by Leslie North
“Anyway, spending the holidays with Mitch and Noelle has been a blessing,” Jules went on. Norm blinked dully at her, his hands propped on his hips.
“Sorry?”
“Noelle.” Jules cast Mitch an uncertain glance. “Didn’t Mitch tell you about—”
“Jules, that’s enough for now,” Mitch said in a low voice.
“So you two are together?” Norm asked, swinging his finger between the two of them.
Mitch’s eyes fluttered shut. He didn’t want to be dealing with this right now. Hell, he hadn’t even had the conversation with Jules yet. He didn’t know how to respond to that—because what if he said yes and she begged to differ?
“Dad, don’t worry about it,” Mitch said. “You don’t need to worry about a thing.”
“Worry? I should worry when the reputation of my business is at stake.”
His throat clamped. Dammit, this was getting tense. Jules took a few steps back, looking between Mitch and his dad.
“I’m going go powder my nose,” she said, her tone clipped, and then spun on her heels. Mitch watched her go, paralyzed with indecision.
“You can’t be serious,” his father said.
And for a moment, Mitch wasn’t sure of anything—what was going on between him and Jules, much less what his father might expect of him. But one thing was certain.
He couldn’t let Jules walk away from him after that exchange without at least trying to make things right.
He ran after her, as fast as he could.
18
Jules didn’t know where she was going. She couldn’t see a damn thing through the veil of tears blurring her vision, but it didn’t matter. She just needed to get away from that man and his horrible father.
If you weren’t sure before, now you know for certain.
The words ran through her head like a marquee. Confirming all her doubts, cancelling all her dreams. Mitch had seen her as a plaything. Not someone to be with. Not a partner. Just a pretty girl to tag along, someone to disown when his father came sniffing around.
She hated how much it hurt. She thought she’d started the painful dislodging process after discovering him at his “business meeting” with that beautiful woman two nights ago, but apparently she still had some dislodging to do.
This was what she got for playing house with a beautiful man who could get literally anything he wanted in the world. Hurt. Broken hearted. Cast aside.
Footsteps sounded behind her. “Jules! Wait!”
Mitch’s voice echoed down the hall. Relief sizzled through her, but she tried to ignore it. She shouldn’t be happy he was chasing after her. She needed to just cut it off and let this die.
“Jules! Where are you going?” His voice was closer now. She swiped at her cheek where a few tears had fallen.
“Away,” she said, her throat tight.
“Will you stop?” he barked, his voice coming out sharper than she’d ever heard.
She stopped walking, waiting for him to catch up. When he did, he gripped her arms, searching out her gaze.
“Don’t leave,” he said. “I wasn’t ready to have that conversation with my dad, I’ll admit. But please—”
“Mitch, let’s not fool ourselves,” she said, her voice wavering as she spoke. She looked anywhere but at him. They were alone in this long, forgotten hallway, but the sounds of the party reached them faintly—violins and conversation and the occasional champagne bottle being uncorked.
“About what?” he asked.
“About this. What we’ve been doing.” She sniffed, wiping at her cheek again. “And when I say this, I’m talking to myself. Because I was the one who fell for you, okay? I was the one who went headfirst and just…went crazy. So whatever. That’s my fault. But this is nothing. It can’t be anything.”
“We need to have this conversation,” Mitch said in a low voice. “But let’s wait until after the—”
“No! It’s happening now, whether or not it’s convenient.” Her chest hitched with a restrained sob. “And if you don’t want to, then I should just keep moving along. I knew better than to hook up with a guy like you. I’m smarter than this.”
“Smarter?” Mitch cocked a brow. “What’s so wrong with a guy like me?”
“You seem like a nice guy, but you’re really not. You won’t stick up for me in front of your dad. You act like I’m…nobody to you. Hell, you’ll even go out for drinks with a lady and tell me it’s a business meeting. I’m not stupid, Mitch.”
Confusion etched itself across his face. “What? Drinks with a—”
“Yeah, the other night, when I needed you. I came downstairs looking for you and saw exactly what your ‘meeting’ entailed. Bunch of bullshit. Whatever. I can see what a relationship with you would be like anyway.” The words were tumbling out of her now, fiercer and faster than ever. She couldn’t stop the avalanche. “So why would I want to get in deeper?”
Mitch’s jaw flexed. “Jules, that was a business meeting. That’s Sara, one of our investors. She—” he paused, a sigh escaping him. “She wants to be with me. That’s no secret. But nothing happened. Since it was a business meeting, I went along with the investor’s wishes. Which included having a couple shots and grabbing dinner. I behaved myself. Because of you. Because I want to be with you.”
“Maybe you do, but only in private. Only when you can keep it a dirty little secret.” She was sneering now, another wave of emotion welling up inside her.
Mitch worked his jaw back and forth, staring at the floor. He reached for his phone a moment later and swiped it on.
“I’ll be there in a second,” he hissed into the phone, and then swiped it off.
“Is that your charming father calling?” Jules asked.
“Yes. He’s getting ready to make the announcement.” He dragged his gaze up to meet hers, and his eyes were stormier than she’d ever seen. “Is there anything I can say right now that will help this?”
