Ghosts of Christmas (Steamy Bwwm Holiday Romance)

by Kenya Wright

  “Yeah, but this room is so messy.” College Me rushed to my pants and picked them up off the floor. “So, let’s just go to your hotel room or—”

  “Where’s the guy?” Saint glared at her.

  “What?”

  “You have a guy in here?” Saint went over to the closet.

  College Me scurried over and got in front of him. “First of all, chill out.”

  “Chill out?”

  “We’re not together.”

  “Yet, you’re still mine.”

  “Says who, Saint? You’re in Paris at school. I’m here. We can do what we want and even—”

  Saint didn’t need to move College Me out the way. He grabbed the knob, turned it, and opened the closet as if she weighed nothing.

  College Me scooted to the side. “So first of all, this is just my friend.”

  Yellow stumbled out with his soft dick wiggling in front of him. “I was just leaving.”

  “You damn right you were.” Saint fisted his hands and then looked at me. “This is who you give yourself to?”

  College Me put her hands on her hips. “I haven’t given myself to him. . .yet.”

  “Lucky for him,” Saint growled. “I may rip his dick off so you never do.”

  “Oh no.” Yellow hurried to his pants. “Don’t pay me any mind. I’m out of here.”

  Holly and Nikolas exchanged looks. And then Holly put the rum and eggnog back in her bag. “Maybe we should go back to the hotel.”

  “No.” College Me shook her head. “Stay. I just need to—”

  “Go back to the hotel, Holly.” Saint glared at me. “Ivy and I need to talk.”

  Holly, Nikolas, and Yellow were out of there in less than a minute.

  Hurt covered Saint’s face. “How long have you been fucking him?”

  “I haven’t.”

  “Then why was his dick out?”

  “Because I was going to. I’m still a virgin.”

  Saint let out a long breath.

  “We’re not even together so don’t look at me that way.”

  “Why bring him to your room?” Saint cornered her. “Why bring that idiot back here?”

  “I was drinking and lonely. I thought it was a good idea.”

  “To let some random guy take your virginity?”

  “You won’t take it! I’ve tried long enough.”

  “That’s not how it’s been going.”

  “It’s exactly what’s been happening.”

  “Because I’ve wanted more—”

  “And I just want sex! Stop trying to push me to do more.” College Me tried to move away from him and held her pants, trying to put them on. He brought her back and kissed her. She dropped the pants. They fell to the floor. Next, he had her plastered against the closet door as he undid the front of his jeans. “All you want is sex, huh?”

  She moaned.

  He pulled his cock out.

  Like a nasty voyeur, I stepped closer to them.

  He lifted her. His muscles flexed under his sweater. He was inside of her in seconds. She gasped.

  He growled. “Does it hurt?”

  “Uh?” She trembled against him. “Kind of, but. . .in a good way.”

  He slammed his cock into her. She shrieked and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

  “You just want to be fucked, huh?”

  “Oh!”

  I held my hand over my heart, remembering how good he’d felt that night.

  “Here you go!” Saint slammed into her, almost crushing that little body. He was out of control—a rabid beast. With that huge size and College Me’s small body, it looked like some erotic battle. She gasped. And then his hands were in her hair, on her face, breasts, and ass. He went wild.

  And I watched College Me lose herself. She swam in a euphoric gulf of pleasure. Never would another man take her like Saint. She would spend the rest of her time in college and even out of it, searching for another guy to give her the orgasms that Saint could.

  College Me closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of his hands and the thrusts of his cock. Jealousy rushed through me.

  I stood near them once again wanting to be a participant.

  Knocking sounded off in the distance.

  The glowing man sounded. “Ivy.”

  “No.” I sneered. “I’m watching this to the end.”

  “Ivy, we must go.”

  The knocking continued.

  I shook my head. “I’m staying. If I have to go down memory lane then—”

  Abruptly, I woke up in my bed. “No.”

