Billionaire's Holiday (An Alpha Billionaire Christmas Romance Love Story) (Billionaires - Book #17)

by Claire Adams

  "You okay?" Chloe reached over and touched my arm.

  "Yeah. Just getting a cold, I think. Ignore me." I got out of the truck and pulled my scarf off. It was freezing outside, but I was burning up.

  She walked around the truck and lifted her hand to press the back of her fingers against my head. "You're sweating, Finn. I think you have a fever for real. We don't have to hang out today. Seriously."

  Telling her that I thought I was having withdrawals from sex would sound insanely creepy, so that wasn't happening. I pulled her hand down and intertwined mine with hers.

  "It's nothing. Just hot for you."

  She chuckled. "Friends don't get hot for each other."

  "Tell that to my fever." I walked to the coffee shop and held the door open for her.

  She moved past me, and I breathed in subtly, wanting to smell the scent that was uniquely hers. Remaining friends was going to be an exercise in restraint. As long as we weren't alone, snuggled up, and watching a movie—like she wanted to do tomorrow night—we'd be fine.

  I rolled my eyes and moved up to the counter, letting out a long breath and glancing up at the menu.

  "Finn Warner. How are you?" A cute blonde moved up beside me and wrapped her arm around my back, giving me an awkward hug from the side.

  "Good, girl. How about you?" I smiled at her and tugged from her hold. The last time an ex-lover approached, Chloe was long gone by the time I could get free.

  "I'm great. You were supposed to call me. " She giggled and pawed at my chest.

  I tugged Chloe up beside me and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm so rude. This is my fiancée, Chloe. She's from California."

  She stiffened in my hold, but extended her hand and introduced herself. I chuckled as the other girl rolled her eyes and walked out of the coffee shop.

  "Does this happen a lot to you?" Chloe looked up at me, and I realized she was still tucked under my arm. I wanted to kiss her so bad it hurt.

  "More than I care to discuss." I released her and looked up at the menu. "Black coffee for me and whatever my girl's having."

  I moved to the pickup counter, letting her order as I fingered through the chocolate bars, trying to decide if something sweet was in order for so early in the morning.

  She moved up beside me and bumped her shoulder against mine. "I'm not your girl, Finn. Stop telling people that."

  "Why? You on the market?" I lifted an eyebrow and pushed back against her shoulder.

  "No. I'm just looking for a friend, remember?"

  "Right, and a good friend would let all these other hungry fools think that you belong to him so that they leave you alone." I moved back and took my coffee as the barista put it in front of me. "Please don't lie and tell me that no other guys have hit on you while you've been here."

  "A few, I guess." She took her coffee and nodded in agreement. "I see your point. I'm good with you calling me yours to spare me more attention and to help you cover the trail for the hookers after your body."

  "They are, aren't they?" I smirked.

  "They are, what? Hookers?"

  "No, baby. After this sexy body. Jeez." I chuckled as she pretended to gag. "You know you want it."

  "So bad." She fanned herself and rolled her eyes while walking to a small table near the window.

  If only she were telling the truth. I could see her underneath me, lost to passion in a way that only I could give to her. I wanted that moment so bad, and yet I needed to leave it alone. It would consume me if I wasn't careful.

  "How long do I get you today, and what's on the agenda?" I sat down and leaned over to blow at the top of my coffee.

  "As long as you want, but I have to do some research. My father's funding my clothing line in January, as I mentioned."

  "You did. I assume your degree is in design?"

  "Yes, from UCLA."

  "Right, so why the research? Something to do with your old man?"

  "Yeah. He wants me to come up with a new windbreaker by Thursday that's not only functionally better than most that are already available, but is modern, fashionable. On point."

  "On point?" I lifted my eyebrow and smirked.

  "Never mind." She grinned and played with the top of her drink. "Let's go to a few clothing stores, and we'll try on windbreakers together. I need to figure out a few things about both men's and women's. You're going to be my Guinea pig. That okay?"

