The Billionaire's Lessons in Christmas

by Holly Rayner

  “Are you tired?” Chase asked.

  Annabelle looked up at him, wishing more than anything that he wouldn’t go. “Not really,” she replied. “The walk woke me right back up.”

  “Good. How about we take this party back to my apartment? I’ve still got a few more surprises up my sleeve.”

  “Do you now?”

  Chase’s smile was ridiculously alluring, and Annabelle nearly melted on the spot, in spite of the chill.

  “Yes, I do. Are you game, Miss Williams?”

  “Always. You want me to drive?”

  “Nope. I brought my car.”

  “No chauffeur today?”

  “My staff get the holidays off now, so I’m fending for myself here.”

  “Poor thing,” she pouted.

  “Tell me about it,” he joked.

  Annabelle realized that she couldn’t wait to hear all about the changes Chase had made over the last year. Each one seemed better than the last.

  They turned and walked around Annabelle’s apartment building to a back street, where a bright green sports car was waiting.

  “So much for turning a new leaf,” Annabelle huffed. “Don’t these things guzzle gas like nobody’s business?”

  Chase continued walking, unconcerned. “You clearly haven’t done your research, Miss Williams. This thing is fully electric.”

  Annabelle stared at the vehicle. It looked just like a regular sports car, but when she slid into the passenger seat and Chase started the engine, it was clear that this car was very different from any vehicle she’d been in before.

  “Let’s do this,” Chase said, pulling onto the main road and heading towards Seattle.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  The drive to the city was relaxing. Annabelle realized how rare it was that she got to sit in the passenger seat and enjoy the ride. It was a simple thing, but something she could certainly enjoy getting used to.

  Chase parked in a garage beneath his building, and the two of them rode the elevator up to the penthouse suite once again.

  When they stepped inside, Annabelle grinned. She’d forgotten how Christmassy Chase had made the place—it was like stepping into Santa’s living room. Shedding her coat, she stepped inside, rubbing the chill from her arms.

  “Are you still cold?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

  Not waiting for her answer, he stepped over to her and began rubbing her arms to warm her up. Facing him directly, so close, Annabelle could hardly breathe, and she dared to look up at him, her every nerve keenly aware of his presence.

  Seemingly convinced that she was warm enough, Chase stopped rubbing. They stood face to face for a moment, and Annabelle was sure he would kiss her.

  Instead, he stepped back.

  “I have a present for you,” he said, dashing over to the kitchen and grabbing a small, wrapped box from the counter.

  He handed it to her, and she took the small gift with a surprised smile.

  “Chase! You shouldn’t have!”

  “I absolutely should. Open it,” he said, watching her with childlike eagerness.

  Not needing to be asked twice, Annabelle tore at the paper. Inside was a white box. When she removed the lid, she found a wooden Santa ornament with the words “I believe” burned into the wood.

  “From the Kriskindle market,” she breathed, taking the little ornament out and admiring it.

  “I thought we could get one every year. What do you think?”

  She beamed up at him. “I think that’s a fantastic idea, but what does this mean?”

  Chase placed his hand over her palm, encasing the ornament between them. “It’s a reminder that we can be whoever we want to be in this world, if we have the right person by our side.”

  Annabelle felt tears fill her eyes at his words.

  “Hold on, no crying yet,” he said with a gentle smile. “There’s one last thing I have to do; the most Christmassy thing of all.”

  “Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

  Chase pulled her towards the kitchen, stopping directly beneath a huge ball of mistletoe.

  “Kiss the girl, of course,” he whispered, then leaned down and captured her lips in a delicate kiss, wrapping his arms around her to pull her close.

  Annabelle clung to him, drinking him in, savoring every sensation he woke within her. Chase Frost was the man she had been waiting for all this time. Her instincts told her so, her body told her so, her heart told her so. Everything in her wanted to stay with him forever.

  Chase gently kissed the tip of her nose before holding her away from him just a bit.

  “Until you came along, Belle, I’d never felt anything but cold. I tried to make myself have feelings I didn’t understand, and couldn’t feel. You came and changed all of that. I can’t imagine my life without you. I took this year to make myself into a man who would be worthy of you, and I hope more than anything that I succeeded. I would be the happiest man alive if you would be willing to take a chance on me, and see how far we can go.”

  Annabelle could hardly believe her ears. He felt the same way!

  She pressed her head against his chest, hugging him close as he stroked her hair. Reluctantly, she pulled back again, but only to say the words she’d been ignoring in her own brain for the past year.

  “I don’t know how it happened, I don’t know when I fully realized it, but even with the short time we spent together, Chase, I realized that…” she hesitated, scared to go on.

