A Billionaire Boyfriend For Christmas - Holly Rayner Page 0,23
her a present. What kind of gentleman am I if I don’t try to win my date’s cat over?”
There he went again, pretending this was a real date. He really ought to stop with that. For both their sakes.
Adison didn’t seem to be bothered by the comment, though. She pulled on a black wool coat and smirked.
“I’d like to see you try,” she said good-naturedly. “Treat or no treats.”
There was a faint meow, and a cat appeared in one of the two doorways leading from the living room/kitchen area. Next to Ken, Adison gasped.
“I believe that’s what they call famous last words.” He winked at her, then squatted down and extended a hand to the cat.
The black-and-gray striped feline hesitated, rubbing its tail against the doorframe. In the dark beyond, Ken could make out the shape of a bed. Adison’s room.
“That’s odd,” Adison said softly.
Ken cocked his head to grin up at her. “I guess you can call me the Cat Whisperer.”
She grinned. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s not like she’s actually come up to you.”
“Meow,” Taffy said, and promptly trotted over to Ken.
As he stroked the cat’s head, he couldn’t help but laugh.
Adison threw her hands in the air. “Hell has frozen over.”
“But it’s such a nice place to be.” He rubbed the cat under the chin one last time and stood.
Adison was biting into a smile, her cheeks flushed. “Should I go to the party on my own? Leave you two here so you can cuddle on the couch?”
If Ken were being honest, he would have said that he only wanted to cuddle on the couch if it were with her. He kept his head on, though, and gestured at the door.
“You asked me along tonight for a very specific reason,” he said. “And I don’t take that lightly.”
She ducked her head. “Again, thank you.”
“Adison.” He stepped a little closer, and she watched him through lowered eyelashes. “We’re going to have fun tonight. This is as much for me as it is you.”
“Really? How?”
“Simple. One of the things I love most is putting a jerk in his place.”
Adison rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if we’ll manage that. I just don’t want Danny to think I’m a loser.”
That stung him right in the chest. “You’re anything but a loser, Adison. Do you think you’re falling short because you didn’t jump into a relationship the week after leaving one? I haven’t been in a relationship in years.”
As soon as the words left his lips, he regretted them. Whatever impression he’d just given her, it couldn’t be a good one.
She didn’t respond, though, instead grabbing her keys and a small purse that sat on the kitchen island. “Well. I’m ready if you are.”
Maybe her ignoring his stupid statement was worse than her responding to it. Either way, mulling over it wasn’t the thing to do.
They stepped out into the cold night, hurrying to his car as fast as was safely possible. Ken opened the passenger’s side door for Adison, and there was a brief moment where she held his arm to steady herself. A warm feeling coursed through him at the touch. Wouldn’t it be nice if this were real?
Closing the door behind her, he sucked in a breath and counted slowly to three.
Get control of yourself.
He was there tonight to help her. Not to take a shot on a beautiful, sweet woman that was sure to fail. Because fail he always did when it came to personal matters.
“Are you nervous?” he asked in the car.
She rearranged the folds of her skirt. “No.”
It was obviously a lie, but he decided not to question her. Instead, he sat there and wondered how on earth a girl like Adison had ever ended up with a loser like her ex.
The party was at a townhome in a newer neighborhood, walking distance to restaurants and shops. It was the kind of spot that catered to young business people who could afford to drop a little extra on a home. Ken found a parking spot on the street but hesitated to kill the engine.
“It’s not too late.” He looked over at her. “Say the word and we’ll swing through a drive-through, head home, and rent a movie to watch on the couch. I’m sure Taffy would appreciate it. She does think I’m the greatest human ever.”
It pleased him that her laugh seemed one hundred percent genuine. “That does sound tempting…but we’re here.”
“And we won’t let it go to waste,” he added.
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