A Billionaire Boyfriend For Christmas - Holly Rayner Page 0,57
was shaky. “I screwed up. I’m sorry.”
Here came the waterworks. She couldn’t even try to hold them back. Her eyes filled with tears and they slid down her cheeks.
“Thea works for a company that’s donating medical supplies to us,” he said. “We have a working relationship and nothing more.”
Adison blinked away the tears that were blurring her vision. “Why didn’t you tell me that? I thought you two had something going on, like she was your ex and you were trying to make her jealous.”
“Oh, Adison, no.” He bit his bottom lip.
Her face warmed. “It sounds stupid now that I say that. Then again…” She laughed bitterly. “That’s exactly what I was doing. Using you to make my ex jealous.”
“And so of course you would think I might do the same. It’s very logical.”
“And silly.” She lifted her gaze to his.
A smile danced at the edges of his lips. “I was very happy to go along with the charade… Not as happy as I was to finally get to kiss you, though.”
Adison’s heart clattered in the base of her throat. The room seemed charged with electricity. Still, things weren’t perfect. Not yet.
“I shouldn’t have avoided you last night,” she said. “I should have let you explain. Instead, I made assumptions.”
“And that’s okay.” His palm cupped her face. “We all do that. I made my own assumptions. I figured you hated me… Wait. Do you hate me?”
She laughed and pressed her hand on top of his. “No. Anything but.”
I love you.
The realization made her shake, but it shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise. A part of her had known all along that she was falling in love with Ken. She just hadn’t felt safe enough to admit it to herself.
“I can’t believe you got me an office space,” she said.
“I’d buy the entire building for you if only you asked me to.”
He said it without a hint of humor, and she was shocked to see that he was being serious.
“No,” she said. “I don’t need a whole building, but thank you. As far as party planning, I’d like to do that more. I just don’t want it to get in the way of my regular job.”
“We can figure that out. I happen to hold some power at the Montoya Foundation. I’m confident we can make your position there as flexible as needed.”
Adison laughed and shook her head—partly because he was funny and partly because she was so happy to have him there. She breathed in deep, savoring his cologne.
“I don’t know what I want yet,” she admitted. “Except for this.”
She splayed her hands across his chest and tilted her head back to lock eyes with him.
“Are you sure?” His words vibrated from a deep, rumbling place in his throat.
“Yes,” she said, finally smiling.
Ken’s other hand came up to cup the back of her neck. “What are you doing for Christmas?”
“This.” She gestured around the apartment. “Normally Corinne and I would spend it together, but her sister just had a baby so she’s out of town.”
“Spend it with me,” he said, his eyes lighting up.
“You don’t have plans?”
“No.” His thumb stroked the base of her head. “Simon and I sometimes get together, but he has family. Usually I spend the two days working or traveling.”
“I’m not surprised. The day must be hard for you,” she said gently, then perked up. “What about baking cookies and watching Christmas movies? Have you ever tried that?”
She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from Ken’s gorgeous lips.
“Can’t say that I have.” He snuggled a little closer, bringing his mouth only inches from hers.
“Wanna give it a go?”
“If it’s the way you do it, I’d give anything a go.”
“I like how you think,” she whispered.
He growled in appreciation and covered her lips with his.
“Meow,” said Taffy.
Chapter 29
Adison
Something wasn’t right.
Adison blinked her eyes open, trying to figure out what it was. Once she did, panic filled her.
Taffy always woke her up. Sometimes by kneading her face, sometimes by meowing loudly, sometimes by knocking things over in the kitchen. This was a cat who loved breakfast and began demanding it as soon as the sun crested the horizon.
But this morning she wasn’t.
“Taffy?” Adison sat up, wondering where the doorway leading from her bedroom was.
Then she caught sight of her Christmas tree and realized she’d fallen asleep in the living room. After dinner, she and Ken had put a movie on. Apparently, she’d been exhausted. She didn’t even remember falling asleep.
She took a breath,