Holidays with the Billionaire

Chapter 22

Kelton

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I wake at five a.m . to find Adlee gone from my bed. I get up to see if she’s using the bathroom but the door is wide open and empty. I can only assume she went back to her own suite. I guess it’s for the best, as we leave today.

I know I won’t be getting any more sleep today, so I start the shower and wait until the bathroom is good and steamy before I step in. I have no need to undress since I’d slept naked with Adlee wrapped in my arms. I’m surprised I didn’t wake up when she snuck out.

Lathering myself with body wash, I wonder why Adlee felt the need to leave without saying goodbye—or even leave at all. We’d had a great night, but didn’t get good sleep, which I have zero regrets about. I hope I didn’t say or do something that caused her to want to leave. I rack my brain but nothing comes.

I’ve been avoiding thinking about what is going to happen when we get back to Denver and back into the office routine. Next week is Christmas, and I always give everyone the week of Christmas off, paid, but it’s when we go back that I find myself fretting over. Lea has another four or so weeks of recovery and I’d already been told by HR that she’s taking the full six weeks of disability leave to recoup, and that’s good. I want her to.

I turn the water off and grab a fluffy towel, patting myself dry and then wrapping it around my waist. I start brushing my teeth but my mind won’t shut up. Truth is, I don’t want Lea back. Not only is she a complete airhead, she’s annoying. I need someone intelligent, a self-starter. That’s what Adlee is. I already know she’s a great secretary, but ethically, after this whirlwind of a week we’ve had with each other, I’m not sure it’s right.

As I shave, I wonder what I can do about it. I very well can’t demote Lea, she’ll think it’s because of the injury and how she put us out by being out on disability leave. That could get me into trouble. I could tell her she’s being reassigned and find a different job for her to do. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. Then I’ll put Adlee in her spot and hire someone new for Laskin—if I can’t get him to retire first. I’ve had about enough of him. I’m sure a younger, newer CFO would fill in fine. I’ll have HR start looking for one.

After dressing in a black turtleneck, jeans, and boots, I grab my suitcase from the closet and begin packing. I fold the garment bags of my suits and lay them carefully inside, and then empty the drawers and put them in as well.

As I do one last sweep of the suite, I pull the sheets and comforter off the bed and find a pair of black lace G-string panties. Adlee hadn’t been wearing any last night so they had to have been from another night she was here. I smile and throw them in my suitcase. I’ll give them back to her later.

Or maybe I won’t.

I pull my phone out and call Theo to come get us to take us the hour and a half drive back to Denver. Then, I text Adlee.

Me: We’re leaving shortly. Are you ready?

She knew this, it’s on the itinerary which I’ve noticed she checks regularly, but I just want an excuse to text her. I should call. Right? Yes, I should call... My phone chimes.

Adlee: I’ll be ready in five. Coming to get me?

Me: Absolutely.

I guess we can talk about last night—or rather, this morning—on the drive. I laugh to myself as I grab my suitcase. Never have I ever checked on another person, let alone an employee, to see if they were ready. Something tells me I have it bad for this woman—and that’s going to be a huge problem here shortly.

I gaze at Adlee as she stares out the window of the SUV. She looks beautiful with her long reddish-brown hair down around the shoulders of her white sweater. The partition is up between us and the driver, and with his classic rock music playing, I know we have complete privacy back here.

“Hey,” I say, touching her leg. “What’s on your mind?”

She turns to me and smiles. “Nothing. A lot. I mean... I don’t know.”

“Need a distraction?” I ask.

“You are the distraction.” She laughs softly.

With my hand still on the thigh of her black jeans, I say, “Why did you leave this morning?”

She sighs. “I woke up around four and couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to wake you but I knew we’d be leaving today so I wanted to get a head start on packing and such. I would have texted you but I wasn’t sure if your phone would wake you or what.” She stares at me with those intense green eyes. “Were you upset?”

“No, not at all. Just a little worried when I didn’t see you.” I reach up and put my hand on her cheek, brushing my thumb over her jaw. “I’m falling for you, and I don’t know how to handle it.”

She swallows hard and her eyes widen. “I know. And I’m not sure how to handle it either. What does this mean for my job? I mean, I doubt it would look good for you either, as the boss. But...” She pauses and doesn’t say anything more.

“But what, Adlee?” I ask, dying to know what’s in that beautiful head of hers. Dying because I find myself hanging on every word out of this woman’s mouth, and it seems like I’d hate myself for that, but I don’t.

“But I want us to be together, Kelton. It’s so weird because I never imagined myself with a guy like you. You were... are... a surprise to me. You’re not who I thought you were.”

“Who did you think I was?” I ask, curious, my hand still on her face.

