by Laura Ann
Warm hands pulled at her ice cold ones. “What are you talking about with the fake boyfriend thing?” he asked softly.
Lane’s eyes couldn’t help but be caught by his. They were stunning and the shine of the moon and snowflakes in his hair only made them more magical. “The fact that you’ve been pretending to be my boyfriend all night. You know? The plan Wren told you about because of Camille?”
Pierce’s eyebrows furrowed. “No, I don’t know. Are you telling me that you’ve been pretending with me all night?” His voice had risen in unbelief. He stepped back, dropping her hands like they were on fire. “I’m gonna wring Wren’s neck. She told me you felt the same way I did. And all this time it was fake.” He slowly shook his head. “Unbelievable.”
Lane’s eyes almost bugged out of her head and one line kept pounding through her brain. She told me you felt the same way I did.
Pierce spun on his heel and Lane grabbed his hand in a panic. “How do you feel?” she rasped, ignoring the desperation in her tone. She saw his jaw clench, but Pierce didn’t speak. Lane squeezed and shook his hand a little. “Please, Pierce. This is important.”
“What does it matter? It was apparently all pretend,” he said in a low, husky tone.
Hope began to trickle through the despair in Lane’s chest and with it came a bit of boldness. “I thought it was fake,” she began, watching his shoulders tighten, “but I wanted it to be real.”
Pierce’s body froze, then he slowly turned around. “What do you mean?”
Lane gulped at the intensity of his gaze, but she knew if she didn’t speak up now, she might never get another chance. “I have had a crush on you since I was a little girl,” she pushed out. “Of course, I was under no delusion that you ever felt the same way, but hey,” she shrugged and smiled, “a girl has to dream.”
Pierce stepped a little closer, obviously listening to what she was saying.
“But that’s all you were... a dream. I knew I had no chance with you.” She sighed and looked toward the hotel. “Then I got the invitation for this,” she waved a hand toward the building, “and Camille added a personal little note, which made me angry.” She snorted. “I totally took the bait and convinced all our friends to come and since all of us were single, to bring a fake boyfriend so we didn’t look like such losers.”
Pierce took another step.
“My, uh... date cancelled at the last minute and Wren told me she would fix it.”
Pierce scoffed. “Oh, she fixed it. She called me out on my crush, calling me a coward and convinced me you felt the same way I do.”
“And here I thought Wren just blackmailed you into playing boyfriend for the night.”
Pierce closed his eyes and laughed while shaking his head. “Wow. I think we need to work on Wren’s communication skills.”
“Either that or we need to handle this ourselves,” Lane suggested. “Are you telling me that your behavior tonight was not an act? That you weren’t pretending?”
Pierce finished closing the gap between them. His body heat shook Lane’s frozen state, and she found herself struggling to keep her knees locked.
“Nothing about tonight was fake for me, Lane.” He tucked a stray hair behind her ear, trailing his fingers along her jaw when he was done. “I was counting this as our first date, but was having a horrible time keeping my hands to myself.” He smirked. “And how about you? Were you pretending tonight?”
Lane gulped, but forced herself to be brave. “My reactions were completely genuine because I already fell for you years ago. I had to keep reminding myself it wasn’t real because my heart was becoming so invested. That kiss knocked me off my feet, and that’s why I ran. I knew once the night was over I would be a broken mess because you didn’t feel the same. I couldn’t keep it up.”
Pierce let go of her hand and cupped her cheeks. “You’re freezing, Lane. We should go back inside and warm you up.”
Lane didn’t move. She had one more question. “Did you really just kiss me because of the mistletoe?” Please say no, please say no.
Pierce barked out a laugh. His wide smile was swoon-worthy and Lane’s poor knees were shaking even harder. “The mistletoe was a convenient excuse to do what I’ve been dying to do for years. Like I said, in my mind, it was our first date. I was trying to go slow. But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”
Lane grinned. “What if I told you there was another opportunity right in front of you?”
