Her Festive Baby Bombshell

Clara pulled back. “Thank you. It really was a surprise. We’ve been together for over five years now. I’d pretty much given up on him ever proposing. Anyway the plan is we catch a plane tomorrow and elope in Vegas followed by a honeymoon in Napa Valley. I can’t postpone it. I don’t want him changing his mind.”

“Don’t worry. Everything will work out.” She was happy that Clara was finally getting her happily-ever-after. Holly didn’t see such a rosy future for herself, but it didn’t mean she didn’t believe it could happen for others. “What can I do to help?”

“I know this is a lot to ask, but I need you to fill in for me while I’m off on my honeymoon.”

“What?” Clara wanted her to be Finn’s assistant? No. Impossible. Finn would never agree. She must have misunderstood. “You want me to be Mr. Lockwood’s assistant?”

Clara nodded. “It won’t be for long.”

Her friend had absolutely no idea what she was asking of her. None whatsoever. She’d given Finn her word that she’d stay clear of him just as he’d agreed to do the same for her.

Now it appeared she had to make a very difficult choice—keep her word to Finn or keep her friendship with Clara. Holly’s stomach plummeted into her Louis Vuittons. She desperately wanted to do both.

But that wasn’t possible.

CHAPTER TWO

THERE HAD TO be a way out.

But how? Holly couldn’t bear to hurt Clara’s feelings. But Holly acting as Finn’s assistant for even the briefest time would be at the very least awkward. It’d raise too many memories—memories best left alone.

How did she explain that this arrangement would never work? No one knew about that special evening she’d spent with Finn. And it had to remain that way.

Holly smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from her skirt. “I can’t just move up here. What about my work in the legal department?”

Clara sent her a pleading look with her eyes. “If that’s all you’re worried about, I worked it out with your boss. You are temporarily transferred here. But don’t worry. Working for Mr. Lockwood comes with benefits.”

She’d already sampled Mr. Lockwood’s benefits and they were unforgettable, but she was certain that was not what Clara meant. “Did you talk this over with F...ah, Mr. Lockwood?”

Clara’s eyes momentarily widened at Holly’s slip of the tongue. “I did and he’s on board.”

He was? Really? She was running out of excuses about why this wouldn’t work. But maybe this was the break she was looking for. If Finn was open to taking her on as his assistant, would it be such a stretch to think he’d consider giving her a personal referral?

It was time she left Lockwood International. And like a sign, there was an opening at another Fortune 500 company for an assistant to the lead counsel. She’d heard about the position through a friend of a friend. But the attorney was older and wanted someone closer to his age with top qualifications.

The cards were stacked against Holly as she was in her twenties and her experience was so-so, depending on what the position required. But it would be a big boost for her and it would make it possible for her mother to make her time off permanent.

Holly had come up with one thing that just might make gaining the new position a real possibility, a letter of recommendation from Finn—a well-respected businessman. Although she hadn’t quite figured out how to approach him. But then again, it appeared he’d taken that problem out of her hands.

After all, she’d only have to be his PA for one week and then he’d be on his annual holiday. She’d have the office to herself. In the meantime, it wasn’t like they were going to be working in the same office. He’d be down the hall behind a closed door and she’d be out here. If he could make it work, then so could she.

“I’ll do it.”

Clara’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “I was hoping you’d say that. I can spend the rest of today going over current projects with you, but first let’s go get you introduced to Mr. Lockwood.”

On wooden legs, Holly followed Clara down the hallway. Her morning coffee sloshed in her stomach, making her nauseated. Keep it together. Just act professional.

Clara knocked on the door and then entered. Holly followed her inside. Her heart picked up its pace as her gaze eagerly sought him out. His hair appeared freshly trimmed. And the blue button-up accentuated his broad, muscular shoulders. Holly swallowed hard.

He glanced up from his computer monitor. Was that surprise reflected in his blue-gray eyes? It couldn’t be. He’d approved this scenario. In a blink, the look was gone.

“Mr. Lockwood, I’d like to introduce Holly Abrams.” Clara’s voice drew Holly from her thoughts. “She’s from the legal department.”

