A Billionaire Boyfriend For Christmas - Holly Rayner Page 0,56
her head. She knew the holidays were one of the busiest times for burglaries.
But then:
“It’s Ken.”
Adison’s breath caught in her throat. “Oh.”
“May I come in?” he called.
She looked down at her sweatpants and oversized T-shirt. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, strands of it escaping the hair tie. She’d thought to brush her teeth that morning, but there was cookie batter on her shirt and cat fur all over her sweatpants.
It was a far cry from the skintight, crushed velvet dress she’d planned on Ken seeing her in.
“Um… Just a minute!”
Quick as she could, she ran into the bathroom and checked her reflection. Her hair was even messier than she’d thought it was. Pulling the hair tie out, she ran her brush through it then dashed into her bedroom. A pile of clean laundry sat on her bed. Snatching a sweater and jeans, she changed.
“Adison?” Ken called.
“Coming! One second!” Finally dressed, she rushed back to the front door, took a deep breath, and opened up.
Ken’s cheeks were pink from the cold, his black hair unruly, his blue eyes bright and cautious. He held a bouquet of roses in one hand, while in the other was a wrapped present and a card.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hi,” she said, curiously eyeing the roses. They were red.
They looked at each other for a moment longer before she remembered how cold it was. “Come in, come in.”
She shut the door behind him and rubbed her palms together. “Can I get you anything?”
“I’m all right for now.”
At Ken’s appearance, Taffy had vacated her spot on the rug. She came up to him and weaved herself through his legs, her tail curling around his calf.
“Someone’s happy to see you,” Adison commented.
Ken bent to pet Taffy, but he craned his neck to look up at Adison. “You’re not?”
Before she could answer, he continued. “Of course you’re not, and it’s my fault.”
“I didn’t say that…but I would like to talk.”
He nodded solemnly and put the things he’d carried in on the kitchen island. “Of course. Can I give you something first?”
“Sure.” Her gaze slid to the present and envelope.
“This one is actually for Taffy.” He picked up the gift. “May I?”
“I’m sure she’d love for you to open it.”
Ken tore open the wrapping paper, revealing a set of cat toys. There were catnip mouses, balls with bells, and a plush star with a squeaker.
Ken squeezed the squeaky one, and Taffy’s eyes widened. He tossed a ball, and she took off after it.
“She loves it,” Adison said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, I hoped the gifts might help me win her over.”
Adison rolled her eyes. “As if you need any help with that.”
Ken grinned, but it didn’t last long. A more somber tone entered the room, and he reached for the envelope.
“This one isn’t for Taffy, too?” she joked, as he handed it to her.
“No. It’s not for Taffy.”
“Okay.” She popped open the envelope and pulled out several papers.
She blinked, trying to comprehend what she held. It looked like paperwork.
Then she saw the heading on the first page. It was a lease agreement. Had Ken given her the wrong papers on accident? Mixed up a Christmas card with some work papers?
“I don’t understand.” She looked over the paper at Ken.
“I thought that if you wanted to get back into event planning, you could use an office downtown.”
“Um… Why would… Are you saying…”
His eyes widened. “That you’re fired? No, no. Definitely not. I mean, if you want to do it part-time, or if…” He paused to swallow. “After what happened between us, I thought you might hate me. That you might want to leave the Montoya Foundation. If that’s the case, I understand, but I wanted to make sure you were set up. All the lease needs is your signature. If you flip to the back, you’ll see that I’ve agreed to pay the rent in perpetuity.”
She flipped to the last page. It was true. He’d agreed to rent her an office space for the rest of their lives. She tried to absorb the full weight of what that meant, but it boggled her mind. No gift she’d ever received even came close to comparing.
“Adison?”
She shook her head slowly and put the papers on the counter. “I’m just in shock.”
He winced. “Is it a bad gift? It’s a bad gift, isn’t it?” Turning away, he hung his head. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s sweet. Truly.” She touched his shoulder, and he turned back to her.
There was still a wildfire in his eyes, though. “Adison…”
“Yes?”
His exhale