Page 80 of Christmas with the Denton Billionaires

“Jules, that’s enough for now,” Mitch said in a low voice.

“So you two are together?” his father asked, swinging his finger between the two of them.

Mitch’s eyes fluttered shut. He didn’t want to be dealing with this right now. Hell, he hadn’t even had the conversation with Jules yet. He didn’t know how to respond to that—because what if he saidyesand she begged to differ?

“Dad, don’t worry about it,” Mitch said. “You don’t need to worry about a thing.”

“Worry? Shouldn’t I worry when the reputation of my business is at stake?”

His throat clamped. Dammit, this was getting tense. Jules took a few steps back, looking between Mitch and his dad.

“I’m going to powder my nose,” she said, her tone clipped, and then spun on her heels. Mitch watched her go, paralyzed with indecision.

“You can’t be serious,” his father said. He spoke through clenched teeth. “An event planner.”

And for a moment, Mitch wasn’t sure of anything—what was going on between him and Jules, much less what his father might expect of him. But one thing was certain.

He couldn’t let Jules walk away from him after that exchange without at least trying to make things right.

He ran after her, as fast as he could.

20

JULES

Jules didn’t know where she was going. She couldn’t see a damn thing through the veil of tears blurring her vision, but it didn’t matter. She needed to get away from that man and his horrible father.

If you weren’t sure before, now you know for certain.

The words ran through her head like a marquee. Confirming all her doubts, canceling all her dreams. Mitch had seen her as a plaything. Not someone tobe with. Not a partner. Just a pretty girl to tag along, someone to disown when his father came sniffing around.

She hated how much it hurt. She thought she’d started the painful dislodging process after discovering him at his “business meeting” with that beautiful woman, but apparently she still had some dislodging to do.

This was what she got for playing house with a gorgeous man who could get literally anything he wanted in the world. Hurt. Broken-hearted. Cast aside.

Footsteps sounded behind her. “Jules! Wait!”

Mitch’s voice echoed down the hall. Relief sizzled through her, but she tried to ignore it. She shouldn’t be happy he was chasing after her. She needed to end things with him.

“Jules! Where are you going?” His voice was closer now. She swiped at her cheek where a few tears had fallen.

“Away,” she said, her throat tight.

“Will youstop?” he shouted, his voice coming out sharper than she’d ever heard.

She stopped walking, waiting for him to catch up. When he did, he gripped her arms, searching out her gaze.

“Don’t leave,” he said. “I wasn’t ready to have that conversation with my dad, I’ll admit. But please—”

“Mitch, let’s not fool ourselves,” she said, her voice wavering as she spoke. She looked anywhere but at him. They were alone in this long, forgotten hallway, but the sounds of the party reached them faintly—violins and conversation and the occasional champagne bottle being uncorked.

“About what?” he asked.

“About this. What we’ve been doing.” She sniffed, wiping her cheek again. “And when I say this, I’m talking to myself. Because I was the one who fell for you, okay? I was the one who went all in, not realizing that you wouldn’t reciprocate.That’s my fault. But what’s between us is nothing. It can’t be anything. You’re you and I’m me.”

“We need to have this conversation,” Mitch said in a low voice. “But let’s wait until after the—”

“No! It’s happening now, whether or not it’s convenient.” Her chest hitched with a restrained sob. “And if you don’t want to, then I should keep moving along. I knew better than to hook up with a guy like you. I’m smarter than this.”

---