“We’ve met.” His gaze moved between the two women. “The question is what’s she doing in my office?”

Clara sent him a nervous smile. “She’s agreed to step up and fill in for me while I’m away on my honeymoon. Her boss in legal gave nothing but rave reviews about her.”

“I see.” Finn’s gaze moved to Holly.

What was she missing here? Hadn’t Clara said Finn had approved of this temporary assignment? She forced a smile to her lips as his intense gaze held her captive. Her heart continued to race and her palms grew damp. She should say something, but the jumbled words in her mind refused to form a cohesive sentence.

Clara spoke, breaking the mounting silence. “She’ll do a really good job for you.”

“I don’t know about this.” Finn leaned back in the black leather chair. “Why don’t you give us a moment to talk?” Clara made a discreet exit. It wasn’t until the door snicked shut that Finn spoke again with a serious, no-nonsense tone. “Okay, we’re alone now. Please explain to me what happened to our agreement to keep clear of each other.”

“Clara said that she okayed this with you. I figured if you were big enough to deal with this awkward situation for Clara’s sake then so was I. After all, Clara would do most anything for anyone. And it is her wedding—”

“Enough. I get the point. But this—” he gestured back and forth between them “—it won’t work.”

“That’s fine with me. Do you have someone else who can fill in?”

Finn cleared his throat. “No, I don’t.”

Holly clasped her hands together to keep from fidgeting and straightened her shoulders. “I know that we’ve never worked together, but I think I can do the job.”

Finn leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Tell me why I should give you a chance.”

Holly swallowed hard, not expecting to have to interview for the position, but when she recalled the desperation in her friend’s voice, she knew she couldn’t let Clara down. “I’m a hard worker. I’m the first through the door in the morning and I’m the last out in the evening.”

“Are you sure that’s a good thing? Perhaps you just don’t get your work done in a timely manner.”

Her gaze narrowed. Why exactly was he giving her such a hard time? A smart retort teetered on the tip of her tongue, but she choked it back, refusing to let him provoke her. “No. I like to be punctual. I like to have the coffee brewing and a chance to take off my coat before the phone starts ringing. And I don’t rush out the door at the end of the day simply because I can’t. I usually have a task or two dropped on my desk by my boss as he’s leaving.”

Finn nodded as though her answer pleased him. “And you think you’re up to the challenges of being my PA?”

“I do.”

“You do realize that what happened between us is in the past. It will have no bearing on our working relationship.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Good.”

“Does that mean I have the position?” The breath caught in her throat as she waited for his answer.

Seconds ticked by and still he said nothing. What in the world? She thought of all the things she could say to him to sell herself, but she didn’t want to look desperate because she wasn’t. Oh, maybe she was just a bit. She had a plan and he played a pivotal role.

“Okay. You’ve convinced me. We’ll do this.”

The breath rushed from Holly’s straining lungs. “Thank you. I’ll go catch up on everything I need to know from Clara.”

“Holly, remember this is strictly work.”

Like she could or would forget. “I understand, Mr. Lockwood.”

He frowned. “I don’t think we have to be that formal. Finn will do.”

“Yes, sir...erm... Finn.”

This was it, she was in. She should be inwardly cheering or smiling or something. And yet she stood there transfixed by the man who danced through her dreams each night and left her longing for a glance of him each day. The truth was that she didn’t know how to react. It was one of those good news–bad news scenarios.

The best thing she could do was leave. The sooner, the better. She turned for the door.

“Holly, there’s one more thing.” He waited until she turned around before continuing. “Make sure you aren’t late tomorrow morning. Takeoff is at six a.m. sharp.”

“Takeoff?”

Finn’s brows scrunched together. “Clara didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“We’re leaving first thing in the morning for the Caribbean. I have an extremely important meeting there.”

This was not what she’d been expecting at all. How was she supposed to fly to a sunny destination spot with the sexiest guy alive—a man who could heat her blood with just a look? She inwardly groaned. She was in so much trouble here.

