Christmas Break With the Billionaire Read online

  “Shane and I are due to meet with the officiant, so I have to run. They’ll get you all checked in at the front desk,” Avery told her as she began to scurry off before turning to add, “Oh! Be sure to head to the bar inside the lounge for a hot chocolate. We make it from scratch and it’s the best you’ll ever have.”

  “Yum. That sounds like just what I need to unthaw.”

  “Don’t forget, we’re having the rehearsal at 4 p.m. in the ballroom, followed by the rehearsal dinner.”

  “I’ll be there with bells on!” Jordyn yelled after her friend as she watched Avery disappear out of the other side of the lobby.

  Jordyn checked in at the front desk and was assigned a room on the fourth floor of the main lodge. She glanced at her watch. Just over two hours until rehearsal. Before she headed to her room to get settled, she’d get one of those hot chocolates from the lounge to take up with her. She peeled off her winter coat and draped it over the top of her suitcase, revealing the white cashmere sweater she wore beneath it—her one and only impulse buy of the season.

  The sound of Christmas music played softly in the background as she made her way through the lobby. A pristinely decorated Christmas tree at least nine-feet tall stood in the middle of the pitched floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the backside of the property. Arbor Shores Resort was set high atop a hill overlooking Lake Michigan, and the cobalt blue water beyond the blanket of white snow and capped evergreens rolling down the hill behind it was breathtaking. The sun was shining today, so the snow glistened and lit up the entire property.

  Down below, at the bottom of the hill, cabins dotted the shoreline. The roadway to get down there was clear, and part of her wished she was staying in a cabin instead of the main lodge. She knew the cabins well since Avery’s family had owned Arbor Shores Resort for as far back as she could remember. As young girls, they’d spent plenty of time in them growing up, using the empty cabins for sleepovers whenever there happened to be a vacancy. She had always loved those cabins, each with their own kitchenette and warm fireplace, but with her teacher’s salary she couldn’t justify indulging in one. Not just for one person anyway.

  On the far side of the lobby, a fire crackled in a large cobblestone fireplace that reached all the way to the top of the cathedral ceiling. A couple cuddled in the love seat in front of it, arms wrapped around each other. A pang of sadness stabbed at Jordyn’s belly. The resort was so romantic all decorated for the holidays; evergreen garland was strung everywhere, adorned with red bows and white twinkly lights. It was a shame to be there alone. Even though she was doing just fine on her own, every now and then she missed having a companion. Especially during times like this.

  Jordyn forced the self-pity welling within her away. That’s not what this weekend was about anyway. This weekend was about celebrating Avery and Shane’s love. Her love life—or rather, her lack of one—was not a priority, so she put those thoughts out of her mind as quickly as they arrived.

  Inside the lounge, she ordered a hot chocolate and took a sip as she waited for the bartender to bring her change. When the rich, warm liquid met her palate, it was every bit as good as Avery had promised, topped with mini marshmallows and crushed candy cane bits.

  With her suitcase wheeling behind her and hot chocolate in hand, she made her way back through the lobby toward the elevators. She would head to her room and get settled. She may even have time for a nap before the rehearsal.

  Luke parked his rental car in front of the lodge. Anna had surely missed the mark on this one. She must not have ever been to Northern Michigan in the winter, either, because she’d reserved him a sports car. Granted it was one that he would have normally loved out in California, but it wasn’t practical for driving in the snow, and the treacherous drive from the airport had left him a ball of nerves. He’d leave the engine running while he got checked in—he hadn’t been able to warm his bones since arriving in this snowy tundra. What was Shane thinking to leave the sunny Cali coast for this freezing weather anyway? He must really love this girl, Avery. Luke couldn’t wait to meet her.

