by Holt, Layla
HIS CHRISTMAS ROMANCE
THE COHAN BILLIONAIRE BROTHERS
BOOK FIVE
LAYLA HOLT
Copyright ©LaylaHolt, 2020. The author has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
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ABOUT
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
MEGAN
A SNEAK PEEK | His Secret Baby
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Her Wedding
This is an introduction to The Cohan family and if you haven’t read Megan’s story, Download it here for free.
Author’s Note
The Cohan Billionaire Brothers is a series of books that begin with Her wedding, a free Novella that introduces readers to The Cohan family. You can DOWNLOAD IT HERE for free!
EVERY BOOK IN THIS series can be read as a standalone as each book focuses on a couple’s love story to their Happy Ever After. However, to get the most out of each book, I recommend that you read them in chronological order.
HER WEDDING
HIS SECRET BABY
HIS SECOND CHANCE
HIS BEAUTY
HIS SECRET ROMANCE
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ABOUT
A Billionaire with PTSD, an undercover Princess and a fake marriage that confronts past wounds.
Christmas is supposed to bring good tidings, right?
Not for Jaime Cohan. He can’t believe how drastically his life has changed, and not for the better.
Jaime never once thought that PTSD would feature in his life, after all, he’s a businessman, not a soldier.
A short stint in Afghanistan to tour the company charity projects, results in a three-month, horrifying ordeal when Jaime is kidnapped by rebels.
He returns home physically healthy but broken inside—A different man from the carefree one who left home months earlier.
His family believe that love, marriage and a little Christmas magic dust is all that Jaime needs to be happy again.
There’s only one problem, even if he agrees with them, which he doesn’t. Which woman would agree to marry a broken man unless there’s something in it for her?
Enter Ariana, The Royal Princess of the European Kingdom of Asencia, except no one knows this, not even her fake fiancé.
She has her own reasons for keeping her identity a secret and for agreeing to a fake marriage.
Can the love and warmth of Christmas, aided by a certain Princess, thaw Jaime’s heart and help him recapture his faith in love?
Chapter One
“Where do you want this one?” Adrian asked his son, Matt, holding a large sparkly star.
“Up there,” Matt said, pointing at the top. He bounced on his feet from the excitement of it all.
Adrian handed him the star and lifted him. Carefully, Matt hung it on the tree and everybody cheered and laughed. Jaime couldn’t bring himself to join in the laughter. His mind wandered, as it always did these days, to that desolate land he had left behind, and the hopelessness he had seen in people’s eyes.
People just like him who had so little to look forward to, even during the Christmas holidays.
“Do you boys remember when we bought these ones?” Jaime’s mother asked, holding up a snowman family.
“I do,” Adrian echoed, as did Dean and Sean. Before she could ask him, Jaime turned away and crossed the family room to sit on his now favorite chair in the corner of the room.
Moments later, his mother followed him and sat on the couch. Jaime glanced at the watch. Ten more minutes and then he could escape to his room upstairs. The biggest mistake he had made was to agree to move back home after his rescue in Afghanistan.
His family were all on his case, especially his mother.
Are you okay?
Do you need anything?
Jaime knew that they meant well but that did not make it any easier to bear. His brothers’ wives were always inviting him for dinner. He loved his sisters-in law as much as he loved his only sister Megan. But what Jaime desperately needed was some peace and quiet.
He still hadn’t processed what had happened to him.
The speakers placed discreetly around the family room let out soft Christmas music.
All I want for Christmas is you...
All Jaime wanted for Christmas was to be left alone and for it to be over. The sooner that people went back to their normal lives, the better. He planned to start looking for a place as soon as the holidays were over. In the meantime, he just had to grin and bear it.
“That’s what you need,” his mother said quietly, cutting into his thoughts. “Look at your brothers and their families. See how happy they are. Christmas is for families Jaime, and you need one of your own.”
Jaime swallowed a lump in his throat as he watched Adrian, their first-born, drape an arm around his life Leah. Then there was Dean, with his nine-month-old son, Kaden, perched on his hip and his wife Ruby, then the newlyweds, Sean and Maisie, with eyes only for each other.
Lance and his wife Corrine were home with their newborn twins, a girl and a boy, and his sister Megan, in Italy with her husband Luca. They were celebrating the holiday in their home in Italy this year.
Yep, they were happy all right. Jaime felt so removed from it. Joy felt so elusive. So far-fetched in his case. He couldn’t remember how it felt to be carefree and happy.
“What happened to Samantha? She was a nice girl and you two got along so well,” his mother said.
