Page 103 of Christmas with the Elkin Billionaires

“Ha. You could say that.” She shook her head, glancing over at the sofa to check on Scott, but not before he’d noticed the hurt reflected in her eyes. “I don’t know why I let her upset me so much. She’s been saying the same things for years.”

“About getting married?” He frowned, gesturing for her to move back into the living room.

“About everything.” This time she sat on the loveseat, and Jonas used the opportunity to sit next to her. He relished the heat of her body so close to his. It would be infinitely better if she wasn’t upset, but then again, he wanted to comfort her—somehow.

“She didn’t like my major in college. She didn’t like the one guy I dated in high school. Everything has always been about her ambitions.”

It was easy, Jonas knew, to go along with what your family wanted. The thought of her marrying someone else made his stomach churn. Which was ridiculous. He didn’t have any claim on her. It was only that he’d lost her once already. Tension soaked into his skin. Jonas could lose her again before he even had a chance to try. That was reality.

Rachel stared straight ahead. He watched as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. She took in a deep, shuddering breath, then blinked them away. “I can’t believe I let her get to me. I only answered because I thought there might be some kind of emergency,” she said, agonizing over the decision.

“And there wasn’t?”

“The emergency was that I’m not married yet.” She let her head fall against the back of the sofa. “She wanted me home for Christmas to meet men. And more of the same. The photography studio isn’t good enough. It’s not enough for Scott. And we both know what she means by that.”

“I don’t,” he admitted.

“She means thatI’mnot good enough for Scott.”

He put his fingertips on her chin and turned her face toward his. “Youaregood enough for Scott. You are such a good mom.” It took the breath out of him to say it, but it was true. “You’re amazing and strong and resilient, and I believe in you.”

Rachel searched his eyes as if she could find proof there. “That means a lot to me.” Her voice was thick with emotion. “It’s just that I know how quickly people can go from saying they believe in you, to saying that they don’t think you can handle a situation. Untiltheywant to make the decisions for you.” She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, there was no sign of her tears.

“You’re astonishing,” he said, blown away by her self-control.

This earned him a slow smile. “I am?”

“Yes.” In a hundred different ways. He’d seen it before, but only a glimpse of it, and now regret drilled into him. How had he let her walk away from that hotel room? What an incredible oversight. “The both of you are.”

This swung their attention back to Scott, who slept peacefully on his belly on the sofa, a light blanket curling around his waist. He had one fist tucked up by his face, and his chest rose and fell in a gentle rhythm that calmed Jonas. He’d missed a lot of moments like this with Scott—just watching him be in the world. Two years’ worth.

“He is amazing,” Rachel agreed.

Something shimmered in the air between them. Was it all the lost time, or a glimpse of a potential future? Jonas felt blinded by it, overtaken, and he took a deep breath to clear his mind.

“More wine?”

Rachel glanced over to him at the offer, pressing her lips together in a hint of a smile. “Iwantmore wine, but I think I might want something more,” she said, pink gracing her cheeks.

“Oh? What would that be?” He suddenly felt like a teen on his first date, and he didn’t want to screw this up.

She set her wine glass on the table and then reached for his, setting it down next to hers before turning to face him and placing her hand on his chest. “Is it bad that I’ve been thinking about kissing you again from the moment I realized you were you?”

Jonas took her hand, lifting it to his lips to kiss the tips of her fingers. “I’ve had the same thoughts, I—”

Before he could finish, Rachel was leaning into him and they were kissing. He groaned quietly, not wanting to wake Scott, and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his side. She parted her lips, and he deepened the kiss pulling a moan from her.

This was better than he remembered, and even though a part of him knew they’d have to stop, he didn’t want it to end. Rachel pressed her palm against his chest, and he was sure she could feel how fast his heart was racing. He wanted her to straddle his lap, to ride him, and just as he was about to suggest it, there was a small noise coming from the other sofa making them both freeze.

Looking over at Scott, they could see he was fast asleep, but the mood had shifted. Rachel pressed her head against his shoulder, chuckling. “Maybe it’s time we called it a night. The little guy needs to go back to my suite and his own bed.”

Kissing the top of her head, he gave her a quick hug.

“I’ll start the car.”

8

RACHEL

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