  Anna had said she’d booked Luke the best cabin Arbor Shores Resort had to offer; he just hoped it wasn’t too remote. From what he could tell, the resort was massive. There was no telling where his cabin would be. He hoped, for the ninth or tenth time, that the cabin had Wi-Fi. Anna wasn’t the best about staying on top of small details, and he hadn’t had time to speak with her about the travel details for this trip, so he’d just have to trust that she’d checked on that before she’d booked it. He made a mental note to have a talk with her about the rental car when he returned to the office. But that was the last thing on his mind right now. The second Luke’s feet were inside the lodge, he pulled out his cell phone, hoping to have an update from Jared. Nothing came in when he was on the flight, though he’d checked and double checked a hundred times. He only hoped, in the hour it had taken to inch his way from Traverse City, that something new had come in.

  Luke rounded the corner, eyes glued to his phone, until his body slammed to a jolting stop. Something hot and wet greeted him—and his phone—with a wave of liquid stickiness. The warmth of the drink was no match for the heat that bubbled inside of him once he realized he had run into someone carrying a hot drink. That’s all he needed—for his phone to die out here in … wherever he was. A place where they probably didn’t have a store to get a replacement phone, if needed. His anger getting the best of him, he let out a holler while looking up and meeting the eyes of the stranger before him. “What in the—”

  The woman standing before him got the worst of it. She held the empty cup in one hand and looked down at her white sweater, hot chocolate splattered all across it. She slowly looked up to meet his eyes with a fire in hers.

  “Don’t you watch where you’re going?” she asked through pinched lips.

  “Don’t you?” he spat back.

  “I was watching where I was going. You were looking at your phone.” She perched her free hand on her hip and glared at him pointedly.

  A man came running over and offered her a hand towel. “I’ll go get a mop. I’ll take care of this,” the bellhop told them both before scurrying off.

  The woman dabbed at the front of her sweater, but it was no use. It was clearly ruined. The chocolate had splashed up onto her face as well and was even in her hair. A pang of guilt washed over Luke as he watched her try to clean herself up. He felt bad for ruining her sweater, but between her combative tone and the stress of the situation he was under with his app, he just couldn’t bring himself to apologize. Plus, he had chocolate on the front of him too. Not as much as her but enough to leave him irritated.

  “Aren’t you even going to say you’re sorry?” she asked, wiping at her face with the cloth.

  “So, you’re saying this is my fault?” He shoved his phone into his pocket—an attempt to hide the evidence—and folded his arms across his chest. Now that he was able to get a better look at her, she was quite pretty underneath it all, even covered in hot chocolate. He fought the urge to reach out and wipe the droplet that had made its way down her forehead and was about to drip in her eye.

  “Ugh, never mind,” she said before grabbing her suitcase handle as she pushed her way past him.

  Looking down, Luke noticed her keycard on the ground. He bent to pick it up and called after her. “Uh, excuse me. I think you dropped your room key.” He held it between two fingers as it dripped chocolate onto the floor. She stopped, marched back to him, and snatched the key from his fingers, shooting him a final glare before turning on her heel and heading toward the elevator. Just as she did, he got a whiff of her scent, and underneath the sweetness of chocolate and peppermint, the smell of her shampoo invaded his senses.

  For a brief moment, he considered asking her name and offering to buy her a new sweater, but she was gone before he could bring himself to speak. Perhaps he’d see her again and would offer it then. Right now, he just wanted to get checked in and to his cabin so he
could call Jared and find out what was going on. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to make sure it still worked, the sticky screen causing frustration to ripple through him.

  The nerve of that jerk. Jordyn pulled her ruined white sweater over her head and tossed it in the garbage of her hotel room bathroom. There’d be no use in trying to clean it; it was covered in hot chocolate. She should have known better than to indulge in such an expensive purchase anyway. But since she didn’t have anyone special to shop for this year, she figured she’d treat herself to one nice Christmas gift for the trip, and she hadn't been able to wait to put it on this morning.

  She turned on the water to the shower and let it warm up while she unpacked the rest of the clothes from her suitcase. Good thing she had left her bridesmaid dress hanging in her car, or that might be ruined as well.

