EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2021 Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino

  ISBN: 978-0-3695-0481-4

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Audrey Bobak

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our readers!

  CHRISTMAS WITH THE

  BILLIONAIRE

  Romance on the Go ®

  Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino

  Copyright © 2021

  Chapter One

  Alora Harris sipped at the glass of champagne as she watched all her colleagues having a good time at the annual Nelson Industries Christmas party. This was the one party their boss, Adam Nelson, insisted on every year—mandatory attendance. Of course, he’d also brought a beautiful, slender model to the party. She was the belle of the ball. Every single man in the room was drooling over her, and not too discreetly. Most of the men were ignoring their own wives. She loved Christmas but hated this party so damn much.

  So many people faked it. They pretended there hadn’t been a cutthroat promotion, or a competition to win so many different accounts. Most people here would walk over each other to get ahead. She didn’t know how she had done it, but for the last five years, she’d been able to stay under the radar and not piss anyone off.

  Her abilities were in designing. Bringing clients’ ideas into reality. She never fought with anyone to get ahead. Her craft spoke for itself, and often times she was personally requested to head a project. She wasn’t bragging when it came to her work. Rather, she had a knack for knowing what people wanted, and that was what put her on top.

  Christmas music filtered through the stereo, and she couldn’t help but smile.

  They had another week of work, and then she had a glorious two weeks off. This was another element of Adam’s work ethic. He believed in giving his staff relevant time off each year as he believed it promoted a better working environment.

  She couldn’t complain.

  Many people here had families, loved ones to go home to. She had an empty apartment with a single tree, a few decorations she’d designed and had gotten created, and her stray black cat she’d named Burt.

  Considering she came from the foster system, she had made something of herself. She had a nice place, a decent salary, and hadn’t gone hungry ever since.

  “A beautiful lady shouldn’t be sitting alone,” Adam, her boss said, holding out a glass of champagne.

  It was odd for him to single her out. They rarely spoke two words to each other, not since he’d apologized to her. One of the clients had asked for her to work on a current sketch advertising. The company was for some kind of pet food or something, and they had gone organic on everything. Their ethos had changed from profit to the love of the pet as part of the family rather than just an animal that needed feeding. She got the parameters and general idea of what they wanted, and she drew a sketch. Adam had seen it and told her it wouldn’t work. She always stood by what she created, and so, she argued with the boss man himself until he backed off. Fortunately, she’d been right, and he had no choice but to apologize and she kept her job.

  Despite all the backstabbing and general bastardness that went on at work, she liked her job. The hypocrisy was a different matter.

  She never let her guard down. She’d never stepped on anyone’s toes, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have enemies here. There were a lot of people who were not happy that she’d won accounts without lifting a finger.

  “I’ve got one, thank you,” she said, holding up her champagne.

  “Ah, I see.”

  “Don’t you have a date needing your attention?” she asked.

  Adam shrugged. “Amelia won’t be hurting for company. So, I don’t think I saw your date.”

  “I didn’t come with a date.” She forced a smile.

  “No date.”

  She chuckled. “Is that a surprise to you?”

  “You do realize this is a family event?”

  “I … don’t have any family,” she said, biting her lip. This was the most they had talked … ever.

  Adam was usually so busy. Oftentimes she saw him staring down at his cell phone. The guy was glued to that thing, but then, he had built this company from the ground up.

  “An only child?”

  She shook her head. “No, the foster system. I never got adopted. Left the institution when I was eighteen, didn’t look back.” She had a job from the age of fourteen, worked her ass off so that she could leave when she turned eighteen, and was able to fend for herself. One thing the foster system taught her was to never rely on anyone but herself. People were always there to stab her in the back. She couldn’t trust anyone.

  “Huh, what a surprise,” Adam said. He took a seat beside her. This was a first. “Do you not approve of my Christmas party?”

  “I don’t disapprove of it.”

  “That’s not really an answer.”

  Alora sighed. “Your Christmas party is great. I just, I don’t know. I guess I’m not the kind of woman to pretend that Eric from accounts didn’t try to take one of my clients from me. Or that Martha didn’t talk to one of the clients and try to convince them I was a drug addict and my work ethic sucked.”

  Adam chuckled. “Ah, the competition.”

  “Exactly. So, I am enjoying my glass of champagne, a couple of the fancy snacks, and loving the Christmas music. It is a good party.”

  “I’m glad.”

  This was the most they had ever talked. Alora looked across the room and spotted his model. She kept looking toward Adam, and much to her surprise, he kept on paying attention to her rather than his date.

