Page 49 of Christmas with the Elkin Billionaires

Anna looked him up and down and then looked at her own clothes. She was dressed in a pair of gray slacks and a matching jacket that had the shape of business wear but in a softer fabric. It made him want to slide his palms over it and pull her close. “I was going to ask if this was okay to wear, but it looks like we had the same idea.”

“You look perfect. Let’s go.”

She followed him out to the elevators, and they got in, sharing a collegial silence.This isn’t another expo.But Gabe couldn’t help treating it like one.

“So, my family is downstairs,” he said. “They’ll be headed out from breakfast soon, and we’ll have introductions.”

“All right.” Anna didn’t seem particularly bothered by this. She watched him intently. “Are you thinking about a change of plans? We can always say I’m a business associate. I mean, I’m dressed for it.”

His stomach turned over. “No. This is for the best.” But the high he’d ridden the previous day had melted. The last dregs seeped away as the elevator let them out into the lodge’s grand lobby, with its soaring ceilings and enormous Christmas tree decorated to its last inch. All that, and his family, standing at the foot of the tree in a tight circle. Waiting. For him and Anna.

Oh, no. This hadn’t been a good idea at all. Gabe had brought home a stranger, and now what? Jonas caught sight of him and waved as if they were in a crowded room and not a mildly busy lobby. And then they were all looking at him—Chase, Jonas, and his grandmother.

He grabbed Anna’s hand, relieved when she squeezed back. A stolen glance at her revealed nothing but a confident smile. She was sogoodat this, and they hadn’t even started to talk.

They joined his family, Anna’s ring pressing against his own fingers, and Gabe couldn’t wait to share the news. “Grandmother.” He bent down to embrace her and kiss her cheek. She seemed smaller and frailer than she had before. It twisted at his heart. “I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Anna Waters. I brought her with me for the holidays. Anna, I’d like you to meet my grandmother, Elin Elkin, and my brothers Jonas and Chase.”

Jonas blinked at him. “Your fiancée?”

“You gotengaged?Good for you, man.” Chase stepped forward and pounded his back with an open palm. “Nice surprise for the holidays.”

“Itissurprising,” his grandmother said quietly. “Why would you keep this from us, Gabe?”

Abort mission.This wasn’t what he wanted—not more disappointment from his grandmother. He searched for a way to say that he was only kidding, that this was a joke, a family joke, but Anna’s soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

“I know it probably seems shocking. We got engaged a few months ago, but we wanted to spend some time settling into the idea before we announced it.” She shyly held up her ring for everyone to see. “It felt right to come here and be with his family while we celebrate.”

Grandmother’s face softened, but she still hesitated. “Won’t your family be expecting a visit?”

“They’re very supportive of our plans, Mrs. Elkin,” Anna said smoothly. “I just had to see where Gabe came from.” She looked all around the lobby, her eyes shining with excitement. “Can you blame me? It’s even more spectacular than Gabe described. The garland with the holly and juniper berries is great and the Christmas roses are gorgeous.”

That earned her a smile from his grandmother. “No, I can’t. I’m glad you love the flowers. My Richard, the boys’ grandfather, always gave me Christmas roses and I like to have them on display in his memory. And we do have a lovely home. Though our real home isn’t in the lobby, naturally.” She laughed.

“I can’t wait to see it,” Anna said. “Do you live on the grounds, Mrs. Elkin?”

“I live in the lodge upstairs,” his grandmother confirmed. “The brothers have space on one of the upper floors as well as private homes elsewhere on the property. And please, call me Elin.”

“Which we can see at dinner,” Gabe put in. He needed time—time to make a better plan. “We were about to take a tour of the grounds.”

“With no coats?” Jonas put his hands in his pockets and frowned.

Why? Why did you have to say that?

Anna laughed. “Too excited to come down and meet everyone. We’ll grab them, and then head out. It was so nice to meet you all.” She slipped her arm through his and tugged him back toward the elevators, smooth as could be, waving behind them at his family.

The moment the elevator doors shut, she whirled toward him, a laugh on her lips. “We need awaybetter plan before dinner. And, why didn’t you tell me your younger brother is Ace Elkin? My friend Elena is going to lose her mind when she finds out.”

Relief swept through him that they’d survived their first encounter. “We should have come up with a story on the plane. And my brother hasn’t competed since his accident, so he prefers Chase.”

“Got it, not Ace. Okay, how about this?” The elevator dinged and let them off at their floor. “We’ve been seeing each other for months. Almost a year.”

“Why would we have hidden it?” He led her into the room, where they grabbed their brand-new outdoor coats. Anna slipped into a gray parka with faux fur around the hood. With the hood on, she looked like she’d just stepped out of a winter sports magazine. Whywouldhe have hidden a woman like this from his family?

“Maybe you wanted to see if it would last before telling your family.” Anna glanced away, looking down at the floor.What’s that about?Gabe didn’t ask. It wasn’t his business.

“Makes me seem like a jerk, though. Who would do something like that?” They went back into the hallway, wrapped up in winter coats and boots. “What about this—webothwanted to keep it a secret because we were working together, or something.”

At that moment, he knew that simplysayingthey were engaged wouldn’t be enough. They’d have to sell it physically. “Before we go back down, we should practice.”

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