A Tree for the Billionaire (Southern Billionaire Romance Book 4)

by Michelle Pennington

  What would have happened if he’d met her outside of work and asked her out? Considering such possibilities was ridiculous, but he couldn’t help it. Given the way he felt around her, even before their conversation in the hot tub, he knew it would have been different from any other relationship he’d had. And after the way he’d reacted to the slight touch of her lips on his, he even suspected that he could have fallen in love with her.

  But that wasn’t how they’d met, and she was his assistant. And he had sworn off of relationships.

  “I think it looks great,” Shaun said.

  For some time, Chris had been irritated by a few spots on the tree where the same color ornaments had been placed right next to each other. He couldn’t stand it any longer. “You need to mix up the colors a little more.”

  “What do you mean?” Shaun asked.

  Chris reminded himself that he didn’t want to help. But he also didn’t want to be in a house with a tree that had badly arranged ornaments. Standing up, he put his phone in his pocket and walked over to the tree. Moving swiftly, he rearranged several of the ball ornaments so that the colors were distributed more evenly around the tree.

  “Okay, Let’s turn out the light and see how it looks,” Shaun said, moving over to the light switch on the wall.

  With the overhead lights off, the tree sparkled and glowed with twinkling lights. It really was beautiful, even if he still didn’t understand what the big deal was all about.

  Kate walked over and stood next to him. “You have an amazing eye for details. Thanks for the help.”

  Chris winced. It was precisely what he’d sworn he wouldn’t do. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

  “Yes, it was. Look how gorgeous the tree is!”

  “This is the part where you tell her that she’s prettier,” Shaun said to Chris.

  Kate chuckled. “Since he pretty much hates the tree, I’m not sure that would be much of a compliment.”

  Chris looked down at her, enjoying every line and curve that together made a truly beautiful woman. “Just because I didn’t care to have one doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s beautiful. And yes, Kate is even more beautiful.”

  “Aw…” Shaun said, laughing. “I’m like Cupid or something.”

  “Shaun?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Go work on those contracts.”

  “Okay, but I know you’re just trying to get rid of me.”

  Chris glanced down as Shaun left the room. It looked like Kate was trying to avoid his eyes. “It’s my turn to choose what we talk about,” he said.

  Kate looked up at him with big, tender eyes. “That’s fair. But remember, you can’t try to talk me out of my resignation.”

  “I wouldn’t dare break our agreement,” he said. “I would, however, love to hear more about your family. I mean, I assume that’s what has inspired you to want your own.”

  “I guess it is,” she said, walking back to the kitchen. “I haven’t really thought about it that much. It’s not that surprising that I’d want people I love to share my life with. I mean, this might surprise you, but getting married is a pretty normal thing for people to want.”

  Chris watched as she filled up a tea kettle with water and put it on to boil.

  Shoving his hands into his pockets, he sauntered into the kitchen behind her. “But can’t you have a family and be my assistant at the same time?”

  She shrugged. “Sure, if I never wanted to see them. Even if I could figure it out and my husband didn’t mind how much I’d be gone, I would mind.” Then, with a sudden burst of frustration, she threw her hands up. “Besides, how do I meet someone?”

  “A dating app?”

  Kate narrowed her eyes. “Really? Do you want to find someone on an app? I mean, I know some people do, but that is not for me. No, I’m going to move back here and meet a nice guy at church or something. Country boys know how to work hard, but they know how to relax too. And family is important to them.”

  Leaning back against the island counter, Chris bit back his immediate defense of men from the city. If he let her lead him around on tangents, he’d never get to what he was trying to talk about. “But, Kate. You’re too much of a city girl now. How will you ever be satisfied with this again? Oh sure, it’s nice for a break, but won’t you miss the restaurants and the shopping and the plays and…”

  “Stop.” She held up a hand like a traffic cop. “Do you really think I get to enjoy all those things? That’s your life, not mine.”

  He considered this a moment and realized that his perceptions might be skewed. “Why did you come to New York anyway? And how did you get the job as my assistant?”

  The high-pitched squeal of the teapot broke into their conversation. Kate took it off the burner and poured it over the tea bag she had ready in a mug on the counter. “Want some tea?”

  “What kind is it?”

  Kate waved her hand to a wooden box on the counter. “There’s a whole selection. I’m having peppermint.”

  Chris actually hated tea, but it would be an excuse to keep Kate talking. “Peppermint is fine. And so festive, right?”

  With a smile lighting her face, she turned and prepared a cup of tea for him. To his surprise, she picked up their conversation again with no prompting. “I went to school at Cornell because I got pretty stellar test scores my senior year, right at the same time I got to thinking I hated the country and wanted to move to the big city. By the time I graduated, I’d changed my mind, but I needed a job with a high enough salary to pay off all my loans. The only thing I could find for a long time was as a hotel clerk. It didn’t exactly pay all my bills, but I wasn’t starving.”

  Kate handed him the mug of tea, and they moved back to the living room, sitting down on opposite sides of the couch, angled to face each other. Chris inhaled the fragrant steam coming off his mug and took a tentative sip. It smelled wonderful, but it still didn’t taste good. He took one more drink for show and set it down on the coffee table. “You went from being a hotel clerk to my personal assistant?”