  His gaze and attention were so surprising, she couldn’t resist tucking some of her hair behind her ear in case she looked a little scruffy. Did she have a flake of a pastry on her? She wasn’t used to being the kind of woman that gained male attention. She had always been a bigger woman. A bigger girl, and as she’d gotten older, bigger in the breasts, hips, and ass. She had embraced her size where many others wouldn’t have.

  Why did Adam keep on staring at her?

  ****

  Adam was … besotted.

  Alora had been on his radar for a long time now. Her work ethic, the standards she set, it was admirable. What had really gained his attention was her argument with him. She refused to back down even though he was the boss. It was so refreshing. More often than not, he had people around him who had gotten into the habit of submitting to him and kissing his ass.

  He didn’t want robots.

  He expected his staff to argue with him, especially if their points were better than his. Most of the time, they truly weren’t, but Alora had known what she was doing. If she’d listened to him, it would have cost them an account.

  This was what made him one of the best employers in the city. He listened to his staff, or at least he used to when they fought back. He wasn’t a pet owner, but he just knew Alora had to be. A cat or a dog, he wasn’t sure what she owned, but she clearly knew what she was talking about with their client.

  The advertisement had been a giant success, and their client only wanted to deal with Alora. She saw their vision and brought it to life.

  When he saw her sitting alone, it was the perfect excuse to get rid of his annoying date. With how many men were panting over Amelia, it wasn’t hard to leave her alone. He liked the best of everything, and that included women other men wanted.

  What Adam wanted was Alora.

  Sipping at his champagne, he watched her every movement. She had changed into a beautiful red dress. It had a large V that showcased her cleavage, dipped in at the waist, and flared out at the hips. White lace covered parts of the red, giving the dress a very festive feel, and in truth, he’d been enraptured by her from the moment she walked through the ballroom doors.

  No boyfriend.

  No family.

  She was single.

  He knew all of this, of course, but HR didn’t always keep the most up-to-date records. A little error he had to deal with come the New Year.

  “I noticed the art in your office,” he said, attempting to open up a conversation.

  Alora’s smile was so fucking beautiful, it lit up her entire face, and her lips, they were so enticing. He wanted to kiss her.

  Throughout the day, he’d find himself using any number of excuses to visit her floor, just to catch a glimpse of her. She was always busy. Her blonde hair pinned up atop her head, paint brushes and pencils either behind her ear or stuffed into her bun. At times, she looked like a sexy art teacher. One he desperately wanted.

  “That artwork is my own,” she said.

  “Oh. That’s why I couldn’t find it available to purchase.”

  “From time to time, I like to sketch what I see in my head. It can cause such a blockage if I’m not careful. Are you in the market for some art?” she asked.

/>
  “Actually, I am. I’ve recently renovated a condo. I was able to move in a week ago, but all the walls are blank, and if I’m being honest, I don’t have the first clue what to pick out. Would you mind slipping away from the party with me? I could use your eye.”

  Alora glanced around the room and shrugged. “No, I wouldn’t mind.”

  He wanted to get her alone. Everything he’d said about the condo was the truth. He’d purchased the condo at the beginning of the year. It was only a ten-minute walk away from work, which was why he paid through the roof for the place. Due to bad weather and just general poor luck, his condo had been behind schedule, and that was why he’d stayed at a hotel for the past few months. The moment his condo was done, he’d moved in, but he didn’t know how to truly furnish it.

  It was a surprise to find out that Alora was a foster kid, as he’d been in the foster system himself. He ran away at sixteen, and by the time they found him, he was eighteen and already working his way to being a self-made billionaire. He promised himself he would never live on the streets again. And the secrets of his past would die with him.

  He’d been one of the lucky ones with an idea and had created the means to get what he wanted. Most were not as lucky.

  Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed Amelia’s bodyguard and let him know that she would be available to take home. That woman had been begging to go on a date with him. She wanted to go from being on magazine covers to acting, and through advertising, she hoped he’d use his contacts to get her what she needed. It was never about love. Not in his world.

  Putting his hand on the small of Alora’s back, they walked onto the elevator. No one paid them any attention.

  He clicked the button for the main floor.

  “My condo is only a ten-minute walk. Will that be okay, or would you like me to bring the car around?” he asked.

  “I can walk.”

  He glanced down at the heels she wore.

  Alora was full of surprises.

  As they rode the elevator down toward the main floor, he couldn’t help but notice the subtle vanilla fragrance she wore. Nothing strong and obnoxious. It just so happened that vanilla was his favorite scent. His mouth salivated just thinking about tasting her.

  She seemed shy, looking up at the changing floor lights, and he admired her. Compared to him, she was a tiny thing, but with curves that made him ache to touch.

  The doors opened, and they stepped out.

  He became all too aware of the dress she wore, and he removed his jacket, draping it across her shoulders.

  “Thank you.”

  “It’s the least I could do.”