  "Sure, but I'll need your help later, too." I took a drink of my coffee and tried to keep my expression straight.

  "Absolutely. Doing what?" Her green eyes searched my face, and I tucked my hand under my leg to keep from reaching out and touching the side of her face.

  "Research for the fastest way to bring a woman to orgasm." I glanced down and chuckled as she slapped my arm and yelped.

  "Jesus, Finn. For real?"

  I looked up and couldn't stop laughing. "No, baby. I'm kidding...unless."

  "No. Absolutely not. You're so fucking corrupt."

  "But you like it." I tugged my hand free and reached for her before I could stop myself. I tilted my head to the side and slid my fingers along her cheek, loving the beautiful innocence that sat on her. "Tell me you like it."

  She stared at me for a moment, and I wished I knew what she was thinking. At least she hadn’t shoved my hand away.

  “Even if I do, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to start anything and then leave. But hey, I think you’re a good guy.”

  She cupped her hand around mine, sealing the memory in my mind for when she would leave me.

  * * * *

  I walked towards her in a red jacket as she put on a thin white one.

  "Now what?" I reached out and helped button the front of hers, not thinking twice about helping her, though she seemed a little stiff by my nearness. It felt too natural to me not to give into it.

  "We need to go outside, but I'm not sure they'll let us." She pushed at me. "I can get it. Find another way to get your hands all over me. Jeez."

  "Is that an invitation? Because I have a million excuses that will seem reasonable." I laughed and turned to find the nearest sales associate, motioning for him to join us.

  "Yes, sir. How can I help you?" He smiled and me as he turned his attention to Chloe, a smile slid across his face. I knew how he felt.

  "We need to see how these feel outside. You got a place we can test them against the wind and cold?"

  "Of course. That balcony right over there is open for you to use. It doesn't have another exit, except through the store, so feel free." He spoke to me, but kept his eyes on Chloe.

  I coughed and got his attention before shaking my head. "Don't."

  He adverted his eyes and walked away, clearing his throat and blushing.

  "What was that?" Chloe laughed softly and nudged my arm.

  The arm nudge was one step closer to the end game. Now, if we could just move to small kisses, just a friendly peck when the moment called for it. I wanted to taste her lips so damn bad, but I knew I'd have to wait for her to make that move. Patience wasn't anywhere near my strong suit.

  "It was man-speak for 'stop looking at my girl or I'll bend your ass over.'" I winked and opened the door for her.

  "But I'm not your girl." She lifted her eyebrows.

  "You are for pretend, right? You're killing me over here. Are we together or are we not? I'm losing my shit, and you just don't understand me. You never have." I pulled at my hair and she laughed, slapping me before forcing a serious smile on her face.

  "Be serious for a minute. I need to test these jackets out. My dad is a hard sell, and I really want to impress him." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before peaking back at me. "Close your eyes. You need to feel the jacket."

  I rolled my eyes and snorted. "Oh, shit. Is this one of those California yoga things we're about to do?"

  She laughed and hit my chest. "No, but you have to concentrate."

  "I am, but I'm not closing my eyes. Ask your questions, and let’s get into the n
ext jacket." I leaned against the railing and watched her closely. There was a light inside of her that burned brighter when she was talking designs and colors. She was going to be great at what she did, and I realized that I wanted to support her in any way she would let me. I'd try on coats all damn day if that's what she needed.

  "Why won't you close your eyes? Afraid of the dark?" She smirked and brushed her hands down her jacket as if trying to get a feel for it.

  "Naw. I don't want to miss a minute of this."

  "Of what?" She looked up as her smile faded.

  "Of my time with you." I winked and moved toward her as tears filled her eyes again. "Well, damn. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just trying to explain why I didn't want to close my eyes."

  She reached up and pressed her hands to my chest as I pulled her into a hug. "It's not that, I just..."

  "Just what? Tell me what I'm doing, and I'll stop. There's no crying on shopping day. Jeez, girl. You didn't read the damn rules?" I leaned down and brushed my nose past hers, trying to get her to look into my eyes and see the good times I was trying to present.

