The Millionaire's Christmas Wife

“I don’t know that I’m an expert, either, but I know what I like, what I’ve always thought I would build if I had the chance. I got my bachelor’s degree in hotel management, but I started working in the Watson Hotels Los Angeles when I was fourteen. I was like a sponge.”

“Why aren’t you working for your father?”

“Long story.” She turned back to the model and traced a trail with her finger from top to bottom.

“Sore subject?” he asked, putting a hand on her back.

She wanted to turn into him and lay her head on his shoulder. Be held. Even after seven years the wound was raw. “Yeah. But dead and buried.”

“I don’t think so. Looks like we both have father issues. Do you see your dad?”

“We’re not estranged, but we’re not close.” She’d dogged his footsteps her whole childhood, adoring him, putting him on a sky-high pedestal, then he’d crushed her. Denise took a few steps away from the temptation of confiding in and accepting comfort from Gideon. “I’m ready to see the site in person, if you are. We can talk business as we go.”

“There’s an issue we need to address before we head out,” he said.

“What’s that?”

“The attraction between us.”

Just the thought kick-started her heart into a powerful rhythm. “You have ideas?” she asked.

He moved a little closer. “As much as I’d like to say we should ignore it and see if it goes away, I’m more realistic than that. We have to pretend we’re married. That alone will require that we look comfortable together, that we seem intimate. It’s easy to recognize people who are lovers, because they move into each other’s space easily.”

His words added fuel to her already burning fire. “Are you suggesting we become lovers as part of this deal?”

His smile was slow and sexy. “I wouldn’t turn it down. But no, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying you shouldn’t take a step back when I get close.” He moved within touching range.

She stood her ground. “In public.”

He didn’t speak, but he picked up her left hand and kissed her palm, his thumb pressing into the ring.

“Have you always been a romantic?” she asked.

“Yes.” He kept her hand in his.

“You’re a rarity.”

“Am I?”

“Everyone is so straightforward these days. And self-focused. Dates are more like negotiations.”

“You haven’t met the right men, I think.” He pulled her into his arms and started dancing with her without music. “We fit. That can’t be ignored. I noticed it right away.”

“You didn’t call me this whole month.” She hadn’t meant to say that, as if she’d been waiting by the phone for his call. She’d actually stopped doing that after two weeks…

“Not because I didn’t want to see you, Mrs. Falcon.”

She wondered when—or if—she would stop reacting to him calling her that. “That makes no sense.”

“This project has consumed me and will continue to if I manage to find a partner. You wouldn’t like my lack of attention. It would kill any hope of a relationship.”

“You see me as high maintenance?”

He stopped dancing but didn’t let her go. “I see you as a beautiful woman who deserves someone’s complete attention.”

“I’m busy, too. Maybe I would be happy taking what I could get.”

He ran his fingers across her lips until she parted them, then he kissed her. “If that’s true,” he said, brushing his lips back and forth against hers, “you’ve got the chance now to test your theory.”

He settled his mouth on hers, wrapped his arms around her. She couldn’t stop a needy moan from escaping, which made him deepen the kiss even more. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth and moved his hands to her waist, sliding up her rib cage, his thumbs resting just under breasts. She moved against him, pressing her hips flush with his, enjoying his powerful body, the feel of his broad hands, the taste and heat of his mouth. She went up on tiptoe, wrapping her arms around his neck, wanting more. Now.

He nipped at her mouth then pulled away. “I’ll bet you’re very demanding in bed,” he said when she finally opened her eyes. He looked as aroused as she, as needy as she.

“Are you up to it?” she asked.

“What do you think?”

“My assistant decided you’d be a good kisser.”

“And what’s your opinion?”

“That you exceeded expectation.” She didn’t know why she was being so honest with him. Maybe she shouldn’t flatter him, shouldn’t let him know how much he turned her on. She’d just slipped into the role of his wife—his adoring wife—as if born to it.

“Same with you.” He moved back a little more. “It complicates things. I knew it would.”

“Honesty works for me, Gideon. I can handle anything but silence. I hate silence. Tell me the truth, whatever it is. Don’t ever make me guess.”

“Deal. Shall we get on the road?”

She put a hand on his arm. “Maybe we should talk about what I want out of this arrangement, in case you want to change your mind.”