  I scanned the area. I was in the villa. I looked down at my body. I no longer had on the white pajamas. Instead, I wore the Kate Coat, jeans, and sweater from the bachelorette party. I looked above me. A clear blue sky showed through my glass ceiling.

  Someone knocked on my villa door.

  I blinked, returning to reality. Meanwhile, my nipples were stiff under the sweater and my pussy was wet. “It was a dream. . .all a dream. . .”

  “Ivy!” Holly yelled through the door. “Are you okay?”

  I cleared my throat. “Yes!”

  “You missed spa day. Everyone was worried.”

  I rolled to my side and climbed out of bed. “Coming.”

  Damn, that was a crazy dream. How was that even possible? And he referred to Mom. And all those damn memories.

  My heart ached with the visions from earlier. I felt so sad from seeing my father, mother, grandpa, and grandmother. And then there were all the emotions that came from the moments between Saint and me.

  I stumbled to the door and opened it.

  Holly looked at me and then chuckled. “And I thought I was drunk. You’re still in the same clothes.”

  Yawning, I shook the dreams out of my head. “I just overslept. How was spa day?”

  “Much needed.” She entered the villa. “By the way, thanks so much for the bachelorette party. It was so sweet. I will always remember that night.”

  “Good. You deserve it.” I raised my arms and sniffed at my pits. “Wow. I need to shower for several hours.”

  “You only have several minutes. We need to be in the SnowChapel for rehearsal. Plus, during the rehearsal dinner, I need my maid of honor to be a buffer between my mother-in-law.”

  “That’s right.” I saluted her. “The buffer is on duty in less than ten minutes. Just let me clean up.”

  “Oh. I’m not going anywhere. I’m currently hiding from her now.”

  “Are the fathers on the fishing trip?”

  “They’ve just returned. Both are frozen popsicles and not happy with me at all.”

  “Told you.”

  “Yeah. Yeah.”

  “Okay. I’ll be ready.” I took off the coat and headed to the shower. My heart ached. My soul felt sore like something had cut it open.

  Get the dream out of your head. Take a hot shower and forget it all.

  Chapter 10

  Winter Wonderland

  Although the dream haunted me, I moved forward with being there for my best friend.

  Wedding rehearsals weren’t necessary. However, Holly liked everything to be perfect. Therefore, I knew we would stand in that cold-ass chapel forever practicing the ceremony.

  After getting into my clothes and heeled black boots, I put on a new winter ensemble—a black fur coat, complete with a thick fur hat.

  “Ivy!” Holly widened her eyes when we headed outside. “Please tell me that this is faux fur.”

  I winked. “It is.”

  She frowned. “You’re so full of it.”

  I shrugged. “You know I’m not a faux anything person.”

  “Animals died for your coat.”

  I headed down the steps, knowing this would not be her final statement. I gazed around at the amazing view of this breathtaking snowy landscape. The weather was chilly, yet the snow shimmered. A fresh dusting of powder layered the mountain top looking like a big cake with sugary icing. I looked at the frozen sea and its endless expans
e of white—pure and untouched.

  We walked onto the path leading to the SnowChapel. Flakes drifted down, twirling and twisting in the air. Trees swayed in the frosty winter wind, causing icicles to crack and crash to the ground like glass pieces shattering.

  Holly continued her annoyance with my coat. “Fur is cruel, barbaric, and simply incredibly old-fashioned and unfashionable.”

  “Wow.” I glanced her way. “You say that after eating reindeer last night and damn near licking your plate.”

  “I didn’t eat it! I sang for his lost brethren.”

  “Oh, that’s right. But you’re not vegan either. You do eat hamburgers and chicken.”

  She opened her mouth. “Killing animals for fashion is very different from doing it for food.”

  “How? Our ancestors killed animals for food and to keep themselves warm. If not for that, the human race would probably not be here.”

