Page 33 of Christmas with the Denton Billionaires

Josh surged to his feet to offer his hand. Relief and excitement vibrated through him, and he wanted to kiss the man’s feet. Stan stood as well to shake his hand, and Josh thanked him no less than five times as he wrapped up the meeting. Amelia looked just as surprised and happy as he felt, and once they were back in the lobby, he turned to her with wide eyes.

“I can’t believe that happened.”

She grinned at him. “I’m glad it did. Look at you, Mr. Cedar Grove Hotel Owner!”

He pulled her into a hug, and this time she didn’t resist. All the frostiness between them over the past few days had thankfully melted. For now. But he needed to make sure it stayed that way.

“Let’s go celebrate,” Josh blurted. Her smile fell slightly.

“Where?”

“The bar. Right now. They have an eighteen-year-old Macallan on the menu. It’s my tradition.” He grabbed her hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. “And besides, the vacation has officially begun.”

This win was his in to Amelia again. And he wasn’t going to let it slip by.

18

AMELIA

Two glasses into their celebrations, and Amelia’s body was buzzing with more than alcohol.

It was only noon, and she’d hit her limit for so early in the day. But even the minimal amount of alcohol had eroded the happiness of Stan’s decision, leading her right back into the cyclone of doubts that had been plaguing her over the past few days.

She admired Josh’s confession. She really did. But she was hesitant to accept it at face value.

Because what if this was another power play?What if this was Josh’s attempt to make sure he didn’t lose her to the competition?

Josh sighed, slapping his palms against the wooden bar top. “God, it feels good to be alive.”

She smirked. “Says the most victorious man in the world.”

“Yeah, but I don’t quite have it all.” Josh pushed his empty glass away. “Can we talk about us now?”

Her stomach shrank. She was hesitant to go there, but she didn’t know why. Having these doubts about Josh felt like a betrayal to the man she’d secretly been in love with for the past two years. Like the real Josh wasn’t as perfect as the version she’d created in her head. She didn’t fully believe he was manipulating their time together. But she couldn’t be certain.

“Go for it,” she said, also pushing her glass away. At least the Scotch would lubricate things slightly. It had taken the edge off her hesitation. It was just them in the bar and the bartender at the far end washing glasses. This was as good a time as any to dive into this sticky situation.

He turned to her on the bar stool, opening up his legs. He jerked her stool toward him, the legs scraping against the floor. She laughed a little, and his hands encircled her waist.

“This,” he said in a low voice, his eyes hooded. “I want this. With you.”

“You want me half-drunk in a bar three days before Christmas?” she teased, only because she didn’t know how else to move forward.

His jaw flexed. “Don’t play coy. We’ve got chemistry, MacTaggart, and I know you feel it too. I fucked up, but I want to make things right. Amelia, I want to be with you.”

His words were a balm to the slashes he’d caused inside her. And God, she wanted to fall headfirst into his words. Into his promises. Into this dreamy future that could be theirs if only she could shake her doubts.

“I…could want that too,” she said carefully, trying to walk that fine line between shitting all over his idea and being honest with herself. “I don’t want to play games anymore. I’ve learned a lot about you during this trip, Josh.” She laughed. “More than I expected, I’ll be honest.”

Josh’s gaze swept over her body, his hands coming to rest on her hips. And with his heat pouring into her, the reassuring firmness of his touch, the scent of him that filled her and sent her into a spiral…it was hard to want to pull away.

But these doubts were real. And she needed to be certain that she was making the right choice with Josh. That she wasn’t being used as a pawn in his game.

“I’m not playing games,” he insisted quietly.

“Honestly?” She licked her lips. Willing herself to say the words. “I need some time.”

He deflated a little. “How much?”

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