“A rich, ex-hockey-playing, womanizing jerk,” she replies with a sly smile.

“I may still be that. I have a past I’m not too proud of. But what I’m not is a womanizer. I’ve been with plenty but nobody I wanted more than one or two dates out of. You’re different. You’re not who I pictured myself with either.” Her smile falls a little so I quickly add, “You are so much better. So much more. So real, so easygoing and down to earth. So smart and beautiful. And stubborn. Is it weird that I’m kind of liking the stubborn?”

She laughs and puts her hand on top of mine on her face. “Yes, that’s very weird, Kelton. Now kiss me,” she whispers.

We kiss softly and slowly, my chest tightening as my stomach does a flip at the feelings she’s stirring within me.

After we break apart, I gaze into her eyes and say, “No matter what happens, we’ll deal with it as it comes. I want you to spend Christmas Eve with my family. I want them to meet you. I assume you spend Christmas day with your family, right?”

She nods, a smile on her lips and then she licks them. “Right. I do. I’d love to spend Christmas Eve with your family. I’d love to meet them. Are you ready for that though? We’ve only spent a week together. This seems so fast...” She trails off and looks out the window.

I use my fingers to turn her face to me. “It is fast. But that’s how I know it’s right. It’s not going to take weeks or months for me to get to know you to decide if I want you or if I feel like seeing you again. I already know.”

“Me too,” she whispers against my lips. “I already know, too.”

We kiss again, and soon, I feel the SUV coming to a stop. I had given Theo her home address and it appears we are stopped in front of an apartment building in a Denver suburb.

“Well, this is me,” she says.

Theo opens her door and helps her down from the step and onto the street. “Would you like me to bring your bags upstairs, miss?”

“I got it,” I tell Theo. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

“Very well, sir,” Theo replies, handing me her big purple paisley suitcase. Then, he goes back to the warmth of the car and his music.

“Lead the way,” I tell her with a flourish of my hand.

She smirks. “I am perfectly capable of wheeling my own suitcase to my apartment, but at the risk of being called stubborn, I will let you do it.” She walks through the apartment lobby and to a bank of elevators, where once inside, she pushes the fourth-floor button.

“This is a nice complex,” I comment about her apartments.

“It costs an arm and a leg,” she complains. “I hate how expensive it is to live here. I sometimes think about moving back to Texas.”

This disturbs me because I don’t want her away from me, but I act causal instead. “Why don’t you?”

She lifts a shoulder and lets it fall. “I moved here as a kid. My grandparents and cousins and stuff are back there, but I really don’t have any friends or anyone I’m close to. I’m kinda stuck in Colorado, I guess.”

Good.

“Sorry to hear that. I will make sure to give you a raise when we get back, maybe that will help,” I offer. What I’d rather do is move her in with me and have her stay home while I work, where she can go shopping and have lunch with her friends. And then she can marry me and have my babies...

“Oh, my gosh. Are you serious?” she asks, wide-eyed. “Thank you!” She throws her arms around me and kisses me.

The elevator chimes and the doors slide open to three people waiting to board, and I’m a little embarrassed to have been caught kissing her in the elevator but nobody seems to care except an older lady who gives me the eye.

I smile apologetically at her and I hear Adlee giggle.

“That’s Mrs. Crown. Ignore her, she’s a judgy ol’ hag.”

I chuckle. “I’m sure she’s just bored or something.”

“That too,” she replies as we walk down a carpeted hallway with decorative sconces lighting the way. We come to apartment 412 and she easily opens the door with a key. Inside, the apartment is furnished nicely but simply, and I only see one bedroom and a bathroom along with the kitchen and living room.

“Where do you want this?” I ask, indicating the suitcase.

She waves a hand. “Oh, you can leave it there.”

“You sure?” I ask, furrowing my brow.

“Yeah, of course. I’m afraid of what will happen if we go into my bedroom,” she finishes on a giggle.

“True,” I say, leaving the suitcase and gathering her in my arms. “Poor Theo would probably think I got kidnapped or something.”

She laughs. “I’m sure he’d figure it out.” Then, she leans up to kiss me. “Go before he starts blowing up your phone.”

“I left my phone in the backseat,” I reply with a grin.

“Then you really should go. Text or call me with details about Christmas Eve, okay?” she says.

I frown. “That’s six days away. I’m not gonna see you before then?” I pout.

“Maybe if you’re good, Santa will bring you an early treat.” She winks and then pinches my cheek like a grandmother would.

For some reason, that makes me laugh. “Okay, stubborn girl.” I lean down and kiss her once more. “Bye.”

I leave her apartment, and on the elevator ride down, I know I absolutely cannot wait six days to see her, and begin to make plans for a few fun things for us before then.