Page 49 of Her Holiday Heartthrobs

Finally, her hands find my chest. “We’re going to be late for work and I have things to catch up on today.”

“I’ll take that as you conceding my point.” I unravel her from my arms and let her take the lead, picking elegant decorations that match the office’s current style—one she called old-fashioned chic in her original report. What she wanted to makeover in her appeal to a younger consumer base.

It might be a sore spot left over from my childhood with every inch of my house designed to impress those old, stuffy businessmen and politicians. Nostalgia is a double-edged sword.

She scoffs at half of my suggestions, but the collection comes together with the show-stopper piece she stops in front of. It’s red, like the accents in my buildings, and built from a variety of red ornaments. They’re round and traditional, but the way they fit together makes it seem fresh.

My hand slides up her back as we both stare at it. “I like it.”

And Paige turns her grin to me, delight and confidence in her eyes.

It breaks my flimsy restraint, and I drop my mouth over hers, cupping the back of her neck, pressing our bodies together. That soft sound in the back of her throat hooks me hard.

PAIGE

Eli’s mouth coaxes mine open to let him in, and I nearly crumple under hisyearning. It’s the only way to describe the way he kisses me breathless.

His big fingers curl in the back of my head, and he struggles not to undo my bun. When our lips break apart, we’re both panting hard, and he doesn’t let go an inch of me for a long minute. Those brown eyes are so warm they heat me up.

I drag my nails through the beginnings of a beard across his chin and jaw. Trimmed to accentuate his excellent bone structure. As a leading man, he’d be described as ruggedly handsome. The strong outdoorsy type in a suit. A man who is easy to laugh and charm as much as he is to be serious and persuasive. I’ve seen so many sides of him recently.

The serious side shifts as he cups my cheek, his easy smile surfacing as he bumps his nose against mine. Then, he’s turning, waving an employee closer. They blend in so well, I didn’t even see him.

“We’ll be taking that, the curtain of string lights with its setup over in the corner there,” he points at a beautiful scene where people have periodically been taking pictures. White lights, awhite seat, and a lot of reflective surfaces. A good choice. He’s been listening to my suggestions and concepts. “Something that links the rest of the room together with it, yes?”

I bite back my smile because he isn’t asking me. The man nods, tapping away at his tablet as Eli lists a few of the other smaller things I noted on the way in. And as we walk back to the front door, he asks for the fourteen-foot white and gold tree.

“One more thing. The inflatable reindeer up front. I want that one too.”

Blinded by that choice, I stumble back to the car with Eli and don’t fuss when he reels me in against his side in the backseat. Giving in, I lean against him, tucked into his chest with his mouth pressed to my hair.

It’s a nice, quiet moment of comfort and intimacy that I’m not used to. I expected Eli to be all hands and dueling tongues the moment we were alone, but he’s soft and cuddly. I absolutely love it.

But once we pull into the parking garage, my anxiety strikes. I fidget with the seam of my pants, the cuffs of my jacket, the button of my coat.

“You’re not in trouble for being late.”

I suppose it’s not hard to figure out the biggest issue making me stress, but I wish that is all that gives me pause.

“And I won’t paw at you on the way in. I do know how to behave like a gentleman—and like a respectable boss, even if I don’t want to.”

Again, he makes me smile. As if he can see it, he kisses the top of my head and climbs out of the car, helping me get to my feet. Once we’re in the elevator, he slowly pulls away. Stops touching me. The way he looks at me from across the elevator has my pulse racing.

God, why does he have to be one of the sexiest men alive?

I’m too wrapped up in this thought when the elevator dings and the door start to open. Dragging my hands down my shirt, I pull my shoulder blades back and strap on the confidence. Some days, it comes easy, and others…Well, the trick is to fake it ‘til you make it.

Right now, it’s a cocktail of the two.

I step out first, but Eli is like a languid apex predator behind me, escorting me through the office without needing to touch me. I feel him there for every step. Everyone’s gaze flickers up to us, dropping back down almost immediately.

Except for Sabrina’s. She watches every step we make toward Henry’s office, her expression icier than I’m used to.

Have rumors already started circulating? Certainly, she wouldn’t be the only one staring at us if that were true.

She might just be suspicious? Jealous? I should buy her lunch and invite her to sit with me again.

Eli ushers me past Henry’s door, closing it behind us with a tightsnip.

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