Married This Christmas Read online

  Married This Christmas

  Tracey Pedersen

  Daring Online Adventures

  Married This Christmas

  Copyright © 2017 Tracey Pedersen

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying, scanning or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the author. This includes transmission by email.

  Reviewers are permitted to quote brief passages for the purpose of reviewing only.

  Married This Christmas is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locations is purely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized by, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  This book is dedicated to every woman who ever got excited over a man. If you’ve felt that flutter in your belly when that special someone enters a room or their name pops up on your phone, you know what I’m talking about. This book is for you.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Acknowledgment

  Also by Tracey Pedersen

  About the Author

  Before you go…

  Chapter 1

  “I’m pregnant!”

  “You’re what?”

  She’s announcing this with a look that says I should be thrilled!

  “Isn’t it exciting?” Jessica stalked forward and wrapped her hands around his waist as he stared at her. “You’re going to be a daddy!”

  Shit! Not thrilled! Not thrilled!

  “I’m confused, Jessica.” He pushed her away and glanced down at her smooth, flat stomach as she tried to stay glued to him. “I haven’t seen you for four months.”

  “Well, I guess I’m one of those women who don’t show for ages.” She laughed loudly enough for him to hear above the thumping music. “It’s not like I haven’t tried to see you, Fish. You’ve been avoiding me.” She narrowed her eyes and the grin slipped from her mouth. “Why aren’t you smiling?”

  “I’m in shock… and I’m trying to do the math.” He frowned down at her red lips as they morphed into a thin line.

  This was not what I expected when I arrived at work today.

  “You don’t need to hurt your poor little brain with the math, sweetie. Trust me, this baby is yours.”

  She squeezed him tighter as her friend leaned in and spoke into her ear. There was a lull in the music and Fish heard her words loud and clear in the sudden silence. “I thought you said you were only seven or eight weeks pregnant, Jess?”

  “Woah!” He reached behind him, unhooked her fingers, and backed away. “Guess that rules me out.”

  Jessica glared at her friend and took a step toward him. “I’m definitely farther along than that. The results she’s talking about were from the first test, but I had another one. Come on, Fish, you can’t ignore me!”

  “Oh, I definitely can, Jessica. You’re trying to convince me you’re having my baby when you clearly are not. Why would you do that?” He pushed her away, not waiting for an answer. Her ploy to trap him was obvious as he retreated toward the office and watched her turn on her girlfriend, eyes flashing.

  Now that’s a conversation I’m glad to miss.

  Their raised voices floated over the loud music as he quickly punched in his security code and pulled open the staff door. The quicker he got away from those two and whatever they’d been up to, the better. The darkness in the corridor blinded him for a moment as his eyes got used to the absence of flashing, coloured lights. Several blinks later, the outline of the back area came into focus. He made his way through the crowded hallway, careful not to trip on a mountain of chairs tucked away to his left. The music was muted to mostly a bass beat—a detail that surprised him every single time the door closed behind him.

  The front of this bar was immaculate—cleaners made sure of that. Piles of broken furniture, however, were stacked out the back, along with a mountain of beer crates waiting to be returned to the vendor.

  The owners, his bosses, had designed their venue with as much floor space for paying guests as possible. That left narrow corridors, tiny amenities, and next to no room for meeting spaces. If the staff were called together for a meeting, it took place in the main club before opening hours. A tiny office for admin work was crammed with filing cabinets overflowing with paperwork that matched the overflow from the desk. Fish had worked here for ten months now—long enough to know how things worked.

  This is why he appreciated the tiny space allocated specifically to him. When he’d started, he hadn’t expected a dressing room. He was a DJ, after all, and a little known one at that. As the door opened on his own room the first day of his first permanent shift, a glimmer of excitement had washed through him.

  Finally, I’m getting somewhere.

  As he made his way down the corridor now, he was reminded of how excited he’d felt that first day, even though he’d been embarrassed to find his name printed on the door. He recognized the same thrill tonight, knowing he could lock himself in there for a few minutes of alone time. He needed more than the thirty minutes he was allowed for his break, though, as Jessica and her attempt to trick him bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

  She was only the second girl he’d slept with since he started here. Jordan Parker had been the first, after a big night on New Year’s Eve that neither of them could remember. He’d thought she might grow to be more than just a hookup, but that had proved to be wishful thinking.

  She was happy now—happy with Luke.

  It wasn’t like he didn’t have enough women to choose from; dozens of them propositioned him every week. He wasn’t interested in casual, though. He was looking for a woman who would see him for who he was, instead of someone who would be thrilled to tell her friends she bagged the DJ on Saturday night after closing time. He shook his head as he thought about all the ways girls came on to him in the club. His friends thought he was crazy to reject the advances, and they’d been happy to hear he’d weakened and gone home with Jessica—until she started messaging them on social media and causing problems.

