A Billionaire Boyfriend For Christmas - Holly Rayner Page 0,22

them together. “I only stopped in for a minute. I would like to…to ask you a favor.”

His thick eyebrows rose the slightest bit. “Sure.”

“There’s a party this upcoming Friday, and…um…” Was it hot in here? She was burning up.

He frowned. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. No.” She pressed her lips together. “Sorry. I’m fine. It’s only that this is hard for me to ask.”

Ken blinked slowly, his expression soft. When a few more seconds passed, he cleared his throat. “You don’t need to be nervous with me. I promise, whatever you have to ask, I won’t judge you for it.”

She nodded. “Okay, well, uh, if it’s all right with you, and there’s no reason why it would be a problem…”

“Yes?”

“Will you come to the party with me as my boyfriend?” she blurted out.

His eyes widened.

“My fake boyfriend,” she clarified. “Not real. I mean, of course I mean fake. What other kind would you be?”

She needed to stop talking right now. With every word, she dug herself into a deeper hole.

Ken chuckled. “When did you say this party was?”

“Friday.”

“And will What’s-His-Face be there?” Ken’s eyes darkened.

“Yeah. He’ll be there.” Adison stood a little taller, trying not to shrink under the weight of embarrassment.

“I would love to go.”

She felt her jaw drop. Did he use the word “love”?

“What time should I pick you up?”

“Oh. We don’t…that’s…”

He met her gaze. “If we’re going on a date—even if it’s a fake one—I should pick you up.”

Her tongue had become incredibly heavy. “Okay. Thank you. Seven?”

“Wonderful. Text me the address?”

“Of course.”

So that was that. She’d asked him to go to the party, and he’d accepted. The mission hadn’t been that impossible, after all.

Since they both had work to get to, she turned for the door. As her hand touched the knob, she hesitated.

“Thank you, Ken. Really.”

“You’re welcome,” he said softly. “It’s my pleasure.”

It wasn’t until she’d left his office that she realized she’d broken her rule and called him by his first name.

Chapter 13

Ken

The address Adison had given him was for an apartment complex on the edge of town. Ken arrived right on time, having left the office early to run home and shower and change.

He hadn’t been on a date in months, and the last few hadn’t gone so well. As far as a relationship…

Well, what counted as a relationship, exactly?

Here and there, he had fun with women. He was busy, though, and finding a partner wasn’t a priority. Besides, the few times he’d considered it things merely hadn’t worked out.

Some people were better off alone. It sounded sad, but it was true.

Many times, Ken had wondered if he was one of those people. While most people he knew maintained a work-life balance, he focused entirely on business. A family wasn’t part of his plan.

Once upon a time, he’d had a family. They hadn’t gotten a happily ever after, though. Far from it.

Parking in front of Adison’s building, he walked through the cold and up a flight of exterior steps. Her apartment was at the end of the second-floor breezeway, its porch light on.

Pausing at the door, he touched his hair to make sure the wind hadn’t pushed it out of place. Realizing what he was doing, he dropped his hand. This wasn’t a real date.

And Adison wasn’t a woman he should be interested in.

She’d just gotten out of a relationship, and he couldn’t give her what she deserved. Plain and simple, they would be a terrible match.

He went to knock on the door, but it opened before he could touch it.

“I heard someone out here,” Adison said with a smile.

He looked for words, but they evaded him. The woman standing in front of him was stunning. She wore a red dress that fit snug at the waist and flared at the skirt. Black heels elongated her legs, and a loose updo exposed her delicate neck.

Combine these with her red, full lips and long lashes, and Ken thought he might fall over from sensory overload.

“Come in.” She stepped to the side, ushering him into the apartment.

The place was small but homey, with a plush couch and a round dining room table. A set of shelves contained books and photos, and a cat bed and scratching post were in the corner.

“You have a cat?” he asked, as Adison shut the door behind him.

“Yes. Taffy. But she usually hides when strangers come over.” The close proximity of her voice sent a delicious chill through him. She had to only be inches from his neck.

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring