“A breeze, as usual. She’s been up for a while, so I’m sure she’s ready for a nap.”
Jules thanked the nanny, heading to the couch to give Noelle her bottle and hum her a song. Once she’d been burped and her diaper changed, Noelle’s eyes drifted closed. Just as Jules was swaying her to sleep, the front door opened.
A moment later, Mitch came into the living room with wide eyes, looking around like he’d stepped into the wrong house altogether.
“What—”
“Shhh.” Jules grinned, jerking her chin toward Noelle. “She’s about to fall asleep.”
Mitch clamped his mouth shut, setting his briefcase on the couch before heading their way. Something warm shone in his eyes, and he didn’t take his gaze off her. Not for a second.
“What is all this?” he asked in a softer voice.
Her grin spread so wide her cheeks hurt. “What is what?”
“Don’t play coy. My penthouse looks like a magazine ad for Christmas itself.”
“Good. Then my work here is done.” She swayed away from him, flirtation bursting to life between them. He tilted his head, wetting his bottom lip as he looked her up and down.
“You’re cooking something.”
“Correct.” Now her ears hurt from smiling so hard. She hadn’t known it was possible.
“What are you making?”
“I have a sleepy baby to tend to,” she said, turning away from him slightly. “You’re just going to have to wait and find out.”
She sashayed away from him, feeling his questions and amusement burning in the air behind her. The walk to the bedroom had allowed Noelle to drift off to sleep, so Jules set the sleeping girl in her crib and came back to the living room. Mitch had removed his tie and undone the first few buttons of his shirt. He was pouring a tumbler of whiskey just as she entered.
“Wow. So early?”
Mitch sighed, bringing the glass up to his lips. “Sometimes, you just need something to mark the transition into the evening.”
“Seems like you had a rough day.” She came up to him, overcome by the urge to care for him. To erase the stress showing in his face and the weariness that clung to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him, shocked by how natural the gesture felt.
Sure, they’d had plenty of sex the night before. But was this sort of intimacy welcome, or even allowed? This type of intimacy had them moving from sex-with-abandon into tell-me-all-your-woes territory.
Mitch downed the whiskey, then sighed through a grimace as he set the glass down. His big hands smoothed over her shoulders and then ran down her back. A shiver raced through her.
“That’s sweet of you to say.”
Not the reaction she’d been expecting. She couldn’t tell if he was touched by her insight or just politely sidestepping her interest.
“Want to talk about it?”
His jaw worked back and forth, his gaze distracted but bright as he searched her face. “Just Denton Hotels bullshit.”
She snickered. “So my surprises are well-timed.”
Something in his features softened, and that smile returned, the one that made the dimple flash. “Yeah. More well-timed than you could have realized.”
“Come here. Let me show you around.” She took his hand in hers and started a slow walk around the penthouse, showing off all the different touches and accoutrements that she’d added. They stood for a long time at the tree, admiring the different ornaments: the bloated golden baubles, the dangling, icicle-like tendrils, the sparkly tinsel draped over the evergreen limbs.
“Everything looks so beautiful,” Mitch said, sliding his hand over the small of her back.
“Well, Christmas is something of my specialty. And I can’t believe you didn’t have this done already! Christmas is coming up soon.”
Mitch’s smile slowly faded, his brows drawing together. “But you didn’t have it done either.”
Her mouth parted. “Right. But you have this place. This place deserves to be decorated.”
“And yours doesn’t?”
His question made her think. Her house had always been her safe haven, until her most recent move to a smaller, more affordable apartment just made her uninterested in unpacking and really inhabiting the place.
“I’m not there much,” she said.
“I’m not here a ton either.”
Jules nibbled at her lip, thinking about what else she could say.
“The place looks great. You’ve clearly got a knack for this sort of thing.”
