Page 16 of His Christmas Gift

“I’m surprised you don’t already have one,” I replied.

“I thought you’d have a sugar baby on your arm,” Autumn quipped right back, never losing her spite.

I smirked and shook my head.

“I don’t do relationships. Any kind of relationship,” I said.

Autumn nodded slightly.

“Me either,” she replied.

At least we were on the same page, but I couldn’t help but wonder why she didn’t want to be in a relationship with anyone. I was sure there were plenty of guys wanting to be with her. However, I couldn’t help the feeling of satisfaction that I felt at the fact that she was with none of them.

The plane headed to the runway, and I rested my arm on the armrest between me and her. I flew all the time, so it was a piece of cake for me. On the other hand, Autumn was a bit tense as she sat stiffly in her seat. I had a feeling that she didn’t fly that much.

When the plane started to pick up speed to take off, Autumn went to clamp her hand down on the armrest, but she grabbed my wrist instead. Instead of flinching away, she gripped me tighter as the plane lifted off the runway and pressed up back into our seats.

I didn’t pull away from her. I let her hold me until the plane leveled out. I glanced over at her with a small smile, watching her let out a relieved breath.

“Nervous flyer?” I asked her.

Autumn looked down at her hand on my wrist and quickly pulled away.

“Yeah, sorry,” she said.

I flashed a broader smile at her.

“No worries. You can hold my hand next time,” I lightly teased her, enjoying the sight of her face blushing. She acted all tough, but she couldn’t control her body’s reactions.

“Whatever,” she muttered before turning to gaze out of the window.

I grinned to myself, looking forward to the trip ahead. Things might get tricky at some point, but I thought we could be a good team if we really tried. She wanted to prove her parents wrong, and I couldn’t think of a stronger motivator for her. It even made her team up with me. Hopefully, things went somewhat according to plan, but I was ready for a few surprises along the way.

* * *

When we finally arrived in St. Francisville by rental car, I took us to the hotel that Autumn’s parents set us up in. Of course, it was the nicest one in town. It was only ten stories high, but it was big and fancy for a small town’s standards. It would do for the week or so that we had to be here.

Autumn paused outside of the hotel as I grabbed our suitcases from the trunk of the car. She peered around, breathing in deeply.

“I always get nervous coming back home,” she admitted.

I frowned slightly and moved to her side.

“Because you’re judged every time you set foot in this place,” I told her. She didn’t deserve to be judged because she was single or because she helped manage a gym. It was great being single and enjoying a little freedom, and it was also great that she had such a high position in a gym in the city. They should’ve been proud of her, but I knew how people like her parents worked. I interacted with them all the time, and nothing was ever good enough for them.

I supposed I could be like that a little when it came to business. I constantly wanted more and more, but it was mostly because that seemed like the direction to go. Everyone pushed me to do more and more, to reach farther and farther. It made sense to me, and it was nice to watch my business grow. I just hoped that I wouldn't become as pretentious as her parents. I wouldn’t ever want my kid to feel how Autumn felt.

“I just want to get this week over with,” Autumn said before walking into the lobby of the hotel.

I knew that she wasn’t looking forward to this week and the days that followed as much as I was, but I thought I could get her to have some fun while she was here. No one deserved to be miserable on the holidays. She might not like my company all that much, but I was determined to take her mind off her parents as much as possible. We might as well make the most of this trip together.

“Alright, we’re checked in. Top floor,” Autumn told me before leading me to the elevator. She stepped inside and hit the button for our floor.

I stood beside her, my hand brushing hers. Our eyes locked for a moment, and the idea of pulling her closer flashed in my head. Maybe it was because she was so fiery and confident out in the city, but she was so timid here in her own hometown. It was easy to tell that she was uneasy about being here. Part of me wanted to comfort her, but I knew that putting on a good performance and tricking her parents would help her more than a hug.

“Your parents will never find out the truth,” I assured her. I didn’t care if I had to play up some big performance in front of my own friends back in New York City. I would figure it out and then do a reasonable breakup so that she was free from me.

“I hope so,” Autumn said, giving me a hint of a smile before stepping out of the elevator. She walked to our room down the hall and opened the door with her keycard. When she pushed the door open, we both immediately saw a king bed instead of two queen beds. “Of course, there’s only one bed.”

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