Holidays with the Billionaire

Chapter 30

Kelton

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W hat is this woman doing to me? I didn’t come to work for a quickie, yet, here we are.

Adlee climbs off my lap and I reach for a tissue to wipe myself off before tucking back into my pants. She straightens her panties and pulls her skirt down then sits in the chair she’d vacated.

“Well, now that that’s out of the way,” I start with a laugh. “We need to talk.”

“I figured if you were breaking up with me, I could get one last ride in the saddle,” she admits with a grin.

I frown. “I don’t want to break up with you. I mean, I guess if we’re even an item. We never discussed exclusivity, but I just assumed. I haven’t been with anyone else. Have you?”

She shakes her head immediately. “No. Of course not.”

“Good. Now, I want to let you know what’s going on. The board is pissed that this thing between us has been leaked. They said it’s scandalous and could paint the corporation in a bad light.”

“They’re pissed it’s out, or pissed that we’re together?” she asks.

“I guess a little of both. I don’t think they would have cared if it had been kept quiet,” I reply.

“But we didn’t leak it.”

“I know. And they know that, too. I’ve made all the employees sign NDAs. If they leak the photos or even talk about it outside the office, they’re going to be terminated.”

She looks a little stressed.

“What is it?” I ask.

“What if they talked about it before they signed the NDA?”

My jaw tics. “There’s nothing I can do, but I sure as hell hope nobody did that.”

“So what happens with us? Do I have to move back to my old position?”

“The board doesn’t want you working directly for me anymore. I’m ultimately the decision maker though. I’ve thought about resigning my position and staying on as a board member,” I tell her honestly.

Her eyes widen and she stands. “No! You can’t do that. Isn’t this your company? You can’t just quit!”

I shrug. “I can do whatever I want.”

“What if I move back to my old desk but still work for you? And Mr. Cranky Pants?” she suggests.

I chuckle at her nickname for Laskin. “That would be humiliating for you and would seem like we’re admitting some kind of guilt we don’t feel. We haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t give a fuck what the employees think. It’s the shareholders I have to be mindful of. If they pull their stocks, it’ll plumet and my company could go under.”

“I understand,” she says. “So we go back to normal and hope the board doesn’t care?”

“I’m still considering resigning.”

“No, please don’t do that. I’ll quit. Okay? I’m sure I can find another secretary job somewhere...”

“Absolutely not. If you quit then you’re going to live at my house where I can take care of you,” I blurt.

Did I really just say that?

The thought of coming home to her every day is exciting, but I don’t want to have to do that because of this mess here. And if she really wants to move up in this business, I’m ruining her career, and I certainly don’t want her going to work anywhere else. We’ve been talking about stocks and such and I can tell she has the smarts for it. She’s picked up on things very easily and I doubt she’ll be a secretary much longer. She’s too smart for that. I realize the job for Laskin was only entry-level, but she was wise to get into this business that way.

She laughs. “As tempting as that is, I’d be bored out of my mind, and I’m not that great of a cook.”

Her phone rings on her desk outside my office, and she looks at me.

“You can go back to your desk. We’ll talk more about this later. I have a million things to do,” I tell her.

“Yes, you do. I maintain your calendar, remember?” She winks and walks out.

A moment later, my desk phone chimes. “Mike’s on the phone for you,” Adlee says through the speaker.

I sigh and run a hand down my face. “Put him through.”

I pick up the phone. “Kelton Fox.”

“Kelton. Mike here. I know we just had that meeting yesterday, but I didn’t sleep very well last night and wanted to know where you were at with the situation. I see she’s still working for you.”

“So?” I reply. “I told you yesterday that I’d handle it but I’m not going to fire her.”

“Then what are you going to do with her?” he asks.

I glance at my closed door. “Probably marry her eventually.”

I can’t believe that came out of my mouth, but it’s too late to take it back now. It’s not false and they really need to understand how serious I am about her.

“Okay, that’s all good and well, but perhaps she shouldn’t be working for you in the meantime. I’ve talked to the others, we really think you need to get her a job elsewhere. At another company or another department in yours at the very least.”

“What kind of message would that send to my employees, Mike? That I’m guilty of something and am trying to pretend we aren’t together? I’m the fucking CEO. I do what I want.”

“If this gets out—”

“It won’t.” I hang up and sit back in my chair with my finger to my mouth. Then, I punch my desk.

A dlee and I sit in the best seats in the house at the showing of Hamilton at the Denver Theater. The show hasn’t started yet, so with the lights still up, I look over at Adlee, who is gazing around excitedly.

She looks at me. “What?”

“You look so beautiful tonight,” I murmur.

“You already told me that,” she says with a laugh.

I squeeze her hand. “I know. I can’t stop staring at you, though.” Her cinnamon hair is pulled up with a few pieces framing her face, and she chose a little black dress with black and red stilettos for her outfit tonight, and I’m in a tuxedo. We wanted to get dressed up and do something fun.

The lights dim and I hear Adlee squeal a little.

I squeeze her hand again. “You’re gonna love it.”

And she did. She clapped and cheered and even sang along at times. The actors put on an amazing performance, and after, I had our driver take us to a new speakeasy I’d just gotten wind of thanks to my brother. My driver opens the door and I get out first, then help Adlee out. She wraps her coat around her tightly, the icy January Colorado wind blowing in our faces. We walk through the crowded Italian restaurant to a door in the back. As we step inside, we’re asked by a man at a host stand for a password. I give it to him, then he takes our coats and disappears into a back room.

The whole bar is 1920s themed, down to the bartenders’ and waitstaff’s clothing. Old-timey music plays and we find a corner seat. A waitress in a flapper costume greets us and I order whiskey.

“I’ll take a vodka cranberry, please,” Adlee orders.

“Right away.”

As she walks off, I ask my beautiful girlfriend, “Did you enjoy the show?”

She nods with a big bright smile. “Yes, I did. It’s been on my bucket list to see Hamilton . It’s like you read my mind!”

I chuckle. “Well, it’s sort of the Broadway slow season right now, so it was that or Mean Girls . You struck me more as a Hamilton girl.”

“How did you know I even liked musicals?” she asks.

I shrug. “I didn’t. Who doesn’t love a good musical?”

“My mom hates them,” she deadpans.

I suck in a breath through my teeth. “Ooh, good to know. So no surprising your parents with Broadway tickets for a gift then?”

“You would get my parents a gift?” she asks with a grin.

“If you ever let me meet them, I will,” I reply.

“Soon, very soon. I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to introduce you as my boss-slash-boyfriend,” she says.

The server bring us our drinks and we each take a sip.

“Ah, smooth,” I say under my breath.

“My mom’s birthday is next week. Want to come to her birthday dinner?” she asks.

I cock an eyebrow over the rim of my glass. “I don’t want to impose on family functions,” I tell her honestly.

She lifts the glass to her lips. “Trust me, you won’t be imposing. Every family get-together I have to hear about how I’m still single and how they want more grandchildren.”

The thought of having babies with Adlee makes something stir inside of me. I sometimes sit in my big, empty, quiet house and wonder what the sound of little feet would be like while we make dinner together or help the kids with their homework. But sitting here, looking into her eyes, it just hits different. It seems real, like a true possibility that could become a reality.

“Okay. I’ll come. Let me know when and where. And no musical tickets as gifts. Got it.”

She laughs again and we continue our usual easy conversation over a couple more drinks.

Once we arrive back at my place, I sweep her into my bedroom and know that both of us will be dragging ass at work tomorrow since we’re not going to get any sleep tonight.