Ryan's Christmas Miracle Read online

  RYAN'S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

  Sam Crescent

  EROTIC ROMANCE

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com

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  A Secret Cravings Publishing Book

  Erotic Romance

  RYAN'S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

  Copyright © 2011 by Sam Crescent

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-61885-103-1

  First E-book Publication: November 2011

  Cover design by Dawné Dominique

  Edited by Stephanie Ballestreri

  Proof read by Rene Flowers

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Secret Cravings Publishing

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com

  Dedication

  To anyone who loves Christmas and looks forward to this time of year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

  RYAN'S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

  Sam Crescent

  Copyright © 2011

  Chapter One

  “Mummy, is Santa coming tonight?”

  Jemma Stein glanced over at her three-year-old daughter, her face covered in chocolate and her fingers creating little patterns on her white tray. The joy of finger painting.

  “Not tonight silly, I’m still at school and Santa knows to bring presents when I’m not at school,” her eldest son, Billy, told Megan as he munched on the bowl of chocolate flakes. Whose clever idea had it been to allow her kids to make pudding? Oh, that’s right, hers.

  Shaking her head, Jemma turned her attention to her youngest son, Sean, currently sitting in his baby chair eating some pumpkin soup. Strangely, the little darling enjoyed the orange gloop. There would always be one child in the family who didn’t like their mother’s cooking and it looked like Sean was going to be that baby. The smell of mince pies with the subtle hint of nutmeg scented the air while the children worked on their own dessert.

  Christmas was a few short weeks away and Jemma still had all the food shopping to do, and a few toys left to purchase. Thankfully she’d been buying toys and preserves throughout the year so it shouldn’t be a manic time shopping for the last few things. Being a single parent was incredibly difficult. Well, unless you counted Ryan. The man was a god and completely out of her reach. He was her rock and the person she counted on more than anything.

  Before the birth of Sean, Jemma had gotten a visit in the middle of the night that no family should ever have to deal with. Simon, her husband, had been hit by a drunk driver late at night travelling home. He was killed instantly. Being heavily pregnant, with two small children not yet in school, along with bills ringing around her head, had caused her so much despair, Jemma still couldn’t believe how she’d managed to get through. She wouldn’t have been able to if not for Ryan. Her late husband’s best friend had given her a shoulder to cry on through all the bad times.

  He’d also been at her side for the birth of her third child, holding her hand as she screamed and cried all the way through. Helped her register Billy for school and been there for Megan. Whenever she needed him, Ryan was her saviour.

  Jemma checked the time to see when he’d be around. Five-thirty glowed back at her, just another half an hour and he’d be coming through the front door. Ryan had his own key, the one Simon had given him in case of emergencies and she needed anyone.

  Jemma wondered if Ryan would like the chicken stew she’d experimented on. Her heart quickened as she ran her fingers through her straggly blonde hair, hoping she would have the time to run a brush through the wayward strands and change her chocolate, flour and pumpkin stained shirt.

  The past few months had been a little alarming to Jemma as she suddenly started to feel her heart open up toward Ryan. She looked forward to seeing him, liked taking the kids out as a family.

  Could she love the man who’d been her husband’s best friend?

  Jemma allowed herself to drift off and remember the moment they changed toward each other.

  She’d curled up against him, like she usually did, watching a movie. Everything was harmless, until the heroine and hero on the TV screen had decided their lust for each other could no longer wait. The next five minutes of film had been the longest five minutes of her life.

  She’d felt Ryan tense underneath her. Her own reaction had been instant and she couldn’t resist glancing down to see if he was as hard as she was wet.

  His cock had created a delightful outline where it lay in his jeans. Without thinking, Jemma had looked up into his eyes, his sinfully sexy green eyes. She saw his lust, the temptation and her body responded in kind.

  In that moment of looking, they’d gone from being best friends, to potential lovers.

  Ryan had moved first, leaning toward her lips. Jemma hadn’t pulled away but pleaded with her eyes for him to continue, to feel her, touch her.

  From that one potential kiss, she’d become a wanton woman, not a mother or widow.

  “Ryan,” she’d whispered, feeling his breath fan her face. He was so close.

  “Mommy, can I have a drink? I’m thirsty,” Billy had asked from the living room doorway, shocking both of them apart.

  Jemma felt guilty, flushed and frustrated.

  She came out of her memory as her son with his meaty fist, grabbed his pumpkin soup spoon and shook it vigorously, splattering Jemma with orange stain-worthy soup.

  “Thank you, darling,” she said, wiping the orange slop from her cheek with a towel. Her body was on fire thinking about the endless possibilities with Ryan.

