Page 38 of Christmas with Her Millionaire Boss

“Thank you,” she replied, the words bubbling out of her. “For today.”

“You haven’t seen anything worth thanking me for yet.”

Was he kidding? They were passing the biggest Christmas billboard she’d ever seen that very minute. “I don’t have to see anything,” she told him. “Being here is already amazing.”

His eyes really did turn into sparkling hazel diamonds when he smiled. “You ain’t seen nothing yet. You, Noelle Fryberg, are going to get the full New York Christmas experience.”

“I can’t wait.”

It wasn’t until she felt his squeeze that she realized they were still holding hands. Their fingers were entwined like puzzle pieces. Yet again they fit together with unnerving perfection.

* * *

James instructed the driver to pull over at the corner of Fifth and West Thirty-Third. Looking at the block of office buildings, Noelle frowned. “I might be a New York City virgin, but even I know this isn’t Radio City Music Hall.”

“There’s no moss growing on you, is there?” James replied. Opening the door, he stepped outside and offered her a hand. “Since we have time before the show, I figured you’d enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the city. Watch your step.”

A blast of cold east coast air struck Noelle as she stepped onto the sidewalk. If not for James’s warm hand holding hers, she might have shivered. His grip, however, left her impervious to the wind. “Bird’s-eye view?” she said. “I don’t under... Ohhhh!” Spying the crowd ahead, it clicked where they were. The Empire State Building.

“Precisely. Best view in the city, if you don’t mind getting cold.”

What a silly comment. “I’m from the Midwest, remember?” she replied. “We invented cold. Or have you already forgotten what it was like walking around yesterday?”

Despite James’s warnings of cold, the outside observation deck was lined with tourists. The two of them had to wait before finding a space near the rail. When they finally made their way to a viewing spot, Noelle leaned as close to the barricade as possible. Below, the city spread for miles. She squinted past the rooftops and spotted Lady Liberty. From up there, the majestic statue looked no bigger than an action figure. “It’s like standing at the top of the world,” she said, only to cringe a little afterward. “Not that I’m being clichéd or anything.”

“Hey, phrases become cliché for a reason.” A pair of arms came around to grip the rail on either side of her, blocking the wind and securing her in a cashmere cocoon.

Noelle’s fingers tightened their grip. She could feel the buttons on his coat pressing through hers, letting her know how close he was. So close that she need only relax her spine to find herself propped against his body. Did she dare? If she did, would he wrap his arms tighter? Her stomach quivered at the thought.

“I wonder if you can see the Christmas tree from the other side,” she said.

“The one at Rockefeller Center? I haven’t a clue.”

Turned out she didn’t need to slouch, because James stepped in closer. “Want to know a secret?” he whispered in her ear. His breath was extra warm against her cold skin. “I’ve been to Manhattan dozens of times over the years and this is my first visit to the top of the Empire State Building.”

“Really?” The sheepish nod she caught over her shoulder made her smile. “You’re a virgin too?”

Several heads turned in their direction, earning her a playful shoulder nudge. “Say it a little louder,” James replied. “There are a couple of people below that didn’t hear you.”

“Okay. James Hammond is a—”

The rest of her sentence died in a giggle as he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him. Her head leaned back against his collarbone. “I’m glad we could experience this together,” she told him.

For a second there was silence, then his voice was back at her ear. “Me too,” he murmured. Noelle swore he brushed the shell of her ear with his lips.

Like a kiss.

They took their time on the deck, making sure they saw all four views. Each was spectacular in its own right, and Noelle decided that if her tour ended then and there, it would still be an unforgettable day. “You really need to stop thanking me,” James said as they left the observation deck. “I’m feeling self-conscious.”

“Then you shouldn’t have sprung for such a marvelous day,” she told him. “Isn’t the whole point of a day like today to make a woman feel grateful?”

She meant it as a tease, but he took her seriously, looking down at her with eyes filled with sincerity. “Not this time,” he said. “Not you.”

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