The Billionaire's Christmas Proposal (Billionaire For Christmas #2)

by Victoria James

  “Like who?”

  How easily he fell into this competition with his brother. “Hayden Brooks.” He watched with smug satisfaction as his brother tried to hide his displeasure.

  “I wasn’t aware you were friends.”

  “Went to school together. We keep in touch.”

  “Well, who knows if this would even interest him, being out in Vancouver.”

  “His company builds anywhere, and I also happen to know that he’s in the province at the moment doing some business in a small town not that far from here. Still Harbor.”

  “What the hell kind of business would he be doing there?”

  Ethan shrugged. He wasn’t comfortable discussing his friends’ personal lives with his brother. You never knew how Carson could turn it around and use it as ammo. “Personal. Speaking of, how’s your wife?”

  His brother squirmed in his seat, his cheeks growing red. Ethan knew full well they were getting divorced.

  “She’s fine.”

  “What’s this, wife number three or four? That must be making quite the dent in your finances.”

  “As lovely as this was, it’s time for me to go. I’m meeting Dad for lunch.” His brother rose. Ethan remained seated. He ignored the silly pang of whatever it was that stabbed him in the chest. He knew his brother and father were close. Hell, they worked together every day. It shouldn’t matter that they never invited him to the club. He wouldn’t want to go anyway.

  Besides, right now he’d rather be thinking about Allie. In his home, for days on end. He’d rather think about her in his shower, and about how she’d sought him out in a city of millions. She’d come to him for help, which meant that although she’d been avoiding each and every pass he made, she felt something for him.

  His brother paused at the door and turned around to face him. Great. His brother loved delivering jabbing one-liners before he departed, like he’d watched one too many daytime soap operas. “Well, whoever Dad picks for this will inherit the family business. I only hope nothing happens to you between now and then…you know, considering it’s November.”

  Nothing like his family to kick him when he was down. Ethan clamped down hard on his back teeth, a string of curses wanting to flow out of his mouth like hot lava. Instead, he held on to them, giving his brother a smile. “Don’t worry, nothing’s going to happen to me. Watching you self-implode will keep me around. Merry Christmas, Carson.” His brother gave him a smirk and walked out.

  Ethan stood as soon as the door was shut, and he cursed the entire way to the liquor cabinet. His brother usually got under his skin, but today was a whole new level. The competition. The mention of the time of year and his health. But the worst was what this was going to do to Allie.

  He had to tell her that he was going to be one of the guys responsible for closing the shelter.

  Chapter Three

  Allie hung up the phone, relieved she’d managed to contact everyone she needed to. If her sister would hurry and return from her shopping expedition, then she could get dressed and head out to the shelter. She was determined to salvage a little of the day.

  The front door opened and seconds later her sister barged into the room carrying what had to be dozens of bags. “Oh my God, it was the best shopping trip evah,” she screamed, dumping everything, including herself, onto the bed.

  Allison tried to quell the urge to yell and the looming panic as she spotted all the designer names on the bags. She shut her eyes and tried deep breathing, but it didn’t work, especially when she reopened her eyes and saw her sister pawing the front of a leather Coach purse. She slowly rose. “Dani, you do realize that is going back, right?”

  Danielle scowled at her. “Excuse me? Uh, no. Where’s your gratitude? This purse is yours. I bought it for you. It’s large enough for you to put all your work—”

  “We can’t afford—”

  “I know, which is why it’s so great that Ethan can.”

  “I have to repay him, Dani. We didn’t win the lottery. It’s a loan.”

  Her sister rolled her eyes and pulled out a pair of UGG boots. Allison shut her eyes and tried counting to ten. None of these useless techniques worked.

  “Allie, your problem is that you don’t know luck when it slaps you in the face. Ethan doesn’t need or want you to pay him back. He’s loaded. So why don’t you show a little gratitude because I spent the whole morning giving you a much-needed wardrobe makeover. I bought stuff for work, stuff for play.” She held up a Victoria’s Secret bag and wriggled her eyebrows.

  The thought of her sixteen-year-old sister picking out underwear for her was alarming. She didn’t know what the bigger issue here was—the money they now owed Ethan, or a wardrobe picked out by a teenager. She sat on the edge of the bed and tried not to cry. Sometimes it was painful being the only adult. She was her big sister, but she felt more like Dani’s mom. It made their relationship tricky.

  “You probably spent two months’ salary.”

  Dani paused in her frenzied unpacking, holding a scarf limply in her hand. “Seriously? That’s how little you make?”

  Allison groaned and covered her face. What was the point? She’d work out some repayment plan with Ethan later. Right now she needed to get dressed. She had people that depended on her, and the crisis here was over. Her sister had clothes, food, and a roof over her head. Time to move on with the day. “Okay, what did you buy for work clothes?”

  Her sister smiled with smug satisfaction and pulled out a pair of dark skinny jeans, a pale blue V-neck sweater, and the UGG boots. “Wait, there’s more,” she said. Allison didn’t breathe. A silver bracelet and necklace followed, then a gorgeous, pale blue push-up bra and underwear.

  “Please tell me you bought some sports bras?”

