Christmas Magic: A Billionaire Single Dad Romance Read online

  CHRISTMAS MAGIC

  A Billionaire, Single Dad Romance

  By Cassidy London

  Copyright © 2018 Cassidy London

  All Rights Reserved.

  This work is one of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or deceased is purely coincidental. Names, places, and characters are figments of the author’s imagination. All trademarked items included in this novel have been recognized as so by the author. The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

  Titles by Cassidy London

  Suburban Secrets series

  Couples Night Out

  Weekend Getaway

  Island Resort

  INKED LOVE

  Coming December 2018

  For Susanna

  Thank you for reminding me that I am limitless.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  EPILOGUE

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Cassidy London Books

  Inspired by steamy truths more outrageous than fiction

  Because some of our best stories are the ones we can never tell anyone. Until now.

  Every Cassidy London book has been inspired by a steamy truth that comes directly from the pages of Cassidy’s Confessional.

  What’s your steamy truth?

  Share yours at Cassidy’s Confessional and you may end up inspiring the next steamy Cassidy London book!

  Website: http://www.cassidylondon.com/

  Facebook: Cassidy London Author

  Instagram: cassidy_london_books

  Chapter 1

  LUKE RYDER

  My eyes opened and the vaulted ceiling above me, came into focus. My brain revolted at the thought of getting up and dealing with this day. A few more minutes of comfort just felt too damn good. The softness of the blankets and the warmth melted away all the bad memories. Well, not completely… but at least it kept them at bay.

  Even if stealing a few more minutes in bed didn’t feel amazing, I’d have done it, anyway. In fact, I’d have done just about anything to avoid starting this day. How the hell was it the twenty-fourth of December already? Fuck. Another year of going through the motions. Another season of trying to avoid it all.

  Pulling the blankets back up over my head, I rolled over for a second time since my eyes had opened. I hated Christmas. All that crap about the most wonderful time of the year was bullshit. That was only in Hallmark movies or Norman Rockwell families. Yeah, you know them. They’re the ones seated around the dinner table, all smiling together. A roaring fire behind them, not care in the world. Well, the real world wasn’t like that. And this year, I would need to suck it up more than ever. Now, I was no stranger to the hurdles life throws at you but I was intent on keeping them from Mason. At least for a little while longer. He was only seven and still thought the sun shone out of my ass. If he only knew… But, that’s a story for another day.

  First, I needed to focus on tying up loose ends for work. Then I’d be free to let the household staff go for the holidays. That meant getting my ass up out of bed, pronto. As always, I was giving my house staff paid time off until after the New Year. Despite my scrooge like approach to the holidays, I could be a nice guy. Sometimes.

  I hauled myself out of bed, rested my feet on the floor and took a moment to just breathe. My skin bristled in the cool air, making me shift. Mornings always made me jittery. Frustration growled out from under my breath as I headed over to the bathroom. I needed a good, hard FUCK... I meant run, yeah… RUN. Shaking my head, I laughed at my own thoughts. Thank God for the treadmill I kept in my suite on mornings like this. Despite having zero desire to get close to a woman, I couldn’t deny that my body still had certain needs. Needs that felt stronger in those early hours of the day.

  I reached for a soft cotton t-shirt and shorts to throw on over my boxers. Within five minutes, I had my shoes laced up and was ready to go. Today would be a speed work day. I could feel it. Speed work always helped to tame the beast. And if not, well, that’s what cold showers were for.

  Anything to get my mind back in the game.

  Every year since that God-awful Christmas eve, I had boycotted the entire season. Choosing to take Mason away on vacations instead. We’d been to some incredible places around the globe. Bucket list type of places. That kid was my life, he was all I lived for. I loved showing him the world.

  One year, he was into elephants, so I booked an African safari. We saw the big five and more elephants than the kid could handle. The trip was incredible and so was his little mug in every damn picture. He can even cross South-East Asia off his list and even a remote private island in French Polynesia. Fortunately, my job as CEO of Ryder Enterprises has afforded us a life that most others would envy. Yeah, on the surface we have it all. Or at least we did.

  Anger shot through me, pausing my thoughts, taking me to a darker place. A place I hated. I took a deep breath and shook it off as I started my brisk warm up walk.

  So, traveling was a great plan until Mason insisted on “a real Christmas”. I’m such a suck for that kid, I went for it, despite all the promises I’d made to myself. So here we were, at home. Ready for a fucking, snow-filled, traditional Chicago Christmas. I’d even had the staff put up a tree. Damn, the things you do for your kids.

  I ran for about an hour until the sweat poured out of me and washed all my doubts and fears about the holidays away. Not really. But it suppressed them long enough to finish my workout, shower and get in a few emails. That was a record for me.

  Once I was ready, I headed downstairs to Mason’s suite and stopped in the doorway for a few moments. He was oblivious to my being there, and I watched him for a while, engrossed in his Legos. Lost in a world of Ninjago fighters, spinning out of control with glee.