  “Our ancestors also did the holocaust and slavery but—”

  “Slavery and the holocaust? That wasn’t my ancestors.” I grinned and headed to the SnowChapel. “That was your ancestors.”

  She huffed after me. “I’m just saying that our ancestors have made tons of mistakes and our generation is supposed to resolve them.”

  The snow was damp, every step felt like walking in mud. I was glad I’d put on boots. “If it makes you feel any better, I only incorporate fake fur into my collections. However, this coat and hat was a gift from designer Alexander Jacobs for work I did with him last year. And it’s vintage. That means it is pre-owned by some baroness that kept the coat in a climate-controlled vault. So the animals died well before we were born.”

  She wore a skeptical expression.

  “You’re still not pleased?”

  “That coat looks so good it would definitely convince someone to get one.”

  “I can’t with you.”

  “You totally can.”

  Feeling the winter chill, I put on my gloves. “Girl, you know fake fur actually pollutes the world more than real fur.”

  “Oh, God. I must hear this.”

  “People think of fake fur as a disposable thing. They buy it. They wear it for a few seasons. They throw it away and it isn’t biodegradable. Whereas a fur coat gets recycled. People wear them for 30 years, they give them to their kids, then they turn them into throw pillows or whatever.”

  “Wow. Just wow.” She shook her head. “You missed your calling as a lawyer. You totally are flipping this around and covering it with bullshit.”

  “Hey, I’m just saying. You’re right and have several points. But I have points too. And. . .” I twirled around and walked forward. “I look fabulous.”

  “Well, we can both agree on that.”

  We arrived at the SnowCastle and stopped in front of it.

  Nothing could compare to this massive castle made from snow. This would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. All snow and ice, it rose over 12 feet high, had three stories, and was 20,000 square feet in size. It looked like the snow bricks were layered in white sequins the way it glittered in the sunlight. There were layers and layers of pure crystalline water. Powdery heaven. Intricate patterns of ice formed the main structure.

  I shook my head in wonder. “This is truly a magical place.”

  “It is.”

  “Another thing we can agree on.” I grabbed Holly and hugged her. “Congratulations, Holly. Nikolas will be a good husband. I have no doubt about that.”

  “I know he will. Especially since he’s told me that Saint and you have threatened him repeatedly through this year.”

  “Just soft threatening.”

  “You told him you would cut his penis off.”

  I raised my finger. “But I didn’t say I would watch him eat it. That’ll be his little surprise.”

  “Just wow.”

  I turned back to the castle. “What else would a sister say?”

  “Very true. I’m so lucky to have you.”

  “Blessed even.”

  “Ivy.” She laughed.

  “Let’s go and practice marrying you off.”

  We walked forward.

  Taking careful steps, I gazed up at it. “How do they even think up something like this?”

  “It takes them five weeks to build this,” Holly said. “They use snow from frozen seawater out of the Gulf of Bothnia.”

  “This would truly be a massive project to take over.”

  “And then it melts away in the spring.”

  As we headed in, I looked at Holly. “Aren’t there rooms inside the SnowCastle?”

  “Yeah, but there’s no furnace or heat. They have plenty of fur blankets, but I couldn’t bear to even attempt it.”

  “True. The villas are better and even more delightful.”

  We entered.

  Ice sculptures lined the walls. Pale blue lights gave the pathway an ethereal glow. I took in all the different sculptures. Some were shimmering white fairies that towered high with expanded wings. Others looked like they were carved from crystal or diamonds. They sparkled and gleamed in the haunting glow of the blue lights. There were these majestic trees with heart-shaped ice leaves hanging from the frozen branches.

  “Okay.” I placed gloved hands in my pockets. “Walk me through this and anything that I need to do.”

  “The resort’s wedding coordinator will be on top of stuff, but it wouldn’t hurt for you to check up with her. You’re always good with the business side of things. You don’t play.”

  “And I damn sure won’t let any mishaps occur for your wedding.”