Not only was she nervous about being around him—about remembering their first night together in vivid detail—but she was also a nervous flier, as in white-knuckling it through turbulence. Exactly how long was a flight from New York City to the Caribbean?

No matter what, she wasn’t about to back out of this arrangement. There was too much riding on it—too many people counting on her. Her mother’s pale face flashed in her mind. After her mother’s recent stroke, the doctor had warned that with her other medical conditions, if she didn’t slow down, her health would be put at greater risk. Holly needed to do whatever she could to further her career in order to support her and her mother.

“Holly? Will that be a problem?”

His voice drew her from her frantic thoughts. “I didn’t know. Where will we be staying?”

“On my private island.”

Oh, boy! One private island. One sexy guy. And a whole lot of chemistry. What could possibly go wrong with this scenario?

CHAPTER THREE

TWENTY-TWO MINUTES LATE, Holly rushed through the airport early the next morning. Her suitcase clunk-clunked as it rolled over the tiled floor.

She hadn’t meant to stay up late the night before, talking on the phone, but it’d been a long time since she’d heard her mother so exuberant. Apparently the Sunshine State agreed with her, especially the strolls along the beach while Holly’s aunt was off at her waitressing job.

When her mother mentioned returning to New York, Holly readily assured her there was no rush. At the same time, she’d made a mental note to send her aunt some more money to cover her mother’s living expenses. Holly proceeded to fill her mother in on the business trip, citing her absence as another reason for her mother to remain in Florida. Her mother actually sounded relieved, confirming Holly’s belief that she needed to do everything to ensure her mother didn’t have to worry about money. And that hinged on impressing Finn.

But this morning, if anything could have gone wrong, it had. As late as she was, Finn would think she was incompetent or worse that she’d changed her mind and backed out without a word. And because she’d been so rattled yesterday, she’d forgotten to get his cell number.

When she finally reached the prearranged meeting spot, Finn stood there, frowning. She was breathless and feeling totally out of sorts.

His piercing gaze met hers. “I didn’t think you were going to show up.”

She attempted to catch her breath. “There was an accident.”

Immediately his anger morphed into concern. “Are you okay?”

“It wasn’t me. It was the vehicle two cars up from my cab.” In that moment the horrific events played in her mind. “One second we’re moving along the highway and the next a little sports car attempts to cut off a souped-up pickup truck with large knobby tires. The car swerved wildly across the lanes as tires screeched and the driver tried to regain control, but the car lifted and flipped a couple of times.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I never witnessed something so horrific. I...I don’t think the driver made it.”

Finn reached out to her and pulled her close. Her cheek rested against his shoulder. “Thank God you’re safe.”

Her emotions bubbled to the surface. The worry. The fear. The shock. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed as Finn continued to hold her. Horrific scenes of the accident played in her mind, one after the other. She knew she shouldn’t seek comfort in his arms. Although it was innocent enough, it wasn’t part of their agreement. And yet, she didn’t move.

It was only when she started to gather herself that she noticed the spicy scent of his cologne. It would be so easy to forget about their agreement and turn in his arms, claiming his very kissable lips. Every cell in her body longed to do just that. Just once more.

But she couldn’t. Once would not be enough. Frustration balled up inside her. Besides, he was just being nice—a gentleman. She refused to throw herself at him and ruin everything. After all, she was out to prove to him that she was an invaluable asset in the office.

With great regret, she extricated herself from his arms, already missing the warmth of his touch. “I must be such a mess.” She swiped her hands over her cheeks. “Sorry about that. I...I’m usually—”

“No apologies necessary.” He waved away her words. “I’m just relieved you’re safe.”

The sincerity in his words had her glancing up at him. In that moment he’d reverted back to Finn Lockwood, the friendly man who’d taken her to his penthouse to thank her for her help with the contract. The man who’d spent the evening wining and dining her with some pasta he’d whipped up himself. The same man who’d entertained her with tales of hilarious fiascos at the office. The man who’d swept her off her feet.

“What are you thinking?”

