Page 38 of Single Dad Christmas

Was this actually about work? Or was he going to pick up where they left off that morning? And which of those did she want it to be?

She didn’t know, she realized, as the lift cruised downwards, and her heart kept racing and throbbing in her chest. So, shedecided to go, to see what he had to say. She could always leave again right away. It didn’t hurt—much—just to listen.

She’d seena hundred photos of the hotel, but walking into it was like something else. The opulence was so phenomenal and yet comfortable at the same time. Her heels clicked as she crossed the polished marble floor, looking around for Noah. A man in a formal suit approached her. While it was a warm evening outside, in the Fox hotel, the temperature was perfectly comfortable—perhaps even a little cool.

“Miss Petrakis?”

She stopped walking, eyes narrowing as she regarded the concierge.

“Yes?”

“Mr Fox is waiting for you.”

Of course he was. She compressed her lips. “Where?”

“This way, please.”

She followed the man across the foyer, towards the bank of elevators. With a press of a button, the doors opened. The man swiped a card, then smiled at her as he stepped out of the elevator. A moment later, it was whooshing upwards. Louisa pressed her back against the glass, trying to steady her nerves, to calm herself, to brace for whatever was coming. But that was hard to do when you had no idea if this was going to be business or pleasure.

From the outset, they’d promised that the personal side of things wouldn’t get in the way of the professional, and she knew she had to hold to that pledge. But in that moment, her personal feelings were making it hard to focus purely on the business.

She was torn between what she wanted, and what she needed. What she wanted? Noah. What she needed? To be smart, and to protect herself.

The doors pinged open and when she stepped out, Noah was, as the concierge had said, waiting. Wearing jeans and a T-shirt, with his hair swept back from his brow, and his feet bare, in what was clearly a penthouse.

Filled with roses.

Her pulse gushed in her ears.

“Hi,” he said, his smile a little uncertain. “Thanks for coming.”

She nodded once. “Rose said you wanted to show me the facilities. For advertising purposes?”

“Well, there’s that too,” he admitted. “But really, I wanted to talk to you.”

Her eyes swept shut. She was happier than she should have been about that. But her self-defenses came to the fore. “I think we said it all this morning?—,”

“No, you spoke, and I listened, and I’ve thought about what you said all day, and I have some things I’d like to say back.”

She stared at him, eyes wide.

That was fair enough, wasn’t it?

“You were right. I wasn’t prepared for last night, and I didn’t know how to handle it.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Yes, I did. I shouldn’t have woken you. You’re someone in my life, and I like having you in my life. And instead of accepting that Taylor would need to learn about you, and get over her first reaction, I pandered to it and tried to hide you. Like I was ashamed of you, or something. Which, for the record, could not be further from the truth.” He took a step towards her, then stopped, pushing his fingers through his hair so the once neat style was now messy in a way that, of course, made him look even better.

“I have spent so long looking at everything through the lens of being Taylor’s dad that I totally failed you. I forgot that I’malso,” he paused, staring at her, shaking his head a little then smiling. “I’m yours, too.”

“Mine,” she whispered, twisting her hands in front of her, emotions swelling.

“Yes. All yours.” He shrugged. “I know this is fast, but I love spending time with you, and I don’t want us to walk away from this. Not because of Taylor. If you’re over me, if you’re still in love with Ares, or you want to go home, or whatever, then those are all perfectly valid reasons to end this. But if you care about me like I care about you, then please—be patient with me while I work this out. I’m going to make mistakes, but never doubt how much I want you, Louisa.”

Her eyes swept shut because it was just too, too much. It was everything she wanted to hear. Somehow, he’d known exactly the right tone to strike. A balance between honesty and promises.

“How does this work?” she asked, quietly.

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