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

25. Alyssa

Chapter twenty-five

Alyssa

M y head swims with a hazy fog when I wake up the next morning. At first, I don’t even remember what day it is or where I’m at. All I register is how warm I feel and how bright the outside world looks through the nearby window.

As bright as white snow.

A jolt of realization hits me, making me lurch off Jensen’s chest as my heart pounds. It’s Christmas!

I’ve never felt so torn on Christmas morning. The snow might look beautiful, but it’s also like a wall, keeping me away from everything I love about today—the smell of cookies baking in the oven, the sound of holiday music playing from our old radio, my mom’s laugh as we mess up another batch of gingerbread men. A lump forms in my throat, the tears I’ve been holding back threatening to spill.

“No, no, no,” I murmur as I stumble out of bed and over to the cabin’s bedroom window.

There isn’t any snow falling or wind blowing, but the ground is still covered with snow! It blankets Jensen’s car and towers inches high on the roads, blocking our path to escape. We’re still stuck!

“Hm?” Jensen mumbles sleepily as he sits up in bed, rubbing his eyes as the sheets settle around his bare waist.

I turn to him as my eyes start to water. “I thought maybe the resort would start plowing the roads to clear them. They’re still full of snow, though. There’s no way we can drive back home for Christmas without getting ourselves killed.”

“What time is it?” Jensen asks as he rolls his neck in a circle, loosening his muscles. He grabs his phone off the nightstand to check his notifications, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly.

I frown at him, wondering why he’s not as upset as me. I know he wants to see Oliver and Holly on Christmas. “It’s almost eight o’clock.”

Jensen nods and hauls himself out of bed so that he can walk over to me. He cups my face and meets my eyes. “Merry Christmas, Alyssa.”

I gaze up at him as confusion rings across my face, my body freezing up. What is going on with him?

Jensen looks too calm, too collected, and for a moment, I feel a flicker of frustration. How can he be so relaxed when I’m on the verge of tears? Doesn’t he get it? This is Christmas—the one day of the year I’ve always been able to count on.

I take a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. “You’re not upset?”

He just smiles, that damn charming grin of his, and my frustration starts to melt, replaced by something warmer. “Everything is going to work out today,” he says with a quiet confidence that makes me want to believe him.

“I just wanted to take a moment and tell you Merry Christmas.”

Warmth burns throughout my whole chest as my gaze sweeps over his face, detecting pure, genuine happiness. He’s not playing a game with me or joking around. He’s being serious.

“Merry Christmas, Jensen,” I tell him as I give him a small smile.

He steps closer, his hands finding my waist, his thumbs brushing lightly against my sides. My heart flutters at his touch, my breath catching as his gaze holds mine. “I’ve got one more surprise,” he murmurs, his voice low and warm, sending a thrill through me.

I raise an eyebrow, intrigued but still a little skeptical. “Another one?”

He nods, leaning in slightly, his lips hovering close to my ear. “Just trust me.”

The way he says it—softly, but with such surety—sends a shiver down my spine. I feel my resolve weakening, my worries slowly dissolving under the heat of his gaze.

“Okay,” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the soft crackle of the fire.

Jensen smiles, a look of relief washing over his face. “Get dressed. I need to show you something.”

“A gift?”

Jensen cracks a grin as he pulls on his pants. “I guess you could call it that.”

I lift an eyebrow in interest, but I know he won’t ruin the surprise. I pull on my clothes and run my fingers through my hair, fixing it into a straight braid down my upper back with a few loose framing pieces.

“Ready?” Jensen calls from the entrance of the cabin.

I pick up my face, curiosity rushing through me. He seems…eager. Whatever he wants to show me, he’s excited about, but I have no clue what it could be.

It’s not like either of us has been able to leave the cabin to stage any sort of surprise.

“Ready,” I say as I leave the bedroom, tugging on my coat.

Jensen turns to me and buttons up the front of my coat. “It’s chilly out there.”

“You can’t give me a hint about this surprise?”

Jensen smirks and shakes his head. “Why would I give you a hint when I could just show you?”

Good point.

Jensen’s fingers gently brush against one of the framing strands of hair resting on the side of my face. “I just want you to know that you mean a lot to me. I should make that more obvious, but…I never saw you coming. I never saw anything like what we have coming.”

His words nearly make me melt on the spot, warmth encompassing my entire pounding heart as I gaze up into his eyes. “Jensen…”

Before I can finish my sentence and admit that I wasn’t fully honest about my feelings the other night, a distinct sound whirs in the distance.

“That’s the surprise,” Jensen says before pulling open the door. He leads me out of the cabin and leaves the key on the doorstep. “We won’t be needing that anymore.”

My confused gaze shifts from him to the bright overcast snow. Eventually, I make out an approaching shape, the whirring sound becoming clearer. “Is that a helicopter?”

Jensen grins and takes my hand, leading me away from the cabin toward an open field of snow nearby. The black helicopter starts to descend, a company’s name plastered across its side. It’s a private helicopter!

“That’s our ride, baby!” Jensen raises his voice above the sound of the rotors.

My jaw drops in disbelief as I watch the helicopter slowly touch down to the ground in front of us. The engine cuts off, making the rotors swing around slower and slower. “How did you do this?”

He laughs, pulling me closer as the wind whips around us, his eyes dancing with excitement. “I have my ways.”

I stare at him, my heart swelling with something so big, so overwhelming, I can hardly contain it. This man—this incredible, frustrating, wonderful man—has done the impossible. For me. For us.

Tears blur my vision, and I blink them away, not wanting to miss a second of this moment. “Jensen…I don’t even know what to say.”

His grin softens, turning more earnest. “Say you’re ready for the best Christmas ever.”

