CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
SAVANNAH
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Ryder leads me to the front door. He doesn’t hold my hand, but he walks beside me. Something we can’t do on any normal day. Those ten or twelve steps are stupidly enjoyable.
I smile up at him as he opens the front door, and he winks.
Welcome back butterflies.
His home is large. Bigger than I would’ve imagined, and I realize he’s a reasonably wealthy man. Or has inherited it.
It’s not a mansion, but at a guess I’d say it’s a five- or six-bedroom home, which in Los Angeles is worth a stupid amount of money. Plus, he’s only twenty minutes from Hollywood Hills so, yeah, the math is mathing.
Ryder is rich.
The white double story house is classic looking and in good condition. Despite the size, the word modest comes to mind. It’s not flashy. It’s homely, I realize as we step inside.
Wooden floors and a large plush white mat meet me. A black jacket hangs on a hook, with a pair of running shoes sitting on the floor underneath it.
A meow sounds out and my eyes widen.
I crouch as a black kitten comes zooming around the corner.
“Oh, my goodness,” I say as it climbs onto my jeans and up my chest.
“Hey Max,” Ryder says, tossing his keys on a side table. “I see you’re as loyal as ever.”
I stand, lifting Max. “He’s adorable. How old?”
“Seven months,” Ryder says, scratching Max’s head.
“Meow,” Max squeaks and begins purring as loud as an engine. I giggle, falling in love with him immediately.
“The neighbor's kids look after him when I’m not here.” Ryder tells me as Max jumps from mine into his arms and climbs up onto his shoulder. “Come on in.”
He wanders ahead of me through the house with the kitten on his shoulder.
Is he for real?
My heart cannot take this level of sexy adorableness. Am I being set up?
Today Ryder is wearing dark gray jeans and a black shirt with rolled-up sleeves. With his tattoos on display and his wispy dark blonde hair, he’s already a walking sex god.
Add a kitten and I’m pretty sure I just got pregnant on the spot.
This man has no idea how he impacts me.
Or maybe he does.
I was not going to let him take me home. I realized my comment had upset him a second too late, but arguing with a man like Ryder is impossible. So I had to do something to disrupt him. Putting myself in a not really vulnerable position is the only thing that stops him in his tracks.
Today he might not be my bodyguard, but whether he likes it or not, it’s in his blood. I cannot imagine a time when he’d not protect me.
“Off you go. I have a special guest.” He drops Max to the floor, and the feline runs off to a cat tower and starts scratching at it.
I smile and hope he comes back to play.
“He’s so cute.” I sigh. “I always wanted a cat.”
“You never had a cat?” Ryder asks.
I shake my head. “No pets.”
He watches me for a moment, then reaches out his hand. I go to him, ignoring everything around me, although I’m aware of the two sofas and the simply decorated open plan living area.
“Confession,” Ryder says. “I’m fucking nervous.”
“What?” I laugh. “Why?”
“Shit, I don’t know. This might be slightly inappropriate.”
“I enjoy being inappropriate with you.” I grin, stepping even closer and laying my hands on his pecs.
God, they’re divine.
He shakes his head. “If this feels weird, I can take you home.”
“Okay, now I’m nervous.” I glance around him. “I’m not into sex parties or anything like that.”
He chuckles. “Sweetheart I told you I don’t share.”
I love it when he calls me sweetheart.
I take his face. “Don’t be nervous. Seeing you and meeting Max has already made my day a billion times happier.”
His eyes roam my face and it’s so strange to see him uncomfortable.
“There were so many things I wanted to do, but we can’t be out in public, and I had half a day to set it up. So. Shit. Come with me Savannah Sinclair.” Ryder says and leads me farther into the house.
Now I’m nervous.
He opens the double doors leading out to the back of the house and I stop dead. My mouth falls open as he lifts the glass dome off a large cake, and my eyes drift around, taking in everything else.
“Congratulations, sweetheart,” he says, lifting a bunch of white and gold flowers into my arms and then pops the top off a bottle of Cristal champagne.
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“RYDER,” I EXCLAIM, taking in the rose petals on the ground leading to the hot tub, which is bubbling away.
The cake is two tiers and on top it says “Congratulations Golden Globe nominee.” Max leaps up and tries to lick the cream cheese topping and we both swat him away, laughing.
No one has ever done anything like this for me.
I glance around and, as the sun is dipping in the sky, the fairy lights begin to sparkle, making the setting look romantic and special.
Like I’m special.
Not to millions of people...just to one.
“This is as close to what I promised you in NYC as I could get,” Ryder says, handing me a glass of the gold bubbles. “Just no Cheetos.”
I place the beautiful flowers down and swallow back my tears. I’m so overwhelmed I’m struggling to take it all in.
“I don’t have my bikini.”
“Part of my plan.” He smirks.
“Of course it is.” I giggle, then we undress and climb into the hot tub and sit grinning at one another.
“I can’t believe you did all this.” I take the champagne glass from him again.
He holds his up in a toast. “To one of this year’s Golden Globe best actress nominees. And to many more.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, and tears prick my eyes as our glasses clink.
“Now you can cry,” Ryder says.
So I do.
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RYDER
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HOW FUCKING NEGLECTFUL have her friends and family been?
Their loss. My gain.
If I could keep her.
Which I can’t.
This weekend I’m going to show Savannah just how special she is. Not because she is a movie star. Because she’s a beautiful person inside and out and deserves to have people celebrating her.
Tears fall down her face and I want to get in my car and drive to her parents’ houses and shoot the fuckers.
“No one has ever done anything like this for me, Ryder. This is...”
“Crazy?”
“Amazing.” Savannah shakes her head, taking in the fairy lights and playing with a rose petal on the edge of the hot tub.
Honestly, if those fucking things get in the filter it’s going to be an absolute nightmare to sort. But I knew she’d love it.
I stand up and reach for the pieces of cake I sliced, and hand one to her as I splash back down in the water.
“Is this vanilla cream cake?” she asks, slicing her finger through the icing and licking her fingers.
My cock twitches. She’s already naked, her nipples slipping in and out of the water. I’m trying to behave. I want to celebrate before devouring her. Which is part two of her treat.
Who am I joking? It’s a treat for me too.
“Yup.”
“You even color themed everything in white and gold.”
I shrug. “I might be a soldier, but I have other skills.”
She giggles and Max leaps up onto the edge.
“Dude. We talked about this. Remember what happened last time?” I say, holding my fork out to stop him falling.
Lick.
Savannah laughs some more.
This.
This is why I put today together for her. To see her smile. To see her happy. To see the joy in her eyes as it damn well should be.
To hear that laugh.
She’s incredible. What she’s achieved is remarkable, something few people will ever do. Why the fuck are people in her world not reminding her of that every single day?
Even if you take away her success and career, Savannah has a heart of gold. She’s vulnerable and kind, and her lack of confidence is endearing. Even if I would like to see her grow out of it.
The cream from my fork gets all over Max's black whiskers, and he tightrope-walks around the edge of the tub.
If he falls in again, I’m not saving him.
Lies.
Savannah slides her empty plate onto the wooden ledge and glides through the water to sit beside me. I get rid of my plate. Then lift her onto my lap as she wraps her legs around me.
“Better.” I growl as her mouth drops to mine.