  Once again, he’d chosen badly. No more, though.

  No more sleeping with strangers. You need to date a few women and make sure you have common interests before taking things further. Promise yourself, Fish!

  He nodded as he pushed open his door, already feeling his spine relax at the thought of sinking onto his tiny couch for a few moments. Definitely no more random hookups. I’ll have a quick lie down and run over the figures for my new business.

  When the door opened and the dim light from the corridor shone on his favourite resting place, however, his plans were dashed. His eyes raked over two naked bodies stretched out on his cushions and huge smiles turned in his direction. Draped across each arm of the couch was a set of toned, naked legs.

  His forward trajectory carried him into the room before he understood what he was looking at, and the door swung quietly closed behind him. His mouth dropped open; in the silence, both women giggled.

  “Hi, Fish. We’ve been waiti
ng for you,” they purred together, and for a crazy moment, he pictured them rehearsing their lines while they’d waited for him to appear. “We want to help you relax now that you’re on break.”

  “How did you get back here?”

  They giggled in unison, again. “It’s not hard to watch that code being punched in.” The blonde woman stood and flicked her hair behind her while the brunette lay back and stretched out on the couch. Her naked breasts waved at Fish, and he was so shocked that he couldn’t look away.

  “That’s right, look what we’ve got for you.” The first woman reached out and took his hand. “Come on, enjoy the view.” She tugged him forward and slipped her hands around his neck as her perfume wafted up toward him. He stood frozen in the middle of the room, the taunts of his friends running through his head.

  You should hook up more.

  Take advantage of it, dude—you’ll be thirty soon.

  If you’re not going to partake of what the universe has sent you, please send some my way.

  Shit, dude, are you turning into a monk?

  “Why aren’t you smiling? Isn’t it exciting?” she purred up at him as he finally pulled his eyes away from the woman on the couch and met hers. “Trust me, we’re both yours.” Her word choice reminded him of the conversation with Jessica he’d just escaped and he suddenly pulled away, remembering his recent pledge of no more mindless hookups. “Aren’t you thrilled to find two of us here?”

  Not thrilled! Not thrilled!

  “Sorry, ladies, but I’m going to have to disappoint you. I need to get back to work.” Fingers tightened around his neck and interlocked against his skin. He frowned down at her and slipped his own hands around her waist, but her hopeful expression changed as she realised he was pushing her away. “Sorry. Really. I don’t have the time the two of you deserve.”

  The brunette on the couch sat up with her own hopeful expression. “We could wait here for you. What time do you finish?”

  “Uhh… no, that’s okay. There’s no set time, so I’ll have to politely decline.” He pulled away again and ground his teeth as fingers struggled to hold onto his neck. With a short yank, he was free of the blonde’s grasp, and he quickly backed toward the door.

  When it became clear they were not going to get their way, the women’s expressions changed, their displeasure apparent. Before they could berate him, he yanked the door open and fled the way he had come.

  I promised myself no more random hook ups, but that’s it. No more women, period!

  Chapter 2

  Fish spilled out the staff door, slammed it behind him, and leaned against it for good measure. The music assailed him; it really was ridiculously quiet in the staff area.

  Before he could work out how to get those two women out of his room, Jack, a bartender, walked past him and a better idea hit. He grabbed his friend’s arm. “Jack! Thank God. I need to leave. Is there any chance you could take over in the booth?”

  “What? Where are you going?”

  “Family emergency.” He dared not tell the man, who was as popular as Fish when it came to female patrons, that he was running from two beautiful women who’d offered to keep him company, minus their clothing. He’d never live that down if anyone found out. Plus, Jack would likely elect to keep the ladies entertained, instead of taking over the music for the rest of the night.

  “Well… it’s been a while since I last used the equipment. Can you give me a quick refresher? With the new booth all lit up, everyone will know I’m up there, instead of you, so I need to do a decent job.”

  “Sure. Come on.” Fish pulled the tray from Jack’s hand and placed it on a table as he pulled him toward the DJ booth. They slipped inside and he flicked on the internal light. Twenty minutes later, with Jack moderately confident, Fish pulled his car keys from his pocket and made a break for the carpark.

  He dipped his head as his six-foot frame burst through the door. As the security guys shook his hand, he took a moment to let them know about the women who’d learned the code for the staff area, so they could take care of it.

