Page 4 of A Billionaire's Holiday Love

“Thank you,” I smiled.

The guy thanked her too.

“You’re both welcome.” She darted in the other direction.

“We ordered the same meal. Great taste in food,” he smirked.

“Yeah. Wait, what were you saying?”

“Where are my manners?”

“Didn’t think you had many.”

He shook his head and stretched his hand toward me. “My name is Noah Canyon and you are?”

My palm grazed his rough, calloused hand.

Hard worker.

Tingles shot up my spine. God, he was beautiful. “Hope Manning.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” I removed my hand from his.

“Earlier, I said, I thought you were your own boss. Why do you work so much?”

My fork slid through the buttery mashed potatoes.

“Claire the fashionista needed to rent warehouse space for her designs in New York. The cost is triple what it would be in South Carolina. So I’m helping her out.”

His lips tipped up at one end. “I just noticed the southern accent.”

“It’s grown faint over the years. The more I travel abroad, I feel like I lose a piece of me.”

“You shouldn’t feel that way. The people you come in contact with should gain a special piece of your inner self.”

His words were sweet. Weird listening to him show signs of having a warm heart.

I nodded. “That’s different. I didn’t expect that statement from Mr. Scrooge.”

“Hey, I have my reasons for hating Christmas. How do you like this overdone Christmas town, anyway?”

He bit into the pot roast.

“It’s absolutely adorable.” I patted the black messenger bag hanging off my chair. “The pictures I plan to take for my article will make this Christmas town a bigger sensation.”

He shook his head as he brought the glass to his lips. “Hardly a sensation.”

“Ok, Mr. Scrooge, figures you’re a workaholic. I’ll let you get back to it.” I sipped my hot chocolate.

“My brothers said that recently. Hence why I’m here in this godforsaken town.”

There were more hotties at home who looked like him. Damn.

“I’m not a workaholic. I just need to check sales daily.”

“And if they aren’t to your standard?” I scooped another forkful of mashed potatoes into my mouth.

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