  Her sister scoffed. “Puh-lease. You need underwire. It should be mandatory for anyone over twenty-five. I’m aiding in anti-sagging.”

  Allison snatched up the clothes and quickly started dressing. “I don’t have time to argue with you. I need to make an appearance at work. I already called your school and told them—”

  “Wriggle your hips and then yank them up,” Dani said as she watched her sad struggle with the jeans. She needed to make more of an effort at the gym once she figured out where they were going to live and how she was going to pay Ethan back. And how she was going to save the shelter. Right. So, never.

  Dani pulled out a plush terry cloth robe. “I’m going to take a shower in that gorgeous spa bathroom. Then a little pampering.”

  “I need to be out of here in ten minutes, so I’m saying bye now. I’ll see you tonight. Ethan left you a key on the front table, but don’t be home late. I’ll help you organize all your school stuff after dinner.”

  “Oh, dinner…I wonder what we’re having for dinner. Do you think Ethan has a personal chef?”

  Allison opened her mouth, but she didn’t even know what to say. “Do you have cash?”

  Dani shrugged. “No, but I don’t need it. I’ll bring this with me to school.” She held up Ethan’s card and flashed it around.

  Allison almost had a heart attack. “Excuse me? No, you’re not taking that to school. I will give you whatever cash I have in my wallet. Hand over the card.”

  Dani pouted.

  Allison shoved out her hand. “Now. Buy your lunches for the rest of the week and pick up something for dinner on the way home tonight. I don’t want to bug Ethan, and I won’t be home to make food.”

  Danielle pulled out the Visa and slapped it in her hand. “You need to learn—”

  “You need to learn when to be quiet. Go shower. Have a good day.”

  Her sister stomped off, and Allison eyed the remaining clothes for the day. At least her sister had good taste. Minutes later she was slipping into the boots, and she could hear her sister singing in the shower.

  She paused outside the bedroom door, patting Hook on the head and eyeing the hallway she knew led to Ethan’s office, bedroom, and gym. The look that had passed across
his face replayed in her mind. He’d looked closed off, suddenly unapproachable, and that was unusual for him. He’d always been very open. It was one of the things that attracted her to him—in a non-romantic way of course. She was reading way too much into this. Obviously, the man must have realized his pristine bachelor pad was about to be invaded by two women. He clearly just wanted to make sure he still had his own space. Yeah, they knew each other, but they didn’t really know each other. She was going to have to get him some sort of thank you gift. Or help out around the house. Or something.

  Half an hour later she was walking through the doors of the shelter, ready to deal with whatever came her way that afternoon. This place always felt more like a home than a homeless shelter for teens. It was open around the clock, and there were many times that Allie had stayed here overnight. As soon as teens walked in, it was the staff’s priority to make them feel safe. Everyone was given clean clothes, toiletries, and a hot meal. There was a floor for boys and one for girls, and the entire building had a capacity to house almost one hundred youths. What they did here was integral. It was a known place, in a central location. No kid wanted to be on the street, and so many of them came from abuse and violence, this becoming their first truly safe home. Daily routines, set meal times, and chores were necessary in building a sense of safety and stability—something most of them needed desperately.

  “Hey, Allie!” Denise, the group home manager and her good friend, called out. “You okay?”

  Allison nodded, taking off her coat and hanging it by the hooks beside the front door. She walked across the tiled floor and joined her friend. “Yeah, what a day. We’re staying at a…friend’s place.” Why did she pause at the word friend? That’s what Ethan was. It must be her sister; she was messing with her head.

  “Oh my God, I was so scared when I heard about the fire. What are you going to do?” Denise was currently finger-combing her long, curly hair into her trademark ponytail atop her head. Just seeing the familiar motion made Allison feel calmer for some reason. Maybe it was a sign that not everything had gone to hell.

  “We’re going to stay there until I can find us a new place.” She walked around the front desk to the small coffee station. She could use a cup. Or an entire pot.

  “Should I even ask if you had renter’s insurance or anything?”

  Allie winced. “I didn’t have extra money for that.” She dumped a bunch of milk into her coffee, stirring it slowly. “Bonehead move in retrospect, but between Dani and student loans, I couldn’t justify it. I was so close to balancing everything and now I have to start over.” She took a sip of coffee, hating to admit this aloud. She would never say anything in front of Dani, because she didn’t want her sister to feel like a burden, and she’d never say anything to Hannah, because she knew her friend would force pity money on her. And Ethan…admitting this in front of him would be humiliating. Again, one of the things he’d never understand. She knew he’d grown up with money, lots of it. He would never get this. He was already doing enough.

  “You’ll manage. I’ll see if there’s an available apartment in my building. And whatever extras I have, I’ll send your way when you’re setting up.”

  Allie smiled at Denise. She had become a good friend since Allie moved to Toronto a few years ago. This entire place ran because of Denise. She put in long hours and was the rock behind it. “Thanks, I might have to take you up on that.”

  “Well, as long as you and Dani weren’t hurt that’s the main thing.”

  Allie nodded and looked around, making sure no one was within earshot. They absolutely didn’t want word getting out to the youth that the shelter might be moving. This was the only place most of them could rely on, so the idea that it might be taken away from them could be devastating. “What are the odds? First the shelter, then my building? Any news about…?” Her voice trailed off purposefully, and she lifted her brows.

