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She gestures around the opulent room. “This is Charles, the hospital’s biggest donator. He makes events like this possible. And this is Susie. She’s Santa’s helper this year.”
“She gives me far too much credit.” Charles holds out his hand to me. “I’m just the man who writes the check. Marsha is the true magic here.”
Her cheeks go pink at the compliment.
I accept his hand and give it a quick shake. It’s smooth and soft, not at all what Rogue’s hands are like. No, his are calloused from years of hard work. I murmur something about how nice it is to meet him, but Charles isn’t paying me any attention. His focus is on Marsha and seeing the affection in his gaze makes my chest hurt. Will Rogue ever look at me that way? Will he ever want me with the ravenous hunger that Charles has for Marsha?
Glancing around the room, I finally realize how many people here are coupled. I’m alone, and for the first time in a long time, I feel it. I excuse myself from the conversation and thread my way through the crowd.
The moment I’m outside in the hospital courtyard, I’m collapsing onto the stone water fountain. It’s been turned off for the season. The spout has been replaced with a large Christmas tree that’s lit up and decorated with names of the doctors and staff at the hospital. I look up at the large star on top of the tree. “I know it’s the season of miracles and all. Maybe I could have a family of my own.”
4
ROGUE
Why is he touching her?Why is that pretty boy with shiny teeth touching my girl’s hand? I grind my molars together, unable to fight against the rage building inside of me.She’s mine.
“Are you listening, Dad? They’re saying it’s the worst blizzard here in fifty years,” Mackenzie tells me.
I press the phone to my ear and try to focus on the conversation with my daughter. She’s on a vacation with Ace, my best friend. At first, I wasn’t crazy about the two of them getting together. I’m still not. But after seeing Susie walking down the aisle in her bridesmaid dress at their wedding, some twisted part of me understood. When she’s your girl, she’s your girl.
I’ve spent months trying to fight the attraction, doing everything I can to cage it. But that’s not working. I only grow more frustrated, more restless with each passing day without her in my arms.
Tonight was pure torture. She’d barely look me in the eye, but every time she thought I wasn’t paying attention, she’d study me from beneath those long lashes. When her hand accidentally brushed mine during the stocking exchange, the cutest blush lit up her face. That adorable look was all it took for me to decide that I’m claiming her tonight.
“Don’t worry,” Mackenzie reassures me in a chipper tone. “I’m still looking for a way to get home for Christmas.”
Fuck, that’s what my daughter is concerned about? She’s worried that I’ll be sad on this holiday. She doesn’t know enough about my history to understand the holidays will always be a bittersweet time of year for me. “Stop worrying about your old man. I’ll be fine.”
I watch as Susie threads through the crowd, a desperate look on her face. She’s heading for the exit. The courtyard exit where she’ll be alone. It’d be the perfect opportunity. I can scoop her cute little ass up and have her on the back of my bike before anyone even realizes she’s missing. The idea fills me with way too much pleasure.
“You don’t have to worry about being alone. I’ll find a way home, no matter what,” Mackenzie says as if I’m the child and she’s the parent. She worried so much about me after her mom passed. It’s my fault. I disappeared into my grief for a long time, only coming back out of my shell in the past two years.
“Put Ace on the line, kiddo,” I insist.
He gets on the phone, and I don’t bother greeting him. We talk daily. We have for years. Hell, we grew up in a boys’ home that was rough. Eventually, we served in the military together too. We’re used to reading each other. “How likely is an extraction?”
He grunts.
In the background, I hear Mackenzie ask him a question.
“Yeah, I’ll get more hot chocolate,” he tells her, and there’s the sound of a door clicking. That’s the thing about Ace. He might be my age, but his whole world spins around Mackenzie. He’d do anything for her. “She’s hooked on this premium cocoa blend. It’s proprietary to the lodge.”
“Are you away from her yet?” All I want to do right now is finish this conversation so I can go to Susie. I’ll drag her back to my place and spend the night worshipping her beautiful curves. I’ll show her just how much fun it is to be a naughty little elf.
“There’s no way in hell we’re getting out of here,” Ace says, interrupting my thoughts.
I nod, having already suspected as much. “What’s your plan?”
“Let her spin her wheels for a couple of hours. Once she’s exhausted and realizes it’s not happening, I’ll…uh, console her.”
I grunt at what he’s implying. “Tell her I’ll be fine.”
“There’s always a video call as long as the towers hold up. I’ll remind her of that,” Ace answers.
That should be enough to soothe my daughter. I’d rather her be home for Christmas, but if she can’t be, then there’s no one else I’d rather her be with than Ace. He’s a survivor and one of the toughest guys I know. He’ll protect her with his life.
We say our goodbyes, and I move to the hospital courtyard. It’s time to take what I want, and what I want is this cute little elf on the back of my bike.
