Page 57 of Christmas with the Denton Billionaires

Jules guided the driver through the streets of Manhattan toward her apartment. As they drove, she prepped herself for becoming a temporary single mom of an infant. Definitely not what she envisioned she’d be doing, and she really had no idea how long baby Noelle would be with her. Presumably a couple of days, at least. Long enough for her to become increasingly attached to her. That much she knew. Then she could go back to her regularly scheduled program. Single working woman with a small group of friends and the occasional night out for martinis and one much-needed vacation per year.

Great.

“It’s right here.” Jules pointed once he pulled onto her street and helped him find a place to double-park outside her walk-up. When the car stopped moving for more than a few seconds, Noelle started fussing.

“We’d better hurry,” Jules said, hurrying out of the car.

“She sure likes riding in the car.” Mitch frowned, shoving his hands in his pockets as he came around to the side of the car as she unstrapped Noelle. “We can keep driving around if it’ll help.”

“No. I’ve got it. She’ll calm down once we’re inside.”

“You two go on upstairs,” Mitch said, shooing her toward the front door. “I’ll bring up the stuff.”

“Okay. I’m on the second floor, first door on the left,” Jules said, and then hurried inside. Once she was in the calm hallway of her building, the familiar scents of caramelized onion and cleaning agent drifting through the hall, she counseled herself to be relieved.

This was home. Here she was.

And wasn’t she happy?

She looked down at Noelle, who looked up at her with clear and vibrant eyes. Big baby blues that zapped her to attention.

Like finally, Noelle was reallyseeingher.

Having the baby in her arms forced Jules to acknowledge that coming back to this place wasn’t returning to a safe haven. It wasn’t the home sweet home she wanted it to be.

But it was all she had.

And it would have to do.

9

MITCH

Mitch dragged his feet as he unloaded the car. His stomach had formed a tight knot, and he couldn’t say exactly why, only that leaving Jules here with the baby seemed like a very bad idea.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her or that he didn’t believe this was a safe place. No, she lived in a fine neighborhood. Jules was definitely the more capable one of the two of them, when it came to taking care of a baby, there was no denying that.

Still, it seemed wrong for her to do all the work while he got to go back to his life. Part of him wanted to be able to spend time with Noelle until she was officially out of their care. They’d discovered her together—they should care for her together.

It was some obscure ethical violation to shove all the responsibility onto Jules’s shoulders.

He closed the trunk without removing the diaper bag and pack-and-play and hurried up to Jules’s apartment. She’d left the door cracked, and he pushed inside cautiously. The place was homey but sparsely decorated. Spartan furniture dotted a small living room, and cardboard boxes lined the wall as if she’d just moved in and was still unpacking.

“Hey.” He went over to the couch where Jules was unwrapping Noelle from the blankets. Jules glanced up at him.

“Where’s all the stuff?”

Mitch cleared his throat, easing onto the couch next to her. “Listen. I have an idea.”

“What’s that?”

He worked his jaw back and forth, wondering where on a scale from one to insane this suggestion might fall. But strange times called for stranger measures. And maybe this was just the unexpected way he could give Noelle the Christmas her desperate parent wanted for her. Not that she’d remember it at her age. But he would and a part of him wanted it far more than he was ready to admit.

While Mitch lived a life of privilege, there were some things he was missing in his life. After his mother died, they’d tried to maintain the Christmas spirit that had been so important to her, but as they got older, the little details that were once so central this time of year seemed to fall away.

His brother Josh had found the love of his life in Amelia last Christmas when he managed to acquire the Cedar Grove Hotel and Spa, and he was busy making new memories. Mitch would never confess it to him, but he felt envious of his brother’s happiness. Maybe what he needed was a little extra Christmas spirit. He knew just how to get it.

“I think you and Noelle should come back to the penthouse.” He ran his thumb over his knuckles as he met Jules’s gaze. Surprisingly, she wasn’t looking as shocked or horrified as he expected. “It’s a little unconventional, I know, but that way, we canbothcare for Noelle. And simultaneously work on the gala plans. Besides, I can give Noelle a good Christmas. Both of you, really.” He paused, scraping his teeth over his bottom lip as he awaited any sort of firm reaction from her. “What do you think?”

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