It took several seconds for Jaime to figure out that she was talking about one of his ex-girlfriends. “Mother, that was a long time ago, and I think she’s married now.”
“You need to go out Jaime. Go on a date. All you’ve done is work and come home ever since you got back. It’s Christmas, have some fun. Go on dates. Find someone and get married. That’s the only way you’ll be able to put all that behind you,” she said, her voice shaky.
She couldn’t even say the word kidnapped. He didn’t blame her.
As he sat there, Jaime lost his train of thought. The Christmas songs faded. The chattering from his family faded.
Fat drops of rain fell on the leaves and on his head. His feet, clad in wet boots, trudged through the mud, getting stuck each time. It took more and more effort to pull out his feet from the mud and make them move.
The heavy pack on his back grew heavier by the second. Jaime felt like a mule. Something caught his boot. Maybe a root. In the next second, he lay sprawled flat on the ground, with the pack pushing down on him, rendering him breathless. Mud entered his mouth. He was too weary to spit it out. He was almost giving up
.
The barrel of a gun poked the back of his head.
‘If you don’t get up in two seconds, you’re dead!’
Death was welcome. Jaime whimpered like a child. He wanted to dare him to shoot. Then he saw his mother’s face. She had gone through so much with his father’s stroke, nursing him back to health. She couldn’t bear to lose a son. He had to get up.
“Jaime!”
He snapped out of it and looked around wildly, expecting to see the nothingness in the rebel’s eyes. Instead he saw his mother’s eyes, narrowed with concern.
“Are you okay?” she said.
Jaime attempted a smile. “I’m fine.”
There was no need to tell her that he had just had an episode. It was happening more and more rather than easing. One moment, Jaime would be talking to someone and, in the next, he would be transported back to the bleak mountains of Afghanistan.
“I know this beautiful girl and she’s single,” his mother said. “We serve with her on several charity committees.”
Jaime groaned. Had his life come to this? Being set up on blind dates by his mother? The word ‘no’ sat at the tip of his tongue, then he thought better of it. If agreeing to one blind date would get his mother off his back, then so be it. It was a small price to pay for the rest of the holidays.
“I know she would like to go out with you. She’s expressed her admiration for the work you do at Candin Inc several times,” his mother continued. “We have a charity dinner tomorrow and I’m sure Ariana will be there.”
Jaime stood up. He’d taken as much as he could. “Okay. Whatever you want.” He sounded like an old man and he felt like one. “I’m going up to my room. I need a rest.”
He could feel everyone’s eyes on his back as he ambled out of the room.
THE FOLLOWING DAY AT ten in the morning, Jaime made his way to the conference room where the board meeting was being held. He pushed the door open and stepped in.
He shook hands with everyone around the table. His father, Adrian, Dean, Sean, Lance, and the three non-family board members.
“You’re late!” his father barked.
His father’s bad mood did not bother Jaime. Just months ago, being late for a meeting was something that would not have happened. He had always been the first to arrive and the last to leave.
“He’s here now father,” Dean said smoothly and went ahead to deflect the conversation away from Jaime.
Jaime hated the disinterest that had come over him and he couldn’t shake it off. Time, he kept telling himself. But how much of it did he need before he felt normal again.
Jaime forced his mind to the conversation. Candin Inc had acquired Vista Gums, a gum making company. It was an exciting time for their company with the projected growth of revenue in the coming year.
“Our sales have increased dramatically for this time of year,” Adrian was saying. “I think we have Jaime to thank for that.”
They all turned to look at him. What was he supposed to say? You’re welcome. It hadn’t been his choice to be captured by rebels and held for two months.
As the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Jaime had gone to Afghanistan to officially open a school they had built in the war torn country, to cater to orphaned children.
When news of his capture by rebels was announced by the media, information about the charity work that Candin Inc was involved in in various parts of the world, had come up. The ripple effect had been a massive growth in the popularity of their products.
“I’m glad I could help,” Jaime said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
His father glared at him and looked away. “It’s a good thing that our sales have increased, but our products are good. They’ve always been.”
Jaime was glad when the attention shifted from him for the rest of the meeting until it was almost time to go.
“I don’t like the amount that we’re spending on these charity projects,” his father growled, his gaze on Jaime.
That had always been their one area of contention. In the time when his father had been away from the company recuperating, they had increased the percentage of the company profits that went into charity projects. With their father back at the helm, Jaime was not surprised that he wanted to decrease that amount.
What did surprise him, however, was that he couldn’t summon the energy to fight for it. He shrugged and gazed out the window.
