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

28. Jensen

Chapter twenty-eight

Jensen

M usic thumps throughout the large lobby of the office building, colorful lights illuminating the space as my employees enjoy a drink, grab a bite to eat, or dance it up. New Year’s Day is only thirty minutes away!

I sip on my champagne and weave through the crowd, my eyes sweeping over the dimly lit lobby. I could’ve had a classy New Year’s Eve party, but we’ve had a hell of a year. I think we can all let loose a little before our update goes live at midnight.

“There you are!”

I turn around to see Alyssa weaving around people to get to me. Her red cocktail dress glimmers under the lights, her dark red tinted lips forming a smile as she bites into a shrimp from her shrimp cocktail. “I was wondering where you went.”

“I’m starving,” Alyssa replies, pecking me on the cheek before offering her plate to me.

I steal one of her shrimp and nod in satisfaction. I typically use the same catering company for all of my work events, and they haven’t let me down yet. “This is my second drink.”

“Are you nervous drinking?”

“Maybe a little.”

Alyssa gives me an encouraging smile as she sidles up close to my side. “It’s going to be amazing, Jensen. The testers have been really happy with our work, and the rest of the world is going to love it too!”

I hope so. We put so much work into this update, and all I want is for everyone’s work to pay off. It’ll be tough facing public backlash if things go awry, especially since everyone will still be tired and recovering from December’s work sprint.

“Is it midnight yet?”

I glance at the clock again, feeling my heartbeat quicken with every passing second. The app update is huge—bigger than anything we’ve done before. There’s so much riding on it, and I can’t help but feel the weight pressing down on my shoulders. It’s not just about the company’s reputation; it’s about everyone’s hard work, Alyssa’s hard work.

I sneak a glance at her, standing by my side, looking so damn confident. I wish I could borrow some of that confidence right now. I’ve always been the guy with the plan, the one who knows exactly what to do, but tonight…tonight, I just want to hold her hand and be reassured that everything will be okay.

She looks up at me with those eyes that seem to see right through to my soul, and I feel a flicker of calm. Just a flicker, but enough to keep me going.

I turn and see Austin walking toward us with a drink in his hand too. We think just alike. “Thirty minutes. Have another drink.”

Austin chuckles and takes another sip of his champagne before giving Alyssa a smile. “You might be our designated driver tonight.”

“I’m only driving to one place, so it looks like we’re all having a sleepover at Jensen’s place,” Alyssa replies as she gives us both a pointed look, her lips curving up into a playful smile.

“Fine with me,” Austin says. “I just hope this update goes well. I’ll lose my mind if the app decides to crash.”

“Don’t say that,” I groan, not wanting to hear that sentence. Ever. If the app acts up, people will complain in droves until it’s fixed, and all of our good reviews will be buried under complaints that can be fixed in a day or two.

Alyssa bites into her last shrimp, her brow creasing slightly. “It’ll be fine. You two need to relax. If you freak out, everyone else will freak out too.”

“She’s right.” Austin finishes his champagne. “Let’s just relax. I’ll find you guys later.”

Alyssa and I tell him goodbye before heading to the outskirts of the lobby to toss our trash away, freely holding each other’s hands without a care in the world. We’ve been transparent about our relationship and that she’ll be working directly under Josh now, and so far, we haven’t gotten any backlash.

At the end of the day, we’re adults who happened to fall in love. We’ll make the best decision overall, and I believe we did just that. Our careers are intact, and our relationship is stronger than ever before. I don’t see that ever changing.

“I can’t believe this year is finally coming to an end,” Alyssa sighs as she leans against my side.

I tuck her shoulders under my arm, leaning my head against hers. “It has been one wild ride.”

Alyssa toys with the red tie I’m wearing that matches her dress. “I can’t wait for the next one.”

I smile and press a light kiss against her forehead. “Busy tomorrow?”

“Not unless you have plans,” Alyssa replies as she raises an eyebrow at me.

“If your parents aren’t busy and Holly and Oliver are free, we should all eat dinner together. It was nice having everyone in one place on Christmas,” I suggest, a flare of hope lighting up my chest.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Christmas and how warm and comforting the atmosphere felt with everyone crowded in my penthouse. I can’t even begin to count how many pictures were taken, how many sweets were eaten, and how many times we laughed until our stomachs hurt.

It was a Christmas unlike any other, especially for Holly and me. We’re not used to a family Christmas like that, but I want every single Christmas from here on out to be like that. Hell, Thanksgiving and New Year’s too!

It’s time to make more memories and build my family up to be bigger than just a few people.

Alyssa’s expression brightens as she nods. “My mom usually cooks on New Year’s Day. We could all go over there.”

A home cooked meal sounds amazing.

“Perfect,” I say. “I’ll go ahead and text Holly.”

“I’ll text my mom.”

We share a happy look with one another before turning to our phones for a moment, sending out texts to our loved ones asking about their plans. All of this change should scare me more, but I’m just excited for all it can bring. I’ve been needing this.

I just didn’t realize the severity of my situation until I met Alyssa.

