Christmas Wish

by Wilder, Chiah

  “I better check on the chili,” Ryder said, standing up.

  “Yeah, you do that.” Animal guffawed, and the other men joined in.

  “Fuck you,” Ryder gritted as he made his way to the kitchen.

  When he entered, he saw Savannah pouring a glass of apple juice in a mug while Timmy sat on one of the stools. Ryder went over to the stove and lifted up the lid, then he stirred the contents in the pot. He added more chili powder and a few dashes of cayenne pepper.

  “Is that going to be our lunch?” Timmy asked.

  Ryder glanced at the wall clock. “It’s looking like it’s gonna be more like your dinner.” He chuckled and Timmy giggled.

  “Here you go,” Savannah said, going around to the other side of the island as if to avoid getting close to Ryder. She placed the mug down on the counter. “Do you want to bring it to your room?”

  Timmy wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and shook his head.

  “Then hurry up.”

  “There’s no need to rush. You and the boy can stay in here if you want.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of intruding.” Savannah picked at her nail.

  He walked over to her. “You’re not. Don’t mind the shit I said earlier—I didn’t mean it.”

  She looked up at him with those eyes—so soft and blue, and he wanted to yank her to him and kiss her deeply, but he just stared back. A strand of hair fell across her cheek, and he reached out and brushed it away, his fingertips touching her delicate skin. He pulled away quickly, amazed at his self-control.

  “We can go into town tomorrow. I know you want to get some things.”

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  Ryder turned to leave, but he stopped and held her gaze. “Are we all right now?”

  “I don’t know.” Savannah blinked. “I did something to make you mad,” she continued, her eyebrows squishing together, “but I don’t know what it was. I wish you would just talk to me.”

  “It’s me. I was having a bad day.”

  “Then talk to me.”

  He paused for a moment then clenched his jaw and squared his shoulders. “I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready.” He ignored her exasperated sigh and walked out of the kitchen.

  When Savannah and Timmy retreated back to the boy’s room, Animal shook his head. “Now I get why you haven’t been coming around for some pussy at the club.”

  The other bikers cajoled, and Throttle and Rags poked Ryder in the ribs.

  “How long has this been going on?” Hawk asked.

  “Nothing’s going on. Get your fucking heads out of the damn gutter. I’m just helping her and her son.”

  “I bet you are,” Animal said, and the men busted out.

  “They were stranded on my property. She’s driving this shit trailer, and they got caught in the snow storm. I didn’t want to have to deal with two dead bodies on my property, so I invited them to stay until the blizzard passed. That’s all there is to it.”

  “Bullshit.” Hawk’s deep blue eyes sparkled.

  “We’re just roommates.” Ryder scowled.

  “Fuckin’ bullshit,” Rags added.

  “I never had a roommate like that,” Animal said which made the men laugh.

  “Brandi keeps asking ’bout you whenever she sees me. I told her you were trapped alone in the cabin, so she’s ready to come by and do a fuckin’ house call.” Hawk shook his head. “Damn, bro. These past several days, I was fuckin’ feeling sorry for you ’cause you weren’t getting any.” He poured whiskey in all the glasses. “You sly sonofabitch.” He threw back his drink.

  The men continued to rib Ryder while trying to dig for more information about Savannah, but he just sat there shaking his head and kept telling them he saw her just as a friend. He knew they didn’t believe that bullshit for one second, and he didn’t either, but he didn’t want to talk about her to his friends.

  For the rest of the night, Savannah and Timmy stayed away, but she was very much present in Ryder’s mind. As the men ate, drank, and talked, he relived their kiss over and over: the softness of her skin, the curve of her ass cupped in his hands, and their tongues twisting and probing each other’s mouths as her body pressed against his. Savannah drove him wild with animal lust between the taste of her sweet mouth and her soft moans, to the way she smelled so damn good. He was stiffening even now, just remembering it.

  “Great dinner, dude.” Throttle stood up and stretched his arms over his head. “I gotta get going. Do you wanna meet up with us at Ruthie’s tomorrow for lunch?”