After the meeting, Jaime was the first to leave the conference room. Just as he closed the door to his office, relieved to be alone once again, the door swung open and Adrian walked in.
“What the heck’s wrong with you?” Adrian exploded. “Father wants to decrease the percentage we give to charity and you just sat there and took it?”
Jaime sighed and sunk into his chair. Before he could respond to Adrian, his cell phone vibrated on his desk. He picked it up and frowned at the name on the screen. His mother, and she was not known for giving up so he might as well pick it up.
“Jaime,” she said crisply, in the tone she used when she did not want to be interrupted or disagreed with.
“Hello to you too mother,” Jaime said.
She ignored that and ploughed ahead. “I spoke to Ariana and she was more than happy to go out to dinner with you this evening. She suggested that you meet up at seven in the evening at, hold on...The Sweet World. I’ve never heard of it.”
Jaime nodded. “I know it. I’ll be there.”
“You’ll thank me for it,” his mother said.
“I doubt that very much mother,” Jaime said.
“We’ll see.” She rung off.
When he put down his cell phone, he found Adrian staring at him open mouthed. “Are you serious? You’re letting mother set you up on a blind date?”
“I know,” Jaime said. “But she was on my case and just wouldn’t stop. I figured if I go once, she’ll let up and leave me in peace.”
Adrian chuckled. “You’ll have to tell me about it.”
Jaime smiled for the first time in a long time. “One thing’s for sure. Its going to be a disaster.”
“Hey, she might just surprise you. What’s her name?”
“Ariana,” Jaime said. “At least she has a pretty name.”
They chatted a bit longer, and then Adrian excused himself and left. Jaime tried to focus on the screen and failed. His inbox was overflowing, most of them emails from organizations that wanted to partner with Candin Inc after news of their work exploded in the media.
Maybe his mother was right and going out on a date was the jolt he needed to get himself out of the funk he was in. He’d seen a therapist for four sessions after he got back home and it had helped somewhat but the episodes were increasing.
Would he spend all his life messed up in the head? He hadn’t confided in anyone in his family, but Jaime was frightened that a nut had come lose in his head. How else could you explain his mind transporting him back to Afghanistan without warning or provocation?
Of course, he had heard of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. But this was different. It was so real; he could even smell the fear he had felt in those moments he had thought it was over.
He shook off the unpleasant thoughts and forced himself to care enough to respond to the email he was reading.
Chapter Two
Ariana stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her heart pounded at the thought of meeting Jaime Cohan. The man everyone in the whole country had been raving about. The man who had gone through the kind of horrifying experience that, out of the people who did, most never came out alive.
This was her first blind date though, technically, it was not. She’d seen Jaime Cohan in the papers and in TV interviews after his ordeal. He had an arresting face. The kind that caught your attention and made you want to dig deeper.
Stop it, Ariana, she muttered to herself. She wasn’t in the market for a boyfriend and had only agreed to go out with Jaime because his mother had asked her and because of who he was. Who did no
t want to meet a real-life hero?
A man who had spent his adult life helping people through his family company? But that was all it was for her. A date with a man she admired. She strolled back to the bedroom and, as she picked her clutch purse, her phone vibrated.
She picked it up and was dismayed to see a call from her mother. Calls with her mother were never short.
“Hello mother,” Ariana said cheerfully.
“Ariana, how are you?” her mother said and proceeded to update her on everyone. Her brother, his wife and their adorable daughters as well as her father. “He misses you Ariana, I can tell.”
Her heart squeezed. Guilt flooded her. She had dropped everything and fled to America four months earlier.
“I want you to come back home. You’ve had enough time. It’s time to get back to your responsibilities. Plus, I have a few people I want you to meet. People of integrity,” her mother said, her tone hardening.
“I’m not going—” Ariana started to say, then clamped her mouth. She’d wanted to say that she had no intentions of meeting anyone but that would open up the conversation to her painful past.
She might have fled across the world but her pain had followed her. It was only now that she could think about Kyan and Evalla without breaking into tears. Tears prickled at the sides of her eyes.
“One week Ariana. We want you home for the holidays,” her mother said and then added in a softer voice, “we miss you.”
“Okay mother,” Ariana said. She couldn’t run away forever. As much as she enjoyed her life here in America, she had to go back home where she belonged.
A few minutes later, she disconnected the call and realized that she had ten minutes to get to the restaurant. Impossible. There was no way she was going to make it. She grabbed her purse and hurried out of her room.
Downstairs, she found Lillian and George in the kitchen preparing dinner together. They were her parent’s oldest friends and they travelled to Asencia every year during the summer.