She was lying to her family; she was lying to Mrs. Pemberley. The sale of this hotel would be based on a lie.
Was five thousand dollars and a promotion really worth tricking the people who’d always loved and believed in her?
When the bill came, Josh insisted on paying and managed to slip his credit card into the slim folder and hand it off to a waiter before Stan could protest. The four of them said their goodbyes at the front door of the restaurant, and both Stan and his wife hugged her before setting off. They were at that level already, on day two. This sale was practically in the bag.
They stepped out onto the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, their breaths billowing in the cold air. The gilded doors swung shut behind them, blocking out the murmur of voices that had followed them from the packed dining room. Josh nudged her with his elbow.
“You okay?”
She tugged her fancy black coat around her, the only one she had that complemented the particular shade of gray pants she had on. “Yeah.” They started a slow walk down the sidewalk, heading toward Amelia’s car.
“Want to go for a walk?” Josh asked.
She looked around. The entire downtown was lit up, wreaths hung from the street lights, and enormous ornaments dangled from the doorways of storefronts. It was quaint in a way that made her heart ache. “Yeah. Let’s take a walk.”
Silence settled between them as they meandered down the sidewalk. Downtown Cedar Grove was a veritable small-business wonderland, with kitschy coffee shops and doll-making stores, and all manner of upstate-related paraphernalia. Truly, being back here was a breath of fresh air after living in the hustle of the city for the past two years.
Except now she was deceiving everyone who’d ever dared support her. Sadness thudded through her again.
“You seem kind of…off,” Josh ventured after nobody had spoken for a long time. “Is something bothering you, Amelia? Normally you’re talking my ear off.”
She frowned as a chill went through her. The fashion-forward black coat was not equally warmth-forward. She shivered against the cold and looked up into the sky at the gently falling snowflakes.
“I’m just…I dunno.” She sighed. “Seeing Mrs. Pemberley kind of made me feel bad. It hit me that I’m lying to everyone I know. Everyone I grew up with. Everyone that ever supported me or believed in me. And it sucks.”
Josh was quiet for a moment, and then he stopped walking, grabbing her arms. He made her face him, leveling her with his gaze.
“Hey. I hear you. I understand what you’re saying, I really do. But I promise you, this will all be worth it. It’s going to be really good for both of us. If you can just stick it out a little longer.”
Amelia frowned, shivering again. “Yeah, yeah. I know. God, I should have worn a thicker coat.”
Josh looked her up and down, which sent a jolt of heat through her. Not enough to combat the cold, though. “You want mine?”
“No, I’ll survive.” They started walking again. “Besides, we’re not on a real date. You don’t have to play the chivalrous part.”
“I don’t have to be dating someone to want to be nice to them,” Josh said, wrapping his arm around her. He rubbed his hand along the side of her arm. It helped a little. “Besides, you’re my right-hand woman. I need to take care of you.”
Amelia grunted, feeling a little snarky. “Not for much longer.”
Josh sighed. “Did you have to remind me about that?”
“You’ll be fine. You’ll find someone else just as capable within two weeks, and by summer, you won’t even remember my name.”
She’d meant it as a joke, but Josh’s face darkened, his grip around her tightening a little. “Come on. I’m not that much of an asshole. Besides, I’ll be visiting your new office to harass you once you’re not my assistant.”
Something in his tone sent her heart rate skyrocketing. The idea of him visiting her, maintaining their friendship…that meant a lot to her.
“Do you know how to find your way around the rest of the building? You barely leave your office.”
Josh laughed. “Only if you send me a map before your duties as my assistant end.”
She couldn’t squash the giggle that escaped her. “What if they transfer me to the Chicago office?”
“Guess I’ll have to save up my airline points.”
Her heart raced, and she fought the urge to tip her head back and get lost in his blue gaze. They were just joking around right now. Talking like friends. Because if anything, after two years of working together, they were friends.