His voice drew her from her thoughts. Not about to tell him the truth, she said, “That we should get moving. I’ve already put you behind schedule.”

“You’re right.” He gestured for her to walk ahead of him.

Her insides shivered with nervous tension. She couldn’t tell if it was from being held in Finn’s arms or the thought of soaring through the air in his jet. Maybe she should mention her fear of flying to Finn. Then again, they’d already shared more than enough for now. She would just lose herself in her work. If all went well, he’d never even know of her phobia of heights.

* * *

What had he been thinking?

Finn sat across the aisle from Holly on his private jet. They were in midflight and Holly had been surprisingly quiet. It suited him just fine. He was preparing for his upcoming meeting, or he had been until thoughts of Holly infiltrated his mind. Truth be told, he hadn’t been able to let go of the memories of their night together. She was amazing and so easy to be with. Most people wouldn’t find that to be a problem, but he did.

He refused to let someone get close to him—he would do nothing but lead them to unhappiness. Because that was what happened to the people he cared about—he let them down. And Holly was too nice to get caught up with the likes of him.

The onboard phone buzzed. Finn took the call from the pilot. After a brief conversation, he turned to Holly, who had her window shade drawn. He presumed it was to cut down on the glare on her digital tablet. He, on the other hand, enjoyed being able to look out at the world around them. However, the overcast day hampered much of his view. “That was the captain. He said we should buckle our seat belts as we’re about to hit some rough weather.”

Without argument or for that matter a word, Holly did as he asked. She then returned her attention to the tablet as though she hadn’t heard him. What in the world had her so absorbed?

He gave a shake of his head and turned back to his laptop. He’d been working on an agenda for his upcoming meeting, but he’d totally lost track of his line of thought. He started reading the last couple of bullet points when his attention meandered back to Holly.

Giving up on his attempt to work, Finn closed his laptop. He glanced over at her, which was a mistake. He was immediately drawn in by her natural beauty. He loved that she didn’t wear heavy makeup, only a little bit to accent her own unique qualities.

There was just something so different about Holly, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on exactly what made her so much more appealing than the other women who had passed through his life. Maybe it was that she was content with her life—not looking to him for a leg up in her career. Or maybe it was that she treated him like everybody else instead of trying to cater to him. Whatever it was, he was intrigued by her.

Realizing he was staring, he cleared his throat. “What are you reading?”

She glanced up as though completely lost in thought. “What did you say?”

He smiled, liking the sheepish look on her face and the touch of pink in her cheeks. “I was wondering what had you so deep in thought.”

She glanced down at her tablet and then back at him. “Um, nothing.”

“Must be something to have you so preoccupied.”

“Just some work.”

“Work? I don’t recall giving you anything to do on the way to the island.”

She worried her bottom lip. “I was doing a little research.”

“Do tell. I’m thoroughly intrigued.”

She set aside her tablet. “I downloaded some background on the businessmen that you’ll be meeting with.”

“Really? I thought you’d prefer to read a book.”

“I like to be prepared. Clara gave me their names. I hope you don’t mind.”

“What else did she tell you about the meeting?”

“Nothing except that it is extremely important and top secret.”

He smiled, liking that Clara had emphasized discretion. Of course, Holly would learn all about his plans soon enough. “Let me know if you uncover anything noteworthy.”

“I will.” She once more picked up her tablet.

Why was she working so hard on this? Surely she wasn’t this thorough normally. There had to be something driving her. Was she afraid of disappointing him?

Or more likely, she was doing whatever she could to ignore him.

Just then the plane started to vibrate. Finn glanced over at Holly and noticed that she had the armrests in a death grip. “Don’t worry. It’s just some turbulence.”

She looked at him, her eyes as big as saucers. “Maybe we should land until it passes over.”

“You don’t fly much, do you?”

She shook her head. “Never had much reason. Anyplace I’ve ever wanted to go I can get to by train or car.”

“Well, relax. Turbulence is common. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Easy for you to say,” she said in a huff.

He suppressed a chuckle. She did have spirit. Maybe that was what he liked so much about her. Otherwise, why would he have agreed to this completely unorthodox arrangement?

