It Must Be Christmas Read online

  “What was that?” Hailey leaned in, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “You sort of mumbled that last bit.”

  Chloe took a deep breath. “Nate asked me to go home with him.”

  “Get out!” Hailey exclaimed with wide eyes. “You’re gonna kick it with the Billion Dollar Man? At his request? For five days? Chloe, this is freaking perfect!”

  “No.” Chloe held up her hand. “That ship has sailed, Hailey.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Hailey rolled her eyes. She stepped fully into Chloe’s office and shut the door. “Okay, I can see how you didn’t want to hit him up when you thought it was a one-night stand because you didn’t want him to think you’d slept with him to get a fat donation in return. But this is different. He’s into you, Chloe. Do you think he invites any random chick to his house?”

  Chloe hadn’t really considered it. Obviously something had changed between them last night. Her heart had ached for Nate. Seeing him in such distress and not knowing how to help him was the worst feeling in the world. He was such a strong man. So gruff and serious. Every smile he let slip was a treasure, every deep rumble of laughter a treat to Chloe’s ears. His vulnerability had laid her low. Stabbed through her chest. She’d done the only thing she could when she’d reached out to caress the tension from his muscles. And she’d expected the subsequent massage to end up in another round of mind-blowing sex. Instead, he’d cradled her in his arms as though she was a breakable, precious thing that he couldn’t bear to be parted from and fallen asleep beside her.

  Chloe rubbed at her chest. God, just thinking about Nate made her ache.

  “I don’t know what this is or isn’t between us. But until I do, I can’t ruin it by making him think that I’m in it for the money.”

  Hailey pursed her lips. “You must be crazy about this guy, Chloe.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because I know how much you love this foundation and you’re willing to sacrifice it for something that might crash and burn before it even gets off the ground.”

  Chloe stared at Hailey. A denial sat at the tip of her tongue but it refused to take form. Was she willing to sacrifice the foundation—something she’d poured her heart, soul, hell her life into—for five days with Nate that might end up being nothing more than a fling?

  When she’d told Nate to keep the money and his shares in Christensen Petroleum, it hadn’t been the result of some selfish machination. In fact, the foundation and her own problems hadn’t even entered her mind. She truly believed that Byron had meant for his sons to have a share in his wealth as a way to make amends. They’d all done well for themselves. Been the self-made men that their father had wanted them to be. And his legacy was their reward for venturing out and not relying on his name and wealth to get them ahead in the world.

  “Hailey,” Chloe said as a thought took form. “Do you have Travis Christensen’s contact information?”

  “I might,” she responded slowly. “At the very least, I’ll have his manager’s information. What are you thinking?”

  “I don’t know yet,” Chloe said. “I’m hoping it’ll come to me.”

  Maybe she couldn’t force herself to plead the foundation’s case with Nate, but maybe she could manage to bend another Christensen’s ear.

  “I’ll get it for you,” Hailey said. “But in the meantime, your lunch dates are here.”

  “Dates?” Had Derrick brought a friend?

  “Yep.” Hailey flashed a conspiratorial smile as she headed out the door. “I’ll tell them to come on back.”

  “Chloe! ’Sup?” Derrick strode through the door with a wide grin.

  “Hey kiddo. Hailey said you brought a friend along.”

  “Hope it’s okay if I tag along.” Warmth suffused Chloe’s skin at the sound of Nate’s voice. He strode in behind Derrick and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I stopped by to see if I could take you to lunch and found out you already had a date.”

  “You didn’t tell me you knew somebody so cool, Chloe,” Derrick said with a wide grin.

  Nate gave her a lopsided smile that nearly buckled her knees. “I don’t know about cool,” he said. “Little man and I got to know each other while we were waiting in the lobby. Talked soccer,” he added with a wink. “I have a feeling he’s cooler than me.”

  “No way.” Derrick practically bounced with enthusiasm. “Did you know Nate saw Leo Messi play? In person! How freaking awesome is that?”

  Chloe’s gaze locked with Nate’s. “Definitely awesome.”

  Nate shrugged and gave her a sheepish half-grin that melted her heart. “A friendly. When I was overseas.”

  Derrick looked ready to burst out of his skin with excitement. “Can he come to lunch with us, Chloe?”

  His hazel eyes flashed with heat. “I’m buying. It’s the least I can do considering what you did for me last night.”

  Derrick looked from Chloe to Nate, a too-knowing grin spreading over his young face.

  “Okay then.” Time for a change of subject. She was sure her face had flushed to a deep rose. “I think we’d better take Nate up on his offer. Pizza?”

  “Yeah!” Derrick exclaimed. “Want pizza, Nate?”

  His gaze met Chloe’s again. Intense and full of unspoken need. Need that echoed her own to a T. “Pizza sounds great.”

  “Great.” Chloe’s words came slowly. “Let’s get going, boys. I’m starved.”

  She grabbed her purse and rounded the desk. Derrick took off at a tear down the hallway. Nate waited for Chloe in her office doorway and held out his hand. Chloe laced her fingers with his and he brought her knuckles to his mouth and kissed them.

  “Hope this is okay,” he murmured in a husky tone that sent a zing of electricity through Chloe’s body. “I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see you.”

  It was better than okay. Chloe’s stomach twisted into a pretzel as she walked with him down the hall. “I’m glad,” she replied. “I couldn’t wait to see you, either.”

  He flashed a wide smile. “Perfect.”

  Perfect. Chloe couldn’t agree more. In fact, she was beginning to think that this was too perfect. Too good to be true. She just hoped that by contacting Travis for help with the foundation, that she wasn’t about to bring all of this perfection to an end.

  EIGHT

  “What’s his name?”

  Nate watched as Chloe nuzzled the little white-faced calf through the slats of the chute. Damned thing was already pushing a hundred and fifty pounds and would take all of his muscle to restrain. But Chloe treated it like it was a helpless newborn, tiny enough to carry around in her arms.

  “He doesn’t have a name,” Nate replied. “He’s a steer.”

  “He has to have a name.” If Chloe had it her way, every last cow on the ranch would be wearing a name tag and a bow by the end of the week.

  “His name’s cheeseburger,” Nate replied.

  Chloe swatted at his shoulder before moving her hands to hover over the calf’s ears. “Nate! He’ll hear you!”

  For the past few days, Nate had felt as though he were living another man’s life. And that scared the shit out of him. With Chloe around, his mind was more than occupied. The familiar panic attacks made fewer and fewer appearances. His muscles had begun to loosen by small degrees and the tension that had strung his body taut for over a year was completely gone. He could almost picture a regular life in her presence. One where he smiled. Relaxed. Hell, laughed every once in a while.

  He loved this sweet, caring side to her personality. She giggled as the calf nudged her face, his long tongue lapping out at her cheek. Seeing her like this made his heart feel as though it floated around in his chest. As though he could float away right along with it.

  There was a flip side to her lightheartedness, though. A passionate intensity and a hunger that rivaled Nate’s own. She wasn’t ashamed to want him. To want satisfaction. He couldn’t get enough of her fierce kisses, loud moans, and hoarse cries. The thought of her h