  She buttoned up the top of her jacket and raised the collar. Her cheeks had turned pink from the chilly air in the chapel. “We have our marriage license done. So, officially we’re already married. This will just be the celebration.”

  “You’re damn right.” Excitement filled me. “I can’t believe you’re freaking married.”

  “I know right. And one day, I’ll be at your wedding and—”

  “Oh, hell no. Girl, I’m not getting married.”

  She blinked. “Ivy, are you telling me that you still feel that way?”

  “Duh. Why would I change my thoughts?”

  “Because you’re getting older now and—”

  “So.”

  “And marriage is beautiful.”

  “That’s your point of view. If I grew up with Mrs. and Mr. Madison, I would think the same thing. For me, it’s a different story. Marriage is not my thing. I think it’s great that Nikolas and you are doing it. There’s no couple I would wish it on more, but me. . .no fucking way.”

  Holly stopped walking and frowned at me.

  “Anyway, let’s get back to your wedding. These days are about you, not me.”

  “But love is so beautiful and—”

  “Holly, let’s concentrate on your wedding.”

  “Fine.” She sighed. “Tomorrow, I’ll get up early in the morning to do hair and make-up. I may need help from you with wrangling all the women to make their appointments.”

  “I’ve got it. You should just be relaxing in bed while I wake them up and get their butts in the chairs. What’s next?”

  “Flowers and other décor will arrive twenty minutes before the wedding which freaks me out, but the temperature inside could have them icy looking.”

  “You want me to check on them before the wedding begins?”

  “If you could.”

  “You know I’ll do anything.” I hugged her again. “And the cake, photographer, reception stuff?”

  “The coordinator has all of that under control.”

  “Then I’ll check in with her from time to time. During the reception, I don’t want you dealing with anything. If something goes wrong, then the coordinator should come to me. I’ll jump on it. I know what you hate and like.”

  She let out a long breath. “Thank God. That will be a big help. At this point, all I want to do is be in Nikolas’s arms.”

  “And we’ll make sure that happens.”
I let her go.

  When we entered the chapel part of the castle, little kids raced up and down the aisle. One boy dragged a little girl by her ponytail. She screamed. He let her go and raced away, laughing. The girl jumped up and did cartwheels down the aisle. Another boy tried to climb the ice tree by the altar. It swayed back and forth as if close to falling and crashing into bits.

  I raised my eyebrows. “Wow. Whose kids are they?”

  “Emma’s four kids. The two boys will be the ring bearers and the two girls will be flower girls.”

  No wonder Emma is so gloomy. They’re acting like animals.

  One of the boys jumped on the ice seats and slid along them.

  “Corey, no!” Holly hurried away. “This isn’t a play area.”

  Corey spotted her, jumped off the seat, and raced away. “Ah!”

  “Corey, get back here! We need to practice.”

  “The boogeyman! The boogeyman is here!”

  “Goodness.” Holly looked around. “Where is your mother?”

  “Still hungover.” Saint walked up to us, wearing a new white fur coat.

  Holly frowned at his coat. “You too?”

  Saint quirked his brows. “Me too?”

  “Killing animals. Murderers.” Holly stomped off to grab Corey.

  Saint glanced at me. “What was that about?”

  I smirked. “We just had a debate about fur coats and you settled it for me.”

  “This is faux fur.”

  I walked up to him, lifted his collar, and separated the fur at the base. “It’s real. The fur is attached to skin, not fabric.”

  “Good eye.”

  “The Network bought it for you?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Meaning?”

  “They hired a new stylist. She assigned this for my trip. The network wants me looking my best whether I’m in front of the camera or not.”

  I stepped back. “She?”

  “Sometimes stylists are women, Ivy.”

  Annoyance hit me. “You usually have male stylists.”

  “You remember.”

  “Of course I do. What happened to Abraham King?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Last month, he got a new opportunity on Style Network. So. . .you knew he was styling me?”