The Billionaire’s Fake Christmas Engagement - Leslie North Page 0,59
have them to you as soon as I can.” She gathered up her camera bag, waved at his family, and hurried for the door, only stopping briefly to glance back at him. “Thank you for hiring me for the job.” The front door of his grandmother’s apartment opened and shut, hiding her from him again.
Jonas’s heart wouldn’t settle down. This was how the one-night stand had ended—with a door opening and closing, and Rachel disappearing. Wait—had she just ended the job? He’d hired her through the New Year.
“Do you like the new sweater?” Gabe’s hand came down on Jonas’s arm, causing him to jump. “Wow. Tense, much?” his brother asked, frowning.
“The sweater is great,” Jonas said. “I can’t wait to wear it.”
Gabe looked him in the eye. “Is something wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“You know what, no. No.” No, I can’t let her walk out of here. For one thing, I paid her for all this time. For another, there are things I want to say to her. I’m not sure what, exactly, but I can’t let her walk away. “There were other—other photos I wanted. I’ll talk to the photographer about it before she calls it quits for the day.”
“It’s Christmas,” chided Gabe. “Aren’t you going to let her have a little time with her son?”
He’d forgotten about her son. Rachel had wanted to bring him along for the job since it would be over the holiday, and Jonas had agreed, not thinking twice about it. Well, he’d catch her before she and the boy took off. There was plenty for a kid to do at the Elk Lodge.
“Of course I am,” Jonas said. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
He felt Gabe’s eyes on his back as he went out into the hall. The expanse of plush carpet was empty, the elevator humming at one end, and he stabbed at the button impatiently. It was so slow. He couldn’t bear the wait. After fifteen seconds, he hustled for the stairwell, taking them down two at a time. There was a separate elevator for the guest rooms—and she was more than likely headed there.
He burst into the vaulted lobby a few moments later, into the swirl of elegant Christmas decorations and soft music. Glancing around, he caught sight of Rachel by the enormous Christmas tree, tucking a length of jet-black hair behind her ear. She was grinning down at something he couldn’t see because of a huge leather sofa blocking his view.
Another woman stood close by, her red hair piled on top of her head in a loose bun. Lisa, the resort babysitter, who was on call for any family who needed one. He blinked, moving closer without thinking.
And then he came to an abrupt halt.
The little boy had come into view, and—he was a miniature version of Jonas. Rachel had black hair and blue eyes, but this little boy had Jonas’s dark blonde hair and his chin, too.
His heart stuttered to a start again.
Her son. The little boy couldn’t have been much more than two, and he pulled gently at Lisa’s hand as they stood, swaying toward the tree and back again.
Oh, God. No wonder she wanted to leave. If what he suspected was true—if this was his son. “Rachel,” he called out, before he’d thought about what to say.
She straightened, turning to meet his gaze.
“Mr. Elkin.” Lisa gave him a nod and said something he couldn’t hear to Rachel, and then turned to leave. “Merry Christmas,” she told them all, waving until she was out of sight around the corridor.
Jonas wanted to talk to Rachel about the one-night stand, but that seemed insignificant now—laughably so. He went to where she stood with the little boy, irresistibly drawn to them both. It was an awkward moment and he stuck his hands in his pockets to cover any sign of nervousness.
Rachel bit her lip.
The little boy stared up at them, small lips pursed.
Outside, the Colorado snow came down in gentle flakes, the cool light tempering the golden glow from the hundreds of lights inside the lobby. It was as though time stood still.
“I was going to tell you—” Jonas racked his brain for what he’d come to tell her. “I was going to say that I didn’t want you to leave on account of what happened between us. Before.” He dragged his eyes from the boy’s and back to Rachel’s—a lighter blue than his own. “But I think there’s something else I should know. Something more important.”