Stranded for Christmas with my Boss (Forbidden Billionaire Boss Daddies)

14. Jensen

Chapter fourteen

Jensen

“ T hat’s perfect. Great. Thank you for your help again.”

The sound of approaching footsteps makes my eyes shift to my office door just as Alyssa arrives for work. I clear my throat and look away from her, tucking my phone even closer to my ear. “I need to go. Call me later with an update.”

Alyssa stands in front of my desk, looking a little less anguished than yesterday. She tucks her hair behind her left ear and straightens up, offering me a small smile. “Everything okay? Anything I need to take care of?”

She seems like the type to throw herself into her work to distract herself from other problems. I would personally know how that coping mechanism works. Or doesn’t.

Unfortunately for her, I don’t actually plan on packing her to-do list today. After she unloaded all of her worries on me yesterday, I was hit with quite a bit of guilt. All this time, she has been struggling to help her parents with their debts, and I’ve been stressing her out since her first day.

I need to let up. I need to… hell, I need to change a lot.

“I’ve got it taken care of,” I assure her, not wanting her to worry about my phone call. “How are your parents?”

Alyssa’s face softens, but I don’t miss the flash of surprise in her eyes. “Oh, they’re doing fine. Just a little sore.”

I’ve shown her that I’m very devoted to family, but she doesn’t know where all of those complicated feelings come from. My understanding behavior probably seems very strange to her.

“Feeling up to going out today?” I ask her as I stand from my desk, checking the time on my watch. I only have one big task planned for today, and we’re going to tackle it together.

Alyssa lifts an eyebrow at me. “I’m down to do whatever you need me to do. You don’t have to ask.”

I smirk a little as I walk around my desk toward her. “Am I some sort of dictator to you?”

A hint of a smile teases her lips as she shrugs. “Sometimes.”

Cute. She’s lucky I’m quite fond of her, even when I shouldn’t be.

“Come on. We have a photo shoot to attend,” I reply as I motion for her to follow me out of my office.

“A photo shoot?”

I take her to the elevator, heat burning within me as the doors slide shut. This reminds me of a certain time not too long ago. My eyes shift to hers, a crackle of tension igniting in the air.

“Jensen.”

“Hm?”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Alyssa replies as she flashes me a pointed look.

Behave .

“We need Christmas-themed photos for social media posts and promo,” I explain, refocusing on the task at hand. “I want us to oversee the shoot. Make sure the right vision is being captured.”

Alyssa raises her eyebrows, seeming intrigued. It’s not just another day in the office, and technically, things like this are below my pay grade and usual responsibilities, but this company is my baby. I even want to be involved in the little things.

“Are we going to a studio or something?” Alyssa asks, matching my pace as I stride out of the elevator and through the lobby. The upbeat jingle of Christmas music echoes throughout the open space.

“It’s a surprise,” I reply as I glance at her over my shoulder, my tone making the words sound like teasing. Honestly, I think she’ll find this outing to be pretty enjoyable. Even I’m looking forward to it.

“You’re killing me.”

I’m not in the mood to deal with New York City traffic today, so I have one of the company drivers meet us out front in a sleek, black SUV. I pull open the back door and hold my arm out to Alyssa, helping her crawl inside. “Bryant Park, Jacobs.”

“Yes, sir,” the driver says, pulling away from the curb as soon as I get in and shut the door.

“Bryant Park…ice skating?” Alyssa asks as her eyes grow wide.

“It’s kind of romantic, right?”

Alyssa smiles and nods. “Of course. Have you watched pair skating? The way they hold each other and trust each other.”

I swear she has stars in her eyes. The sight makes the side of my mouth curl up. “Well, let’s make our fake couple portray that magic.”

Her eagerness radiates off of her throughout the entire drive as she shifts in her seat and peers out of the side window, watching the skaters glide across the ice as we approach the rink. When we get out of the car, she beats me to the set of the shoot, which is just a reserved section of the rink where our couple and our photographer are working.

“Mr. Riley! Good to see you,” the photographer says as Alyssa and I approach the outer edge of the rink. He stretches his hand over the rail and shakes my hand. “We’re just about to get started. Do you have any last-minute suggestions?”

I nod to the young, fake couple we hired for the shoot before shaking my head at Vince. “Nope. Work your magic. I’ll let you know if I have any notes.”

Vince gives me a thumbs-up before grabbing the camera hanging around his neck and getting in position. “All right, you two. Loosen up. Bright smiles. We’re selling love!”

I hear Alyssa stifle a laugh, making me cock an eyebrow at her. “What?”