  His gaze was encouragement itself, and she took a deep breath, and took the plunge.

  “I love you. I don’t know how it’s possible. We know so little of each other, and yet I feel like I know you better than anyone ever could. Am I crazy?”

  Chase tenderly stroked her face, taking in every feature as though he were fighting to memorize the moment and freeze it in his mind for eternity.

  “You’re not crazy, Belle. I thought I was crazy for feeling the way that I do. How could a man go from caring about nothing to caring about what another person thinks beyond all rhyme and reason? I suppose this is what people mean when they talk about soulmates. There’s something in you that I can’t stay away from, and I hope I never will.”

  Annabelle’s heart soared at his words, but he hadn’t quite finished.

  “I love you, too, Belle.”

  He kissed her again, then, with want, desire, excitement.

  After lingering under the mistletoe for a while, they hung their new ornament on the enormous tree.

  Annabelle gazed up at it, shaking her head in wonder. “How did you get this thing all the way up here?”

  Chase shook his head, and his lip twitched ever so slightly. “Don’t ask. I’m pretty sure I had to pay some medical bills for the men who helped me drag it in and set it up, but it was worth it.”

  “What about when you have to take it back down again?” Annabelle mused.

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

  “We?” Annabelle said, lifting an eyebrow.

  Chase took her in his arms again, swinging her around until she had to wrap her arms around his neck to keep from falling.

  He dipped her, pressing his forehead against hers. “Yes, we. I don’t want to do anything holiday-related or otherwise without you, and of course that means cleaning up all these wonderful decorations. Isn’t that part of the experience?”

  Annabelle sighed dramatically. “I suppose, if I must,” she grinned.

  “Good. Now, I hope you’ve saved some room, because I’ve prepared what I hope will be a glorious Christmas dinner for us, and I want you to tell me how I did.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously.”

  Annabelle watched in astonishment as Chase reheated his own version of the meal she had served the previous year. They shared the same red wine, cut out cookies (though he still had a lot to learn about dough making), and enjoyed a generous helping of Christmas ham before snuggling down on the couch to watch White Christmas.

&
nbsp; “No falling asleep this time,” Chase yawned as he snuggled her closer.

  “You’re half asleep already,” she mumbled, cuddling deeper into him.

  Chase chuckled and held her close, his own eyes drooping as he began to nod off, too.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Annabelle was wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, and she snuggled deeper into the covers. She reached an arm out to stretch, and was surprised for a moment when it met with something solid.

  Turning, she opened her eyes to find Chase sleeping, shirtless, next to her. They were also in his bed.

  Annabelle’s mind scrambled to find answers to the plethora of questions that popped up, and she began to fully remember the day before.

  Hadn’t she fallen asleep with Chase on the sofa? Had it just been a dream?

  Glancing back over at Chase, she allowed herself this private display of him. He was laying on his stomach, his strong back uncovered. His skin looked delectable, and her fingers ached to run along his shoulder blades. As she watched him, he shifted in his sleep, and blinked open one eye.

  His grin was sexiness personified.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” he said, his voice a little husky.

  His hair was askew again, just like the last time she had woken up next to him, and his stubble was back, much to Annabelle’s delight. She raised her hand and skimmed her fingers along his chiseled jawline, and his grin deepened.

  “Morning,” she purred. “You wouldn’t be able to answer the mystery of how we got here, when we started out on the couch, would you?”

  Chase rolled over, draping one arm around her as he snuggled her close. Annabelle nestled into him, enjoying the sensation of waking up in his arms. The memory of Chase’s confession of love came back to her, and she matched his smile with one of her own. He began tracing paths on her back with his fingers, making it difficult for her to focus.

  “I woke up after the movie ended and carried you in here. Figured we’d be more comfortable.”

  “Seriously? How did I not notice that?”

  “Probably because you were snoring. Quite loudly, in fact.”

  “Chase Frost, I do not snore!” Annabelle said, looking for a pillow to swat him with.

  Preventing her from attacking him, he held her tighter, and Annabelle was forced to look up into his handsome face, a mere inch between their lips.

  “You do, too,” he whispered.

  “Liar,” she whispered back.

  Chase’s lips inched closer to hers. “You win,” he said before closing the gap and kissing her deeply.

  Over the past year, Annabelle had often found herself thinking about what it would be like to make love with Chase. She had even dreamed of it a couple of times.

  Breaking off the kiss, she looked up at him with heat in her eyes. “What would you like to do today?” she asked.