  Her gaze wandered to the clock.

  Twenty-five minutes left until she saw him next. She couldn’t wait for his arrival.

  * * * *

  Ryan drove out of town. He’d made a quick stop for some groceries like he did every Monday. He smiled as he passed the townsfolk waving and greeting back at them. The small town was an array of activity as they were all doing some sort of Christmas shopping. How long until Christmas? About fourteen days? He couldn’t remember. Time seemed to go quickly these days. Between work and spending time with Jemma and the kids his time to sit and think was limited.

  He wondered what Jemma wanted to do this year. Last Christmas, without Sim
on, they’d both tried to give the kids a lovely time but his presence had been missed. Now, a year later, the children were coping and understood their father was in Heaven and wouldn’t be coming home. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop this time of year from being difficult.

  Ryan guessed, they would have to sit and talk about her plans. Would she still want him around the house? Even with Simon alive, Ryan had always been around for Christmas dinner, in fact he’d always made sure he was there in time to see the kids open their presents. He’d played a huge role within the family and one he was pleased he shared with Jemma.

  In truth, he’d been in love with Jemma since, well, since forever. Ryan had been looking for Simon when he first saw her, she’d been smiling and he thought for a second the smile was meant for him until he finally noted Simon’s presence. His heart melted on the spot and even to this day it was all hers to do with as she pleased. The only problem had been Simon had known her first and Ryan loved his best friend, he would never ruin a perfect union.

  Jemma had been young when they’d all met. Simon twenty-five to her eighteen but their love could be seen by everyone who looked.

  When Jemma turned twenty, Simon married her and had gotten her pregnant as soon as possible.

  In the background, Ryan was best man and then godfather and adopted uncle. Now he didn’t have the first clue what he was.

  Ryan wanted so much to be the one for Jemma. To be the man she could fall in love with and whom she’d trust with her three children. He loved them as if they were his own.

  Ten minutes later he parked outside her house. No fairy lights or decoration dotted the house outside. When Simon had been home he and Ryan used to decorate the entire outside, illuminating it. Last year, Jemma refused to get the decorations out let alone place them up around the house. Too soon and too painful, those colourful sparkles another reminder Simon was gone. Sighing, Ryan took in the rest of the street. They were the only house not adorned for Christmas.

  Would she ever move on from the memory of Simon? A few months ago, he’d thought so, her reaction to him while watching a movie, convinced him she wanted him. The kiss they were so close to sharing, would have been their first. After she put Billy back to bed, Ryan watched as she withdrew from him, helpless to stop it from happening. He could only live in hope, one day she would look at him and see the love and devotion he felt for her.

  Taking the bag of groceries, he made his way to the house that contained his future with the woman who owned his heart and soul.

  As soon as Ryan opened the door, he heard the children laughing. Smiling, he dropped the bag and went in search of the fun taking place.

  Ryan found them all in the sitting room. Jemma was play fighting with Billy and Megan while little Sean lay on his stomach bobbing about in some form of a crawl. He looked more like a seal or an otter.

  He stood next to the door frame and just watched their enjoyment. Jemma dived for Billy pulling him against her and tickling him under the arms. Megan jumped on her mother’s back, attempting to tickle her mummy. Smiling and laughing, the trio collapsed in a heap on the floor.

  Ryan clapped his hands together. “Bravo,” he chuckled.

  “Uncle Ryan,” Megan and Billy screeched leaving their mother panting on the floor. Ryan hugged the two children as he stared at Jemma. She lay on her back but her eyes were on his, smiling a welcome. She wore a baggy tracksuit, covering every single curve, her top stained but to him she looked beautiful. A sexy as hell mother staring back at him with her chocolate brown eyes.

  “Guess what Mummy said! Guess! Guess!” The little devils pulled on his shirt to get his attention back on them.

  “What? What?” He laughed.

  “Mummy said we could get the lights out and decorate the house,” Billy told him pointing outside.

  Ryan glanced over at Jemma as she stood up, raising an eyebrow at her.

  “I wondered if you would like to help us decorate the whole house. Inside and out?” Ryan watched Jemma pat her hair, as she pulled it up into a ponytail. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to run his fingers through the glorious length.

  “Would you?” she asked, smiling and walking closer to him.

  “Huh?” He had to force himself not to stare at her tits. He was a man and he desired this woman unlike any other. He wanted her so bad it was verging on obsession. Even in a bra she was full and womanly. Ryan closed his eyes as he felt the stirring in his groin. Getting an erection in front of the children wouldn’t do.

