Page 12 of Christmas with the Denton Billionaires

“I looove spring weddings,” Rebecca cooed while she rubbed her belly.

“You’re a lucky father-in-law,” Stan said, clapping his hand against Amelia’s father’s shoulder. “To have the son of the Denton empire courting your daughter? It’s truly an honor that Denton Hotels is even interested in Cedar Grove.” His wife murmured her agreement, while Amelia’s dad beamed.

“We feel just as lucky but mostly, we’re pleased for our daughter,” he said.

Inside, Josh pumped his fist. They’d been here less than a full day and already everything looked very promising. But he had enough business experience not to get his hopes up yet. Not until he had the signed contract in hand.

“I’d just like to say,” Amelia piped up, “that I feel the luckiest of all.”

Amelia’s drunken honesty raised alarms for him. How drunk was she…and what might she reveal without thinking? Even an off-the-cuff drunk remark could raise suspicions. He squeezed his arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

“Wrong,” Josh countered. “I’m the luckiest.”

“I’d say we’re all pretty dang lucky,” Amelia’s mom spoke up.

Amelia looked up at him, questions swirling in her eyes, a type of raw honesty he’d never seen there before. But they didn’t have a chance to delve further, because the lights on the patio dimmed and Christmas music filled the air.

Per tradition, the instrumental version of Silent Night played while a procession of schoolchildren holding candles filled the brick paths. Their voices soon joined the musical accompaniment. When Josh looked down at Amelia, he swore tears were shining in her eyes.

Once the song ended, the crowd erupted with applause. Some schoolkids smiled back, while others fidgeted in their spots. An announcer took the mic and greeted the crowd.

“Josh, let’s move closer.” Amelia took his hand, lacing her fingers through his, and urged him forward. They crept along a line of hedges, inching closer to the spectacle. She tipped her head back and sighed. “Right here is good.”

He grinned, distracted by the wisps of blonde hair that had escaped her knit hat. She looked every inch a winter beauty, with her wool coat and plaid scarf and ruddy cheeks. When she glanced up at him, nervousness flashed across her face.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Can’t I admire my fiancée?” he asked.

The corners of her mouth turned upward. “Only if you kiss her, too.”

Her comment stunned as much as it thrilled. He ran his fingers along the line of her cap, brushing over those fly-away hairs.

“I mean, we need to convince people,” she said in a softer voice, and then pushed up onto her tiptoes to kiss him.

He wasn’t one to argue. The brush of her lips against his was soft, barely there. But the electricity it provoked was very real, andvery there.He cupped the sides of her face, diving headfirst into this unexpected turn of events.Convince people.Sure. They were tucked away near the line of hedges. Her family stood half a football field away.

This kiss wasn’t for their sake.

It was forthemselves. And he loved it.

Amelia drew a ragged breath, deepening the kiss, clutching at the front of his coat. When her mouth parted, his tongue surged forward to find hers. His cock pricked to attention. Damn, he hadn’t counted on this—kisses so good he’d be left fantasizing about them for the next six months.

She released a small whimper and collapsed against him. Josh steadied her, drawing deep breaths that left clouds and question marks in the air between them.

Suddenly, lights blared behind them. Josh twisted to see: the tree had been lit. White and gold lights twinkled, completely filling the tree with light. They’d been so engrossed in making out that they’d missed the announcement.

“Wowww,” Amelia said, resting her head against his chest. “That’s even better than fireworks.”

Josh wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the view with her heat pressed against him. They stayed like that for a long time. So long, in fact, that Josh forgot that nobody was watching them. They didn’t need to be acting the part right now.

But it felt too good to abandon. Somehow, getting lost in this fantasy with Amelia felt better and more right than anything he’d done in a very long time. Maybe that’s what two years of suppressed attraction had done to him. Turned him into a desperate man, willing to accept forced displays of affection as authentic.

Josh was partially to blame for this. He’d dated on and off over the years, many of them not particularly serious given the hours he tended to work. His last girlfriend, Hannah, had business aspirations of her own, which made them a good fit as they both understood that work often came first. He’d been considering taking things to the next level with her, but then Amelia had accepted the position as his assistant.

His relationship with Hannah ended pretty soon after, but he couldn’t remember for the life of him what had been the cause.

He just knew that Hannah had nothing on Amelia, but he’d never been able to admit it to her.

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