  Chase’s eyes were filled with passion, and he maintained the short distance between them as he continued to stroke her back with his fingers. “I should think that’s rather obvious,” he said, and she laughed.

  “Oh, it is. Still, I’d like our first time to be a little less…walk of shame style. I’m still in my Christmas dress!”

  Chase pulled back a little, his expression thoughtful. “I have an idea, if you’re up for an adventure.”

  “With you? Always.”

  He leaned back, removing his hand from her back and ceasing the delicious movement of his fingertips. Annabelle almost asked him to carry on, but his mind was clearly on a path, and she was excited to see where it was headed.

  “What do you think about heading to my cabin on Mount Rainier? We could spend a few days there, enjoying the snow. Maybe do a little skiing…”

  Annabelle considered what it would be like, snuggled up in a cabin in the mountains with Chase. It didn’t take long for her to find her answer.

  “Um, obviously that’s a firm yes,” she said, and Chase leaped from the bed. Annabelle’s eyes feasted on his sculpted abs. She hoped she wasn’t drooling.

  “Excellent! We’ll just have to stop by the office before we go. That’s where I keep the key.”

  Annabelle glanced down, realizing they were forgetting some important details.

  “Hold on,” she said, putting a hand up as Chase turned to begin packing a bag. He looked back at her with a question in his eye. “What the heck am I going to wear? All I have is this!”

  Chase considered that for a beat, though it took him only seconds to come up with a solution.

  “We go shopping. It’s late enough in the morning for stores to be open. Why don’t we head to the mall? You know, the one with the snow you took me to last year?”

  “And what, buy a weekend wardrobe?”

  Chase looked confused by her question. “Of course. Can you think of a better solution?”

  Pondering that, Annabelle realized she couldn’t.

  “Fair enough,” she agreed. “When shall we head out?”

  “After I make you some pancakes?”

  “You really know the way to a girl’s heart, don’t you?”

  “You know me. Gourmet chef!”

  “Actually, that doesn’t remind me of you at all. When did you learn to cook all this stuff?”

  Annabelle scooted off the bed as Chase slid into a white T-shirt and padded out toward the kitchen. He pulled out eggs, flour and sugar, and began expertly putting together a pile of fresh pancakes. The apartment was instantly filled with the delicious scent of cooking food, and Annabelle couldn’t wait to try some.

  “I took a few cooking classes over the past year,” he explained, expertly flipping another pancake. “From Gaston Larue.”

  “Gaston Larue, as in the best chef in the city of Seattle?”

  Chase shrugged. “He owed me a favor. Long story, but what do you think? Did he teach me well?”

  He flipped a couple of pancakes onto a plate and handed them to Annabelle, opening the fridge and pulling out some maple syrup for her to pour on top, which she did, liberally. When she took a bite, she grinned.

  “These are amazing!” she cried, and Chase looked pleased at the praise.

  “Thank you, my lady. I made them especially for you.”

  He sat down on the chair next to her, the two of them enjoying breakfast at his kitchen island before cleaning up and heading in the direction of the mall. When they arrived, Chase headed straight towards the center atrium, where he took her hand, guiding her to the same spot they had stood in the previous year.

  “This is where we were, remember?”

  “I do,” Annabelle said, looking up as though snow would float down towards them once again.

  “This was the moment I realized I really wanted to kiss you. I think we should reenact how that should have happened right now.”

  “You don’t have to ask me twice,” Annabelle chuckled.

  Chase took her in his arms and kissed her then, sweetly, with a softness she hadn’t really experienced in him until that moment. When he released her, she had totally lost her breath.

  “I think we should get some clothes so we can get on the road,” Annabelle whispered.

  “Agreed,” he said, cradling her face for a moment before stepping back.

  They bought a few outfits, a winter jacket, boots and snow pants for skiing, as well some comfortable pajamas. Chase insisted on buying all of it, and Annabelle allowed him to be generous with her, gracefully accepting all of his gifts. They procured some basic toiletries before they decided they had enough to keep Annabelle clothed and clean for at least a few days.

  They walked back to Chase’s apartment so he could finish packing his own bag, and Annabelle could change and clean up a bit, before heading down to the garage beneath the building.

  This time Chase led her towards a small jeep, and she laughed.

  “How many cars do you have down here?”

  Chase’s grin was sheepish. “Just a few. I’m sure you’ll get to see them all in good time.”

  “I’m
sure I will,” she agreed, and she sat in the passenger seat, finally comfortable in a new, cozier outfit.

  They drove over to Chase’s office building, shiny and glinting in the rare Seattle sunlight. Chase led the way inside, and Annabelle noticed that the entire building was empty.