Pierce looked confused for a moment, then followed Lane’s eyes upward before chuckling.
Hanging on the streetlamp above their heads was another bundle of mistletoe.
For the first time ever, I think I’m grateful for Camille’s attention to detail.
“Then I would say that we don’t need a hotel to keep you warm,” Pierce whispered in her ear, bringing her attention back to the present.
Lane shivered again and this time it had nothing to do with the cold. “Sounds like a plan to me,” she managed to get out.
“You realize this kiss has been like ten years in the making?” Pierce teased with a crooked grin.
Lane smiled in return. “Then you better make it good.” She sucked in a breath through her nose as Pierce took her mouth. This time there was no soft, timid start. This kiss held everything they had both been holding back for all those lonely years.
Pierce was right, Lane’s mind managed to think in a lazy drawl. I don’t need to go inside to get warm.
Awww... that story just makes
me sigh and want to reach for my hot cocoa. :)
I just love it when unrequited love
becomes... not so unrequited!
If you’re not ready for the romance to end, never fear!
Grace’s story is up next in “Mistletoe Mayhem”
You can grab it HERE!
Tired of Christmas stories?
Keep scrolling to read the first chapter
in my “Overnight Billionaire Bachelors” series.
What happens when three brothers find a hidden
treasure and suddenly become billionaires
overnight? Paparazzi, drama and turbulence on the path
to true love, that’s what!
Read on!
“Her Billionaire Boss”
CHAPTER 1
“Well, Mrs...”
“It’s Miss. Miss Monson,” the woman sitting across from Eli interrupted.
“Sorry, Miss Monson. As I was saying, everything appears to be in order.” Eli’s face was emotionless as he shuffled the papers in front of him before looking up at the middle-aged women in front of him. “We will be contacting people later in the week to let them know the results of our hiring.” He stood and the woman eagerly jumped to her feet, fluffing her hair. Eli held out a hand. “Thank you for coming in, we’ll be in touch.”
“You’re welcome.” Miss Monson smiled as she gripped his hand and fluttered her eyes a little. “I mean, thank you for your time.” She giggled and shrugged her shoulders.
“Yes, well,” Eli’s long legs took him over to the door of his brand new office and he quickly opened it. “Have a nice day.”
“You too.” She watched him as she walked past, wiggling her fingers in goodbye as she slowly moved out into the hall.
Eli shut the door firmly behind her. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he moaned as he slumped into his desk chair. The smooth, buttery leather of the seat didn’t so much as squeak as he settled in. “Money might not buy you happiness, but at least it buys comfortable chairs,” Eli mumbled as he lay his head back and closed his eyes.
“How goes the job hunt?” Hayden asked as he stormed into the office.
“Probably about as well as yours.” Eli peeked through one eye. “Have you filled all your spots in the kitchen?”
Hayden huffed and fell back on the sofa on the far wall. “Half the people coming in to interview are women looking for a date, not a job.” He ran his fingers through his hair.
Eli h
eld in another groan. Last year, the three Truman brothers had become instant billionaires, not to mention media sensations, when they had discovered a room full of hidden treasure in the old castle they were struggling to renovate. Low on funds and down on their luck, they had plans to redo only enough of the castle to rent out a few rooms and open a bed-and-breakfast.
When they had literally struck gold, they had jumped at the opportunity to turn the old castle into a resort destination with each brother overseeing a specific part. Eli worked in hospitality, Hayden was a chef and had built an in-house restaurant and Nelson had created an outdoor program that utilized the several hundred acres that had come with the castle. They had even made plans to move their twin sisters to the resort once they were graduated and help them find a place to work.
Now, a year after their discovery, the resort was set to open, but the brothers were struggling to find good candidates to fill all the positions necessary to make it run. Hundreds of resumes had come flooding in, but the vast majority were from single ladies wanting to get a glimpse of what the media had dubbed ‘The Overnight Billionaire Bachelors’.
