A Very Merry Billionaire Christmas (Special Edition Holiday Novella) Read Free

your usual laissez-faire management style."  
    "You have no idea what my usual management style is," Ben points out. "Here's a hint, it doesn't typically involve spankings for naughty girls who need to learn when they've overstepped their boundaries."
    He meets her eyes in the rearview, and they're sparkling.
    "Well, thank God for that," Jenna says. "But do me a favor and tell him you're sorry ."
    Ben grins. "Make it worth my while."
    The corner of her mouth quirks up. "If you want to christen every car you own, it's going to take a lifetime."
    "Good," he says, glancing for the nearest exit sign. "Better get started, then."
    ***
    "We'll be late."
    Adrian's eyes plead halfheartedly with his wife as her hand inches toward his thigh.
    "Since when do you care?" she breathes, fingers finally coming to rest mere centimeters from where he really wants them. "Just pull over."
    His tongue flicks across his lips. "You'll ruin your nice dress," he insists, keeping as much of a poker face as he can manage.
    "Who says it's not already ruined?"  
    Adrian can only play hard-to-get for so long. He jerks the wheel, skidding off into a scenic overlook that is blissfully empty on this winding, semi-rural road.
    "Trust me," he growls. "You don't know the meaning of the word ruined."
    ***
    "I can't believe I'm actually doing this."
    Daniel's knuckles are white as he grips the wheel. His wife takes a deep breath and touches his arm lightly.
    "It'll be good for you," she says. "Good for your...you know, brand."
    His knuckles only turn whiter.
    "It's only going to make it more obvious," he says. "How...not normal I am."
    "You are normal," Maddy insists. "I mean - in the realm of...okay, look, you're not normal. Neither am I. Nobody's normal. If you talk to half the people in that room, I guarantee you they feel at least slightly similar to how you feel. They don't really want to be there, but they feel like they have to. We're all pretending, a little bit. There's no such thing as people who are one hundred percent comfortable in their skin all the time."
    "What about that author you're so excited to meet?" Daniel glances at her. "What is he, an alien?"
    "I'm sure he has insecurities," Maddy mutters, folding her arms across her chest. "Are you jealous?"
    "I don't get jealous," Daniel insists. "I'm only concerned that he might not live up to your expectations. And he's certainly an obnoxious narcissist. That 'hero' is him, you realize that, right?"
    "Of course it is," Maddy replies. "James Bond is Ian Fleming, Hawkeye is James Fenimore Cooper - that's how everyone writes. An idealized version of themselves. Doesn't make him a narcissist ."
    "Narcissists, all of them." Daniel waves a dismissive hand. "Temper your expectations, that's all I'm saying."
    "Jealous," she mutters.
    He glances at her, with an almost-not-quite smile playing on his lips. "What if I was? I'm allowed."
    "Come on." She meets his gaze, sidelong, her eyes half-closed. "I don't care how good of a wordsmith he is, I'd never do the things for him that I'll do for you."
    "For instance?" Daniel reaches out and captures her hand, holding it firmly in his own while he holds the wheel firmly with the other.
    She quirks an eyebrow at him. "If I didn't know better, Sir, I'd think you were implying I should do something very dangerous and illegal."
    "Interpret it how you will." He smiles, darkly. "But if you want to make one single aspect of this night remotely worth my while, you'll do as you're told. And you'll like it, too."
    "You haven't told me to do anything." She licks her lips, glancing at his lap. "You know if we get pulled over, all the stories about you are going to take a really different turn."
    "That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make," he tells her. "But it's not going to happen. I've got very steady hands, as well you know."
    "I don't know," she says, playing demure. "We might get caught."
    "We won't," he says. "Besides, if you put me in a good enough mood, I'll let you drive