Jules scoffed. “You had nothing to say in there. Why would out here be any different?”
Mitch’s phone buzzed again, and he swore, swiping it to silent.
“I’m going to take Noelle to my house tonight,” Jules said, her throat tightening again. This was it. The moment when she freed herself from continuing her mother’s history of poor decisions. “You don’t have to concern yourself with us any longer. Go do your thing.”
She steeled herself to walk by him, but he grabbed her arm in a vice grip.
“Do not walk away from me like that.”
“What?” she spat.
“You can’t—” His phone rang again, and he swore loudly. He swiped it on. “I said hang on,” he hissed into the phone. To Jules, he said, “Wait for me upstairs. I have to go now. You hear me? Wait for me.”
He sent her an intense look as he backed up down the hallway. She watched him as he turned and jogged away, her chest heaving like she’d run a marathon.
Wait for him. Fat chance of that. She scurried back through the lobby, darting between people and keeping her head down as she rushed toward the penthouse elevator. She didn’t dare look up, lest she see Mitch or his father anywhere. Cheers erupted from somewhere in the gala, and then the booming voice of Mitch’s father sounded over a microphone.
She shuddered, hurrying into the elevator. Her mind swirled with hurt and confusion the whole way up. When she got to the penthouse, she dismissed the babysitter and got to packing, tears streaming down her cheeks the entire time.
She needed to hurry, because Mitch would be back, and who knew what would happen then? She had to get out of here—had to get back on her own turf—so she could think for a second.
Jules packed as much as she could into her bags before calling for a driver. She instructed him to meet her at the front doors in ten minutes. Which meant the only remaining step was taking Noelle from the crib.
She hesitated, not wanting to wake the baby, but finally she scooped her into her arms. Noelle fussed a little, but Jules was able to rock
her back to sleep. She struggled to pull the rolling luggage behind her, but she managed to get herself and Noelle onto the elevator without waking Noelle or tripping over her ballgown.
Jules stared back at the penthouse as the doors slid shut.
Goodbye, Mitch.
A tear rolled down her cheek. This was the right thing to do.
So why did it feel so much like the wrong decision?
Clapping filled the conference area, and hundreds of happy faces shone back at him.
Mitch waved and smiled for what felt like the hundredth time since his father’s big announcement.
It had happened. He was Denton Hotel’s newest CEO.
But his smile strained at the edges, and his stomach sank lower with each passing second that Jules was out of reach. He couldn’t bolt from the stage quite yet. But soon. Mitch’s dad slung his arm around his shoulders, turning toward another set of cameras.
“This is a dream come true,” Mitch said into the microphone once the applause had died down slightly. He’d already given a short speech, and the Christmas party still had plenty on the agenda. But Mitch only had one thing on his new, edited agenda: hunt down Jules.
A jazz quartet sprang to life, signaling the end of the announcement. His heart raced, and he turned to his father. “Thanks, Dad. I have to step away now.”
“Now? Just when the party’s getting started?”
Mitch’s brother Josh jogged up to the stage area, his fiancée Amelia in tow. They must have arrived during the announcement. Josh came up the small staircase and wrapped his brother in a hug.
“Good to see you, bro. I’m proud of you.”
Mitch grinned, but it faded fast. He clapped his brother on the back and waved at Amelia. “Thanks. I’m on my way out right now. How long will you be here?”
“You’re leaving?” Josh asked.
“I have something I need to take care of.” Every passing second reminded him that he needed to make things right immediately. It already felt too late. “I’ll be back. I want to catch up. You both look great.” He was heading down the stairs now, pointing at his brother and Amelia as he tried to combine pleasantries with getting the fuck out of there. “We need to get lunch soon. And I want to hear about the renovations upstate. Bye, guys.”
His father stepped into his path, grabbing his shoulder. “What is this about? That event planner? Come on. You need to enjoy yourself. This is your night.”
“Yeah. A night that wouldn’t have happened without her.”
His father scoffed. “Event planners are a dime a dozen. You are the real star tonight. You’ve been working your whole life for this.”
“Yeah, and what do I do that’s so special? Believe me, I love my job. I love our business. But I’m sick of pretending I’ve got something special up my sleeve that nobody else has. Jules is the best woman I’ve ever met. She’s selfless and dedicated and the first partner I’ve ever had. And you’d have me throw that away just because she’s an event planner?”
His father’s nostrils flared but he didn’t say anything.
“I’m happier with her around. I’m not going to lose her.” The words flowed more freely, now that he’d had a chance to grapple with the idea of losing her. “I want to enjoy life. I don’t want to just go through the motions until the day I die. She’s the first person I feel like I can really share life with.”
He expected his father to return a biting comment, but instead he crossed his arms and nodded.
“You have always had a hard time delegating,” his father conceded. “I’ve been waiting for you to show signs that you’re more willing to share the workload. And if it comes because of this woman, well…” He shrugged.
It wasn’t a blessing, but it wasn’t a condemnation either. Mitch could have whooped with excitement.
“I need to go. I’ll be back later, I promise.”