“Thanks.” She smiled up at him, but something in her chest hurt. His words had cracked something open. She just wasn’t sure yet what it was. “You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Great. Let me feed you now.” She squeezed his hand and led him into the dining room. After a stern command for him to sit his butt down, she got the plates and silverware out, and then loaded up a fancy white serving platter with the roasted chicken and vegetables.
Mitch’s gaze didn’t leave the food as she brought everything over. “Wow. It smells divine, but it looks even better.”
She tutted, swatting at his arm once the dish was on the table. “You’re just saying that. I haven’t forgotten about last night’s dinner, by the way.”
“That reminds me.” Mitch set aside his napkin and went to the wine rack in the kitchen. He returned a moment later with a bottle and a corkscrew. “A 2008 Malbec from Argentina. What do you think?”
“I think you should open that immediately.” She slid into her seat, trying to fight the same perma-grin that had strained her cheeks earlier. Holy hell, this was a lifestyle she could get used to. Easygoing evenings after a workday, punctuated with surprises and warm embraces and fine wine.
Even though she loved Christmas, this was one time she wished it would never arrive. So she could extend this sweet little…romance? Fling? Something more, or something less? It was hard to know. Noelle made things muddy, but the passion between her and Mitch made things clear at the same time.
There was something real between them. But Jules just couldn’t tell if it was real in the way that lasted.
Once she’d filled their plates with food and he’d poured the richly dark wine, they clinked glasses and took appreciative sips. A moan escaped her.
“It’s so good!”
“Sounds like you’re on the elevator again,” Mitch remarked.
She snickered, heat creeping up her neck. “I guess the sensations are similar. Enjoying excellent wine and being…ravaged.”
“Ravaged.” A cool smirk crossed his laps. “You make it sound like a romance novel.”
“It sorta was,” she said.
“Perhaps. Though it’s good to have an outlet like that.” His smirk turned mischievous.
“I agree.” She sipped at her wine again, already feeling drunk, though it was impossible after only a sip and a half. Really, she suspected it had more to do with the man in front of her than anything else. “Even I need an outlet like that, and I don’t run a hotel empire.”
He cut into the roasted chicken, his gaze flicking between her and his plate. “Yeah. I don’t technically run it, though.”
“But you will.”
“Yes. I will.” But his words didn’t sound confident. He stuffed a forkful of chicken into his mouth, his gaze growing cloudy. He looked out over the city as he chewed.
“You sound like you doubt it.”
He swallowed, gaze returning to the plate. “This is excellent.”
“Thanks. Did you hear me?”
“Yes. I’m just ignoring you.” He reached for his wine.
“Sorry. If you’d rather not go there, we don’t have to. I can talk instead about the roasting technique I used or the exact number of ornaments on the tree.”
“How many?” His sharp gaze cut up to her, and she sucked in a quick breath. She might never not be affected by those eyes.
“Forty-two.”
He nodded sagely. “Good
number.”
“So why do you doubt your future running the hotel?”
His lips quirked up at the corners. “So you don’t take a hint.”
She chewed on a potato wedge, grinning over at him. “Not always.”
“I won’t be confident my father will hand the reins over until he actually does.” Mitch shrugged. “That’s all.”
“But why wouldn’t he?”
Mitch crumpled a little, but he straightened quickly. “My father is…enigmatic. To say the least. He’s always put a lot of pressure on me as the first child, pressure my brother never got.”
“What sort of pressure?”
“To act a certain way…to be seen a certain way.” Mitch shook his head, dabbing at his mouth with his napkin. “It was a lot growing up. I never understood why he tried to control my life so much. I hated it so much that I even vandalized one of his properties when I was sixteen. He told me I couldn’t date the girl in my music class, so I lashed out.”
Jules blinked. “Wow. Did he ever find out?”
Mitch shook his head. “And I’ve never told anyone. So…congratulations. You’ve got information for blackmail.”
“I solemnly swear I will not share this tantalizing vandalism tidbit.”
“Good.” Mitch stuffed another forkful of chicken in his mouth. After he chewed, he said, “Now you have to give me some blackmail tidbit.”