But still, it was hard not to read into his comments. Hard not to let the dreaminess take flight and completely consume her.
Keep it professional.
She just needed to remember that.
Even if every inch of her body wanted to throw professionalism to the wind.
7
The two of them got up early the next day to get to work on the proposed hotel revisions. Stan had been very interested to see an overview of what, exactly, Josh planned to change if Denton Hotels became the new owner. Which meant they had a lot of work to do, and a lot of imagining beyond the tulip garden in the back.
Besides, getting up early wasn’t a problem when Amelia lay two feet away in a skimpy tank top and booty shorts, her chest rising and falling softly. Josh had spent the first hour he was awake trying to fall back asleep but just quietly watching her. Wondering what might happen if he were to press kisses along that sharp jawline until she woke up.
She was so hard to read when she used humor as a weapon. Half the time, he was positive that she’d react poorly if he tried anything with her. The other half the time, he was doubtful but still not convinced. That kiss at the tree lighting didn’t mean anything. She’d gotten drunk, and fast. People did silly things they didn’t mean when they were drunk, and that kiss was no exception.
And even though every inch of Josh wanted to push the envelope and see if she really did want more, he was hesitant to use this work trip as the test. He was paying her to be here—a lot of money. The work element changed things, and using their fake engagement as a launch pad for intimacy just seemed skeevy.
Which meant he was at a loss. Still.
Amelia had asked for a half hour to go wake up and start her day in the hotel gym. Josh was tempted to join her, but he knew that more skimpy clothing and increased heart rates would not bode well for beating back his attraction, which had only quadrupled in the past forty-eight hours. Instead, he ordered room service and took an extremely cold shower. He pulled on some sweat pants and towel dried his hair as he sat down in front of his computer to start checking email.
He wasn’t a minute into his work when his father called. At eight a.m. on the dot.
“Hey, Dad,” Josh said, leaning back into the overstuffed chair.
“Got a minute?” his dad barked in his football coach’s voice.
“Sure. I was just about to start on the proposed plans for the Cedar Grove property.”
“Ahh. Cedar Grove. I forgot that’s where you were right now. They still got that huge Santa statue?”
Josh laughed. “Oh, yeah. And it’s actually bigger than I remember. We saw the tree lighting two nights ago.”
“What a treasure,” his father murmured. “You know, your mother and I started going there years before you and your brother were born.”
“Really?” Josh ran his finger along the shimmery seam of the armrest. “I thought we always came because it was great for kids.”
“Yeah, it sure is a kid’s paradise, but your mother and I loved it even pre-kids.” His father laughed, but it sounded melancholy. Their mother’s death had left him different, sort of permanently sad in the background. Really, it had affected all of them that way. “Man, I sure hope you can seal that deal before the holidays, son.”
Josh perked up at the request. “Yeah?”
“I just had a property fall through in Colorado,” his dad went on.
“The ski
resort?”
“That’s the one. Such a shame, dammit.” His father sighed, and Josh could almost see him rubbing at his forehead just like he did whenever he was stressed. His father didn’t take failure or disappointment well. “So I need you to close this deal. We need to go into Christmas with a win.”
Josh swallowed hard, nodding even though his father couldn’t see him. “Yeah. Of course. We’re really close as it is. I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t, son. And hey, keep Christmas Eve open. I’ll make sure to find you.”
When Josh hung up the phone, his father’s request weighed heavily on him. This hotel already was a big deal for him, but now? Failure was not an option. He needed to make the deal.
The door to the suite opened a moment later, and Amelia bounded inside, glistening.
Her face fell when she saw him. “Oh.”
“Hey.” He offered a quick smile, then focused on his computer again. Anywhere other than Amelia. She wore teal workout shorts and a black sports bra, which showcased the fact that she had a very obvious tattoo of a white rose covering her right ribcage. Curiosity snaked through him, but he had to focus. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just…” She came into the living room where he was set up. She sniffed, propping her hands on her hips. “I thought that maybe there’d be breakfast.”