Mitch raced out of the conference area and up to the penthouse. He didn’t expect her to be there, but he had to be sure. The place was empty and her bedroom abandoned. Noelle’s empty crib stung the worst, and his chest tightened as he fished out his phone to call for his driver. He wasn’t getting a response, so he found a backup. He was in the car within five minutes and pulling up to Jules’s building within fifteen.
His heart hammered between his ears as his gaze washed over the brick building. His breath came out in white puffs as he hurried toward the front doors and buzzed her apartment number.
After a few moments, there was no response. So he buzzed again.
Still nothing.
He swore, pulling out his cell phone and calling. It rang, rang, rang before switching to voicemail. Was it possible she wasn’t even here? Fear coiled inside him. She had to be here. Had to. Because he wasn’t going to let today end without his little, unlikely family being reunited.
One thing was certain—Noelle and Jules were unofficial Dentons.
Mitch walked back to the sidewalk, peering up at the building. He made a rough calculation of which apartment was hers based on his last visit. He tried to remember the hallway, how many steps he’d taken, whether the door was on the right or the left. Based on all that, he concluded her apartment had to be one of the darkened windows.
But there was a fire escape leading right to that window…
He turned over the idea a few times in his head before he decided to go for it.
Better safe than sorry.
Because being a dad was all about doing whatever it took for the family.
And he wasn’t going to let his family spend a night without him.
19
Jules had been tossing and turning for what felt like hours. She’d turned her phone off, so she didn’t have that to check the time. But for as much as she’d been tossing and turning, Noelle had it worse.
The baby didn’t seem to like her apartment at all. She’d fussed nonstop for a full hour after arriving at the apartment, which didn’t even make sense because how could she really tell she was in a different place? But the baby knew, somehow, that this wasn’t her home, which made Jules feel even worse. She’d not only woken her up out of a peaceful sleep, she’d also forcibly removed her from her only safe haven at this point in her life.
The self-criticisms and anxieties were only spiraling now that she was back in her own place. She’d thought that they would have lessened slightly. After all, wasn’t that the point, to come back to her own world? To find a clear head and her own two feet?
But now that she was here, she only wanted Mitch. She couldn’t do this alone, and more than that, she didn’t want to do this alone. She missed his steady presence beside her. The heat of him lying beside her in bed. His warm smiles and quiet reassurances.
Dammit, she’d made a mistake. And she wasn’t so sure Mitch was the type of guy to take a woman back, even if she returned on her knees. When he had a line a mile long of women in waiting, why would he?
A soft tapping at her living room window made her jolt. She sat up, trying to orient in the darkness. It had been so long since she’d spent the night in her own apartment, much less on the couch next to a bassinet. Maybe these were the normal night sounds that she’d forgotten about.
A shadow moved outside her window, and her heart leapt into her throat.
Or maybe someone was outside her window on the fire escape. Seconds away from breaking in.
Her limbs turned to stone and she waited in deathly silence for any other sound. After a few moments, the tapping returned. And this time, it was definite.
She clutched at her face, heart racing. Maybe it was a drunk person. It didn’t necessarily have to be someone looking to rob her. She wanted to go investigate, but with Noelle in here? She debated for a moment, and then decided to at least peer out the window.
Just to see.
She forced herself to walk over to the window in the living room and pulled back the curtain. A gasp rocketed out of her.
It wasn’t a robber, or a drunk person.
It was Mitch.
He cupped his hands around his eyes, pressing his face to the glass. “Jules.” His voice came out muffled against the glass and left a foggy warm spot. “Will you let me in?”
She could only blink in amazement, moving to open the window before she could even think. She pushed the glass pane as high as it would go, and Mitch folded himself inside the apartment. She hurried to shut the window once he was in.
“What are you doing here?” she hissed.
“You didn’t answer my calls. Or respond to the buzzer.” He adjusted his suit coat, which meant he’d come straight from the party. He looked around, gaze landing on the crib. “Is she asleep?”
“Yes, but just recently, so keep your voice down.”
Mitch raked a hand through his hair, his intense gaze switching to her. “Jules, come back to the penthouse.”
Her chest tightened and she gripped the arm of the couch behind her. “Why? We lead different lives. And I don’t think there’s room for me in yours.”
Mitch stepped closer, searching out her gaze. “There’s plenty of room for you in my life. In fact, without you in my life, there’s a hole.”
Emotion clogged her throat, and she looked away.
“I was thinking about what the rest of my life might look like, now that my dad named me CEO.”
Her brows shot up. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. It’s everything I wanted. At least, everything I thought I wanted.” He sighed, gesturing toward Noelle in the bassinet. “Actually, everything I want is here. In this apartment. The new job title is nice, but I need more than that. I don’t want to envision a future without you and Noelle in it.”
Jules could barely believe what she was hearing. But that was only her mind, because her body was flooded with emotion at Mitch’s words. She trembled from wanting him to hold her, wanting to be in his arms. All she could manage was a weak, “What?”
“I already told my dad that we were together. After you left. He’s got his own issues, but we can get into that another time. The point is, I didn’t handle that conversation well because I wasn’t prepared. But it’s handled now, and I promise you, Jules—” Mitch’s whisper faltered. “You are the only woman I want to be with.”