  She closed her eyes and moved up, pressing her lips to mine. That was it.

  A floodgate broke loose inside of me. I moved one of my hands up to let my fingers slide into her long, silky hair as I tilted my head and pressed my tongue against her lips. I wanted in.

  She whimpered softly and opened her mouth, the combination of her need and taste driving me insane. I pressed my hips forward and kissed and licked at her mouth as she took every bit of what I offered and seemed to want more.

  I broke the kiss and closed my eyes, brushing my lips by hers as I panted. "I've wanted that since we met."

  "Me, too, now stop being so damn sweet." She brushed her fingers by my lips, and I kissed them before moving back.

  "Right. No being sweet." I winked. "Ask your questions on the jacket and let's get out of here. I want to show you a little frozen pond not far from my place. It's going to get dark before we know it."

  "Okay." She tugged at the front of the jacket and dove into question after question about comfort, color, warmth, flexibility, and texture. I answered them all as best I could while trying to stave off my dizziness.

  It was the weirdest feeling in the world.

  Wanting someone and thinking that it could be forever.

  Forever was such a long time.

  How could anyone agree to forever?

  I didn't know, but I knew one thing was for sure:

  I wanted to find out.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chloe

  The kiss was so far beyond what I expected, and I wanted another and another. The way he looked at me left no doubt inside of me that he wasn't looking for one night of passion, but lots of them. I'd worked so damn hard for five years to get my degree so I could live the life I had planned. I was going to design summer clothes for college kids and then find the right movie star in L.A. that I could latch onto. Fame would be mine, and it would be me that would walk down the catwalk at the end of the show, gaining accolades for my work.

  Why did it feel like the light was dimming on that future all of a sudden? I'd been in Colorado for almost two weeks. That wasn't long enough to learn to ski, much less fall for a local who seemed to have every girl's attention.

  I pulled out my phone and read through the data that Finn and I had gathered as he sang softly and tapped the steering wheel of his old truck.

  "Where is this place again?" I glanced up from my phone and let my eyes move across him. His body was hidden behind his jacket and sweater, but the memory of seeing him shirtless left my heart racing. The swell of muscles on his chest and tantalizing grid of them along his stomach was something I wanted to see again...up close.

  "It's just a stone's throw from my cabin." His brow pulled tight and he reached over and took my hand. "You okay? You look like something is wrong."

  I pulled my hand back and let out a short sigh. "No, I'm just tired. I haven't transitioned well to the altitude, and the bed at my dad's sucks."

  "Well, I can't do much about the altitude, but you're more than welcome to try my bed on for size." He wagged his eyebrows, and I rolled my eyes.

  "Good try, playboy." I pulled my legs up in the seat and wrapped my arms around them. "Do you miss your mom still?"

  "All the time." He turned the radio down and pulled into a short driveway. A quaint log cabin sat at the end of the drive ahead of us. It stole my breath. It was unassuming and personal, peaceful, and serene. "You?"

  "Yeah. So much." I smiled over at him. "Please tell me this is your place."

  "It is. I don't bring anyone here. Ever." He shrugged. "Only me, my dad, and Brian have been inside. Feel special."

  I reached for the handle, wanting to see the inside as if I might discover something new about the beautiful man next to me. "I do."

  He moved to the front of the truck and walked ahead of me to open the door. The snow was thick, and while he'd done a great job of shoveling my father's driveway, his was heavy with snow.

  I walked in behind him and breathed in deeply at the smell of his cologne and shampoo mixed with vanilla. The studio was only two rooms, one being the combination kitchenette/small living room, and holding a two-person table. The other in the back was a bedroom big enough for the queen-sized bed Finn had and the bathroom.

  "It's only big enough for one person, but it's mine, and I love it." He leaned against the wall near the kitchen.

  I brushed my fingers by his hand as I walked through, picking up various pictures and trinkets. He didn't say a word, but let me explore until I was content.

  I picked up the copy of Moby Dick next to his bed and held it up as I snorted. "You're reading a classic?"

