I said.

So? he asked.

So, my father told me not to even talk to anyone with the last name Russel, let along give you a massage, I told him.

Who gives a fuck what our parents are griping about? It’s bullshit, they’re adults, and they can work it out as far as I’m concerned, he said with a shrug. He never did follow the rules much, so I knew I shouldn’t really be surprised that he felt that way about our parents arguing.

Well, I don’t want to upset my family during the holidays, I said with a shrug.

What happened to the daring, adventurous girl I spent the night with last year? he asked.

I didn’t reply. There wasn’t a thing I could say that would get him to see things from my point of view. Instead, I pulled open the door before turning to him. You’re not going to be charged for this.

He took a step forward, crowding into my space. My heart pounded, leaping from my chest into my throat. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath as he leaned in.

You’re not going to get away from me that easy, he said. Again, I didn’t respond. I didn’t know what to say. With him so close to me, it was hard for me to even think straight. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he could hear the pounding of my heart in my chest, but I kept my face as passive as possible.

He walked out the door, and I stood for a moment, trying to catch my breath after what had just happened. My mind was spinning. Finn was back. Of course this was going to happen at some point, but I couldn’t say I’d ever prepared myself for it actually happening.

If he was here for the holidays, then it wasn’t hard to guess that he was here to see his parents. They were the only people he really gave a fuck about in this town as far as I knew. He had gone off to live the hot shot life elsewhere, and if his social media was any indication of how he really felt, there wasn’t much thought of home running through his mind.

But, I had to think about this objectively. It was more than likely he was staying with his parents – right by my own parents’ house. That’s where Sammy stayed during the day when I was at work. It wasn’t going to take long before he saw me picking her up or dropping her off one of these days, and that was going to lead to questions.

Questions I didn’t want asked, and I really didn’t want to answer. I had to get Sammy out of there, and the sooner the better. Grabbing my phone, I called my mother.

Hey Honey, she said.

Hi Mom, I replied. So I just had the last appointment of the day cancel on me, so I’m going to be getting off a bit early. Will you bring Sammy to my place and I’ll meet you there? I asked.

Of course, she said.

I think I’m going to take the weekend off, too, I told her. I’m tired after this week, I could use a day or two to recover.

Okay, Honey, she said. Don’t wear yourself out.

I’ll see you soon, I said before hanging up. I ran both hands over my face, trying to think. I had to get this figured out. Heading to the lobby, I wrapped my scarf around my neck on the way.

Mandy, cancel my appointments for the rest of the day and through the weekend, I said. Something’s come up.

Alright, she said. I could see by the look on her face she wanted to ask what was going on, but she knew I wasn’t going to tell her. I didn’t need her judgment or input on anything I was doing, that was for sure. Her life was far different from my own, and I wasn’t going to be her gossip topic for the night.

With that done, I headed back to grab my purse and keys, fighting the memories of that night I spent with Finn every step of the way.

Chapter 2

Finn

Give me the cold shoulder why don’t you? What the Hell, Abby? After what happened last year I thought you might be glad to see me. Or, at the very least, friendly.

The interaction I’d just had with Abby ran through my brain again and again. I couldn’t make sense of what had just happened no matter how hard I tried. The look on her face when I walked through the door, the way she treated me when we were back in the massage room. The way she threw open the door and all but told me to leave.

None of it made sense.

I wasn’t sure what kind of reception I would receive, that was for sure. I’d been gone a year without any interaction with the girl. But, I didn’t expect her to be so cold and reserved. Nothing had been cold or reserved about her last year when we fucked each