A Billionaire Boyfriend For Christmas - Holly Rayner Page 0,59
can’t believe you rented me an office space,” she said.
“Believe it. The rent is paid for a whole year, even if you don’t use it.”
Adison shook her head and laughed. “What am I gonna do with a guy like you?”
“Keep me around, hopefully.”
Butterflies flitted through her belly. “I’d like that.”
“Good,” he murmured, leaning over and kissing her.
As they finished up breakfast, Adison realized she didn’t have a present under the tree for Ken. Even though she hadn’t expected to have him as a guest, it felt wrong to have someone over on Christmas and not have a present for them.
“What is it?” he asked, noticing her frowning.
“I wish I had something to give you.” She loaded their plates into the dishwasher. “You gave me such an amazing Christmas present, and I don’t have anything for you.”
“Hm.” He took both her hands in his. “How about you take a walk with me?”
“That’s what you want for Christmas? A walk?”
“Yes,” he said, completely serious. “I would like your time. Can you give it?”
“I can do that. Let me get dressed in something warm.”
Letting go of his hands, she walked around the island, pausing briefly to smell the roses in a vase there. Her step had an extra pep in it, and she felt like her heart was singing.
Only the afternoon before, she had felt like she was weathering Christmas, doing whatever she could to get through it. Now she was breezing through it, wishing it would never end.
She didn’t bother checking her weather app. It was the same every day in December: cold and snowy. Pulling on some flannels, she dressed in her snow pants and jacket, then bundled up with thick gloves, hat, and a scarf.
Not surprisingly, Taffy and Ken were back on the couch. This time they were playing with some pieces of paper Ken had balled up.
“It’s official,” Adison said. “You two belong on a calendar.”
“What month?” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Every month.” She grabbed her keys off the hook. “You deserve a whole calendar.”
Leaving Taffy with her paper balls, they left the apartment and tramped into the cold. A light snowfall tickled their faces as they crossed the parking lot and walked for the adjacent woods.
Other than it being where Corinne lived, the reason Adison had moved into this apartment complex twice was because of its close proximity to nature. A hiking trail wound past a pond and up a hill, where at its apex a nice view of the neighborhood waited.
The snow was fresh in the woods, only an occasional animal track from squirrels and foxes here and there. The crisp air shocked their bodies into wakefulness, and they walked quietly, lost in the silence and the peace of the morning.
At the view at the top of the hill, they stopped and gazed at the streets below. You could see Adison’s building, as well as the neighboring apartments and houses.
“It’s beautiful up here.” Ken looped his arm around her waist, and she leaned into his chest.
Closing her eyes, Adison listened to his heartbeat. It was steady. Reliable. She hoped it was a sign that things between the two of them would be the same.
She felt his lips press against her hair. Since she’d warmed up considerably on the hike up, she’d taken off her hat and stuffed it in a pocket.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” he said into her hair.
Wrapping both her arms around his torso, she looked up at him. “Thanks for coming with me.”
He dragged his gloved thumb along the line of her jaw. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner how I felt about you.”
She blinked in surprise. “Oh. It’s okay.”
His lips twitched, and he rolled his eyes. Clearly, he didn’t think it was okay.
“Just out of curiosity,” she said, “how exactly do you feel about me, and how long has that state of emotion been going on for?”
Ken chuckled—which was the reaction she’d hoped for.
“Let’s see…” He drew a deep breath and thought about it. “The first time I saw you, I was captivated. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, sure. You were my employee, and deep down I think I knew there was something special about you. You weren’t just another beautiful woman. You were a force to be reckoned with.”
“Okay. I like that.” She stuffed her hands in his jacket pockets. “You didn’t really answer the first question, though. Unless the answer is merely that you’re captivated by me. Which is fine. I’m down with that. If—”
“I love you,”