“It’s on the way.”
Silence settled between them, and his bare chest prickled under her gaze. He might have left his shirt off for a reason.
“Well,” she began, rocking back on her heels, “I’m going to go shower.”
“I just did.” He flashed a grin.
“Oh? Did you?” She clucked her tongue. “Okay. Very nice. Well, I’m going to…” She wandered into the bedroom, and the bathroom door shut a moment later. He could only grin. This felt like a small victory somehow. And very possibly the small amount of evidence he needed.
Josh managed to get lost in his work as he drew up a list of proposed additions to the hotel. He could feel a frenzy coming on—the same sort of blind determination that overtook him whenever something became imperative for the family business. By the time Amelia came back out, he had a two-page list of proposed changes ready for her review.
He glanced up at her, hearing the record screech in his head. Her damp hair was tousled and down, reaching her shoulders. She wore a heather gray spaghetti-strap tank top with yet another pair of booty shorts. Her nipples were two tight points beneath her shirt as she settled into the chair across from him. His mouth parted as he watched her.
“Okay, I’m ready. I was thinking we could call to have a printer brought up?” She glanced at him as she reached for her laptop. “Or no?”
He forced his mouth shut. “That’s a good idea.” His cock pulsed, reminding him that he couldn’t even look at her now. He’d be sleeping on the couch tonight, for sure. The last threads of his restraint were about to dissolve, and he didn’t know what might happen once he made the decision to just fucking go for it.
A hard knock sounded on the door, and he surged to his feet to answer it. “That’s probably breakfast.”
“Oh, goodie,” she said, voice huskier than normal. He’d always loved the smoker’s tinge to her voice, but today the sexy rasp was liable to send him over the edge. “I hope you got pancakes. With strawberries and cream.”
“You’ll just have to wait and find out,” he called out as he opened the door. He’d love to lay out strawberries and cream all over her sexy body, but that probably wasn’t appropriate right now. The bellhop had a full tray of food on his cart, and he wheeled it in, setting everything up on the long table facing their work area. Josh tipped him a twenty-dollar bill before he left, and then got to work unveiling the spread.
“Coffee, soy milk for your weird ass, pancakes, waffles, yogurt, granola, and a fruit bowl.” He popped a slice of cantaloupe into his mouth and chewed as he looked back at her. “Happy?”
He knew the answer without her needing to say a word. She shone, basically bouncing to her feet to load up a plate. Josh popped a grape into his mouth as he watched her pick out her breakfast.
“That all you’re gonna eat?” she asked as she forked a pancake onto her plate, followed by a waffle.
“Nah, I might have some yogurt.”
She huffed, tossing a grape at him. “Loser.”
“Damn. Is that a challenge?”
“No, but this is vacation breakfast,” she said, adding a pile of strawberries on top of her pancakes. “Which means, one of the few mornings of the year I don’t start with yogurt or granola.”
“Fair enough.” He forked a waffle onto a plate to appease her but still loaded up a bowl of yogurt. When they settled back into their chairs, Amelia eyed him cautiously.
“I don’t understand how you can eat without a shirt on.”
“Um, pretty much the same as eating with a shirt on.”
She tutted, cutting a fat bite out of her pancake.
“You can give it a try,” Josh urged. “See what it’s like.”
“Ha ha.” She forked the pancakes into her mouth. “Not happening. I wouldn’t enjoy my food if I was eating naked.”
“I didn’t say anything about naked,” Josh said, feeling even more of his professional façade crumbling away. “But if you want to take it there, I mean, I’m game.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, and he was thankful she couldn’t tell just how hard his heart pounded in his chest. That look she’d given him though—that was a sign he needed to stay in his lane.
“So, take a look at this,” Josh barreled on, turning his laptop toward her. “I’ve come up with a list of proposed renovations that we could include in the plan for the Cedar Grove once Denton Hotels acquires it.”