  “I am a Ninja Master!” he yelled to no one in particular.

  A familiar tightness in my chest formed, making it harder for me to breathe. Mason was always alone. Because of my job and constant travel, he’d been home schooled. Sometimes I wondered if that had been the right choice. God, I wished he had a friend or a sibling to play with. Although it wasn’t the same, at least he had his nanny Olivia, most of the time, anyway.

  “Come on, buddy.” I called out to him. “We need to go say goodbye to everyone and wish them a Merry Christmas.”

  “Okay Daddy!” Mason smiled back up at me, his small hand sliding into my own. “But not Olivia, right? I want her to stay.”

  I felt for him. Olivia was the only woman who came close to being a mother figure for him.

  Mason’s mother.

  I got the chills just thinking about her. My blood pressure boiled, my fists clenched up. I could feel my jaw locking… every fucking time.

  How could SHE have done this to us? TO HIM. Never again.

  I tried to push those horrid thoughts out of my mind. It’s nothing, nothing. I repeated to myself. She’s dead to me, to us.

  Back when it happened and for a long time afterwards, people would ask me if I hated Claire. I didn’t hate her, really; I didn’t.

  I nothing’d her.

  “Sorry Mas... but Olivia needs to go home too, okay? Everyone has a home to go to and a family to see.” Despite my words, I imagined, just for a split second, what it would be like to have her stay with us… for Mason.

  I remembered when I had interviewed her for the nanny position three years ago. Her soft
chestnut hair had hung in loose curls accentuating her tiny waist and perky breasts. Warm, caramel eyes that seemed to beckon me in. Not to mention her scent. Oh God... Three years later and I still always know when she’s in the house. It’s not perfume or anything fake like that but something different. Something I can never quite put my finger on when she’s gone… but I fucking crave it until she returns.

  I’ve never let on though. I’m a master at hiding my thoughts and feelings. And to her credit, Olivia is an exceptional nanny. A complete professional with me and all the staff yet over the top loving with Mason. It’s almost like she’s his aunt or a favorite cousin. He loves her so much and just for that, I’m beyond grateful that she’s a part of our lives.

  Okay enough daydreaming, man! Olivia was the nanny! Like everyone else on staff, she wanted to get the hell out of Dodge and go home for the holidays. Besides, I’d made a promise to myself that I’d never get caught up with a woman again.

  Now… a man still has needs. However, there were professionals for that. I made a mental note to call up the agency I used for such services. I wasn’t the kind of man who took any whore off the street. Karina’s Klassy Entertainment for Fine Gentlemen, despite the trashy sounding name was just that; classy.

  Karina’s girls were not just beautiful, they were knowledgeable women who could hold a conversation. I often called on them when I needed a date to an event or an informal gathering. After Claire left, I learned that showing up under the single dad label was nothing but a recipe for a blind date.

  There were two girls from Karina’s that I enjoyed regularly. I’d invited them up to my loft in the city too. Not here though, not in Mason’s home. I kept a loft in the city for my extra-curricular activities.

  I wondered if I could book with Karina’s for New Year’s Eve. That was another evening I hated. Mason was still too young to notice, but I always tried to skip out on that day too. Typically, I leave him behind with a babysitter so I could spend the evening ramming myself into the backside of Klassy girl.

  If I could have avoided the entire month of December, I would have. Not this year though.

  I ruffled Mason’s hair. “Okay…” he mumbled, defeated at my comment about Olivia having to leave. He looked sad. I knew what he’s thinking, and it was killing me. Why didn’t we have anyone else? Why was it always just the two of us? One day I’d have to tell him the truth. But not today.

  No, today was all about Santa, candy canes and reindeer. Granted, I would have much rather been snorkeling in the Maldives. However, I was going to make Christmas special for Mason, even if it killed me. Grabbing his hand in mine, we marched off towards the main hall.

  Chapter 2

  OLIVIA DAVIS

  We’d all been waiting in the main hall for about fifteen minutes. His tardiness was making me uneasy. It was unlike him, he was usually so punctual. I shifted my weight from right to left uncomfortably. Every other year, he’d given us the time off in advance. This year, we were down to the wire. Typically, Luke and Mason travelled at Christmastime but honestly, I was unsure as to why. I found it such a strange time to travel, especially with a young child who loved Christmas.

  When I was hired, the only instructions Luke had given me was to tend to his son. Rumors around the house had it that Mason’s mom had died when he was just a year old. The details however, were different depending on who you spoke to. I knew something traumatic had happened. It was obvious when you looked into Luke’s eyes. Those eyes. Oh man...A cerulean blue when he was in a good mood and on occasion, when he wasn’t, they were a dark navy, almost black. I tried to stay away in those moments though… I had to admit that he made me a little on edge the best of times.