  “Uh … I’m not sure,” Ryder said, trying to focus on what Throttle was saying.

  “He’s got his mind on that hot blonde.” Animal laughed.

  Ryder glared. “I’ve got some things I gotta get done tomorrow. I’ll let you know if I can join you. What time will you be there?”

  “About one. Show up if you can. I’m beat.”

  Rags nodded. “Me too. Great chili, dude.” He bumped fists with Ryder.

  “Why don’t you bring Savannah by our house so she can meet Cara? I think it’d be good for her son to play with Braxton. I can have Banger bring Harley by,” Hawk said as he slipped on his jacket.

  “That’s a good idea. I know she wants to buy some Christmas presents for Timmy, so if he’s occupied, it’ll make it easier for her,” Ryder replied.

  “You’re giving a shit about Christmas?” Throttle said.

  “Haven’t you been a fuckin’ Scrooge about it for years?” Animal asked, slipping on his gloves.

  “I’m talking about her and the boy, not me,” Ryder growled.

  “Gotcha.” Animal smirked.

  “So they’ll be here for the charity event?” Hawk asked.

  “Yeah. Probably through the new year.” Ryder opened the door and hoped the frigid air blowing in would put an end to the conversation.

  “Looks like Ruthie’s isn’t gonna happen for you, seeing that you’re taking your roommate and her son to Hawk’s tomorrow.” Throttle wrapped his scarf around his neck.

  “Another time.” Ryder looked over at Hawk. “I’m gonna try and make the meeting at the VA next Tuesday. You gonna be there?”

  “Yep.” Hawk clasped his shoulder. “See you tomorrow around noon, okay?”

  “Sure.”

  Ryder watched the men trudge down the walkway until they disappeared into the cold night. He shut the door and waited for Brutus to come back from doing his business, and he wondered what Savannah was doing right at that moment. The hour was late, so he figured Timmy had already gone to bed, and a strong urge to go to her room seized him.

  Brutus barked and Ryder opened the door then locked it. He put out the fire in the fireplace and ambled down the hallway, pausing in front of Savannah’s closed door for a few seconds. He quirked his lips then slowly walked to his room.

  Chapter Ten

  It was just after eight when Bret fished out his cell phone from the pocket of his Armani terrycloth robe and thumbed through his contacts for Harry’s number. A cup of tea steamed on the table alongside his chair, and he reached over and grabbed it. Bret took a sip and stared out the window over the roofs and lights of Beacon Hill. Across the street from his penthouse, a small park lay shrouded in darkness on the moonless night.

  A low buzz on his phone cut him off before he’d been able to press the call button. He looked at the screen, and a thin smile pulled at his lips as he set the tea down then answered it.

  “Hey, Boss. I see you called me earlier. I was working on another job, so I was sorta indisposed,” Harry said.

  “The bitch is in some fucking hick town in Colorado,” Bret replied.

  “How’d you find that out?”

  “Her mother told me. She wants her and the brat home for Christmas.”

  Harry’s deep chuckle rumbled through the phone. “And she thinks you’re going to play romantic and bring her home for a damn Hallmark holiday.”

  Bret brushed off a piece of lint from his navy blue robe. “Yes
… something like that.”

  “Which town?”

  Bret walked over to the computer monitor and squinted. “Pinewood Springs. It looks like it’s not too far from Aspen. I might be able to salvage this fucking trip after all.”

  “Did you get the name of the hotel?”

  A frown creased his forehead, and he narrowed his eyes. “Apparently some guy is helping her and Timmy out. From what Mary told me, they’re staying with him. It seems like they got caught in that blizzard that was on the news.”

  “How’d she get there? I’ve checked all buses, trains, planes, and rental agencies,” Harry said.

  “It sounds like she used my money to buy a second hand … RV.” His nose wrinkled in disgust. “You can’t make a silk bag out of a pig’s ear.” Since he’d married Savannah, his mother had said that often enough to him. He slinked down into the cushy chair by the window and crossed his legs. You were so fucking right, Mother.

  “How do you want me to handle this? I can bring them both back,” Harry said.

