Page 47 of Stranded for Christmas with my Boss

Heat thrums through me as our eyes meet. The mere thought of beinghisand him beingminemakes my stomach flip. It’s impossible, right?

He would never go for it because a relationship between us could unravel our careers and our reputations. This company means more to him than I do, and I don’t want to get fired from a job that I love.

My mind keeps conjuring fantasies—holding hands, Christmas mornings together—but it’s all so uncertain.

What would it be like to enjoy a cup of coffee or hot chocolate with him on a chilly Christmas morning? To enjoy a warm, bright Christmas dinner with him? I already know my parents would love him.

But that’s getting way too far ahead of myself, right? I can’t expect to see him at Christmas. He has plans with Holly andOliver, and I have plans with my family. Plus, I don’t even know what we are.

It’s too complicated. Too uncertain.

It’s a nice fantasy, though, and if he wanted to see me on Christmas, I wouldn’t hesitate to invite him over for an amazing dinner with the people I care about the most. He has already become one of them.

“What’s on your mind?” Jensen asks.

“Just thinking about Christmas plans.” It’s not a lie.

Jensen’s face softens a little. “I hope you have a great Christmas.”

His words coil around my heart and squeeze tightly, nearly leaving me breathless. There are so many words that I’m too afraid to speak perched on my tongue.

I care about you. I want to be with you. I’m scared of how strong my feelings are for you and the consequences that’ll come from them.

Will I ever get the courage to say them?

“I hope you have a great Christmas too.”

I’m too nervous to tell him about all the other things that I hope for deep down in my heart, but anything can happen in the days leading up to the holidays. I just have to wait and see if I’m lucky enough to experience a Christmas miracle.

Chapter twenty-two

Jensen

Alyssa and I made one crucial error before leaving for the Catskills.

We forgot to check the weather.

“It just keeps coming down!” Alyssa sighs as she leans forward in the passenger seat, staring through the windshield at the snowfall that keeps tumbling from the sky. It covers the roads, making our two-hour drive now closer to three hours as the traffic slows considerably.

“Where did this storm even come from? I didn’t hear anything about it,” I ask her as I edge down the road that leads to the Catskills, the mountain’s snowy peaks looming ahead. If it wasn’t snowing so damn much, I could admire the view better.

A cloudy, white haze surrounds us, and despite the heat being on in my car, it’s impossible not to feel the harsh chill outside somewhat. It slightly fogs up the glass of the windows, obscuring what should be a scenic, peaceful drive.

We have only just begun this mini trip, and it’s not off to a great start.

“You know how these storms are,” Alyssa replies as she checks her phone. “They can catch us off guard, and this one has caught everyone off guard. It could last through the holidays!”

Stress heats up beneath my skin, nearly making it too hot for me to wear my trench coat. I roll my neck a few times, pulling at the collar of my white button-down. This is exactly what we don’t need right now.

“It’s getting worse, Jensen,” Alyssa warns me before turning her phone screen toward me. The local weather radar plays in a loop, showing me an onslaught of snow that’s on the way. It’s a blizzard in the making.

As if that’s surprising. The wind has already started picking up, blowing the snow at an angle and making the trees on either side of the road sway. We’re about thirty minutes away from the resort we’re meeting Mila at, so if we can just make it there, we can wait out the worst part.

It’s getting more and more treacherous being out on the road, even with my new set of snow tires.

Alyssa’s phone suddenly dings, making her sit up even straighter. “Mila messaged me.”

“Read it aloud.”

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