“Okay.”

“I want credit,” she said. “And a piece of the action if I’m the one to find you a partner.”

He stared at her for a good long time. She’d made her decision. Nothing he said would sway her. She could be a part of his success, if he let her. She didn’t know how much give he had, or even if he would compromise. He might accept her input on the hotel, but on anything else? She didn’t know yet.

“You’ve got about an hour in the car to convince me,” he said, then gestured toward the door. “After you, Mrs. Falcon.”

She took that as a hopeful sign.

Chapter Four

Denise counted cars in the parking lot when they pulled into The Trails. Two massive snowstorms had hit the area since Thanksgiving, creating a solid base, making for good cross-country skiing, yet the parking lot was about half full, maybe a hundred cars.

“Is this the usual number for a Saturday?” she asked, unbuckling her seat belt.

“I don’t know. The season just started. The last time I was here, the cattle were being trucked out.”

“If this is it, I can see why they’ve only eked out a living all these years. How much do they advertise?”

“Not much. Mostly they depend on repeat customers. The Bakers are good people but not great businesspeople. They wanted to raise their children here, and they needed a business to sustain them enough to do that. I think they would tell you they have no regrets.”

“You haven’t said if you have competition.”

“They’ve let it be known they’re interested in selling, but I don’t know specifically if there are others. I would assume so, although it can’t be easy finding someone to meet their requirements who can also afford to buy.”

“Why the Christmas Eve deadline?”

“I asked that. Ed and Joanne just smiled at each other. I’m assuming it’s sentimental.”

She eyed him. He was dressed much like he had been when he’d come to her office the day before. She figured he knew a suit and tie wouldn’t be helpful dealing with this couple. She’d also dressed appropriately, including snow boots. “You really are a risk taker, even to the point of risking all the capital you’ve grown and protected all these years.”

“Not getting any younger.” His grin seemed a little reckless to her, a little dangerous. He was a fascinating combination of the kind of men she’d dated when she was known as Deni and those she dated now, but she found herself drawn more to the edgier side of him. He wouldn’t back down from anything that mattered to him. She liked that. A lot.

“Didn’t you take chances starting your business?” he asked. “It’s an unavoidable part of success. Some people have the nerve for it and some don’t.”

“I hadn’t looked at it that way.” She glanced out the windshield and saw a woman climb the steps to a building at the far end of the parking lot. “Are the Bakers expecting us?”

“They’re expecting me.” He pointed ahead. “There’s Mrs. Baker on the porch. Joanne. She’s sixty-eight. Ed’s a year older. They’re both fit and sociable, and look about ten years younger.”

“Anything else? I’m sure, as your wife, they would expect me to know more about them than that.”

“I can’t—Oh, they celebrated their fiftieth anniversary recently. They have two daughters.”

Gideon opened his door. “Ready?”

Denise climbed out. She grabbed the paperwork while he brought the scale model. She was nervous, she realized, feeling it in her chest. She’d been exposed to so many unusual situations while growing up that she rarely felt nervous or uncomfortable in any setting. But she didn’t want to mess this up for Gideon—or herself. Too much was at stake. For him and for her. She had something to prove, too. She’d successfully built a business, but to also help build a hotel? Yes, she wanted that. Passionately.

“What will happen to your adventure business if you take this on?” she asked.

“I’ll run it from here. I already have someone in mind to take charge of it until The Trails is up and running.”

They reached the building. Joanne Baker had spotted them and was waiting, smiling. “You have the model! I can’t wait to see it. Hello, Gideon,” she added with a laugh. “I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m just so anxious to see your plans.” She stuck out her hand toward Denise. “Hi, I’m Joanne Baker.”

“Denise Falcon.” Saying it out loud for the first time caught her off-guard. It felt even more strange than hearing Gideon call her Mrs. Falcon, because he always gave it a sexy lilt.

“Well, finally, you brought your wife! I’ve been dying to meet you,” Joanne said. “He’s told me so much about you.”

He had? Not according to Gideon. Denise gave him a look, and he shrugged.

“I’ve really been looking forward to meeting you, too,” Denise said.

“Oh, look at me. Your hands are full, and I’m gabbing. Come in.” Joanne held the door for them. “Ed! Gideon’s here. And he’s brought a surprise.”

