Page 48 of Christmas with the Denton Billionaires

The four ladies shook their heads.

“It’s been too busy to see much of anything, with this storm coming in,” Lisa, the team lead, commented.

“Rebookings galore,” another sighed.

Mitch’s stomach jolted as he glanced back at Jules and the baby. They needed help. Gesturing to one of the phones, Lisa lifted it up and turned it toward him. Grabbing the receiver, he tapped 9 for an outside line, and then entered 911. There was a pause filled with dead air before he got a fast busy.

“Dammit!” He hung up knowing he wasn’t going to get through even on a landline and pushed the phone back toward Lisa. “Check to see if Patrick is still here, and then please reach someone in security for me. We have an issue that needs addressing urgently.” He hesitated over whether to raise the alarm that would surely accompanyabandoned baby.Best to wait until all their bases were covered. “Send them my way ASAP. And I meannow.”

Lisa nodded and picked up the phone as another group of guests approached the front desk. Mitch hurried back to Jules and the baby who had just started fussing.

“Can you hold her for a second?” Jules nibbled on her lip and held the baby out. Mitch bent awkwardly to receive the precious package, her little head feeling surprisingly limp against his arm. “Support her head. Yeah, like that. There you go. I’m going to run to the restroom and be right back.”

“Now? Can it wait? I’ve never done this.”

“Well you could have fooled me. You look like you know what you’re doing.”

"Well I don’t. Maybe you should take her with you.”

Jules squeezed his arm, chuckling quietly. “I won’t be long. Promise,” she told him before taking off, and once she had disappeared around the corner of the lobby, Mitch looked around, the weight of this situation finally hitting him.

Here he was—an expert bachelor, heir to the Denton hotel empire—holding this baby whose only caretaker in life right now was…him.

And Jules.He hurried to remind himself that it wasn’t only him calling the shots. Jules was in this with him even though they’d just met. And it wasn’t as if they had parental rights. Soon enough, the baby would be turned over to the police or child services, and once the police were finished making a mess of his lobby and interrogating everyone who was here, this little girl would be out of their lives without a second glance.

Except for some reason, it felt like this wastheirsituation to handle. His and Jules. Stumbling upon an abandoned baby forged a sort of unifying bond. They might be strangers, but they were strangers with a baby who needed their help.

As if on cue, the baby started fussing and wriggling inside the pink blanket she was swaddled in. She didn’t look like a newborn to him—not that he had a ton of experience identifying a child’s age, or anything to do with babies. He rocked her, shushing her gently. Jules had said “her,” when she’d read the note, but he knew she hadn’t fully unwrapped the blanket to be sure while he was at the check-in desk. Still, the pronoun felt right—he would have bet this hotel their foundling was a girl. Her little cheeks went pink as a scream ripped out of her. Mitch gasped, then started pacing the far wall of windows overlooking the street. Panic streaked through him—what was he supposed to do with a crying baby?

He could negotiate the living hell out of a business deal and spend twelve hours in a cramped space flying halfway around the world. He could even gamble millions of dollars in a risky new venture without batting an eye.

But this baby? This wriggling little bundle was the type of challenge he had no experience with. No preparationat all.

Jules raced up to him a moment later, stroking the girl’s cheek. “What happened?”

“Nothing. She just started crying.” The baby hiccupped and then continued crying. “Doesn’t rocking help? I thought I’d rock her.”

“Maybe lift her up and pat her back,” Jules suggested. “She might have gas or something.”

Mitch lifted her carefully, trying to support her head. She dipped a little to the left, and he went rigid, propping her against his shoulder.

“Just tap her back,” Jules guided him.

Mitch patted the baby’s back like she said, and her cries turned into gurgling, which then turned into a very wet eruption.

All over his shoulder.

Jules laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. “Aww, her tummy was upset.”

Mitch stopped breathing for a moment as he craned to look at the damage. “Did she—” He paused, horrified by the milky white splash ofvomiton his shoulder. A little bit even dripped down the front of his suit jacket. “Did shepukeon me?”

Jules rolled her lips inward, but she shook with silent laughter. “Poor thing. We should go get her cleaned up.”

“Andme,” he reminded her. Jules reached for the baby, and Mitch carefully handed her over. “Let’s go to my office. Come on.”

He glanced around the lobby as he led her down the side hall. Their quick steps tapped on the shiny tile floor.

“Don’t worry,” Jules said. “I don’t think anyone saw her spit up all over your nice suit.”

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