by Krista Lakes
He smiled at her. “I promise that I’ll look into it.”
The crease between Holly’s eyebrows smoothed. “Really? Just like that?”
“I can’t promise anything, but I will look into it,” he told her. “I’m happy to help. I want to help.”
She nodded. “The work contracts all start ending at the end of the year, so there’s still a little time. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
She reached out, taking his hand and squeezing it. Her touch sent heat straight into his groin and made his head swim like he’d had too much wine. Something primal and wonderful filled him. If this was his response to a simple touch on the hand, Nathan smiled as he wondered what would happen if he kissed her. And what would happen after that.
She grinned at him, looking like an unexpected weight had lifted from her shoulders. He hoped he wouldn’t disappoint her. He still needed to look over the plans on how to integrate ECT into Paradigm Technologies. He knew that Lucy was interested in making the most money as quickly as possible. It was why she made such an excellent right hand man, so to speak.
“So, tell me more about being a teacher,” he said to Holly, changing the subject. “How much did you bribe the kids to nominate you? Cookies? Gold star stickers? An extra minute at recess?”
Holly laughed at his joking tone. “I actually didn’t know I was even nominated until the phone call came,” she admitted. “I had heard of the award, but I’m just doing what I know how to do. I’m not that exceptional.”
Nathan had to disagree about that. Everything about this beautiful woman was exceptional.
“I’m actually really glad I won,” she said, looking down and then up at him through her long lashes. “I got to come here and meet you.”
Nathan had heard his share of pickup lines in his life. As a billionaire, there were always trophy-wife-want-to-bes and women looking for an easy life. Some went the route of looking sexy. Others used their intelligence.
This didn’t feel like he was being used. This was a compliment. It was honest and heartfelt. Corny, yes, but wonderful at the same time. The slight pink in her cheeks as she said it made it all the better.
He held up his champagne glass. “Cheers to that.”
She grinned, tapping her glass against his. They both sipped at the champagne and smiled.
Nathan wanted to ask her more about her classroom and her students, but it was time for another speech. He wasn’t giving this one, but it would be rude to whisper and giggle with Holly while someone presented another award and explained more about where donations went to help children and educators succeed.
Dinner continued, filled with speeches that interrupted his conversations with Holly. He never did like these speeches, and now they dragged on into eternity. The thing that made it bearable and torture at the same time was the fact that Holly sat next to him.
Finally, the dinner and eternal speeches ended. It was now time for the reception. Even before Nathan had met Holly, this was the part of the evening that made the speeches worthwhile. This was where the party happened.
Everyone stood from their chairs and scattered into the comfortable room. Live music started to play. The bar made more drinks. There were several casino-type tables set up for guests to play with pretend money. Dealers for blackjack, roulette, craps, and even poker filed into the room and stood ready to entice the players.
The chips would be fake, but the buy-ins were real. All the money went to the charity and the donors left with fabulous prizes and a tax-write off for their business.
Meanwhile, hotel staff cleared the dinner tables, replacing them with smaller cocktail areas and comfortable seating. The lights dimmed and candles were lit. The sounds of merrymaking and Christmas songs filled the room.
“This is amazing,” Holly whispered, watching as Merryweather directed several employees on where to put the tables. The room magically transformed from a dining area into a comfortable lounge in a matter of moments.
“You having fun?” he asked her.
She nodded. “But I do need another drink.”
“Let me buy you a drink,” he replied, offering his arm and guiding her toward the bar. His heart skipped a beat at her giggle and the way she wrapped her arm around his. It wasn’t often that a woman had this effect on him. In fact, it had been a long time since he’d felt this level of excitement toward a woman at merely the touch of her hand.
She ordered more champagne and wandered around the room. He didn’t want to go to the casino tables. Most of the guests had headed in that direction, crowding the tables and shouting with pleasure when they won or lost.
It would be difficult to carry on a conversation there, and that’s what he found himself wanting to do with Holly.
“Nathan. Wonderful speech.”
Nathan turned to see a friend of his, coming to greet him.
“Graham? What are you doing here?” Nathan asked, giving the man in a tux a warm hug. Graham was slightly shorter than Nathan with lighter hair and eyes. As they were of a similar age, they’d found themselves friends.
“My secretary said I have to start doing more positive PR,” Graham replied, rolling his eyes. “Apparently, just launching rockets isn’t enough anymore.”
Nathan chuckled. “Graham, I’d like to introduce you to Holly Jones. She earned this years’ award. Holly, this is my friend Graham.”
Graham held out his hand and shook Holly’s with a firm grip. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. What grade did you say you teach?”
“Second grade,” Holly replied.
“What age is that?” Graham asked her.
“Seven to eight years old,” Holly answered. “It’s an amazing age.”
“I’m glad you think so,” Graham told her, shaking his head. “I’m afraid they would eat me alive.”
Holly looked surprised. “But you’re Graham Bell. All of my students adore you. I had three write that you are their favorite inventor this year.”
“Are you sure they didn’t mean Alexander Graham Bell?” Graham teased, making Holly laugh.