  Kate laughed. “Crazy, huh? It certainly seemed like a fairytale to me. I was on my way home from work one afternoon when this older woman stepped off the curve funny and hurt herself. I was right there by her, so I helped her until the first responders got there. She was really agitated because of all these errands she needed to do for her boss. I felt so bad that I offered to help with what I could. She handed me a list that she’d had clutched in her hand and told me to take $500 and the business card out of her wallet.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Oh yeah. I think she was really out of it from pain and shock. But I knew I was honest, even if she couldn’t have known that, so I did what she asked. Instead of going home, I went to Macy’s and bought the shaving lather you like, ordered the catering for your business meeting the next day—luckily it was all specified on her note—and picked up your dry cleaning. Of course, I had no idea where you lived, so I just had to drop it all off at your office. I left the change and receipts with your secretary. At the last minute, I decided to leave a note with my phone number for Mrs. Pratt. She called me the day she got back to work and hired me on the spot.”

  “And then retired a few months later,” Chris said, remembering.

  “Yeah. She just stayed long enough to get me trained.”

  “Seems like fate really took a hand in putting you where you are.” He smiled and leaned toward her. “Why mess with it?”

  “You know why. I’ve told you multiple times.”

  Chris considered his words carefully. It was time to make his big play. “From what I can tell, your only reason for leaving can be fixed with a few simple changes.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like a reduction in your hours. Let Mindy take on more of your work. I can make sure you have plenty of time off for your personal life.”

  Kate looked at him blankly. If only he could read what was going through her mind. After a long, tense moment, she put
her mug down and clenched her hands together in an agitated gesture. He knew then that he had her.

  “It’s a very good suggestion, Mr. Warren.”

  Dang it. It was back to Mr. Warren. He wouldn’t let that put him off, however. “So, will you consider staying?”

  She shook her head, looking a bit like a lost child instead of the confident woman he knew her to be. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  Kate flinched at his question. Then she sighed. “I have my reasons, Mr. Warren. Please don’t pressure me further. You promised you wouldn’t.” She stood and picked up her mug to take it to the kitchen.

  “I agreed not to mention it unless circumstances made it necessary, and they have.”

  “What circumstances are those?”

  “You haven’t changed your mind yet.” When she glared at him though, he held up his hands to signal surrender. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry, Kate. That’s the end of it.”

  She nodded but didn’t look at him again. He heard the click of her mug as she set it in the sink and watched as she went to the stairs and practically ran up them.

  Chris let his head drop back and clenched his teeth. That had not gone the way he’d hoped. Of course, he at least knew that for all Kate’s explanations, there was another reason she was leaving that she didn’t want to tell him. Because of the heads-up Gemma had given him, it seemed likely that it could only be one thing.

  If it was true that she had feelings for him, why was she leaving without making a play for him? But no, that wasn’t her style. She’d planned this whole secluded stay in the mountains but seemingly without a thought in her head that it would be the perfect opportunity to ensnare him. Even their almost kiss in the hot tub last night had clearly not been premeditated, and any other woman would have taken it a lot further. So, what was going on that head of hers?

  And what could he do now? It occurred to him that he could play on her emotions to convince her to stay, but he immediately rejected the idea. If anything, this was the end of his scheming. More than ever, he hated losing her, but unless she opened up to him, there was no way to have any further discussions about it.

  Unless a miracle happened, the only thing left for him to do was enjoy the time he had left with her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Thank heavens Chris hadn’t pushed any harder to find out why she was quitting. There was absolutely no way she could tell him how she felt.

  Or could she?

  But as soon as she considered it, she got so nervous and sick to her stomach that she knew there was no way she could bring herself to do that. It hurt to not have a chance with him, but an outright rejection would hurt even more.

  One thing was absolutely clear, however. She’d set herself up for a lot of hurt when she had to say goodbye. She was always around him for work, but there was usually the buffer of other people and work to be done. Here, he and Shaun worked some, but when he wasn’t working, his attention was one hundred percent focused on her. The cozy, casual atmosphere of the cabin combined with so much free time had shifted their relationship into different feelings at warp speed. And she knew most of it was her fault. But all her self-recriminations and heart-burnings didn’t change her determination to convert him to the magic of Christmas.

  After an hour wallowing in self-pity in her room, she put her hair up in a bun again, ready to get to work. When she went downstairs, her eyes automatically swept the great room and kitchen, looking for Chris. He wasn’t anywhere around. Telling herself that it was perfectly normal to wonder where everyone was, she went to check downstairs. She heard sound coming from the theater room, so she opened the door and peered into the dark. It was easy to tell it was only Shaun since his dark skin stood out in contrast against the white bathrobe he wore.

  He turned around and smiled at her. “Want to join me? I made popcorn.”

  “Shaun, what are you watching?”

  “I don’t know. They’re all starting to blur together.” He paused the movie and the title came up. “Mistletoe Mixup.”

  “And you like these movies?”