Eli smirked. “How many of them left in tears?”
Hayden scowled. “I haven’t made anyone cry today.”
“Yet,” Eli mumbled.
“Shut up.” Hayden growled, then quirked an eyebrow. “Have you filled all your spots?”
Eli groaned. “No, I’m running into the same problem you are. The last one in here had to have been at least fifty, if she was a day, and she giggled at me. Actually giggled!”
Hayden chuckled. “I don’t think I got that one in the kitchen. She must only be after the oldest brother.”
Eli threw his stress ball at Hayden, who caught it with a laugh. “Anyway, I still have a couple more interviews today.”
“What position are they for?” Hayden tossed the ball in the air and caught it.
“Front desk clerk,” Eli replied after looking at the paperwork. “It shouldn’t be that hard to find a friendly person who can answer phones and make reservations. It’s not rocket science.”
Hayden smirked before throwing the ball back. “Good luck with that,” he said as he stood and headed to leave.
“Oh!” A feminine voice gasped when Hayden suddenly threw open the door.
Eli’s head snapped up at the sound; a slight shiver running down his back. What the heck is that?
“Sorry,” Hayden said gruffly.
“No, no. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have been standing so close. I was just about to knock, because, I mean...” The voice sighed. “Sorry, I ramble when I’m nervous. I have an appointment with Mr. Truman.”
Hayden folded his arms and smirked. “Which one? Technically, there are three of us.”
“Oh, right,” the voice gave a light laugh that resembled the tinkling of a bell. “Sorry. I’m looking for Mr. Eli Truman.”
Without conscience thought, Eli jumped to his feet and hurried toward the doorway. “I’m Eli Truman,” he stated louder than necessary, coming up behind Hayden. Whoa...
A petite, redheaded beauty stood in the hallway. Light from the large windows in the foyer was playing around her head, giving her porcelain skin an otherworldly glow. But it wasn’t her skin that drew Eli’s attention. It was the set of full, pink lips that were shaping a perfect ‘O’ that caught and held his stare. Holy-
When he managed to drag his eyes from her lips up to her eyes, he nearly choked. Wide, emerald eyes, almost too wide for her petite features, stared back at him.
“H-hi,” she stuttered out. “I have an appointment.”
“He’s ready for you,” Hayden said, turning to slap Eli on the back.
The whack woke Eli from his trance. “Uh, yes. Of course. Come in, please.” He schooled his features into the stoic facade he always put on for the public. Beautiful or not, this is just a job interview.
“Good luck, Brother,” Hayden said with a chuckle.
Eli scowled at him, but Hayden closed the door before he could see it.
“So, you are...” Eli forced himself to walk calmly around to his desk and look at his schedule. “Miss Thompson?”
“Yes, Ivy Thompson,” she said softly, still standing awkwardly by the door.
“Have a seat, please,” Eli waved his hand toward one of the chairs sitting close to his desk.
“Thank you,” Ms. Thompson murmured and followed his directions. She sat down, primly folding her hands in her lap.
“I have here that you are looking for a position at the front desk?” Eli glanced up at her.
“Yes, sir.”
“You can call me Mr. Truman,” Eli stated.
“Yes, Mr. Truman, sir.”
Eli glanced up and noticed a small smile on her face. It slowly melted when he didn’t smile back. “So, tell me Miss Thompson, why you are looking to work at Avangarde Castle?”
“Well,” her eyes dropped to her lap, “I’m looking to make a change and recently moved to this side of the state.” She looked up and tried to smile at him again.
Eli watched her in fascination. Her whole countenance was sweet and airy and seemed to shine a light on the dark parts of him that had shut down after his divorce.
“I was planning to start looking for work soon and saw this pop up in the paper. It seemed ideal.” She gave a light shrug.
“Do you have any experience in hospitality?” Eli kept his eyes firmly on the paper in front of him. Being attractive doesn’t make her qualified.