The fact that another man had her laughing made Nathan’s mouth go sour. Graham was a handsome and single man. Holly had known who he was. Granted, most of the world could recognize the billionaire who now specialized in rockets and space technology. Still, he didn’t like the awe in the way she looked at him. Jealousy tried to rear its ugly head.
“I’m afraid I’m not any good with kids,” Graham continued. The polite but nonplussed blink was quick across Holly’s face. “I don’t like them and they don’t like me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she told him, her voice losing the laughter. The jealousy disappeared. Holly wouldn’t want anyone who didn’t like children. They were her world. Graham wasn’t his competition. At least, not in this.
“Would you please excuse me?” Graham asked. “I see the a seat at the poker table just opened up and I’m feeling lucky. My friend Alex is there and I need to steal his money.”
Nathan recognized the man at the craps table as another billionaire. A lovely young woman was laughing at something witty he'd just said.
“Good luck,” Holly said, giving Graham a smile. It grated on Nathan’s nerves that she even did that for him.
“Thank you.” Graham grinned back at her before turning to Nathan. “Would you care to join me?”
“Not tonight,” Nathan replied. He took a step closer to Holly.
“I think you’ve already won the grand prize tonight,” Graham said softly, shaking Nathan’s hand before going to the tables.
Holly stared after him. “Wow. Two billionaires. I met two billionaires today. No one is going to believe me.”
Nathan chuckled. “And you haven’t even seen the entire guest list,” he told her.
“What, is there a trillionaire that’s coming as well?” She winked at him. “Or maybe some famous actor or band?”
“You don’t recognize the band now?” Nathan asked, motioning to the stage where mus
icians sang holiday songs.
Holly frowned, taking a step toward the music. Then her eyes went wide. “Is that really the Tones?”
“When you have three billionaires in attendance, you tend to get good music,” Nathan told her. He enjoyed watching her reaction as she realized it was the famous rock group. Later, they would play their own music.
They continued to walk around the room, making their way to the windows where it was slightly quieter and more intimate.
“Is this how your normal life works?” Holly asked him. “Famous rich people, rock stars and money?”
Nathan shrugged. “It’s not usually this crowded.”
She shook her head. They found a little love seat nestled into the window overlooking the ski basin. Snow still came down hard and fast. Night had come and now the flakes danced under the lights of the ski-resort.
Her leg rested next to his. The chair was too small for them to truly sit apart, and Nathan found his heart beating faster just being near her. This felt intimate, despite the fact that there were other people just on the other side of the room.
“Oh look,” Holly said, pointing upward. “Mistletoe.”
Nathan’s eyes went up and saw that someone had hung a small sprig of green over the love seat. Given that it was a love seat, he could understand the placement.
“You said you don’t really like holiday things,” Holly said, her eyes still on the greenery. “How do you feel about mistletoe?”
“I think I can learn to like it,” he replied.
And then he kissed her.
Chapter 15
Holly
The kiss started slow and sweet. It was just his lips pressed against hers, but then his fingers came to her face and she wanted more.
A lot more.
Her hand went to his neck, pulling him into her. Her fingertips played with the bottom of his hair. He pulled back, her eyes still closed. He smelled of a masculine soap that made her breathe him in as deep as she could.
The crowd disappeared from her mind. The band’s music faded, and the laughter receded until all she heard was the sound of her own heartbeat and Nathan’s soft breathing.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, looking up and into his handsome face. His cheeks were flushed as if he’d been running in the cold. She could feel his breathing come hard and fast. His eyes were dark, pupils wide and not just because of the dim candlelight.
Apparently he wasn’t the only one experiencing the flush of a mistletoe kiss.
She kissed him this time. Pulling her into him and wrapping her arm around his neck. There was no stubble against her cheeks. Her tongue found his and a shiver of pure desire shot straight through her.
She pulled back this time, their foreheads pressed together as they both gasped for air. The electric intensity between them had her vibrating with need. She remembered the room full of people. The sound of music slowly came back to her.
“You want to get out of here?” he asked. His hand still rested on the back of her neck, the other on her hip. His gaze dropped to her mouth and he unconsciously licked his lips.
“Yeah.” It was all the English she could manage. Even then, it came out more as a grunt than a word.
His lips turned into a smug smile. He stood, holding out a hand for her to join him. She loved the way her hand folded into his, like it was meant to be there. It felt like magic when he touched her. She grinned as they crossed the room, oblivious to the party and the drinks.
She didn’t even notice that the band was playing her favorite Christmas carol. She didn’t notice the man at the roulette table hit a red seven for all his chips. She didn’t see the three tables hit blackjack at the same time. She didn’t notice the royal flush at the poker table.
All she saw was Nathan and all she knew was that she was the luckiest girl in the world.
Merryweather nodded to them, a knowing look in her pale lavender eyes. She gave Holly a wink and a smile before continuing back to the event.
Nathan guided her through the hallways of the hotel. She giggled, holding the hem of her dress as they ran through the empty corridors, slowing only when they hit the lobby. There they managed to walk sedately.