  Denise shook her head. “No. Every time I pick up the phone I brace myself for some news, but so far I’ve got nothing.”

  Allie drummed her fingers on the wood surface. “I guess we’re going to have to wait and see. And pray for a Christmas miracle.”

  “Speaking of which, I want to go forward with the tree trimming and decorating night next weekend. What do you think?”

  Allie nodded. “Absolutely. We’re not canceling anything.”

  “Perfect. I’ll send out a memo to the staff and you and I can go over the finer details maybe tomorrow?”

  “Sounds good. I’ll plan to stay late tomorrow night and see about picking up some extra goodies to go with the hot chocolate.”

  “Perfect, sweetie. Call me if you need anything, okay?”

  Allie nodded as Denise stood and began bundling up for the outdoors. “I still don’t know why you even came in. The day is almost over.”

  “You know what it’s like. I have appointments. I didn’t want to cancel on anyone.”

  Her friend wrapped her red scarf around her neck twice so it covered her mouth, her hat tucked down low. “The world will go on without you for a day, you know, Allie.”

  Her words came out muffled, but Allie understood. She nodded and opened the door for her. Denise gave her a wave and walked out. Allie shut the door with a shiver and began her usual rounds of the house before settling into her small office on the main floor. This place had become like a second home to her, and the kids felt like an extension of her own family. She had even managed to get Dani in here on a regular basis to volunteer wherever extra help was needed. Sometimes they’d be short-staffed in the kitchen, or they needed extra help sorting the various donations that came in. It kept Dani focused and stopped her from feeling sorry for herself. Yeah, their mom had screwed up and both their fathers had been MIA since birth, but their lives could have been much worse.

  Three hours later, Allie was finishing up with one of the house’s newest teens and she was pleased with how their session had gone. They were standing in the hallway outside her office, close to the entryway. Max was sixteen and had come to live here a month ago. He hadn’t really opened up to them much, but Allie felt like she was making progress.

  He’d been living with his single mom who was an addict and verbally abusive, but she had only figured that out by reading between the lines. Max had lived on the street for about a month before coming into Haven House. He’d been cold, standoffish, starved, and beaten down, but he’d been given clean clothes, a shower, and a bed, and when she’d walked in the next morning to meet their newest teen, her heart had gone out to him. It was something that happened on a regular basis. She would always remember the way the kids looked that first day when they arrived, and most often it was completely different from when they were ready to go on their own again.

  The shelter had a strict sobriety policy, so kids had to be clean in order to live here. Max thankfully had an aversion because of his mother. He was also extremely guarded, which was normal. They had to earn his trust. Routine, shelter, and daily meals went a long way in earning the trust of most of the teens.

  “See ya,” he said, flicking his chin in her direction.

  Allie smiled at him. He never called her by name. He didn’t call anyone by name, but she knew it would come, in time. Names were personal to some kids. Calling people by name meant a familiarity, and he obviously wasn’t ready. “Have a good night, Max.”

  He shrugged, his gaze darting down the hall. “Okay. Uh, hey, I wanted to ask you something first.”

  “Sure. Do you want to go back in my office?”

  He shook his head. “Uh, I was just wondering about Christmas. What happens? I mean, like, are you guys going to be working during the holidays? Do we have to find somewhere else…to go?”

  Allie had perfected the serene look on her face during her first year of social work. She never wanted someone to see her surprised. She wanted everyone to feel like their questions weren’t alarming or revealing—even when her heart was breaking. She knew exactly where Max was going with
this, and the insecurity in his voice, in his stance, pulled at her. “Of course we’re working. Haven House never closes. Ever.” As she spoke the words, doubt crept into mind. How could she even say that considering the threat against the shelter? Well, she wasn’t giving up. This place would always be here for them. It had to.

  He nodded and took an awkward step back, but not before she caught the look of relief on his face. “Oh. Okay.”

  He started to walk away, so Allie quickly kept talking. “Christmas is the best time around here, you know. We put up a tree, decorations, there’s a special Christmas Eve and Day menu. Presents.” She smiled as she spoke even though he was looking down at his feet. She knew this was overwhelming for him, but she hoped by Christmas he’d start opening up a bit. It would be his first Christmas away from his mother. During their sessions, she knew he didn’t want to speak about her. She knew it was normal for him to feel anger toward her, but it would also be quite normal for him to miss her or feel concern for her. Christmas was about family, and it was difficult for kids without one, which was why they went above and beyond during the holidays.

  Max looked to the door as it opened. Ethan walked through looking like the cover model for GQ magazine. Even when he wasn’t at work, success and power clung to him as beautifully as his tailored suits. A gust of snow swirled around him as he shut the door, and her heart fluttered. He brushed the snow off his hair and made eye contact with her from the across the hall, giving her a wave and a smile that could melt a thousand snowmen. He was holding a paper tray, two red cups inside.

  “See ya,” Max said, looking back and forth between them, and walked away.

  “Bye, Max. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He didn’t turn around. She saw Ethan give him a nod as he passed by.