  She wandered over to the basket Avery and Shane had waiting in her room—a gift from the bride and groom for being in the wedding party. It consisted of a bottle of wine, two glasses, chocolate-covered local cherries, and summer sausage with a small cutting board, knife, and crackers. A bit of a waste for just one person, but still, it was a kind gesture.

  Now, with her mood soured from the lobby run-in, she dreaded the rehearsal more than ever. Everything about this place so far was a painful reminder of just how single she was. Even her room spewed romance with a gas fireplace in the corner and an oversize bed made of notched cedar and flannel bedding.

  Her window offered an even better view of the snow-covered property than those down in the lobby. This place sure was picturesque. Jordyn ran her hand along the worn wood of the dresser, the wood knotted and intentionally distressed. The room was just like the one she’d stayed in with Garrett three years ago when she’d brought her fiancé home to see where she’d grown up. She brushed an escaped tear from her cheek. This room was a painful reminder of all she’d lost when he broke off their engagement, and also, that her family was no longer together. The holidays would be a drag this year. If Avery and Shane hadn’t planned to hold their wedding three days before Christmas, she probably wouldn’t have come home at all. But Avery had always wanted a winter wedding, and she had made her dream come true. The thought finally evoked a smile from Jordyn.

  Jordyn squeezed in a quick nap before it was time to get ready. After her shower, she put on a heather-gray sweater dress and black boots, tousled her long hair and added a few loose curls. Shoving her room key into her clutch, she took a deep breath and then headed for the elevator.

  Since Avery had worked at the Cooke’s family resort most of her life, Jordyn knew her way around it well. They’d had so many fun times growing up, especially in the summertime when they were out of school and would spend their days with friends down at the pool at the beach club, and evenings beside bonfires on the shores of Lake Michigan. Jordyn made a mental note to come back and visit next summer. She loved Arbor Shores, and she needed to get home more often. She would have come back after college, but there hadn’t been any jobs available once she’d graduated from Michigan State. She ended up relocating and was able to land a teaching position at an inner-city school in Chicago. Even though she loved where she now lived, there was just something about the familiarity of coming home that was comforting. It was just too bad her parents had split up, and she wouldn’t be able to enjoy Christmas with both Mom and Dad this year. At least she had her dad to spend time with. She looked forward to getting over to see him after the wedding festivities ended on Sunday, just in time to make Christmas Eve dinner for the two of them.

  “Jordyn, over here!” Avery waved from across the ballroom. The bride stood talking to two other women Jordyn immediately identified as Rylee and Emma. She approached the trio, and they all hugged in unison. She had grown up with Rylee and Avery, and although she hadn’t known Emma well back in school, the two always got along marvelously whenever Jordyn came home to visit.

  “I’m so glad you’re here; we’re going to have so much fun,” Rylee squealed, greeting her longtime friend. “Did you bring a date or are you flying solo?” she asked.

  Jordyn’s stomach dropped. To say the words out loud made it all seem real. “It’s just me.” She put on her best smile, realizing she was the only single one out of all the bridesmaids.

  “Well, Shane has a single friend from California he wants to introduce you to.” Avery nudged her in the ribs and waggled her eyebrows in Jordyn’s direction.

  Jordyn let out a nervous laugh. “Listen, I’m good. This weekend is all about you. I’m not here seeking love.”

  “Well, just keep an open mind. You never know, you might just like him. And nobody said you had to fall in love, but there’s nothing wrong with having a little fun.” Avery stood on her tiptoes to survey the room. “Ah, I bet that’s him,” she beamed, focusing in on the guy who had just entered the ballroom.

  Heat pricked the back of Jordyn’s neck at the mere sight of him, and although he was looking down, eyes glued to his phone, she knew in an instant who he was.

  Chapter 3

  “You made it.” Shane’s familiar voice welcomed Luke as he entered the ballroom. Luke couldn’t wait to catch up with his friend. It had been months since he’d seen Shane, and he sure missed hanging out with him. Maybe this weekend wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  “Hey, man. Congratulations,” Luke said, shoving his phone into his pocket. He slapped his friend on the back as they both leaned in for a hug.