  He shrugged. “They aren’t so bad. My girlfriend is always trying to get me to watch chick flicks with her, but I never gave them a chance. Besides, there’s nothing else to watch here.”

  Kate took one glance at the frame where the movie had been paused. A brunette woman and a scruffy hottie were about to enjoy a mid-movie lip lock. “Carry on. I’m going to go make lunch and gingerbread if you want to join me later.”

  “Where’s Mr. Warren? Think he’s okay?”

  “I have no idea, but I’m sure he’s good.”

  “Kate,” Shaun called when she turned to leave. “What happens at the cabin, stays at the cabin?”

  She laughed. “Sure. Besides, it’s not like I’m going back to the office. Who would I tell about your rom-com marathon?”

  Back up in the kitchen, she worked quickly and got a lasagna in the oven before laying out ingredients for the gingerbread cookies. Dark molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves soon had the kitchen smelling like heaven. And that was just the dough. She could wait to bake the cookies after lunch. The timer went off on the oven, so she covered the dough and put it in the fridge to chill and then pulled the lasagna out. Her mouth watered when she saw the lightly bubbling sauce and melted cheese.

  “I never before understood how tantalizing the smells from a kitchen could be,” Chris said, coming up behind her.

  “I’ll bet you’ve never spent much time in one before, have you?”

  “No, but that might have to change. Is it time to eat?”

  “Almost. Want to slice some bread?”

  Chris raised his eyebrows and looked hesitant, but after only a second, he nodded. “Sure.”

  Kate handed him a loaf of soft French bread and a serrated knife. While he meticulously sawed-off thick slices, she tossed together a ready-made salad kit and set it next to the stove. She pulled down some plates and cut the lasagna into serving size pieces.

  “Where is Shaun?” Chris asked.

  “Oh, he’s in the middle of a movie downstairs. He knows to come up for food when he wants it.”

  “So, we’re eating alone for now?”

  Kate looked over at him as he concentrated on his task. After a second, as if he felt her eyes on him, he looked up. “I guess so,” she said with a shrug.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “Yeah.” She wondered exactly he meant by that.

  Chris put the knife aside. “Do you know where some matches are?”

  “There’s a lighter over on the mantle. Why?”

  He walked over and found the lighter and then picked up a candle from a side table behind the sofa. He sat it in the middle of the table and lit it. “That’s why. How about some music? Maybe that instrumental stuff you played in the car? I figured out earlier that this place is wired for sound.”

  Kate unlocked her phone and handed it to him. She held her breath when their fingers brushed in the exchange. She desperately hoped he wouldn’t notice how tense she’d become. What was he doing? It was almost like he wanted this meal to be romantic. But that was ridiculous.

  “Since we aren’t being fancy, I thought we could serve from the stove again. Do you mind?”

  “Kate, I’m not a snob. I don’t care how it’s served.”

  “I know you’re not. I just…I’m used to making sure everything is the way you want it.”

  Walking toward her then, he rested his hands on her shoulders. “Relax. I’m happy with anything you want. You’ve planned this vacation, and so far, it’s been amazing.”

  He let his hands fall away and moved over to the stove, where he dished up a plate of food. When Kate had gotten control of her wayward pulse, at least as much as she could, she moved in next to him and served herself. Their elbows brushed, startling her. She looked up and found him smiling down at her. He didn’t say a word though, just moved over to the table.

  When they were both seated and eating,
Chris asked, “So, what are we going to do after we are done eating this incredible lasagna?”

  Kate swallowed the bite of salad she was eating. “Want to go for a walk? It’s still light enough outside to explore a bit, and I’m afraid we’ll lose our chance if we wait, since the snow is coming.”

  He nodded. “Sounds good, but it’ll be cold out there.”

  She chuckled. “Yeah, but there’s a hot tub ready for us when we get back.”

  ***

  Bundled up with a scarf, gloves, hat, and boots, Kate barely even felt the cold as she and Chris walked out after eating. Of course, it might have had as much to do with how close they were as they walked down the narrow trail behind the cabin. The path was strewn with huge, smooth stones and covered in decaying leaves that had almost turned to dust. Occasionally, however, they would pass a pine tree and she’d look longingly at the pine cones scattered around on the ground.

  “Oh man, I’d love to have some of those to decorate with, but I didn’t bring anything to carry them back in.”

  “Some of what?” Chris asked.

  “The pine cones.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Um, okay. Don’t people usually just buy decorations?”

  “Your bank account is showing again.”

  “Sorry.”

  With the light starting to fade and Chris’s long stride making it hard for her to keep up, Kate stumbled on a rock and nearly fell. His arm flew around her, however, steadying her until she had found her footing again. Her body’s instant reaction was to burst into figurative flames and melt. Forcing herself to stand a few inches further away instead of leaning into him, she said, “Don’t you know how these traditions started? With people going out into the woods and bringing back greenery and berries.”

  She realized she was blabbering, but Chris had not moved his arm away. It was no longer around her waist, but his palm pressed against the small of her back. Unbearably conscious of the contact, she had to know what it meant. A man didn’t just touch a woman like that for no reason. “Why is your arm still around me?” Kate clenched her teeth at how strained her voice sounded.