  They left his office building, and much to his surprise, he found it was snowing. The beauty of the city at Christmastime never failed to amaze him.

  Alora gasped, bumping into his side.

  With snow, came ice, and he grabbed her hand, holding her close. The moment he touched her, he felt this spark and knew he was making the right decision.

  Chapter Two

  It was surreal hanging off her boss’s arm. She certainly didn’t expect him to have such big, hard biceps, but she’d only seen him covered up with a full suit. He’d always intimidated her, and she felt he was leagues above her. But after talking with him for only a brief time, she got a down-to-earth vibe from him. He wasn’t the monster everyone portrayed him to be … at least not yet. Alora hoped it wasn’t a mistake going to his condo alone with him. Did he think she was some kind of slut? Did he think she’d jump in his bed to keep her job? Or was she jumping to conclusions?

  She was a classic overthinker, and right now, her mind was on overdrive. The evening was dark, but the trees along the main road had Christmas lights of every color. In combination with the big, lazy snowflakes, the evening felt absolutely magical. It made her think of families around old-fashioned fireplaces, safe from the cold outside. There’d be a decorated tree in the corner with carefully wrapped gifts. When she was a little girl, she watched the Christmas specials and dreamed of having her own family. Her imagination was so intense she could smell the wood burning, see the stockings hung on the mantle, and feel the love of her parents. But without being adopted, those fantasies stayed exactly that.

  “I love this time of year,” she said.

  “I thought you said you were a foster kid.”

  “I was.”

  He shrugged. “Most people I know who’ve been in the system hate the holidays. Too much trauma.”

  “Not me. I have an excellent imagination. It kept me sane. Christmas is a comforting time for me even if I spend it alone. I just need the cable holiday specials and Burt.”

  He stopped briefly, turning to face her. “Burt? I thought you were single.”

  She smiled, liking the possessive tone in his voice. “He’s my cat.”

  Adam tilted his head slightly, a cute smile on his face. “He sounds hard to compete with.”

  “We’ll have to see if he likes you.”

  As soon as she spoke, she wanted to bite her tongue. She was acting like they were dating, but this was just an art consult. He probably thought she sounded like a desperado. The man had a supermodel back at the party waiting for him.

  They arrived at the condo sooner than she expected. Her feet didn’t even hurt. She looked way up. It was a massive skyscraper.

  “Impressive, isn’t it? I like the modern architecture,” he said.

  “It’s something else.”

  As they entered the massive main entrance, she couldn’t stop admiring all the high-end décor. It really was a modern-day marvel. Any unit in this building must cost a small fortune. Her apartment was a joke compared to this place.

  Everyone knew her boss by name as they walked toward the elevators. There was a lot of staff and security for a lobby. The inside of the elevator was all mirrors with a digital display she’d never seen before. When he hit the penthouse floor, she did a double take. How much money did Nelson Industries make?

  When he opened the double doors to his suite, the first thing she noted was the overwhelming presence of white. It felt like she’d walked into a hospital operating room, not a home. There was nothing on the walls and only sparse furniture. Her heels echoed as she walked into the foyer.

  “Come on in.” He took his jacket back and set it on the coat tree in the corner. “Make yourself at home.”

  She slipped off her shoes and entered the large, open-concept condo. The far wall was floor-to-ceiling windows looking down at the city lights.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been this high up. I don’t know if I should be afraid or in awe.”

  He walked past her. “You can be both.” Then he opened the lid of a crystal decanter at his elaborate, fully stocked bar. “Drink?”

  “Sure. Thank you.” She heard the ice clinking into the glasses as she dared to get closer to the windows. “Did you want to be this high up?”

  “It’s the penthouse. I like the best of everything.”

  Then he certainly wouldn’t want her. She wasn’t exactly arm candy. Alora mentally shrugged. The least she could do was enjoy her evening and get some bonus points from her boss for helping him decorate his condo.

  “You know what this place needs?”

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Christmas decorations. Warmth. A soul.”

  “Those all sound idealistic but, if you haven’t noticed, there’s no big, happy family here. It’s just me, and I’m not even sure I have a soul myself. That’s too much pressure to put on my suite.”

  “Everyone has a soul.”

  “I think God gave up on me many years ago, Alora. Everything you see around you is from my own hard work, not blessings from above.”

  He sounded so jaded for a man rolling in money and status. She would have thought he’d be more grateful, but she noticed most of her wealthier clients were self-centered. Maybe Adam Nelson was no different.

  He came over and handed her a drink. There was a leather sectional, so she took a seat and sipped on the liquor. It was strong. He sat across from her in a matching reclining chair. The way he looked at her was unnerving. She felt like an art piece he was contemplating purchasing.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7