  "What, Moby Dick? Naw...that's about growing your penis to massive proportions. Silly girl. A classic?" He rolled his eyes, and the laugh that came out of me was deep and far warmer than anything I remembered feeling lately.

  I wanted to ask him to not wake me up. Something inside of me was warming again, and the apathy that had settled over me years before was cracking. It was frightening and exhilarating all at the same time.

  "Show me this pond, and then I need to get home." I moved toward him with a smile on my face.

  "Anything you want." He moved back and opened the door, letting me go through first.

  "Looks like the sun's going to set soon." I wrapped my arms around my middle and looked back at him. "It gets so cold when the sun goes down."

  "Agreed. That's why you need a friend to go out and play with you. Otherwise, you'd freeze your ass off, and they'd never find you in this wasteland." He put his arm over my shoulders, and I snuggled into him as we walked into the woods.

  "Have you really lived here your whole life?" I asked, enjoying his comfort far more than I should.

  "I sure have. I'll die here, too."

  "Yeah? Not interested in being anywhere else? Just love the snow too much or what?" I couldn't imagine living in a cold climate my whole life.

  "Well, for starters, it's all I know. My dad's here, which is a big deal, too. I don't have brothers or sisters, and though he's an ass most days of the week, he's my ass." He chuckled. "Well, he's not my ass, per se."

  I laughed. "I've seen your ass, and your dad looks nothing like it."

  He blushed and took a deep breath. "I want to build a lodge where families can come. Dad's worked so hard his whole life, but we've never gotten to go anywhere. Seems like every time we tried, it was too expensive or he had too much work to do. So I want to have a ski resort that's reasonably priced and welcomes large families. Just loads of activities for the kids and then some for the couples, you know...to reconnect."

  "I love it. I think it's brilliant." I wrapped my arm around his back and rubbed softly, not realizing what I was doing, but simply going with the desire to be closer to him.

  "It's not going to happen, but it's all good."

  "Why not?" I pulled him to a stop, confused at his
reasoning.

  "Dreams take money to build. I have a lot of heart and loads of passion, but money has never been something we've had." He smiled so authentically that I was stunned into silence. I'd judged him all wrong. He was nothing like I thought him to be. "It's okay, though. If it's meant to happen, it will."

  I stepped back and lost my footing, wanting to respond, but rolling down the small hill behind me instead. I landed on my back and laughed so hard that tears sprung to my eyes.

  "Chloe!" He ran after me, skidding to his knees as he bent over me with fear in his face. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Can you move?"

  I swatted at him. "Yes. I'm just stupid levels of clumsy."

  "I'm aware." He smiled and offered me a hand.

  I took it and turned, pulling him down with me and rolling us until he was on his back, and I was laid out across the top of him. He reached up and pushed my hair back before consuming my mouth with another hot kiss.

  I moaned deeply in my chest and gave myself over to him. I opened my mouth and sucked gently at his tongue as it darted in and out of my mouth. He rolled it against mine, and I groaned again at how good of a kisser he was; the slow sensual way he moved left me with no doubt that one night in his arms would never be enough.

  He broke the kiss and brushed his nose against mine. "Such a bad girl."

  "You've no idea," I whispered, kissed him quickly, and got up.

  "Well, damn you for making me want to know."

  I offered him a hand, and he took it, pulling hard and causing me to fall back down. We rolled around in the snow playfully, laughing and tossing small handfuls of the soft powder at each other.

  "How can you not love it here?" he asked as he sat up and brushed his hair.

  "I guess it reminds me too much of my mother." I shrugged and sat up. I worked to brush his back and shoulders off, and then he returned the favor. It was fine until he ran his hands over my hair slowly, gripping lightly and tugging a little.

  "You're so fucking beautiful. I honestly haven't ever seen a woman more intriguing, more naturally stunning than you." He touched the side of my face as his eyes moved along my face, leaving me to feel treasured.

  "You're just being sweet." I forced a chuckle and got up, using his shoulder.