  “Will you help us decorate the whole house?” Jemma asked.

  If his heart could explode from his chest, it would. Ryan saw the glowing happiness highlighting her face. Her eyes—tired from lack of sleep—but alight with new found promise. He wondered what this new side of Jemma meant. Could she be moving on?

  Ryan smiled down at the giddy children. “I’d love too.”

  Billy and Megan cheered while baby Sean squealed from the floor.

  Ryan scooped him up and melted as the little boy kissed his cheek. How he wished, this family was his own.

  “So, when are we getting ready for Christmas?” Ryan asked everyone, bouncing Sean on his hip as they walked through to the dining room.

  “Tonight, tonight...” Billy and Megan cried in unison.

  “Not tonight, I’ll get everything ready and we can do it this weekend.” Jemma came to him and took Sean from his arms.

  “You putting them to bed?” he asked.

  Jemma nodded.

  “I’ll help.”

  She looked as if she may say no but nodded and headed upstairs. He picked up the other two and followed behind her.

  * * * *

  With her heart pounding and hands shaking, she served up her chicken stew with boiled rice. She found a new recipe that included tomato sauce, basil, onions and paprika. At least it smelt good, if not she had the pizza place on speed dial.

  Jemma heard Ryan coming down the stairs. She pulled a beer from the fridge and some bottled water for her. Looking down at her shirt, she cursed. She should have changed the awful thing after putting Sean down for the night.

  Frustrated, she shook her head. He must be used to her looking like a sack of potatoes.

  Ryan entered the kitchen and smiled.

  That grin made her pause for a second. He was such a handsome man.

  “They down?” she asked, moving to the kitchen drawer to pull out knives and forks for the pair of them.

  She watched as he nodded and moved to sit at the side.

  “No, no, you sit here.” Jemma pointed to the seat she’d set up at the head of the table. He frowned but didn’t argue. She couldn’t look away as he took the place Simon used to occupy. Instead of the pain she imagined she would feel, there was a deep sense of calm and rightness having him there.

  Smiling, she handed him his fork and knife and sat next to him.

  “Should I ask what this is or should I just dive in?” he asked about the food.

  Her food experiments had become a long running joke between the two of them. Jemma shook her head. “Just try it and see what you think. Oh wait.” She ran to the fridge and pulled out a small kiddie’s bowl complete with a cartoon character.

  “A creme freche and chive sauce.” She gave him the spoon to dollop some on top. Seconds later they were diving in. Both murmured their approval. Another experiment thankfully had gone right.

  They ate in silence, enjoying the peace and the food.

  Ryan finished first leaning back with a hand to his stomach. “Wow, honey, that was fantastic.”

  Jemma glowed under the praise while she let her gaze linger on his defined abs. He worked out at the local gym. The women who went there would stand around chattering about how defined he was when they talked at the local supermarket. When he cut the lawn last summer, he’d remove his shirt and those mouth-watering muscles would be slick with sweat, irresistible to ignore.

  Her pussy creamed as she thought about licking a pa
th down each ridge, tasting his body on her tongue. She loved kissing and devoting a good deal of her time to the physical form of a man. She pulled her mind away from the sinful images plaguing her mind.

  Her stomach in knots, she dropped her fork onto the plate. She wouldn’t be able to eat anything else.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked his hand resting on her back. He was so large, the width of his palm covered half of her. She shivered from the bolt of lust firing her up—wondering what it would be like to be at this man’s mercy. She knew Ryan would be a considerate lover. Along with the gossip about his physique, tales of his prowess in the bedroom had also made it to her ears.

  “Nothing,” she croaked as the saliva disappeared leaving her throat aching and scratchy.

  His finger under her chin had Jemma lifting her face to meet his concerned eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  I want you. I want you to take me to bed and remind me what it’s like to be a woman. Desired and lusted after.

  Jemma wanted to cry, how she wanted to be with him. For months now all she could think about is their future. He was always at the house, staying over more nights than not.

  She stopped breathing as his fingers moved from her chin, his thumb rubbed along her bottom lip. Jemma glanced back at him. Never before had he touched her like this.

  Jemma held her breath waiting, hopeful and terrified. What would it mean if she saw more in this than he did?

  Simon had been her first and only lover. She was only twenty-five. She couldn’t let her body, mind and heart die with him, could she?

  She didn’t know anything anymore, her entire being a mass of nerves.

  Jumping up and breaking the contact, Jemma took their plates in shaking fingers and dumped them in the sink full of hot water. She released a breath staring at the cupboard above the sink, trying to calm down.