Lying there in his arms, I snuggled into the warmth of his body. This mysterious, beautiful man had just given me the best orgasms of my life.
How on earth would I ever work for him again?
Chapter 7
LUKE
I woke up to the feeling of sunlight piercing through my eyelids and forcing them open. There was an empty spot next to me, the sheets, cold and crisp in her absence. Rolling over and burying my nose in the pillow next to me, I searched for her scent. It was faint but it still present. Man, last night was insane. I never could have guessed that my first Christmas at home, the one I’d been dreading, would end with me making love to such a beautiful woman.
Shit…she had been so upset back at her apartment. I hope that...
Guilt started to consume me like quicksand. She probably thought I’d taken advantage of her vulnerability. Had I though? No! Of course not! If I ever ruined things with Liv… Mason would never forgive me. What if that’s exactly what I’d done though? Potentially ruined the one good thing he had in his life? Essentially, the only mother he’d ever known. FUCK!
I got up and leaned over the side of the bed, running my hands through my hair frantically. I felt sick to my stomach. This can’t be happening. It’s not. I’m just freaking out.
The thing was though, Olivia was not just another mindless fuck. Last night had meant so much to me… I could only hope she had felt it too.
The girls from Karina’s were just a physical release, a void to fill a need. Then there had been Claire…suddenly I could say her name again without daggers piercing through my heart? Wow. Sure, there had been love between us in the beginning but not this…this feeling.
Olivia was different. Somehow, I was able to open up to her, share with her. I’d never been good at that before. And Mason, she was so good with him! It’s like she was meant to.... Then there was the closeness, an intimacy to our lovemaking that I’d never experienced before, not even with Claire.
Claire. Goodbye Claire.
Not to mention that just thinking about Liv made my dick feel like it was ready to burst. She was insatiable and last night had been even better than I could have imagined. Just thinking about her naked body got me hard again.
Looking back now, I knew we had a connection, a bond, for a while. I used to think it was only because of Mason but clearly, I was fooling myself. After all, this was a woman who could get me to talk about things I had vowed to never speak of again. She somehow looked into my soul and saw something that I didn’t even know was there. Maybe I could do this…maybe WE could?
My only hope was that Liv didn’t think otherwise. I didn’t know what I’d do if she thought that I’d taken advantage of her. All these thoughts made me realize that I needed to tell her how I felt. I could be risking it all, but I had no choice. The smell of her hair and the feel of her skin beneath my fingers was imprinted on my soul. Being inside her, making her scream my name was the only place I’d ever want to be. I had to tell her the truth.
After a quick shower, I passed by Mason’s room to check on him. Little dude was still sleeping soundly. An overabundance of gifts can really knock you out, I guess. Those flushed little cheeks make me smile as I kissed the top of his head. Better to close his door and not disturb him.
It was time for coffee and a chat with Olivia. Adrenaline was already pumping through my veins and making me jittery. Maybe I’d skip the coffee? Doubt crept into my brain again...waking up without her by my side has been hard enough but what if she had no interest in pursuing anything past last night? What if she regretted it? It was certainly a risk to bring it up but as they say, the bigger the risk, the greater the reward. Maybe…
Chapter 8
OLIVIA
I poked my nose out of the covers just to test out the air. Damn it’s cold. Glancing over to the window, I could see snowflakes blowing in the wind. Maybe I’d stay in bed where it was cozy and warm. The sheets against my naked skin felt glorious. Naked?! Holy crap, I slept with Luke Ryder!
Memories came flooding back in a split second. Groaning out loud, I rolled over and pushed my face deeper into my pillow. Giggling, I repeated it in my head. My mind was on overdrive. I slept with Luke! OMG. Fuck! I slept with my boss last night. No… we made love, no we… FUCKED.
Actually, it was both. And it was damn good.
Crap… what if he thought I was needy and depressed about Dan? I didn’t want him to think that every time something went wrong in my life, I fucked the first guy who showed an interest. That’s definitely not who I was. Not to mention, totally not what I’d felt last night.
Who knows, though… what if maybe I was just a casual fuck to him? It was common knowledge amongst the household staff that Luke got his needs “taken care of” in the city. But last night was different, it had to be. He didn’t need me to fill a need. He knew what he was doing, right? Plus, he said my job was secure… which meant he planned on seeing me again.
