Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
After he went to bed, we ended up on the sofa, locked in each other’s embrace, our mouths moving together with a hunger that couldn’t be satisfied. She was beautiful in her desire. Achingly sweet in her pleas for more.
“I don’t want to rush,” I murmured, wondering who the hell was talking. I wanted her. I wanted her more than I could recall wanting another woman in my entire life.
“Please give me this,” she whispered. “A memory I can think of and hold close.”
I drew back, shocked. “No, baby,” I whispered back. “No, that is not what this is. I’m not going to disappear. I won’t fuck you and vanish. I’m not walking out of your life.”
“I have nothing to hold you.”
I rested my forehead on hers. “You have given me more happiness in a day than I have felt in years. You and AJ. That is priceless. What you give me is inestimable. Your heart is far more valuable than the millions I touch every day.”
She clutched my wrists. “I want to believe that.”
“Then do. I told you—I’m your wish list.”
I hated to leave her. I had to force myself to walk out the door. I kissed her long and hard before leaving, promising to return the next day by lunchtime. It would be Christmas Eve, and I wanted as much time with them as possible.
In the condo, I prowled the vast space, noticing the emptiness of the rooms and the coldness of the décor. I had never given much thought to it before.
For all its shabbiness and cramped space, Rosie’s place was a home. This was simply a place to live.
I thought of how, with one phone call, I could have the place decorated, a huge tree brought in. Presents delivered and enough food to feed an army by tomorrow. I could bring her and AJ here and give them a Christmas beyond their expectations.
Except, I knew she wouldn’t like it. She would be overwhelmed and uncomfortable. Unlike women in my past, she wasn’t interested in me for my money. I barked out a laugh in the silence of the room. She had no idea who I really was. What I did. How rich I actually was. She had admitted to googling me, but she hadn’t dug very deep. It didn’t matter to her.
But she mattered to me. How it happened so quickly, I had no idea, but it did. I cared about her. About her son. And I knew she felt it too.
And I wanted to make Christmas good for her—for both of them.
Without overwhelming her or scaring her off.
I picked up my phone and made a call. A shocked voice on the other end answered.
“Asher?”
“I need your help.”
“With?”
“Pulling off a small miracle.”
“Hit me.”
CHAPTER FOUR
ASHER
I arrived just before lunch, knocking on Rosie’s door. She opened it, and I grinned at the jaunty Santa hat perched on her head. I set down my bag and stepped forward, cupping her face and kissing her. “Santa has never looked so sexy,” I murmured.
“It arrived this morning, along with a few other things,” she said, shaking her head. “Asher—”
“My contribution to the day,” I finished for her. “A few groceries and such.”
“Your such is extravagant. Lewis refused to take any of it back.”
“And she was pretty damn insistent.” My assistant strode in from the kitchen, covered in glitter and tinsel. “AJ and I were making some ornaments while your woman was cussing me out and telling me off,” he informed me with a twinkle in his eye. “You never said she was lippy. Just pretty.”
I shook his hand, still amazed at how lucky I was. When he’d listened to my requests last night, he hadn’t wasted time with questions or unwanted advice. He’d simply gotten to work and arranged some of the items I needed. The rest, I took care of myself this morning.
Some things a man needed to handle on his own. And as much as I appreciated Lewis’s extra efforts, I wanted to do the more personal ones.
I walked into the kitchen, laughing at AJ. He wore even more glitter, but the smile on his face was even brighter.
“Asher!” he crowed. “We made things!” He held up a brightly colored ball, the glitter literally dripping from it. “I like Lewis!”
“Me too, bud. You had fun?”
“Yeah! And Momma said she’d never seen so much food in our kitchen.”
I had made sure to add lots of extras to the list. I never wanted her to be without butter again for her toast. Or real cream.
I peered at her. “I assumed you wouldn’t normally make a turkey for just the two of you. I got us one. I thought we could cook it together.”
“And the rest of the stuff?” she asked quietly.
I shrugged. “Things I thought we might need. I had no idea what you had or didn’t have.”