The building was multipurpose—ticket booth, ski equipment rental and a small dining room where they sold hot beverages and prepackaged, made-fresh-daily sandwiches. Their conference room was behind the counter and had a window where they could watch for customers. Joanne brought in a carafe of coffee and plate of cookies that looked homemade.

They all examined the model, with Gideon adding more information to fill in the complete picture. Although the Bakers would technically have no say in the final plans, Denise knew that Gideon wanted them to see he would be a good steward of their land.

“Where will you live after you leave here?” Denise asked.

“We’re moving to Arizona, of course,” Joanne said, frowning as if bothered by the question. “To be near our daughters and our grandchildren.”

Yeah, Denise should’ve known that. What else had Gideon not said?

Ed offered to lead Gideon by snowmobile around the property, to see it in operation, but didn’t include Denise. Gideon gave her an apologetic look, then left. She wanted to handcuff him to a chair so that he could answer the bombardment of questions that would undoubtedly come.

“More coffee?” Joanne asked. “Or maybe you’d like tea instead? I’m sorry I didn’t ask that.”

“I’m good, thanks. Gideon told me you just celebrated your fiftieth anniversary.”

“We went to Hawaii. Our kids and grandkids came, too. That was what made us antsy to get this place sold and move to where it’s warm. Our old bones have had enough of the cold.” She leaned her elbows on the table. “We were so sorry when Max Beauregard died. We liked him and his wife so much, even though they weren’t what we expected as the people who would become the new owners. They were very down to earth, for all that they had so much money you couldn’t count it, don’t you think?”

“Yes. Very down to earth.”

“We thought Gideon would be out of the running after that, but then he surprised us and said he’d gotten married. He hadn’t mentioned he was even engaged. How did you meet?”

“We met briefly at a party, then soon after at his brother’s wedding.”

“Love at first sight?”

Denise smiled at Joanne’s girlish tone. “Yes. It caught us both by surprise.”

“Did you have a beautiful wedding?”

“We eloped.” Denise toyed with her napkin. “We tried to talk ourselves out of it, but really couldn’t come up with any good reasons not to do it. Neither of us is impulsive, so we amazed ourselves by going through with it.”

“No regrets?”

“None.”

“How do you feel about making your home here?”

“It’s beautiful.” Was that a vague enough answer?

Joanne cocked her head. “Gideon said you were excited about it.”

“Who wouldn’t be?” Come back, Gideon. Don’t leave me here with her.

“Are you looking forward to using the trails?”

“I haven’t been on skis for years.”

“Really? Gideon said you were a fanatic, like him.”

“Oh, I am. I am.” She was going to kill Gideon. He couldn’t have remembered that detail to pass along to her? “I’ve just been so busy with my job. It’ll be wonderful having the course right outside our door.”

“Do you think you’ll have children soon?”

Finally, something she could answer. “We won’t wait too long.”

“I imagine not. Especially since you want four.”

Denise almost choked. Four? The strikes were piling up against Gideon fast. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and have twins,” she said. “It runs in the family.”

“Well, I’ve been watching you since got here, both of you. I can see you love each other. It’s plain as day.”

It is? “He’s a wonderful man. The best I’ve ever met. He’ll take good care of your land.”

“Yes, both Ed and I feel good about him. And I’m very glad he finally brought you along. We wouldn’t have decided without meeting you, too. We couldn’t understand why he waited so long to bring you. Almost as if you didn’t exist!”

Imagine that. “Have you had other offers?” It wasn’t a question Denise would have asked if Gideon had been there, but she hoped a woman-to-woman talk would yield information he didn’t have yet.

“Not yet. Ed and I know we’re being overly protective of what we built, but we’re both worried that someone will come in here and make a ritzy place out of it. We figure celebrities have enough playgrounds. This has always been a place for families to come. Wholesome and affordable.”

“That’s Gideon’s goal, too,” she said quickly. Maybe too quickly, since Joanne’s gaze sharpened.

“You know,” Joanne said, resting her chin in her hand, “you look familiar.”

Denise’s mouth went dry. “Do I?” she asked lightly.

“Do you live around here?”

“I live—lived in Sacramento.”

“You’ve moved to his cabin in Chance City?”