“Do I?”
He nodded. “It’s the rules of the penthouse.”
She hummed as she thought, tipping her head back and forth. She didn’t quite have anything as illegal or urchin-like as vandalism. But she did have something that called her whole stint as Noelle caregiver into question. “Fine. I’m not as capable of a caretaker as I probably seem.” She folded up her napkin, surprised by the way her chest tightened as she readied to spill the beans. “I used to be a nanny, and one of the kids I was watching fell and broke his leg on my watch.”
Mitch blinked. “And?”
“He went to the hospital, and I quit being a nanny.” She reached for her wine.
“That’s not blackmail worthy.”
“It is. Because I made it seem like it was his fault. But if I had been watching more closely—if I had been closer to him…”
He smirked, shaking his head. “No way. That stuff happens. Kids fall. It’s part of life.”
She sighed. “Well, you weren’t there. And honestly, the stress was too much. I spend pretty much every thirty seconds wondering if I’m going to hurt Noelle somehow.”
Mitch tutted. “You are wonderful with her. Trust me—you are a hundred times better with her than I am.”
His words were sweet, but she still waved them off.
He was undeterred. “Have you ever noticed how fast she falls asleep in your arms compared to mine?”
“Yeah, but that’s different,” Jules said.
She had nothing to follow it with when Mitch asked her “How?” He smiled. “Just admit it. You’re great with her, and one child falling off a jungle gym does not make you incapable.”
Jules fought a grin as she forked some more vegetables into her mouth. He had a point. But more than that, she was touched by how deftly he’d fought to lift her spirits.
It had worked. And that sort of investment in her wellbeing was almost sexier than anything else about him.
14
Once dinner was cleared away and Noelle was up for another feeding and some playtime, Jules was buzzing with warmth and happiness. She hadn’t counted on loving these moments so much. The routine of waking up with Noelle, coming home to her after a day of work, and spending the evening in…a family.
Because for all intents and purposes, that’s what Noelle and Mitch were to her right now.
Her family, during the coziest, most family-oriented holiday time of the year.
Jules’s own mother lived in upstate New York, and they didn’t always spend the holidays together anymore, not since her mother had taken a job at a nursing home that sometimes required holiday coverage. This year was one of her work years, which meant Jules was on her own for celebrating.
Beyond her mother? There was basically no one. Sure, she had plenty of friends, but those friends had their own families. Their own celebrations. Their own warm and cozy nooks to get back to.
So that meant Noelle and Mitch entering her life was incredibly well-timed. And her heart was thankful for it. She hated a less-than-spectacular Christmas as the endpoint of a year. And this year would be ending on a dazzling note with Mitch and Noelle at her side.
Once the baby was back down in her crib, Mitch led her by the hand through the penthouse. Jules followed him in a floating daze, unable to rip her gaze off the half-unbuttoned work shirt or the well-trimmed stubble on his jaw each time he glanced back with those smoldering eyes.
This man was a fantasy. Better than a fantasy, even. Because in the dreamily tinted stories that little girls fell for, it was only for a handsome man of no substance.
But Mitch was all substance. Solid and sturdy and successful. Not to mention sexier than sin. The type of guy to build her up and back her up against the elevator wall.
He kicked the door shut behind her with his foot, leaving the bedroom bathed in moody golden light from the city beyond the window. He didn’t use curtains, preferring to rise with the daylight, and the Manhattan glow filled the bedroom. Even at night, the city was bright enough to light their way as his mouth covered hers and they started a slow stumble back toward the bed.
Mitch’s warm hands cupped her face. She whimpered through the kiss, the mix of his heat and his tongue seeking hers and the solid steel of his body against her creating a vortex of desire she could only get lost in.
“Fuck,” Mitch mumbled through a kiss. When they reached the bed, she fell backward onto the soft comforter. He paused, fishing his phone out of his pocket.