I nod, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. “I’m ready,” I whisper, squeezing his hand, knowing deep down that with him, I always will be.

“I called Austin and asked for a huge favor. I’ll owe him for the rest of my life for pulling this together, but it’s worth it,” Jensen says, a light laugh of relief lacing his words. He turns to me as the pilot opens the door for us. “It’s still too dangerous to drive, but it’s safe enough to fly.”

I blink at him, my shock rendering me speechless for a few moments. He managed to get a private helicopter all the way out here for us so that we could go back home for Christmas. Is this a dream?

“Jensen…”

“I know.” Jensen smiles and pulls me into the helicopter, helping me get strapped in.

“Is this really happening?” I ask as I stay still, letting him get me situated as my hands tremble.

Jensen sits next to me and straps in. “It doesn’t feel real yet?”

I shake my head as a laugh of disbelief breaks from me. “No way.”

“Believe it,” Jensen says before looking forward toward the pilot. “We’re ready!”

The pilot gives us a thumbs up before starting up the rotors again, the helicopter gradually lifting off the ground.

“Did you even check out?” I raise my voice over the loud whir.

“I left the key and a voicemail,” Jensen laughs. “I already paid for the room!”

Our laughter mingles, fading into the drone of the rotors as we rise higher and higher up into the sky. Our cabin becomes smaller and smaller, eventually fading into the distance as the helicopter heads toward the city looming in the distance.

I grab Jensen’s hand, sharing a smile with him as my eyes start to burn. I can’t believe he did this. He defied the odds stacked against us, and I regret ever doubting him. Judging him. Pulling away from him.

He’s the man whose arms I want to run into. Always.

“Hold on!” Jensen tells me as the helicopter takes us over shiny Manhattan, snow and ice glittering on the streets and buildings. The city is quieter than usual as everyone celebrates a white Christmas morning inside with their loved ones, golden Christmas trees illuminating the windows.

“Where are we landing?” I ask him, too nervous to try and look out to see.

“On top of my building!”

My jaw drops before I wind my hands around his arm, holding tight as I feel the helicopter descend. When I finally feel us come to a stop with a thump, I release the breath I was holding in my lungs, the sound bordering on a gasp.

While Jensen talks to the pilot, I unbuckle myself in a slight daze, hardly able to believe I’m miles away from where we were stuck at. Now that we’re in the city, I have a better chance of seeing my parents today, even if it’s a little later.

“Let’s go,” Jensen says as he opens the door and helps me step out onto the roof.

I put my arms out, steadying myself in the blanket of snow on the rooftop. The last thing I want to do is slip and give myself a concussion on Christmas.

Jensen strides to the door leading off the rooftop, seeming incredibly eager to get inside. I doubt it’s because he’s cold.

I didn’t even think to wonder if there is more to this amazing Christmas surprise. Knowing Jensen and his refusal to half-ass anything, should I really only expect a one-part surprise?

Jensen holds his hand out to me as he opens the door that leads to an interior hallway and an elevator. “I might have one more surprise.”

I knew it.

“When did you plan all of this? We’ve been stuck together in a pretty small space!” I question him as I slip my hand in his, letting him drag me down the hallway toward the elevator.

Jensen hits the down button to go down one floor, leading me inside once the elevator doors slide open. “I’ve been very sneaky.”

I cock an eyebrow at him as the doors seal us inside together. “Oh, really?”

Jensen grins as he backs me up toward the back of the elevator, his hands finding my waist. “Really.”

My eyes lift to his, my heart pounding as his body presses against mine. Every fiber of my being calls out for him, yearning for him.

Before I can properly close the distance between us, the doors slide open behind him. “Ready for the second part of your surprise?”

I catch my breath and nod, trailing him as he takes me to the door of his place. My eyes narrow in confusion at the sound of voices inside, my heart stopping. “Jensen…”

Jensen answers my question by opening the door, revealing a tree-lit Christmas celebration as Holly and Oliver dance to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” in the living room and my parents watch them from the couch while laughing and enjoying hot chocolate and chocolate croissants.

My hand slaps over my mouth, but it doesn’t stifle the gasp that breaks from me, drawing the attention of everyone inside the room to me. Tears well up in my eyes as my parents smile and make their way over to me.

“Merry Christmas, honey,” my mom says, already starting to cry at the sight of me tearing up. She sweeps me into a tight hug in the foyer, my father’s strong arms wrapping around both of us.

“I can’t believe you guys are here! How are you all the way over here?” I ask them as I shake my head in disbelief, hanging onto their matching Christmas sweaters like I’m afraid they’ll be suddenly whisked away.

“Santa Claus,” my dad laughs, earning a playful swat from my mom as we break apart.

“You know how,” my mom replies as she smiles in Jensen’s direction.

I turn and face him as he watches from the doorway with a warm expression on his face. Somehow, without me even knowing, he pulled off the best Christmas surprise ever. One that I will never forget.

“Merry Christmas,” Jensen tells me.

There are no words to describe how happy I am right now, so why try telling him? With tears of adoration in my eyes, I hurry over to him, cupping his face as I press my lips against his.

Jensen smiles into the kiss as he wraps his arms around me, holding me close as we share a moment together.

My heart threatens to explode in my chest, beating so rapidly that my breathing can’t catch up. I break the kiss to press my forehead against his, feeling everyone’s eyes on us. Well, that’s one way to announce our relationship to the ones we love, and I can distinctly hear Oliver clapping in the background, accompanied by the others’ light laughter.

“Ready to celebrate?” Jensen asks as he gestures to his decorated penthouse that I’m pretty sure my parents, Holly, and Oliver had something to do with.

Yesterday, Christmas with the ones I love seemed like a faraway dream. It took a group effort to make it a reality, and I’m going to enjoy every single second of it.

“I’ve been ready.”