  “I’ll have to go with you. I need to talk with her and clear up some things.” Bret leaned back and closed his eyes. This is a major pain in my ass. I have parties to go to and a few sweeties to fuck. “I’ve got some obligations. Why don’t you head over there and get a feel of what the situation is. I’ll join you in a week or so.”

  “Sure thing, Boss. I just gotta wrap up this case, but I should be ready to go in a couple of days. Will that work?”

  “It will. This is between you and me. There’s no need to tell my father or mother that we know where they are.”

  “I understand. I’ll touch base with you in a couple of days.”

  Bret put the phone back into his pocket and stretched out his legs. Harry’s dad had been on the Carlton family’s payroll for as long as Bret could remember. When the old man had keeled over while banging one of the strippers from Dirty Dan’s, Harry had stepped in and taken over the business. Bret used him often—mainly to dig up dirt on competitors, board members, and anyone else who could become troublesome.

  His phone pinged and he dug it out again and opened the text. He licked his lips several times as he stared at Denise’s fingers inside her shaved pussy. His newest toy was turning out to be quite the adventurous vixen.

  Denise: Wanna play, Daddy?

  “Fuck, yeah,” he muttered under his breath.

  Bret: What do u have in mind?

  Denise: Besides riding ur face & sucking u dry … a lot of things.

  Bret: If u fuck me good, I’ll take u to Aspen with me.

  Denise: Ohhh, Daddy!

  He laughed. There was definitely something to be said about young college students who didn’t have any money—it didn’t take much to excite them.

  Bret: I’ll send a car to pick u up. Wear lingerie & put ur butt plug in.

  Denise: The one with the shiny pink jewel?

  Bret: Yeah. I like u in pink.

  Denise: I’ve got a pretty pink pussy.

  He chuckled.

  Bret: Just the way I like it. Put ur plug in now. I want you nice and stretched.

  Denise: OK, Daddy. I better go.

  Bret tapped in the number for the Ritz Carlton and reserved the suite. Next, he contacted Emerson, his right-hand man, informing him that something had come up and he’d be late, and to push the following day’s meeting from the morning to the afternoon. As Bret passed the dresser, his gaze landed on their marriage portrait. He stopped and picked it up. “We were so happy back then,” he said in a low voice, his thumb grazing the side of Savannah’s face. “We had a good thing going, so why’d you have to fuck us up? Wasn’t I enough for you?” As far as Bret was concerned, the day Savannah had announced she was pregnant was the end of their marriage, so all bets were off. He was faithful for the two years they’d dated and, for the most part, during the six years they were married before she fucked everything up. “I loved you more than any woman I’ve ever known, but you blew it, baby. You broke up this marriage, not me.”

  For several minutes, he stared at Savannah’s shining blue eyes, her bright smile, and her feminine curves, and then he placed the framed photograph face down on the dresser and made his way to the bathroom to get ready for a night with his twenty-year-old plaything.

  Chapter Eleven

  Savannah pulled into the garage, slid out of Ryder’s Jeep, and walked around back to take out the bags from her shopping spree. She’d dropped Timmy over at Cara and Hawk’s house earlier that morning and had a quick cup of coffee with Cara. At first, Savannah was uneasy about the idea of leaving Timmy at the house of the vice president of an outlaw motorcycle club. When she’d met Hawk at Ryder’s cabin, the dark-haired man had intimidated the hell out of her, but Ryder assured her that his bark was worse than his bite when it came to his brothers and the people in their lives. But when Ryder took her and Timmy over to meet Cara and their son, Savannah took an instant liking to the friendly woman. They ended up talking for a few hours while Ryder and Hawk went over to the Insurgents’ clubhouse. Timmy and Braxton got along fine, and their daughter, Isa, seemed to have taken a real shine to Savannah, which touched her and stirred up buried longings to have another child. At thirty-six and separated, she knew time was ticking away, but she didn’t want to think that all hope was lost.

  Savannah pushed open the door with her shoulder and set the packages down on the bench. She kicked off her boots and hung up her jacket then scooped up the bags and headed into the kitchen.