Perhaps if he could get her talking, she’d temporarily forget about the turbulence. “Where are these places you visit by car or train?”

She glanced at him with an Are you serious? look. He continued staring at her, prompting her to talk.

“I...I don’t go away often.”

“But when you do travel, where do you go?”

“The ocean.”

It wasn’t much, but it was a start. “Which beach is your favorite?”

“Ocean City and...” The plane shook again. Her fingers tightened on the armrests. Her knuckles were white.

“I must admit I’ve never been to Ocean City. Is there much to do there?” When she didn’t respond, he said, “Holly?”

“Um, yes. Ah, there’s plenty to do along the boardwalk. But I like to take a book and sit on the beach.”

“What do you read?”

“Mysteries. Some thrillers.”

He continued talking books and authors with her. He found that she was truly passionate about books. As she talked about a series of suspense novels she was in the process of reading, his attention was drawn to her lips—her tempting lips. It’d be so easy to forget the reason for this trip and the fact she was helping him out.

What would she say if he were to take her in his arms and press his lips to hers?

His phone buzzed again. After a brief conversation with the pilot, he turned to Holly. “The pilot believes we’re past the bad weather. You can relax. It should be smooth flying from here on out.”

The tension visibly drained from her as her shoulders relaxed and her hands released the armrests. “That’s good news. I guess I’m not a very good flyer.”

“Oh, trust me, you’re doing fine. I’ve experienced worse. Much worse.” He inwardly shuddered, recalling a couple of experiences while flying commercial airlines.

His attention returned to his laptop. He was surprised the break had him feeling refreshed. His fingers flew over the keyboard. Some time had passed when he grew thirsty.

He got up from his seat. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“That sounds good. But I can get it.”

She stood up and followed him to the front of the plane where there was a small kitchenette. “I’m surprised you don’t have any staff on board.”

“Staff? For just me?” He shook his head. “I don’t need anyone standing around, waiting for something to do. Besides, I appreciate the time alone.”

“Oh.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I’m happy having you along.”

“You are?” Her eyes widened. And was that a smile playing at the corners of her lips?

“I am. You’re doing me a big favor. This meeting can’t be rescheduled. It’s time sensitive. And I didn’t want to ruin Clara’s wedding.”

“Seems it all worked out.”

He arched a brow. “Did it? Are you really okay with being here?”

“I—”

The plane violently shuddered. Then the plane dipped. A gasp tore from Holly’s lips. Her body swayed forward. He sprang into action, catching her.

“It’ll be okay.”

The fear in her eyes said she didn’t believe him.

As the pilot guided the plane through a particularly rough patch of airspace, Finn held on to Holly, who in turn held on to him. This was the exact thing he’d told himself that wouldn’t occur on this trip, but fate seemed to have other plans.

He looked down at her as she lifted her chin. Their gazes met and held. Even when the plane leveled out, he continued to hold her. The emotions reflected in her eyes were intense. Or was he reading what he wanted to see in them?

He did know one thing—having her this close was doing all sorts of crazy things to his body. He caught a whiff of her soft floral scent and inhaled deeper. The pleasing scent swept him back to that not-so-long-ago night. Maybe playing it safe was overrated.

The plane started to vibrate again. Her wide-eyed gaze reflected fear. He knew how to distract her. His head dipped. His lips swooped in, claiming hers. She didn’t move at first as though surprised by his actions. But in seconds her lips moved beneath his.

Holly was amazing. He’d never met a woman who intrigued him both mentally and physically. Her lips parted and his tongue slipped inside. She tasted of mint with a hint of chocolate. A moan swelled in his throat.

His thoughts turned toward the big bed in the back of the plane. Should he even entertain such an idea? But with the heat of their kiss, it wasn’t out of bounds. All he had to do was scoop her up in his arms. It wasn’t like it’d be their first time. Or even their second.

There was a sound. But he brushed it off, not wanting anything to ruin this moment. And yet there it was again. He concentrated for a second and realized it was the private line from the cockpit.