“Selling love? Is that what we’re doing?” Alyssa asks me in a hushed voice, so as not to disturb the shoot as the flash starts going off.

I shrug as I look back at the couple, watching them hold hands, touch foreheads, and smile at one another like they’re actually enamored with each other. Their matching red winter coats and white beanies certainly paint a supporting picture.

“In a way. We’re helping people find love,” I reply. “Or lust if that’s what they’re after.”

Alyssa pulls her black coat around her tighter, her brow briefly creasing in thought. What’s going on in that head of hers? “What an interesting business to go into.”

I wonder what she means by that. It’s certainly not unethical, but I suppose it’s a bit ironic since I’m single and have been for a while now. How does the guy who made a bestselling dating app not have a lover? So many people have joked with me and told me to use my own app to find love.

But they don’t know the reality of how I see love. How I’ve experienced love.

My first introduction to it was watching my parents scream at each other, telling each other how love isn’t enough. How love is toxic. How love hurts.

That’s what I know about love.

“Perfect! Hailey, tilt your head up just a little. Xavier, put your right hand on her waist,” Vince directs them before snapping a few more photos.

When I snap out of my thoughts and look over at Alyssa, I realize that she’s not paying much attention to the photo shoot. She’s looking at the ice-skating rink with sheer longing in her eyes. It seems like someone likes to skate.

I don’t say anything just yet, directing my attention back to the photo shoot and passing along some notes to Vince for a few more shots. He pretty much nails my expectations and shows me the unedited photos that are going to look great when touched up and transformed into social media posts and update promo.

What’s more romantic than an ice-skating date around the holidays? Soul Flames can get you hooked up with the perfect partner. Or some sort of tagline like that.

Once Vince and the two models make their way off of the rink, I turn to Alyssa, who is still mesmerized as she watches singles and couples drift and sway across the ice. The rink isn’t too packed today, but it’s a large space in the middle of a busy area. Between normal city life and holiday celebrations, all of the prime winter event locations are bustling.

“Got any moves to show me?”

Alyssa tears her eyes away from the rink. “What? What moves?”

I nod to the rink. “You’ve been staring since we got here.”

Alyssa cups her face as a sheepish look fills it. “I’m sorry. I just…haven’t been ice skating in a while. I went all the time while growing up and did it a little during college for fun.”

“Then, you do have moves to show me.”

Alyssa lets out a laugh of disbelief. “We have work to do back at the office.”

I shrug as I tuck my hands into the pockets of my black trench coat. “Not until noon. I’ve got plenty of time to sit here and watch you do some spins. Do I need to order you around like the dictator boss you think I am?”

Alyssa scoffs at me, but amusement glimmers in her eyes. “You really want me to skate for you?”

Well, when she phrases it like that, it sounds like an odd request. Truly, I just want her to do it so that she can relax and have a little bit of fun in the midst of a stressful time in her life. Happy workers perform better, right?

“I insist.”

Alyssa’s smile becomes a little nervous, but she still heads off to buy a pass and grab some skates.

I approach the rail and lean against it, my eyes sweeping over the rink as people skate on by. The sounds of blades scraping ice and laughter lift into the cold air. An overcast sky hangs overhead. It’s a picturesque winter day in the city.

“Jensen!”

I look to the left and see Alyssa skating across the ice toward me, her legs kicking out smoothly to send her sailing across the rink. My eyebrows lift in surprise as I watch her gracefully move. She’s actually not half bad.

Far better than me.

Alyssa coasts past me, doing a half turn and holding her arms out to balance herself. She flashes me a cocky smile before spinning back toward the front, her skates gliding over the slick surface of the ice.

My eyes trail her every move, completely entranced as she sways and swivels through couples and singles who move far slower and less gracefully. Well, isn’t she full of surprises?

A smile crosses my face as I watch her for a few minutes, my heart rate picking up as I hear her laughter. I can’t help but remember what it was like to hold her in my arms yesterday, to feel her melt into my embrace like she was trying to hide from everyone but me.

It felt…special. Intimate.

I promised Austin that I would put distance between us, but when she needed me like she did yesterday, there was no way in hell that I was going to push her away. I couldn’t do it.

If he was in my shoes, could he truly resist a woman so complex? So enticingly beautiful. Unashamedly fiery. Wickedly smart.

And on the verge of falling apart.

Like I can’t take my eyes off her right now. I can’t ever get my mind off her either. The hooks that she has sunk into me are going to have to be ripped out eventually.

That’s going to hurt like hell.