  From the doorway, she saw Ryder sitting on the couch, his good leg propped up on the coffee table, and Brutus’s head resting on his lap. The dog barked but didn’t raise his head, then Ryder craned his neck, and those intense eyes that made her shiver bored into her.

  “Must’ve been a helluva shopping trip,” he said, his gaze still on her.

  Savannah came into the room and dropped the bags on one of the overstuffed chairs. “It was.” She smiled and sat down on the other end of the couch.

  Since that night when she’d come into his room during his nightmare, Ryder had kept his distance. At first, Savannah had been hurt and disappointed, but as the days rolled by and she had time to get to know him better, she realized that he was embarrassed that she’d seen him like that. Silly, of course, but it made sense since Ryder had a real tough, independent edge to him. The guy was a biker, for Christ’s sake, and for several years he’d been an active member of an outlaw club, which sort of scared the crap out of her when she really thought about it. The guys who came around were all members, and they looked like they wouldn’t hesitate to cut a person’s throat if they crossed them. But what blew her away was how they looked out for Ryder and each other. They came over often, brought groceries, and one of them called every day to make sure he was doing all right. She could feel the love, mutual trust, and camaraderie they all shared; she’d never seen such a bond or connection like that between a group of unrelated people.

  “What did you get Timmy?” Ryder brought a mug to his lips.

  “A couple of games he’s been wanting for his Nintendo, some books, puzzles, and a whole bunch of other things.” Savannah tilted her head. “I know, it’s too much, but I feel terrible that he won’t be home for Christmas. He misses my parents a lot.”

  Ryder pivoted toward her. “Does he miss his dad?”

  “I’m sure he does, but he hasn’t talked about him so much.” She kneaded her shoulder. “My husband wasn’t into having a kid.”

  For a few seconds, Ryder just sat there piercing her with his gaze. “I kinda gathered that. So is the dude your husband or ex?”

  Savannah folded her hands in her lap. “Soon-to-be ex.”

  “So, you’re divorcing him?”

  “I want to. I spoke to a lawyer before I’d left Boston. I was planning to file the paperwork, but then he … let’s just say things changed, and I had to get away sooner than I planned.”

  Ryder quirked his lips. “Do you wanna talk about what changed?”


  It was a shameful secret lodged in her throat, ready to choke her every time she contemplated telling it. “Not really.”

  “When you do, I’m here. I’m a damn good listener.”

  A small smile fell across her lips. And a damn good kisser. That’s what came to your mind, Savannah? Really? The truth was that she couldn’t get their kiss out of her mind, and she was hoping he’d want to kiss her again. The way she’d been subtly flirting with him and patting his hands and shoulders, Savannah thought she was giving off signals that she wouldn’t rebuke him, but he hadn’t made a move. He’s probably not really interested, but he does look at me. A lot. Maybe he thinks “why bother” considering Timmy and I will be leaving after Christmas, and he’s right. What would be the point in starting anything?

  “You look like you got something important on your mind. Care to share it?”

  His deep voice took her out of her musings, and she tossed her hair over her shoulders. “I want to go to the tree-lighting ceremony. Cara told me about it when I dropped Timmy off at her house. She said it’s a community thing, and the tree is lit in some square.”

  “They’ve been doing that since I can remember. The town council gets this big-ass tree and decorates it, then they have somewhat of a festival when the tree’s lit. Main Square is where they do that.”

  “Do you still go?”

  A crease lined his forehead, and his brows knitted. “No. Haven’t done that shit in a long time.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m not into it—or any of the holiday cheer bullshit rammed down our fucking throats every December.”

  Savannah jerked her head back. “I guess you don’t have the spirit of Christmas.”

  “No, I don’t. It’s just about spending money, putting on fake smiles, and pretending to like each other even though most are bitches and bastards the rest of the year. It’s all bullshit.” Ryder waved his hand toward the packages on the chair. “Look at all the money you spent. Why the fuck can’t people buy presents and show they care during the year, and not just reserve it for one damn day?”