Amelia sat cross-legged on the chair, popping grapes in her mouth as she read. Her brows slowly knit together the more she read.
When she was done and handed the laptop back, all she said was, “This looks…interesting.”
“You don’t sound enthused.”
“It’s just a little out of left field,” she said. “The family fun center with a rock-climbing wall is probably the only thing on it that makes sense. But hosting presidential galas? A couples-focused hot springs addition with romantic massages? I mean, they’re cool ideas, but…”
“But what?” Josh asked, irritation sparking. He looked at the list again. “I need to close this deal, and fast. The bigger the better.”
Amelia sighed, shifting in her seat. “This is like when you showed up to my apartment in a limo.”
Realization began prickling through him. “Is it?”
“You’re losing sight of the goal,” she said calmly, in the way she was so good at. The way that made them a perfect pair, at least in business. And maybe in more, not like Josh would ever get there to know. “Focus on the parts that you loved about this place as a kid. Because that’s the spirit of Cedar Grove. These galas and extreme vacation experiences are nice, but it’s not right for here. You know what I’m saying?”
She had a point—a very good one. He could feel some of the tension from his conversation with his father unwinding, allowing clarity to return. The wheels began turning, and he revised his list with family in mind.
Hours slunk by so stealthily they barely noticed; the breakfast table was slowly picked clean. Josh and Amelia had thrown a couple more grapes at each other. When only a dribble of coffee remained in the pot, Josh checked his phone and realized their time to meet with Stan was fast approaching.
“We need to get ready.” He set his laptop aside, then stood up and stretched. Amelia’s gaze sizzled on him as he scratched at his chest before wandering back into the bedroom. Let her take him in—all of him. If the sight of his bare chest was the thing to make her crack, then he’d use it to his advantage. At this point, though, it seemed like nothing would make her crack.
“Okay. It’s go time.” Amelia hopped up and followed him into the bedroom. They were
quiet as they picked out clothes. Josh hazarded a glance behind him at Amelia’s side of the bedroom, finding her in just a bra and panties, facing the closet. His chest tightened, and he dropped the clothes he was holding. The past two nights, she’d changed in the bathroom. Now, she was bold enough to change in front of him. His fingers twitched, and he forced himself to finish picking his clothes.
He shoved his sweat pants down out of sheer defiance. If she could do it, then so could he. Heart thudding, he wandered past her in just his boxer briefs on his way to the bathroom. He glanced over at her as he passed, adjusting his junk.
“Sorry,” he said with a grin and then stepped into the bathroom.
The look of shock on her face seared itself into his brain. He waited for her to follow him inside, but she didn’t come. Josh gripped the edge of the marble countertop and stared at his reflection in the mirror. Not like they had time for a premeeting quickie anyway. His cock twitched in his pants from the thought alone.
There would always be time for a premeeting quickie with Amelia…if only she wanted it.
Josh heaved a sigh, splashing cold water on his face to clear his head. Time to focus. No more teasing and coquetries. He pulled on his clothes in the bathroom, dark gray slacks and a white button-up. Casual and comfortable. When he breezed out, Amelia had slid into a long-sleeved floral print wraparound dress. She was just slipping her feet into pumps.
“Oh, good, we match,” she said then went into the bathroom. He finished getting ready, snapping on his silver watch and black alligator shoes. As he worked with his hair in the mirror, Amelia breezed out.
When she glanced his way, her dark lashes and ruby red lips stole the air from his lungs. Yes, she was ready. But she’d been ready before, too. He loved the new sides of her he was getting to know from sharing a space with her. The makeup-free Amelia was just as beautiful as the carefully curated version she presented every day at work.
In fact, if he was being honest, he was desperate to have more mornings like the one they’d shared today—relaxed, in pajamas, tossing grapes at each other.
Christmas with the Denton Billionaires: The Complete Series Page 4