  Luke was the kind of man with presence. When he walked into a room, everyone sat up and took note. Women fell at his feet in an instant, men would fight for his attention. Luke Ryder was not only one of the wealthiest men in the Chicago but he probably took the award for the hottest too. At thirty-four years old with a well-defined, athletic build, he was every woman’s ultimate, rich single dad, fantasy. His inky black hair and permanent five o’clock shadow was a stark contrast to those striking blue eyes. Eyes that mesmerized me so much, I found it difficult to have even a simple conversation with the man. Somehow, I would inevitably stumble over my words and end up feeling stupid. It happened every single time. It was so embarrassing. Fortunately, my business was with Mason and Mason only.

  Despite my boss’ strange habits and secretive life, I absolutely adored his son Mason. He was the reason overnights and long hours were all worth it. Luke often travelled and worked late hours at his company. The man was an import/export, self-made billionaire with more money than God, as my great aunt Lucy used to say. So, in order to balance things out, I was often required to step up my role in his home. As much as I loved Mason and the hours just slipped away when we were together, I was concerned that my job was overtaking my life. I mean, what life did I have outside this mansion?

  As if his stunning good looks and adorable little kid wasn’t enough, Luke certainly made it easy to work for him. I had my own room with an ensuite bathroom, acres of grounds to explore and a full equipped Audi at my disposal. Not to mention, the money. He paid me three times my previous salary and all I needed to do in return, was entertain the sweetest, most lovable little boy I’d ever met. It was hands down, the best job I’d ever had.

  But of course, there was also Dan. The other man in my life.

  Dan had moved in to my apartment a while ago. It was fine, we’d been together about six months. He’d wanted to move things along faster and even talked about getting engaged. But let’s just say, that the transition to living together hadn’t been all sunshine and lollipops. Maybe that’s was my fault though…Dan did say that I placed too much emphasis on my work. He felt that me spending all my time surrounded by stuffed animals and Legos instead of with him was huge negative in our relationship.

  Anyway, our issues couldn’t all be my fault. Dan had started keeping longer hours himself. Maybe it was because I wasn’t around enough or maybe it was something else…the sex was okay but definitely not mind-blowing. I knew we had problems. Which was why, I really needed this time off to reconnect with him and figure out where our relationship was going.

  Where WAS Luke? I looked around the main hall restlessly. By the looks of the staff, everyone seemed to be feeling the same way. Time was ticking and I still had some shopping to do on my way home. My gifts for Luke and Mason were ready though, I just had to remember to put them under the tree before I left.

  Oh, how I wished I could be there to see little Mason’s face when he opened up his gift from me! Except for that round baby face, he was a carbon copy of Luke. Dark hair and eyes as blue as the sea. Except Mason’s were always twinkling with delight and happiness. Despite having everything a kid could want, he wasn’t spoiled at all. Just a precocious little man filled with a million questions and in awe of life.

  Lost in my thoughts, I looked up sharply as I heard heavy footsteps approaching. It was him. Crazy how I would know that cadence anywhere. Not to mention, the sound of little feet following him. I closed my eyes and imagined Mason running and jumping across the crocodiles that he pretended lived between the cracks of the tiles. Just the sound of that little dude, made my mouth grin and my heart fill with joy.

  They rounded the corner and a collective gasp of surprise was heard. Typically, we only saw Luke when he was going to work in a three-piece suit. Today though, he was casual in a cashmere sweater and jeans. The relaxed look made him appear less stressed for once and much younger than his thirty-four years. His clothes clung tightly to his body, accentuating his athletic physique. Those tight jeans drew my focus between his legs, making me blush. He may have been my boss and a high-powered business man, but he was also undeniably, insanely sexy. One look at him and all the heat in my body seemed to pool between my thighs. I could feel his eyes scanning the staff and I hesitated to look directly at him. I truly
loved my job but feared that if he thought I was affected by him like everyone else, he would replace me. Mrs. Adler, his chef, had once overheard him on the phone. Apparently, he was saying to someone, that he would only hire men or older married women. He had no desire to deal with girls who wanted more from him than he had to give. So, I forced myself to avert my eyes and fiddle with my phone instead.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you for another year of service.” He began. “Your holiday bonuses have been deposited into your accounts and you now have some time off until January 2nd.”

  Thinking it was safe, I looked up. He was staring right at me. Fuck. I tried to look away but somehow, we seemed to stay there locked together for a moment too long. Finally, he broke it off and turned his head. I could never tell what he was thinking. He didn’t smile, didn’t frown, he just stared. And usually, like an idiot, I blushed. Thank goodness, I didn’t need to speak to him.

  As everyone started to say their goodbyes. I took a moment to slip into the next room where there was a massive Nutcracker sized Christmas tree. It was so magnificent, I could only hope that that my little gifts wouldn’t go unnoticed under such a massive tree. I really wanted to give Mason his gift myself but the time off was very much needed. At least the little guy would know that I’d be thinking of him.

  Luke too.

  Back in the hall, I watched closely as he said goodbye and happy holidays to the staff. Luke was professional, poised and very much emotionally removed. Like a gorgeous robot on auto pilot.