But, even then, they were grinning like idiots. Holly felt like a teenager, giddy with her first boyfriend. Only this was better than prom, this was better than the cheap Motel 6 and judging from the build of Nathan’s shoulders, this was going to be a lot better than the six point three seconds her prom date had given her.
“Did you know there are two men following us?” Holly whispered, motioning her head to the two men pretending not to follow them. They looked out of place wearing their ski-attire while everyone else in the building wore tuxedos.
Nathan glanced back and chuckled. “They’re mine. Don’t worry about them.”
Her eyebrows raised. Nathan had bodyguards. This was definitely different than what she was used to.
They made it to the elevator without attracting too much attention. They stood politely, a respectable distance apart as Nathan hit the button for the top floor. The smooth silver doors slid shut.
And then Nathan had her pinned to the wall, his body trapping her as his mouth found hers. She whimpered, arching her back and wishing that the elevator would go faster and slower at the same time. The faster they got to his room, the better, but she didn’t want this kiss to end either.
The elevator chimed their arrival and reluctantly Nathan pulled back. His eyes were dark with desire and his hair mussed from her hands. She didn’t remember putting her fingers in his hair, yet she wasn’t surprised either. He stole her senses with his kisses.
She couldn’t wait to see what he did with more than just a kiss.
Nathan slid his key-card into the slot at the door, and stepped inside. Holly hesitated for a nanosecond. She usually waited until there were multiple dates. She wasn’t impulsive. She never slept with a man on the first date, let alone the first day of knowing him.
Yet, she couldn’t deny this attraction. Even before she knew he was a billionaire, he was everything she wanted in a man. He was smart and funny. He made her laugh and at the same time made her insides heat with desire.
The sexual attraction was more powerful than anything she’d experienced. The kiss had been in the top three of her entire life, and just the thought of having more than kisses made her damp with excitement.
It didn’t matter that he was Nathan Reed. He had already endeared himself to her before she knew who he was or what he could do for her and the town. To her, he was Prince Charming, and who said no to Prince Charming?
So she decided to take the risk. To let the magic of the day carry her into what could happen next. She let her body do the thinking for once, rather than her head. This wasn’t about the town. This was about her and the fact that she wanted him. He could have been the busboy having a day on the slopes, and she still would have felt this way about him.
She went into the hotel room and gasped.
She might have still felt the same way about him if he were a busboy, but they certainly wouldn’t have a room like this if he were.
Floor-to-ceiling windows lined a room bigger than her apartment. The snow came down fiercely over the dark mountains, but the room was comfortably warm. A fire already roared in a two-way fireplace and she could see just the hint of a king-sized bed on the opposite side. Everything was comfortable and elegant, just like the rest of the hotel.
She let her dress hem fall from her hand as she took in the room. For once, she didn’t feel under-dressed in this place. She and the dress fit in this room.
Nathan took off his black tuxedo jacket, tossing it casually onto a dining room chair. He tugged at his bow-tie, carelessly throwing it to rest with the jacket.
His white dress shirt fit like a dream. She’d only really seen him in his ski clothes, and they had hid the strength of his shoulders and the wonderful tapering of his waist. He was built. The man worked out. Holly swallowed hard, her hand playing wit
h the heavy fabric of her skirt.
“Drink?” he offered, motioning to the bar to her left.
Holly shook her head, crossing the room. She put both her hands on either side of his face and kissed him. He groaned his approval, wrapping his arms around her and pulling him to her.
The intense and sudden jolt of desire caught her breath. Every fiber in her being said she was doing the right thing. There was lust and desire, yet something else too. Something deeper and sweeter than just the physical.
She didn't stop to think about or analyze the feeling. She just let her body take control. She let her brain stop worrying and fretting. She let herself have fun.
Her hand went to his shirt, nimbly unbuttoning the shiny white buttons. She was surprised to see that she wasn’t shaking, even though her whole body was vibrating with desire. She tugged at his shirt and he shrugged out of it, barely breaking the kiss in the process.
Then, with a smooth motion, he lifted the hem of his undershirt up and over his head, giving her bare skin. She whimpered, her hands splaying against the strong muscles of his chest and abs. There was just enough hair to make him masculine, but not so much to make her think of a beast. The heat of his body through her fingers drove her wild.
She felt his hand on the back of her dress as he fumbled for the zipper. She held still for him as he pulled downward, the zipper sliding free with a soft hiss. The dress crumpled to the floor in a beautiful heap of satin and beading.
His fingers caressed the curves of her shoulders, rounding across the tops of her breasts and then splaying on the curve of her hips. His fingers explored her skin, touching and making her shiver with want.
She reached behind her and unclasped her bra. It took a little doing, but she got it off without too much effort, tossing it to the ground. She was rewarded with a tight inhale from Nathan, his pupils blowing as he stared in wonder. He licked his lips.
He cupped her breasts with his hands, being careful of the delicate flesh. She sucked in an inhale and arched her back, groaning as his fingers brushed her nipples. Her nipples pebbled under his touch, sending lightning bolts of lust straight to her groin.