“No. But I’ve worked in retail, so I’m pretty good at handling people and solving problems.”
Eli grunted. “You understand that working at the front desk would mean handling multiple things at once? You have to be able to answer phones, take reservations and solve issues that might arise from those staying at the hotel?”
“Yes, Mr. Truman.” There was no teasing in her tone anymore.
Good. She knows I mean business.
“Just how old are you, Miss Thompson?” Eli blurted out before he thought better of it.
Her eyes widened, and she stiffened in her chair.
Eli closed his eyes. Now you’ve done it. You’re not allowed to ask those kinds of questions. “I apologize, Miss Thompson. It’s just that you look too young to-.”
The petite woman in front of him sniffed and crossed her legs. “Being small makes me look younger than I am. And yes, I know you’re not supposed to ask me that, but just to ease your mind, I’m twenty-five.”
Too young for you, Eli. Better steer clear of this one. He shook his head. What the heck? I’m steering clear of all of them! No more women for me, thank you very much. “Good to know,” Eli said curtly. “Thank you for your time, Miss Thompson, we will be contacting people at the end of the week, after we have finished all the interviews.”
“All right, thank you for your time, Mr. Truman.” Miss Thompson stood and stepped forward with her hand outstretched.
Eli reached across the desk and took her proffered fingers. After a quick shake, he dropped her hand like it was a live coal. A frisson of warmth had shot straight up his arm from her touch and he had no desire to examine why her touch had affected him so.
Eli stood, stoic and silent as she quickly walked out of the room, leaving the door ajar as she disappeared.
Once she was out of sight, Eli’s knees gave out and he dropped into his chair. His hands shot out, catching himself on the desk when the wheels shifted.
“Did you give her the job?” Hayden leaned his grinning face inside the room and waggled his eyebrows.
Eli scowled. “No, why would I do that?”
Hayden rolled his eyes. “Because she’s pretty.”
Eli mimicked Hayden’s eyeroll. “I can’t hire someone just because they’re good looking.”
“Was she just after a date?”
“No,” Eli grumbled and tapped his fingers on the desk. “She didn’t appear to be after that at all. She sincerely seemed to want a job.”
“Wa
s she unqualified?”
Eli shrugged. “She looks like she would do fine.”
“Then what’s the problem.”
The problem is she’s stunning. And she made me feel things I didn’t like. “She seems a bit young.”
“How old was she?” Hayden frowned.
“Twenty-five.”
Hayden scoffed. “Why the heck would that be too young?” His eyes widened after a moment. “You like her!”
Eli scowled. “I do not. I told you I’ve sworn off women. Not to mention I’ve seen plenty of beautiful women during these interviews. Looks have nothing to do with anything.”
Hayden pointed his finger at his brother. “You can’t not hire her because you’re attracted to her.”
“I’m not attracted to her. Acknowledging that someone is good looking and actually being attracted to them are two different things.” Eli glared.
“Me thinks you doth protest too much,” Hayden said with a raised brow.
“Don’t you have a kitchen to fill?” Eli put his stoic face back on and put his eyes on his desk, refusing to look at the knowing glint in Hayden’s eyes.
“You’re right. Maybe I’ll see if she wants to work in there instead. What was her name?”
“If she wanted to work in the kitchens, she would have put that down,” Eli responded too quickly.
Hayden chuckled, and the sound became softer as he walked back down the hall. Eli sat back and tugged at his collar. Shoot. I don’t have enough real candidates as it is. I can’t just not hire her because she made me feel things. He scoffed out loud. “I sound like a woman.” Shaking his head, he wrote HIRED at the top of her resume and put it in a small pile at the top of his desk.
IVY RESISTED THE URGE to fan herself as she walked out of the office and eventually outside to her car. Once seated in the private interior, however, all bets were off. “Whew! That man is positively sinful!” She used both hands to fan her cheeks, knowing her fair skin was flaming from the encounter.