“Ten more minutes until midnight. We should get back out there,” Alyssa says as she gestures to the lively crowd of celebrating people.

I nod and lead her toward the middle, slipping past dancing couples and friends and feeling the shake of the bass in my chest as the upbeat music thumps through the building. “If this update pans out well, we’re doing a rooftop party next year!”

“You just have to go bigger and bigger, don’t you?” Alyssa laughs.

I turn and spin her toward me, excitement crackling through the air around us as the minutes to midnight tick down. “I don’t half-ass anything.”

Alyssa smiles and loops her arms around my neck, her body pressing against mine. “It’s one of the things that I love most about you.”

Love.

The word echoes in my head as I gaze down at her, the music becoming muffled in the background of my thoughts. I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to tell her my true feelings, my honest emotions. Things have been so chaotic at work that I haven’t found the best time, but as this year comes to a close in just a few minutes, I think now is finally the time.

Why wait any longer when I know that I love her? That I want her by my side for the rest of my life?

And now, as I look into her eyes, I realize that there’s never going to be a perfect time. Life is messy, unpredictable, and chaotic, but love…love is the constant. It’s the one thing that makes all the madness worth it.

I squeeze her hand tighter, feeling my heart swell with emotion. This is it. I don’t need a perfect moment. I just need her.

“Two minutes!” someone shouts in the crowd, making people cheer and take out their phones to monitor the time.

Alyssa’s laughter sweeps around us as the crowd becomes more and more excited, voices mingling with the music as everyone prepares for the last minute to pass by. She leans even closer to me, our eyes meeting.

“Ten, nine, eight…”

I never expected my year to end like this: in love and more accomplished than I ever thought possible.

“Seven, six, five…”

Alyssa’s eyes slip down to my lips as hers curl in a warm smile, my heart rate picking up at the sight.

“Four, three, two…”

My pulse quickens, and I can feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins. This is it—the moment I’ve been waiting for. The moment to put everything on the line and show her just how much she means to me. I’ve never been one to hesitate, but right now, my whole world feels like it’s teetering on the edge of something monumental.

I pull her closer, my heart racing. Her eyes widen with anticipation, and for a split second, everything else fades away—the crowd, the noise, the pressure of the update. It’s just her and me, standing on the cusp of a new year and a new beginning.

“One!”

Alyssa lifts up on her toes and meets me in the middle, our lips crashing together in a kiss that feels like fireworks. The distant pop and crackle of actual fireworks shrieks outside, and miles away in Times Square, the ball has dropped while a huge crowd is bellowing with excitement.

But all I want is this moment right now with Alyssa in my arms.

I cup her face, our lips brushing in perfect rhythm until I’m left breathless. I still find my voice, though. “I love you.”

The words slip out, feeling both terrifying and freeing at the same time. I’ve never been good at vulnerability—at opening up and letting someone in. But with Alyssa, it feels right. It feels necessary. I need her to know that she’s not just some passing fling or a convenient romance. She’s the one I’ve been searching for, even when I didn’t know I was looking.

Her eyes widen, and I see the tears glisten there. I’m scared, waiting for her reaction. What if it’s too soon? What if she’s not ready? But then she smiles—a smile that lights up the room, outshining all the fireworks and celebrations around us.

And in that moment, I know. I know I’ve found my person.

Alyssa draws back an inch so that she can meet my eyes with her wide ones. “You do?”

I laugh a little and nod. It’s probably been obvious to everyone else. “I do. More than I can explain.”

Alyssa’s eyes start to gleam as happy tears glisten in them. “I love you too. So much.”

A strong surge of emotion fills my chest, taking hold of my heart. My soul. My everything. It’s all hers.

My forehead presses against hers as everyone around us cheers and celebrates the new year. The familiar chime of the app sounds on all sides, but the last thing that I want to do is pull away from her right now.

The app can wait. Work can wait. The most important thing in my life is the people I care about.

This company means everything to me. I’ve poured my heart and soul into it, but now, standing here with Alyssa in my arms, I realize that it’s not the app that makes me feel alive. It’s her. She’s the one who makes every day brighter, who challenges me, supports me, and loves me in a way I never thought possible.

I pull her closer, my fingers brushing against her cheek as I kiss her again, deeper this time, pouring all my love and gratitude into that kiss. I don’t care about the app launch. I don’t care about the countdown or the fireworks.

I only care about her.

I capture her lips in another breathtaking kiss, getting swept up in the excitement around us as we leave behind the past in exchange for a bigger, brighter future.

I can’t wait to spend every single day of it with the woman who changed everything for me. Who made my life fill up with more joy than I ever thought possible.

The notifications on my phone buzz with updates—alerts from the app, messages from my team, but I don’t rush to check them. Not yet. Instead, I hold Alyssa close, soaking in the joy of this moment. I’ve spent so long building a future I thought I wanted, but now, I see that what I truly need is right here in front of me.

The year ahead is uncertain, full of challenges and surprises, but with her by my side, I know I can face anything. Together, we’ll make this year our best one yet.

And to think it all started with a faulty elevator and an irresistible, forbidden kiss…