  Eyes on the ground, he quickly walked to his car, trying his best to avoid any more attention. The last thing he needed was for another woman to recognise him; all he wanted to do was get home and relax. Maybe he’d have a beer in front of the TV and forget this night had ever happened.

  Maybe I’ll consider a career that somehow involves music but not available women.

  His car was parked at the far side of the carpark to leave the closer spots for customers. He imagined women would rather park in the fully lit area than where his car waited in a pool of darkness. It was after one in the morning and the carpark was less busy than usual. On a warm night like tonight, people were more inclined to use public transport to have a night out in Melbourne. In winter, this space would be jammed tight with cars, as everyone wanted to get home as fast as possible with the heater blasting.

  As he neared his vehicle, he noticed a woman sitting with her legs crossed on the bonnet of a blue car. Silver jewels on her black jacket glinted under the lights as she tapped away on her mobile phone. She was several cars away, but he tucked his head down further. It was highly unlikely she was waiting for him, but this night had been so crazy that he wasn’t taking any chances. He skirted around her car and walked the final few feet to his without making eye contact.

  Lights flashed as his alarm clicked off and he slid into the front seat of his black Mazda. He loved this car. It was his first brand new vehicle, and he’d paid for it with cash—something that still amazed and impressed him. The best perk of being a semi-well-known DJ was extra gigs on top of his job in the club. In the past six months, he’d played several weddings, a graduation, and three Christmas in July parties, all of which, combined with his savings, had allowed him to buy this car.

  It might have been small, but he owned it outright, and every time he breathed in the new car smell, he was proud of his efforts. A thought he’d had several times in the last few weeks popped into his head now as he breathed in the scent, again.

  I need to get my own business sorted out. It’s time.

  He slipped the keys into the ignition and let his eyes close as the engine kicked to life and his stereo sent a nightclub beat howling across the carpark. The sound washed over him and the sub-woofer installed on the rear dash reminded him of the sounds he could create in the club. He loved loud music—always had—and he smiled as he thought about the fee from Jordan and Luke’s wedding that had paid for this one sub.

  The car eased forward as he flicked through his songs, keeping his eye on the road in front of him. After a moment, he frowned and gripped the steering wheel tighter. The car felt heavy, like he was driving through mud. He glanced down to check that the hand break wasn’t engaged, and after another couple of moments, he accepted there was a problem and stopped the car. He got out, leaving the car running, and walked around it to look for the problem.

  For several seconds, he stared at the cause of his troubles before letting out a roar across the quiet carpark. “Aaaaaarrrggghhh… Goddammit!” He punched the car and immediately bent to make sure he hadn’t damaged his pride and joy. A flat tyre wasn’t a big deal under normal circumstances—he’d changed plenty of them in his time. The spare tyre was fully inflated and could be easily changed. “Fuck it! I just wanted to get home!”

  “Is something wrong?” a female voice spoke over his shoulder. He closed his eyes as he waited for the come on. “Are you okay?” she asked when he didn’t answer.

  “Yep. Great.”

  “Flat tyre, huh?” She stood beside him and he realised she was the woman who’d been sitting on the car bonnet. “Don’t you have a spare?”

  “I have a spare.”

  “I can help you change it, if you don’t know how.”

  “I know how to change a tyre!” he growled in her direction, making her take a step sideways.

  “Sorry. I’m just trying to help, since you seem wildly outraged at the injustice
of a simple flat tyre.”

  He sighed and turned to where she stood, watching him and still holding her phone in her hand. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so angry. The problem is I lent my jack to my neighbour, and I can’t change the tyre without it.” He stared at the flat again. “He didn’t return it, and now I’ll have to call roadside assistance. Saturday nights are notoriously slow, and I suspect they attend the single women first.”

  “Where do you live? Can you get the jack back?”

  “I’m only five minutes from here. The guy works nights, though, so a lift there won’t even help me.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t offering you a lift.”

  “Of course not. Sorry.” He kicked the tyre and pulled his door open to remove the keys. The carpark fell silent, and he pushed the door shut before engaging the alarm. “Guess I’ll go inside and wait.”

  He took two steps toward the club before she spoke. “There is another option.”

  “What’s that?”

  Here it comes...

  “If I lend you my jack, will you give me a lift home?”

  “Why don’t you drive yourself home? Why are you prepared to get in a car with a complete stranger late at night?”

  “Well, I know we haven’t met, but I do know you work at that club—I saw you tonight when I was there with my girlfriend. So, I’ll text her, and if anything happens to me, they’ll know it was you.” She grinned at Fish, like she’d conjured up the most foolproof plan. As he considered her words, she put her phone in front of her and a light flashed in the darkness. “There, I can even send a picture.”

  “You didn’t answer my first question.”