  “I still can’t believe you flew out from California to be here. It means a lot.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” Luke told him, and he meant it even though the weekend wasn’t off to the best start. He didn’t need to mention that this was the worst possible time for him to be here, or that his cabin had spotty cell reception and absolutely no Wi-Fi. He’d have to come up to the lobby to make calls and access the internet, and that was not ideal. Not to mention, his impractical rental car barely made it up the hill back to the main lodge, and if any more snow came down, it was unlikely he’d be able to drive back and forth between the lodge and the cabins. But this was Shane’s big weekend, so he would swallow his frustration and plaster on a smile. He just had to make it until Monday. Then, he could get on a jet and get back home. Inside, he was a ball of nerves as he awaited the app update. Every minute that it didn’t get fixed, he risked losing the deal. And Luke Bradford did not like losing money, particularly when millions of dollars were on the line.

  “All right, if I could get everyone’s attention.” The chatter died down as the wedding planner entered the ballroom with a clipboard in hand. “I’m going to ask the bridesmaids and groomsmen to link up with their respective partners at the back of the room. We’re going to get started in five minutes.”

  “Come on, I want you to meet Avery,” Shane said as they headed for the group of bridesmaids huddled at the back of the ballroom. He leaned in and lowered his voice, adding, “She has a single friend in town from Chicago, by the way.”

  That’s all Luke needed was to be fixed up this weekend. He didn’t have time for dating right now. Dating was something he’d given up on anyway. Ever since his first app buyout had made him an instant multimillionaire at the ripe age of twenty-nine. Acquiring that kind of wealth overnight had taken some getting used to. Fast-forward two years, and he was mostly convinced women were only interested in him for his money. He’d quickly learned that the hard way. He’d been burned badly by the last woman he’d dated. He’d really cared about her and was getting ready to propose, but it turned out she was just another gold digger. He’d felt like a fool when he’d finally discovered she had no real interest in him, but rather, what he had to offer by way of gifts, vacations, and an extravagant lifestyle he wasn’t into living. When he stopped offering those things in an attempt to discover the truth, she’d disappeared. He’d learned all he needed to know and swore off women for the time being. Maybe someday he’d date again, but he wasn’t ready just yet.

  “Avery, this is Luke. Luke, this is my
beautiful bride-to-be, Avery.” Shane leaned in and planted a kiss on Avery’s forehead before turning to gesture to Luke.

  “Luke, it’s so nice to finally meet you. Thank you for coming all the way from LA to be here.”

  “Don’t mention it.” He returned the smile. “It’s nice to meet you as well. Shane speaks highly of you.”

  “Well, I’d hope so because he’s about ready to be stuck with me for life,” Avery joked before adding, “I’d like you to meet my friend, Jordyn.” Avery motioned to her friend who had turned her body away from the group when he’d approached, so Luke hadn’t been able to get a good look at her face. From what he could see from behind, she looked like a knockout in her formfitting sweater dress and black heeled boots. Her long auburn hair cascaded down her back in a wave of loose curls. He hadn’t been looking to get fixed up this weekend, but now he was intrigued and anxious for the woman to turn around.

  She turned to face him, and his eyes met her’s. Instantaneously, the smile dropped from her face, and his followed suit. Disappointment washed over him when he realized who she was. Not that she wasn’t gorgeous. He had been able to tell she was attractive earlier—even covered in sticky hot chocolate—but now that she had cleaned herself up, she was even more stunning. Still, she had an attitude problem, and he wasn’t about to be fixed up with her.

  “Jordyn, this is Luke. He’s Shane’s friend who’s in for the weekend from California. He’s in the wedding party as well.”

  “Hey,” she said dryly through pursed lips before looking away and breaking the brief eye contact between them.

  “Luke Bradford,” he extended a hand to her in an attempt to start over, for the sake of Shane and Avery’s weekend, if nothing else.

  She whipped her head back in his direction, as if insulted that he was holding his hand out to her. She looked down at his hand and paused before finally reaching out to shake it.