“Baby monitor,” he whispered, swiping through screens. Once he opened the app that would alert them if Noelle woke up or not, he tossed it further up the bed, where it settled near the pillows.
“I’m glad you’re clear-headed enough to think of these things,” Jules joked, desperation swarming her. Her hand drifted between her legs, pussy pulsing with eagerness. She wanted him more than anything, but right now, she needed something. Her clit throbbed from wanting attention, and Mitch was just moving too damn slow.
He undressed in the dim lighting of the room, his hands moving with methodical precision as he unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off, then moved on to his belt and his pants. The amber glint of Manhattan beyond illuminated the arcs of his biceps and the ridges of his abs as he undressed. Jules slipped her hand inside her panties as she watched him.
A smile curved at his lips. “Mmm.”
Her middle finger swiped over the stiff peak of her clit, causing a jolt through her body. “What?”
Mitch eased onto the bed, tugging at her pants until they crested her hips. He pulled them off and tossed them aside, bringing his lips to her belly.
“That’s my job,” he growled, dragging his teeth over the swell of her hip. Her skin turned to goosepimples under his hot breath. She wriggled in his grip, unable to form words as his head went between her legs. He tugged at the scrap of fabric between her legs, his lips brushing the sensitive nub there. She inhaled sharply, legs splaying open of their own accord.
He pushed aside her panties, his lips instantly encircling her clit. His tongue flicked back and forth over the tight nub while his hands made hot trails up and down her legs. Jules melted back against the bed. Unable to move or speak or even buck her hips.
How long had it been since she’d had a giving lover? Her mind spun with excitement and elation and raw passion as Mitch slurped and suckled at her. He pressed a finger into her, and then another, starting a slow but steady rhythm as he fingerfucked her. Her pussy tightened around him. Yes. Yes. This man knew what he was doing, and he did it well. She arched backwards, reaching for something. Anything. Her fi
ngers found the top of his head and she fisted his hair. He pushed his fingers inside her deeper, adding a third.
“Ooohhh, Mitch,” she moaned, her thighs tensing in advance of her prickling orgasm. She’d never come so quickly or so often with someone. And she’d known this man less than two weeks. How was it even possible?
He grunted in response, not breaking his rhythm. His tongue swiped and slid against her slippery clit, and finally the pleasure tightened until it exploded, and she was coming, coming so hard. She cried out, locking her thighs around his head, her entire body jerking with the hot rush of her orgasm.
“Fuck,” she moaned as the pleasure receded. “Holy…what the…”
Mitch moved gently, pressing a kiss to her thigh before he bent down to get something. He stepped out of his briefs, cock standing tall and proud in the low lighting. He rolled a condom on, and a moment later he was back on top of her. He pressed a sloppy kiss to her lips, the juice of her own pussy still staining his lips, and they kissed so hard that their teeth collided.
Mitch nestled between her legs as they kissed, easing himself inside of her until he was buried to the hilt. The gentleness of it, the sweet slide of him filling her, was so welcome that it made Jules’s throat tight.
She hadn’t realized she was missing intimacy like this. Hell, she’d never had intimacy like this even when she was dating her exes. Mitch was something else. He was on a whole different level.
They started a slow and deep rhythm. One that was punctuated by their soft grunts and the slick sounds of their sex as he moved in and out of her. Mitch cradled her as he fucked her, something tender in the way he drilled into her. She pinched her eyes shut, feeling another orgasm quivering on the brink.
This man. This man was everything she’d always wanted. The secret hope she’d held in the back of her mind, even as exes fizzled and drifted away.
“Oh, Jules.”
Her name on his lips was an aphrodisiac Her throat went tight as he buried himself inside her again, emotion swirling inside her from head to toe. How could she not fall for this man? This nurturing foster father to Noelle; the thoughtful, successful businessman; the giving lover who had driven her to five orgasms in two days?
Christmas with the Denton Billionaires: The Complete Series Page 17
