Christmas Treats Box Set: Books 1 - 4

by Holly Rayner

  It was just as well, because right then Adison’s phone went off with a video call from Corinne. Immediately conscious of how eagerly she swiped to answer, Adison realized that she was at least a tad lonely.

  “Hi, bestie!” she said.

  Corinne’s face appeared, a kitchen stove behind her. “Hi! Merry Christmas Eve!”

  “Merry Christmas Eve! Where’s that baby?” Adison settled cross-legged on the couch.

  “Sleeping, or else I’d totally introduce you to her.” Corinne laughed. “So how are you? What have you been doing?”

  “This and that. Baking cookies. Driving Taffy crazy with photoshoots.”

  “Have you…”

  “What?”

  “I was hoping that maybe you’d find someone to spend time with today.”

  “Adison was quick to answer. “I’m good on my own.”

  She could literally feel Corinne’s disbelief from all the way across the country. “What about Ken?”

  Adison stiffened. “What about him?”

  “You were spending a lot of time working on the party together. I know things are weird sometimes, but it’s Christmas.”

  “Yeah, about that…”

  “What?”

  “I’d just rather be alone.”

  “Adison Marie Hale.” Corinne glared daggers. “You tell me right this instant what’s going on.”

  And so, preceding it with a heavy sigh, Adison launched into the full story. She hadn’t wanted to burden her friend, to make Corinne think she was too fragile to be left alone during the holidays. If she didn’t tell all now, though, Corinne would be hurt that she’d kept the details secret for so long.

  “Holy smokes,” Corinne said, once Adison concluded with the texts and missed calls from Ken that she’d failed to respond to.

  “Yeah.” Adison sank back into the cushions. Just talking about the drama drained her.

  “And he’s into this Thea girl? You’re sure?”

  “It seemed pretty obvious to me.”

  Corinne’s lips pulled into a thin line. “So he used you to get what he wanted, just like you did with him.”

  “What?” Adison sputtered. “You…”

  “I’m wrong?” She cocked an eyebrow.

  Adison shut her mouth. No, Corinne wasn’t wrong at all. It was only that, when put that way, it made her look like a bad guy.

  “Ken and I had an agreement beforehand,” Adison pointed out. “Everything was on the table. With him, it wasn’t that way. He was using me to make some other chick jealous without telling me.”

  “Right, and then he led you on by kissing you.”

  “Exactly.” Adison folded her arms.

  “I’m on your side, Adison. Okay?”

  “I know, I know.” She sighed. “Talking about this just makes me realize how immature I’ve been through this whole thing. Like, why did I ever think I needed Danny to believe I had a boyfriend? I’m perfectly good on my own!”

  “Yes, you are.”

  But Adison was on a roll, and she didn’t know how to slow down. “He’s an awful person anyway! I shouldn’t care what he thinks.”

  “Mm-hmm. Totally agree.”

  “If I wanted to prove anything to him, it should have been that I’m happy on my own and I don’t need to be rebounding or jumping right into another relationship.”

  “You hit the nail on the head.”

  Adison sighed. “Thanks for listening.”

  “That’s what I’m here for. Anything else you want to share?”

  That gave Adison pause. “Like what?”

  “Like when you’re going to talk to Ken.”

  “I don’t need to talk to him.” What the heck was going on here? Corinne had to be jet-lagged.

  “Adison, no part of your story included Ken explaining himself.”

  “I…” She opened her mouth but didn’t have a response.

  “You know what I think? That you were triggered and jumped to your own conclusion based on partial information. And I don’t blame you for it. You got royally screwed over by Danny only a few weeks ago, and he wasn’t the first guy to lie and hurt you.”

  Tears filled Adison’s eyes. She’d planned on having a Christmas Eve full of music, movies, and maybe a bit too much spiked eggnog. Diving deep into self-analysis hadn’t been on the list.

  But…

  “You could be right,” she admitted.

  “I really think I am.” Corinne’s expression was kind.

  “Okay.” She nodded, more to herself than anything. “I’ll talk to him.”

  It felt good to admit that she’d made a mistake, because doing so gave her some hope. If the problem was with her, then maybe she and Ken still had a chance. Her heart danced at the idea.

  “I need to go,” she said. “I have to put something nice on.”

  “Yay!” Corinne clapped. “How about the red velvet dress?”

  “Exactly. Great minds think alike.”

  “Text me and let me know how it goes.” Corinne blew her a kiss. “Love you, and good luck!”

  “Thanks. Love you, too.”

  Adison ended the video call and looked at Taffy, who lay sprawled on the rug. “Well, girl. What do you think?”

  Taffy slapped her tail against the rug.

  “Yeah. I’m nervous, too.”

  Jumping from the couch, she started for her bedroom. She was halfway there when someone knocked on her door.

  Adison paused, surprised. Who would just pop by on Christmas Eve?

  “Hello?” she called as she approached the door.

  There was such a long pause that she thought whoever was on the other side of the door might not answer. Her pulse raced and fears of robbers going door-to-door, looking for empty houses, filled 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 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, about to call for Taffy, then stopped. Ken was laying on the L-section couch as well, Taffy curled up in the crook of his arm. Adison put a hand to her racing heart and smiled as it calmed down.

  Ken was fast asleep, his chest rhythmically rising and falling. Adison sat there for a moment, admiring the angles of his face.

  Carefully, so as not to wake man or cat, she threw off the blanket Ken must have covered her with and tiptoed across the room to grab her phone. She managed to get a few pretty good pics before Ken, probably sensing her attention, woke up.

  “Good morning,” he murmured with
a lopsided grin. “What are you doing?”

  “Photographing the cutest pairing in all of Buffalo.” She turned the phone around to show him and yelped with surprise when he scooped her up and pulled her onto the couch.

  “Hey,” she protested, “I was supposed to show you the photos.”

  “Were you?” He brushed hair away from her neck so that he could kiss it.

  She didn’t really mind. The pictures could wait. Snuggling into a pile of cushions and blankets, she rested with her back against Ken’s chest.

  “I didn’t know I was falling asleep,” she said.

  “You were wide awake one minute and conked out the next.” He squeezed her shoulder.

  “I didn’t talk in my sleep, did I?”

  “No, but you snored a little.”

  “Oh, my God.” She covered her face from embarrassment. “Really?”

  “It was adorable.”

  The way he said it, she actually believed him.

  Taffy meowed at them from the floor.

  “What does she want?” Ken asked.

  “To be fed.”

  “You fed her last night.”

  Adison snorted. “You don’t know much about pets, do you?”

  “I’m a quick learner. Give me a day to get her routine down.”

  “That routine starts now.” Even though she would have liked to spend the day on the couch, Adison stood up and stretched. “I need to feed her before she starts a coup.”

  “Let me.”

  Next thing she knew, Ken had coaxed her back onto the couch while he stood and went into the kitchen.

  “I’ll also be making your breakfast,” he said.

  “Ooh.” Resting on her side, she propped her head in her hand and watched him open the pantry door and scoop dry cat food. “I can’t say no. I did walk out on breakfast the other day.”

  “Let’s hope that will be the last time that happens.”

  She bit into a smile. “I’m counting on it.”

  Her phone beeped, and she swiped the screen open to find a text from Corinne.

  “Merry Christmas! So what happened?”

  Grinning, Adison texted back.

  “Merry Christmas! He’s over here now.”

  Corinne’s response was a long line of emojis, ranging from smiley faces to dancers to a unicorn.