Ugh... my choices were simple really. Continue to torture myself or get up and put my big girl panties on. I chose the latter. Pulling my hair up into a ponytail, I reached for my favorite yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt. Taking a minute to examine myself in the mirror I stopped and smiled at my reflection. I was happy. Despite that loser Dan and everything falling apart, it has been Luke that had made this holiday so magical for me.
And then there was Mason. I smiled at the thought of his little smiling face.
Opening the door to my suite, I looked right and then left but the hall was silent. Walking towards the staircase and then down to the kitchen, the scent of a strong, bold coffee wafted through the air.
Divine.
As I turned the corner into the kitchen, Luke was coming around the opposite side with a steaming cup of joe. We nearly crashed into each other but instead ended up standing there, falling into each other’s eyes.
“Morning.” Luke began, almost hesitantly. “Listen, Liv… I need you to know something.”
“No, please, me first...” I interrupted.
My favorite little twinkle appeared in the corner of his eyes.
“You’re right.” he conceded, putting his coffee down on a corner table. “Ladies first.”
“Listen, I hope that I didn’t seem too um... needy last night? If I did, I... I want to apologize. Please know, that’s not who I am at all!” I heard myself stumbling over my words. They sounded ridiculous, and I cringed.
Then I realized that Luke was holding my hands so tightly and staring deep into what felt like my soul. What were those blue pools thinking of?
“Liv… listen. I’ve debated all morning about saying this because I know it’s risky but I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t.” He breathed in deeply. “Last night was the best night of my life. The only exception being the birth of my son.” I smiled at him. You know you’ve found a good man when his kid comes first.
“I don’t want you to think I took advantage of your situation last night. I’ve been thinking about you for a very long time. And after last night… I want nothing more than for you to always be by my side. But… if you want to walk away from this job or from me, I will understand. Just know that a part of me will go with you, a part I never knew existed.”
A sob came up in my throat as I absorbed his words. I wanted so much to say yes, to throw my arms around him and tell that I’ll love him forever... but I held back. If this wasn’t for real, then it could be the biggest mistake of my life. I was tired of being played by men and Luke’s reputation preceded him. What I knew for sure though, was that I loved Mason like my own. How could I risk losing him if this didn’t work out? I wasn’t sure I could survive a heartbreak of that magnitude.
I took a deep breath. “Luke… know I want to be with you more than anything but with everything that has happened, I need a little time. Time to figure out what I really want. Can you give me some time?”
“I would give you anything Olivia Davis.” Luke whispered as if entranced by
the mere hope of more.
EPILOGUE
OLIVIA
“Luke?” I called out to him from Mason’s playroom where we sat building Lego. “Can you come here a minute?” It was now or never. After a week of weighing my options, finally, I knew what I needed to do.
I passed Mason his video game controller and headphones. “Why don’t you play Mason?” I suggested. “Sure Mom... uh... Livia.” His cheeks burned with embarrassment at his mistake.
Throwing my arms around his neck, it was all I could do not to cry. “I’d be so honored Mason, but it’s up to you, honey. Know that you can call me anything you like, sweetheart.” He smiled and hugged me back but didn’t say another word. A second later, he was immersed in his game.”
I walked out into the hall as Luke approached. My hands were clammy and my heart was racing.
“I just had quite the moment with Mason.” I began.
“Oh, yeah?” he inquired.
“Yeah...but I’ll fill you in on that later. I have something else I wanted to talk about.” I continued quickly, fearful that I’d change my mind.
Luke cocked an eyebrow and waited. His arms folded over his chest as he leaned on the doorframe of the playroom.
“Well…” I took a deep breath. “Remember when I said I needed time to think?”
“Yes.” His voice now curt and tense.
“I have an answer.” I whispered.
Luke pressed against me in a flash. “Liv…” his voice deep and husky with emotion.
“I needed the time to think. I wanted to spend time with you without… you know… I needed to know this could be real. Now I know that it is, or at least it could be. So… would take me out on a date, a real date? Just the two of us, tonight? I’d like to celebrate the new year with you.”
“A New Year’s Eve date.” He repeated my words as if he was chewing on them.
