The twist is still to come. But you wanted more of them together first and I wanted to show you more of Ryan as a person first. He is a winner believing in Tally straight away when it comes to Ashley. Long chapter - could have broken into two chapters but couldn't do that to you guys. Love Billie
Ashley answered after three rings, saying before he got a chance to speak. “I was going to call you.”“What about?” Ryan asked.“About having lunch tomorrow before I head down to my parents’ place for Christmas.” Ashley’s family home was two doors down from his own.“I can’t make tomorrow, but how about coffee?”Ashley laughed. “You are always so busy. Coffee would be great when?”“How about now? You know the coffee shop a block from the office?”“Of course I do. We have eaten there before.” Ashley reassured him.“Can you meet me there in 30 minutes?” Ryan looked at the time on the digital display on the dash. He would make it there with plenty of time. With no rush hour traffic.“Sure, I would love that. Your wife won’t get jealous, will she? I felt the vibe coming off her at the wedding.” Ashley said in a concerning tone.Lies, all lies. But Ryan controlled his tongue. He wanted to do this face to face. He would not have this bitch create trouble for him and Tally. If she didn’t get
Ryan got back into his car, leaning back against the seat, closing his eyes for just a moment. He felt drained and angry that Tally had been dealing with this bullshit. He was just glad his parents loved Tally, and Noah had taken his choice at face value. Noah had rung him after the wedding and told Ryan how great he thought Tally was. It was funny if anyone would have a problem with Tally. He would have thought it would have been Noah. His best friend had married suddenly. Ryan hadn’t even met April before the wedding day. They had separated within weeks. April had moved in to take care of her sick father.Ryan frowned. He had tried to talk to Noah about his failed marriage, but he hadn’t wanted to talk about it. Sighing, he didn’t want to get involved in anyone else’s marriage. He felt sorry for April; she had only been nineteen when Noah had married her. At the time, he had worried about that. Maybe the age difference had been too much for them. Ryan didn’t think he would ever find
Wednesday afternoon, Tally packed up her desk for the holidays, feeling a sense of relief. The office was closing early today, thanks to Ryan’s generosity, allowing everyone to unwind and enjoy drinks at the local pub. Tally couldn’t help but appreciate how considerate Ryan was, covering the bill for the evening.As Tally prepared for the upcoming Christmas festivities, she couldn’t contain her excitement about spending the holiday with Ryan’s parents. Unlike her own family, where Christmas was always overshadowed by drama and tension, Tally anticipated a joyous and harmonious celebration this year. She longed for the warmth and love that had been missing from her own family gatherings.With Ryan by her side, Tally believed that this Christmas would be different. She looked forward to creating new traditions and cherished memories with his family and, hopefully, by next Christmas, their own family.Ethan and Holly came through the door as she picked up her bag.“You ready.” Ethan asked
They arrived late to his parents’ place, but the lights were still blazing, indicating that his parents were still awake. The house, a stunning single-storey ranch style home, stood proudly before them. Ryan drove around the circular driveway leading to the house, before continuing on past the front door and driving around the back of the house to the four-car garage. Ryan had the electric door opener in his hand ready. Pressing the button, the door slid open.Once Ryan had parked the car, they got out and went to the back of the car to get their bags. Before opening the boot, Ryan’s arms circled her waist, bringing her body into full contact with his. She looked up at him, her blue gaze meeting his amber eyes. She loved the color, so different from anything she had ever seen before. That was until she met his father at their wedding. Now she knew where the unique shade came from. She hoped they had a little boy or girl with their daddy’s eyes.“You look tired.” Ryan lifted a hand and
Christmas morning Ryan had Tally sitting beside him in the lounge room as his parents started opening gifts. Ryan’s arm rested along the back of the sofa, his thumb rubbing up and down her arm. Ryan had left the gift buying to her for his parents. What did you buy for rich people who had everything? He had been no help when she had asked him for ideas. Men. Tally bit her lip. Now it was Christmas Day. She wasn’t so sure of her gift choices for his parents.Tally nervously watched as Ryan’s parents started unwrapping their first gift. After spending hours agonizing over what to buy, the time was here to see if what she had bought was the right choice.As Ryan’s mother unwrapped the chocolates, a smile spread across her face. She exclaimed, “Oh, these chocolates look absolutely divine! Thank you so much!” Brenda said to Ryan and Tally. The only thing Ryan had told her was Brenda loved chocolate.Paul opened the next gift, which was a portrait of Ryan and Tally. They had arranged it as a
How was she going to prove it? Ryan didn’t remember that night. She knew blackouts or blank spots in someone’s memory were possible if they drank too much. Frowning, she couldn’t ever believe that Ryan would ever drink that much. He was just to…. Controlled. Was the best word to describe him. That was until he made love. The thought was enough to flood her cheeks with color and send a sharp arrow of desire to her core. He was just so passionate. Sometimes though Tally wondered if he was holding back.Tally refocused. She had more important things to think about right now. But if Noah was the father of Ashley’s baby, how cruel was she to trick Ryan into believing that the baby was his? He lives with it even now. Tally remembered the emotion in his voice when he had told her. Ryan hadn’t been broken-hearted over the canceled wedding, just the lost life.What about poor Noah? He didn’t know he had fathered a child to only lose it again. Was he aware of how totally evil Ashley truly was?T
Ryan joined Tally and Noah, warmly embracing his wife and planting a loving kiss on her cheek. The anticipation of being alone with her overwhelmed him; she was truly captivating, both inside and out, igniting a passionate desire within him.Ryan positioned her so that she was resting against his chest, remaining close. She could feel his growing arousal pressing against her backside, causing her to catch her breath.Smiling, Ryan reached around Tally to shake Noah’s hand. “Merry Christmas, Noah.”Noah chuckled. “Merry Christmas. I was starting to wonder if you would even notice me here. You two are so engrossed in each other.” He grinned at them.A household staff member offered them drinks from a tray. Tally took a white wine, and the men chose red.Tally could see he was happy for them and wasn’t against their marriage. Which she was thankful. Noah didn’t know the truth about who her family was. He could have thought the same as Ashley that she was a gold digger.“Oh, I knew you wer
Ryan skimmed his fingers along her leg at the hem of her dress. The hardness of his body pinned her lower body to the bed and the evidence of his erection was pressed against her sex, leaving her in no doubt that he wanted her. Tally shifted her legs enough to allow him to settle between her legs. As his mouth teased her neck, he moved and pushed his shaft harder against her. His roaming fingers slipped under her dress.Then, remembering what she had planned for tonight, she put her hands against his shoulders and pushed him back.“Wait, I wanted to… “ Blushing, she didn’t know how to say it. In some things she exuded confidence but… She had never dressed sexy for bed before or to entice.Ryan's smile kicked up at one side. “What?”“I bought…” lowering her eyes. She ran her hands from his hard shoulders down to his hard chest. “I had another gift for you. I bought some sexy lingerie that I thought we could try tonight.” Tally’s voice trailed off as she felt a mixture of nervousness and