“At the moment we’re splitting our time, at least until a decision is made about The Trails. I have a company in Sacramento. There’s lots to work out at the beginning of a relationship, isn’t there?” she asked lightly.

“Would I know you from your business?” Joanne asked, obviously not about to give up.

“It’s doubtful. I own a temp agency, domestic and clerical help.”

The woman shook her head. “We meet with other owners of recreational facilities now and then, but generally in Reno or Tahoe, so I don’t think we’ve run in the same circles. We don’t get to Sacramento often.” She perked up. “Do you know Jake McCoy? He’s from Chance City. He’s a regular here, although he hasn’t been here yet this season.”

She recalled some McCoy brothers being at the bachelorette party and wedding, but not Jake specifically. “I’ve only just started meeting people from Gideon’s town,” she said vaguely.

Joanne looked past Denise then. “I’ve got a customer. Be right back.”

“Restroom?” Denise asked.

“Out the door, to the right, then another right,” Joanne said as she left.

Denise followed more slowly. She needed to come up with some safe topics to divert the conversation. Her gaze landed on a magazine rack by the door, filled with just about every entertainment magazine and tabloid currently published. So, for all that Joanne Baker was against turning her place into a celebrity haven, she loved to read about them, apparently.

After Joanne returned, Denise tried to lead the conversation, learning in great detail about the woman’s children and grandchildren through constant questioning. Finally she needed a break from the constant tension, so she asked to go for a walk, needing to avoid talking, realizing there were really no safe topics. What information Gideon had and hadn’t given Joanne, plus Joanne’s interest in celebrity gossip, were dangerous for Denise. All of Gideon’s plans could be destroyed if she gave a wrong answer, a suspicious answer.

Joanne stayed behind. Denise stuffed her hands in her pockets and headed out, happy for the cold weather to clear her head. She stood in the middle of the parking lot trying to envision the hotel in the setting Gideon had planned.

A vision came to her, a perfect picture of how the hotel should look, which direction it should face, how deep, how wide, how tall it should be. Built of logs, she decided, like his cabin.

She scrounged in her purse for the pad of paper she always carried and started drawing. She was still standing there when two snowmobiles zipped down the mountain as if racing.

She used her hand to block the sun and focused on the speeding vehicles. Gideon would certainly drive at that speed, but Ed? Her question was answered when they came to a stop at the top of a snowbank near her.

Gideon’s face was red from the cold and wind. He shoved up his goggles, and his eyes sparkled. He grinned.

She climbed up the bank and hugged him, enjoying his exuberance, happy to see him, thrilled not to face any more personal questions from Joanne.

“Miss me?” Gideon asked, looking way too pleased by her forwardness.

“A little.” She’d surprised herself. She wasn’t known for spontaneity.

“Hop on,” he said as Ed took off toward the building.

She climbed aboard and set her arms at his waist, his jacket thick and cushiony. They didn’t have far to travel. Her hair didn’t even get messed up. “You owe me a real ride sometime,” she said as they climbed off.

“Deal. I have several snowmobiles for my business. We’ll plan a day trip. How’d it go?” he asked quietly as they headed into the building.

“I’ll tell you in the car.”

“It’s bad?” he asked, his voice instantly tense.

“You two want to stay for dinner?” Ed asked, poking his head out the door at them as they neared.

“We have to get back to Sacramento tonight,” Gideon said. “But thanks for the offer.”

Twenty minutes later they loaded the model in the car and headed out, with about a half hour of daylight left.

“So?” he asked.

“She might recognize me, once she thinks about it some more.” She told him what had happened. “It’s not like I was a movie star, where people might still be watching videos of me or something. I should be gone from the public’s memory. But there’s no guarantee.”

“Well, we can’t do anything about it except hope if it would make a difference to her that she doesn’t make the connection until after the deal is done.” He reached over and laid his hand over hers. “Were you in a panic?”

She sniffed. “I never panic.”

He smiled. “Good to know.”

“Even though I learned today that I’m a skiing fanatic—which I’m not, by the way—I’m extremely close to my family, I’m happiest at home and I want four children?”

He looked a little contrite. Just a little. “Did I tell her we wanted four children?”

“Apparently so.”

“Sounds like you covered well.”

“Maybe. She frowned a lot at some of my answers, so I had to backpedal. I’m sure I came across as ditzy.”

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