“Nothing would please me more Miss Davis.” He responded. “Well, actually I could think of something I’d rather do more than dinner…” That damn cocky smirk came sliding across his face.
I slapped his chest playfully. “Slow down Mr. Ryder.” I cautioned.
“Baby!” he groaned as he pulled me into him, gently nuzzling my neck. “The tension in this house has been killing me! You have no idea how much my cock has been pining for that hot, sweet, little pussy of yours.” He trailed off as his mouth crashed into mine, sucking me down into him like a black hole.
“Hang on Luke…” I mumbled as I pulled my mouth from his reluctantly. “Just one more thing. We will need to tell Mason the truth about his biological mom. Especially now, because I think he wants to call me mom.”
“He does?” Luke snapped his head back with surprise. I nodded and grinned wide. I couldn’t help it, I was just so excited that he felt that way about me.
“Wow, that’s amazing! Yeah, I know you’re right about his mom but… I don’t want to hurt him.” Luke continued.
“You know babe, he’ll be more hurt down the line to know you kept this from him.” I whispered, as I looked over my shoulder to make sure Mason wasn’t listening to us.
“Okay angel, you’re right. Let’s tell him tomorrow? Now… how about we get you out of those clothes?” Luke said, a familiar fire burning behind his eyes.
This man. His words were enough to keep my panties wet forever.
LUKE
She made my heart burst and my cock twitch. I’d never felt like this in my entire life. She loved my son, and he adored her even more. Somehow, I’d hit the jackpot.
We told Mason just like she suggested and I had to admit it went better than expected. His amazing relationship with Livvie made all the difference. Two days of sadness and then suddenly he was smiling and calling her Mom.
How I got this lucky is beyond me. It was just the beginning but yet somewhere deep in my soul; I knew she’d be mine for life. The thought of marrying her and making babies with her, consumed my consciousness.
Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pulled her into me. Our bodies came crashing together and our noses bumped, making her giggle.
“I was gentle with you last time baby girl, but I want all of you tonight.” I growled into her ear.
Giggling, she pushed me away playfully as she giggled.
“Uhh... you’ve definitely had all of me Luke. Many, many times over!”
Damn, I love when she said my name.
Somehow, Christmas had finally worked its magic on me.
THE END.
Reviews and sharing are the lifeblood of indie authors. Click here to leave a review on Amazon.
Acknowledgments
To Amanda, thank you for the countless hours of advice and encouragement. This little story would never have seen the light of day without you.
To my husband, I could not do what I love without your support. You’ve made me whole again.
To my fellow authors big and small, thank you for inspiring me every single day. Your creativity pushes me to reach for more each time I write.
To DesignRans for their stunning cover art. Your quick turnaround and professionalism is fantastic.
To everyone who has taken the time to read this hot little holiday number, my appreciation is endless.
Remember…rules are made to be broken and steamy truths are a way of life.
Cassidy xo
About the Author
Cassidy London has been in love with books ever since she can remember, particularly, scandalous steamy romances. However, she’s discovered that the best scandals are found in places where truth inspires fiction.
When she’s not writing or reading dirty books, Cassidy can be found masquerading as a wine drinking suburban mom.
INKED LOVE
Tattooed in to your soul forever…
A full-length novel by Cassidy London -coming December 2018
Add to your #TBR list on GoodReads today! http://bit.ly/2x1XNLa
Toronto good girl Lexi Reynolds, has always followed the rules and put the desires of those she loves above her own. As it turns out...it was all for nothing. Ulterior motives are a bitch.
A new city and a fresh start is just what Lexi needs. What she doesn't need though, is a man. Lexi's determined to find her own path this time, without the help of a man by her side or in her bed.
Women are a means to an end for Jean-Marc Dubois. He spends his time on the run from responsibility and commitment, except when it comes to his business. His Montréal tattoo shop is his pride and joy. His art is his release. Nothing else matters. That is of course, until drop dead gorgeous Lexi Reynolds unexpectedly walks into his life.
Different lives, different cities, different languages. Having nothing to lose is sometimes a good thing...until it isn't.
#InkedLove
#FrenchGuysDoItBetter
Christmas Magic: A Billionaire Single Dad Romance Page 4